There are also touch controls - no voice, though - on the right ear cup. These worked really well in my trials, but did take a little getting used to. Also, it's a little thing but I am left handed and them being just on the right felt a little unnatural to me, as I caught myself reaching over with my left hand to use them. What this is all about and how the KEF Mu7 Wireless Headphones actually perform in practice is what we want to find out with a detailed test. KEF has been in the headphone business for years

Sound quality is good and seems to be on the warmer side with a sense of veil, but that veil seem to go away after a couple of hours of burn-in.

Why is KEF Mu7 better than Sony WH-1000XM5?

While I must have listened to music and watched movies for two to three dozen hours with the Mu7, I only charged it that one time. The KEF Mu7 Wireless Headphones feature a lightweight, graceful design. The ear cups are made of plastic, while the joints connecting the headphones to the headband and the headband itself are made of aluminium, guaranteeing a very slim and lightweight construction with maximum stability.

The first time you open the case, the headphones automatically start the pairing process. Once partnered to your headphones, they connect almost as soon as the lid is lifted. However, if you’re a fan of the KEF brand – or Ross Lovegrove in particular –and have the funds at your disposal, it’s well worth giving them a chance.

Price comparison

Don't worry, I didn't damage my ears because these headphones aren't particularly loud even at full speed. In retrospect, it can be said that KEF really got it right from the start, because they clearly recognised that headphones are increasingly perceived as lifestyle products, as solutions with which buyers really want to express their style, and not just listen to music anywhere and anytime in the best possible way. The haunting piano of The Beatles' Now And Then enveloped me, while the crunching guitars of Bombay Bicycle Club's I Want To Be Your Only Pet were at the forefront throughout. It’s difficult to know for sure, of course, but if the words good taste and grown-up weren’t as high on the list of Mu7 sonic requirements as detailed and high-fidelity then I’ll eat my metaphorical hat. The KEF Mu7 Wireless Headphones score a big plus point for their sound, which is extremely well-balanced and rich in detail, but, compared to many others in this class, a little restrained. However, this is an immense advantage, because it ensures relaxed music listening even over many hours, the ear is not unduly stressed. For pumping bass lines, you should probably look elsewhere; with the KEF Mu7 Wireless Headphones, music should rather be presented in an unadulterated and precise way, and it is precisely this promise of the English specialist that the headphones can keep with flying colours.

The faux leather encases the ears nicely and having it on the top of the band as well means that the comfort levels are superb.The manufacturer claims that the sophisticated Smart Active Noise Cancellation Technology of the new KEF Mu7 Wireless Headphones uses several filters to detect ambient noise and then relies on a special algorithm to specifically suppress individual frequencies. Optimal voice quality for phone calls The British hi-fi titan has been busy flexing its luxuriously top-spec audio muscles these last few years with some wonderful speakers, like the effortlessly clean LSXII set, and while it might not be the household name that your grandparents would know about, it's still one of the most sought-after audio-makers around. This new lunge for relevancy has promise with the release of the mid-specced Mu7, but do KEF's ANC-powered headphones have any staying power? We've been testing them out to see how competitive they really are. History in the making Of course, there’s a bit more to these KEF than a high-sheen, smooth and rather self-consciously mature presentation. Five minutes in the company of a TIDAL-derived stream of Cornflake Girl by Tori Amos allows the Mu7 to explain a lot of what they’re all about – and a lot is a lot of what they’ve got. We decide for ourselves which products we report on in the test department and which we test or not. We do not receive any money or other consideration from the manufacturers for any of the test reports. It can be hard for headphones to stand out, so KEF once again worked with designer Ross Lovegrove on the Mu7 to make it look better on the shelf. You can see his influence on past KEF products like the Muon floor-standing speakers, the Muo wireless speakers, and the Mu3 wireless earbuds. You can also see it right away in the Mu7.

KEF made a remarkable decision a year ago to collaborate with industrial designer Ross Lovegrove, who has gone on to shape many aspects of the company’s product range, including its latest model, the KEF Mu7 Wireless Headphones. At the beginning of the corona crisis, after a long KEF break, I was able to test a pair of networked speakers from the LSX series and was very impressed. In the early 1980s, a pair of KEF C20s were the first good speakers I could afford with summer job wages. In the 2018 remix of Pink Floyd's "Dogs", the sub-bass synthesizer pushing from far below is only vaguely perceptible during the synth solo.

Why is Sony WH-1000XM5 better than KEF Mu7?

They have real passive audio and they sound much better wired up to a proper headphone amp. I feel as though they really come alive and significantly better than wireless. This is exciting because many users consider an app to be mandatory, and indeed many headphone models offer a variety of possibilities with the help of corresponding apps, especially with regard to personalisation. They’re definitely on the quiet side compared to some of the other competitors. I have to crank them up to 80% to hear music at a decent level.