KEF suggest giving the Muo at the least a 10-hour run-in interval, a lot in the identical method you’ll break within the surrounds on a severe pair of Hello-Fi audio system. True to their phrase, and after an evening of working in, the Muo began to sound much less like a Bluetooth speaker, and extra like a compact hi-fi part.
Throughout some bombastic classical, and my ordinary mixture of MF Doom, Waxahatchee, and Neil Younger utilizing Quobuz and Spotify from iOS gadgets and a Home windows laptop computer, the Muo stays impressively composed. Definition between bass, mids, and highs offers your music the prospect to breathe, whereas the steadiness avoids the hyped low-end tuning that tends to dominate Bluetooth audio system.
Turned up loud, I heard no apparent distortion, and it remained a extra snug pay attention at quantity than cheaper rivals. That doesn’t imply I feel small audio system ought to ever be cranked as much as 11, however if you happen to do insist on partying with it, you received’t be left wincing.
Stereo pairing can also be genuinely efficient. Two Muo audio system widen the stage, sharpen left-right placement, and make the entire thing really feel nearer to a small hi-fi setup than I anticipated. It additionally highlighted simply how essential the speaker’s run-in interval is to the audio high quality. I solely tried pairing my assessment samples after a few week of solo speaker listening, and the distinction distinction between it and the boxfresh speaker was oddly stark.
Stereo pairing is a good addition right here, however if you’re about to spend $500-plus on two portables primarily for dwelling listening, it’s best to ask your self whether or not a devoted two-speaker system would serve you higher.
Fierce Competitors
{Photograph}: Chris Haslam
You don’t want to spend $250 to get wonderful transportable sound in the present day. The JBL Flip 7 is $100 cheaper and stays WIRED’s favourite overall choice, and the Bose SoundLink assortment has some bargains today. Many different designs include large batteries, booming bass, party-starting quantity and intensive companion apps. However they will lack the identical finesse.
