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It took me a while to get my hands on a pair of KEF Mju7s. Somehow this pair of wireless ANC headphones slipped off my review radar, but I decided to give them a look after recently being blown away by Cambridge Audio’s Melomania P100 headphones, wondering how the Hi-Res Mju7 would compare.

KEF is one of Britain’s oldest and most traditional loudspeaker brands and dates back to when the UK was a world leader in audio technology. Founded in Kent, England in 1961, KEF has built an enviable reputation for producing incredible loudspeakers. Now the brand is thriving and has even opened stunning showrooms around the world.

As with other speaker brands such as B+W, KEF entered the headphone space with the launch of the Mju7 about a year ago. These wireless Bluetooth headphones were designed by Ross Lovegrove, the designer who collaborated with KEF on products such as the Muon floorstanding speakers and KEF’s first wireless headphones, the Mju3.

As you would expect from a KEF product, the build quality of the Mju7 headphones is exemplary. The Lovegrove design has lovely teardrop shaped ear cups. Generously padded earcups are covered in soft leather and filled with memory foam. The earcups can be rotated 90 degrees so that they can be stored in their hard case with a zipper. The headphone jack doesn’t fold in on itself, which I don’t think is a bad thing and means less chance of the frame creaking.

The comfort level of the Mju7 is excellent. Clamping pressure isn’t as gentle as Sony’s WH-1000XM5, but they feel secure when worn. Weighing in at 309g, the Mju7 doesn’t feel too heavy, thanks to a padded headband and adjustable shoulder straps that make the fit comfortable and secure. The headphones seem to wick away sweat and keep the listener’s ears cool. Finally, there is a choice of silver gray or charcoal gray color schemes.

It’s fair to say that the Mju7 headphones aren’t exactly packed with features, but most of what you need is there. For starters, the Mju7s are built around a Qualcomm chipset that supports SBC, AAC and aptX HD. No support for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon sound platform with the new aptX Lossless codec.

Mju7 is suitable for Hi-Res listening on Android and use with iOS thanks to AAC support. However, if you want Snapdragon Sound support, there are now some great headphones like the Edifier Stax Spirit S5 and Cambridge Audio’s Melomania P100.

There are 40mm custom drivers in each earcup. The built-in battery provides up to 40 hours of playtime on a single charge. While this isn’t exactly “best in class,” it’s good enough for a long-haul return flight. Using Bluetooth 5.1 means you also get multi-point connectivity support, allowing two devices to be connected at the same time so you can listen to music from one device while taking phone calls from, say, your company smartphone.

As the Mju7 headphones use Qualcomm technology, you also get cVc microphone noise cancellation technology, which means quieter and more intelligible speech when making phone calls or participating in video conferences.

The microphones built into the earcups are also used to sample sound for the active noise cancellation features. Pressing the ANC button toggles the feature on and off, with most unwanted sounds being adequately filtered out. The Smart ANC function adapts to the level of external noise on the go and does a great job. Is it as good as Bose or Sony ANC? Well, not quite, but not bad at all.

Strangely, there is no hear mode or transparency, but that’s not a problem for me as I rarely use it, but for someone who wants to be aware of their surroundings when running or working out, it might be a problem. One handy feature I liked is the auto-pause feature when you pick up the handset. It’s helpful when someone talks to you; just pick up the earpiece and the music stops.

All controls for the Mju7 are located on the right earcup. There is a power switch and a Bluetooth pairing button to connect to your smartphone or audio player. There’s also an ANC button to turn noise canceling on and off, plus a USB-C port for charging and data.

You can use the USB port to top up the Mju7’s rechargeable battery, as well as connect the headset to a computer via a USB data cable so you can experience a Hi-Res wired connection. For legacy connections, there’s a 3.5mm AUX jack that takes a cable that can connect the headphones to a hi-fi system or digital audio player.

Then we move on to the surface of the right ear cup. It has a scooped surface that is sensitive to touch and is arranged in a cruciform shape. The touchpad lets you swipe forward to the next track or swipe back to repeat the last track. You can pause and play the music with a touch and increase or decrease the volume levels. It works well and is one of the few touch controls on the headset that I’ve enjoyed using.

One major omission with the Mju7 is the lack of a smartphone app for customizing things like EQ and controls. There is also no way to update the firmware. It’s a strange omission, and a well-designed app can add value to a pair of wireless headphones. I think KEF missed a trick here.

Now we come to the most important part of the review: how does the KEF Mju7 sound? KEF makes some great speakers and their 60+ years of audio experience can certainly be heard in these headphones. The sound is muscular and well defined. If these headphones were human, they would have six packs. To listen to the Mju7, I streamed from TIDAL using aptX HD over Bluetooth.

Rhiannon Giddens is always a superb artist to test a pair of headphones with. Her clear voice can give any driver a proper workout. The piece “At The Purchaser’s Option” by Giddens’ Freedom Highway the album was a good place to start. The Mju7 headphones handled the intro drum in real style. It’s an exciting sound, although the performance of the piece as a whole sounded a little limp. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, but these aren’t headphones that will slap around your ears and give you a headache, but they have enough drive and resolution to create a convincing soundstage, if not particularly wide.

There’s plenty of bass on offer with the Mju7s, but things never get too out of hand. Restrained in places, the sound has a lot of forward definition in the midrange, which presents vocals well. It’s probably in the crossover between the bass and lower mids where things can get a little muddy, but it depends on the source. If you feed the KEF Mju7 a well-recorded song and play it on a good source, you’ll be rewarded with good sound. If you love the signature KEF sound, you’ll know what I mean.

Verdict: The market for wireless ANC headphones is brutal right now. It’s a competitive space, and that’s largely due to Qualcomm’s superior chipsets and the help they provide to audio companies in the design of headphones and earphones. As a result, there are plenty of headphones at decent prices. KEF has never been a bargain brand, but it has its loyal following. If you love the KEF sound and appreciate Ross Lovegrove’s style, you’ll appreciate the Mju7. There are a few misses, such as transparency mode and no app, but if you can figure out how to get past that, then these comfortable and clean-sounding headphones are well worth a listen, even if they’re a bit pricey.

Prices and availability: The KEF Mju7 Wireless ANC Headphones are available now and cost $399.99 / £349 / €399.

Technical specifications:

• Drivers: 40 mm.
• Maximum output power: 15mW.
• Bluetooth version: 5.1.
• Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD
• Bluetooth power: Class 2.
• Bluetooth range: 10m.
• Battery: 1,100mAh.
• Battery life: 40 hours (BT + ANC on).
• Quick charge: 15 minutes = 8 hours.
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 199 x 153 x 89 mm.
• Weight: 309g.