
I really admire KEF. The firm is a British hi-fi legend: it's been making remarkable audio kit since 1961 and has created some of the most interesting, strange-looking and amazing-sounding speakers you can buy. And while most of its products aren't so much out of my price range as on a different planet to my bank balance, it also makes some affordable high-end headphones. We reviewed its true wireless earbuds, the KEF Mu3, last year, and now they have an over-ear sibling in the form of the KEF Mu7.
KEF says they're "an exercise in both engineering and aesthetic excellence". Me, I say they're a really interesting rival to Sony's WH-1000XM5, our current number one in our best noise-cancelling headphones guide.
KEF Mu7 noise cancelling headphones: what to expect
KEF promises serious sound quality from these headphones. They have full range 40mm dynamic drivers, support for 24-bit/48kHz hi-res audio via Qualcomm aptX HD and a 3.5mm connection for when you want your audio wired; battery life is a whopping 40 hours from a single charge and 8 hours from a 15-minute fast charge.
I have no doubt that the Mu7 are going to sound great; we described their earbud siblings' sound as like taking a warm bath. But the big question here is how good the noise cancelling is. KEF says its Smart Active Noise Cancellation "monitors surroundings and eliminates external noise", but that's just a description of what any ANC does; we felt that the noise cancelling in the Mu3s was "ho-hum", but the ANC in Sony's headphones is absolutely superb.
As we said in our Sony review, "Sony has delivered a pair of headphones that can deal with virtually any external sound short of an HGV moving off from the lights. And it can do so without affecting the audio performance, without leaving any artificiality or impression of counter-signal in its wake, without introducing that ‘cabin pressure’ sensation into the earcups". Sony raised the ANC bar very high with the XM5s, so I can't wait to hear how the KEF Mu7s compare.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) review: a dynamic and bright beamer
Sony’s projector keeps pace with the competition by adding some important new features
By Stephen Withers Published
-
Sony adds peace of mind to its OLED displays
Sony promises you won't get burned if you buy its InZone OLED monitors
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Sony's binning Blu-ray, but that won't cut your home cinema choices
Sony is shutting down Blu-ray disc production, but it's not as bad as some have reported
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones could be on their way, and may have fixed last-gen's biggest problem
Official filings show a Bluetooth boost and what looks like a significant design change
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Sony’s next-gen affordable earbuds have leaked, and the difference is clear
The successor to the Sony WF-C700N has turned up in an official database with a very un-Sony design
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
PS Portal gets a stealthy upgrade, now I'm finally going to have to buy one
The handheld now comes in a stunning black
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Sony XYN Headset could be an Apple Vision Pro killer, but only for a select few
A new mixed reality headset is coming from Sony
By John McCann Published
-
Sony ULT Field 1 review: a new contender on durability
Sony's rugged little speaker makes a good impression
By Max Freeman-Mills Published