The headphone market is the biggest thing in audio right now so it’s hardly surprising that loudspeaker brands are getting in on the act. Latest entrant is KEF which hopes that its 50 year heritage will give it some profile in a crowded market place. KEF has released two models, the closed-back M500 at £250 and the in-ear M200 at £150. Both feature aluminium parts but the M500 gets the lion’s share with a full metal frame that incorporates multi-angle hinges to allow compact folding and greater flexibility of fit. The on-ear pads use sweat resistant memory foam for maximum comfort and the drive units are full range 40mm types with a neodymium driver and copper clad aluminium voice coil.
The M200 in-ear model (below) has two drivers per side in a metal casing with ultra-thin silicone eartips that are said to adapt to the ear canal. Both models are compatible with Apple devices and allow switching between music and calls on an iPhone.
