KEF challenges AirPods Pro, Bose and Sony with its first true wireless earbuds

KEF challenges AirPods Pro, Bose and Sony with its first truthful wireless earbuds

(Image credit: KEF)

Audio specialist KEF has unveiled its outset pair of true wireless earbuds. The Mu3 features active noise cancellation (ANC) and IPX5 water resistance for $230, in a directly challenge to the $249 AirPods Pro.

Much like Apple tree's earbuds, as well as the recent Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, the Mu3 also includes an ambient mode that amplifies nearby noise and so you can hear your surroundings without taking the buds out. The real kicker is battery life: rated for 9 hours of ANC playback from a unmarried charge, the Mu3 promises to outlast the AirPods Pro equally well every bit many more of the best wireless earbuds.

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Designed in collaboration with Welsh artist Ross Lovegrove, the Mu3 adopts a meaty in-ear shape with multi-function buttons on each earbud and can connect to both Android and iOS devices via Bluetooth v.0.

According to KEF, the Mu3's audio output has been tuned by the same team that engineers the company'due south high-end loudspeakers; its viii.2mm dynamic drivers are "engineered to reveal the smallest details of your favourite music," with "rich midrange, detailed bass and well-baked high tones."

It's worth noting that the charging instance'south 15 hours of additional ANC playback time is rather modest, at least compared to the longevity of the buds themselves, though the total of 24 hours is withal a match for the AirPods Pro and its own charging case. The Mu3's IPX5 rating also beats the IPX4 rating of the AirPods Pro, so it should be better at shrugging off rain and sweat — ideal if you're looking for a new pair of workout headphones.

Only the KEF Mu3 also has the feature set and launch price to have on other impressive ACN earbuds, notably the Sony WF-1000XM3, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and the Sennheiser Momentum Truthful Wireless ii.

The Mu3 is available in silver direct from KEF.

James is currently Hardware Editor at Stone Paper Shotgun, merely before that was Audio Editor at Tom's Guide, where he covered headphones, speakers, soundbars and anything else that intentionally makes noise. A PC enthusiast, he too wrote computing and gaming news for TG, ordinarily relating to how hard it is to find graphics menu stock.