One of the big attractions at the upcoming Sound & Vision – Bristol Show will certainly be the KEF Muon speakers (or should we say sculptures) in demonstration in the presence of Dr. Andrew Watson, KEF’s Head of Project Acoustics, on Friday and Saturday to answer technical queries and give more in-depth analysis of the Muon’s incredible capabilities.
Few manufacturing projects like this actually come to life. KEF joined forces with the innovative industrial visionary designer Ross Lovegrove to give birth to one of the most exceptional loudspeakers both in terms of design and sound reproduction available for the happy few at £70,000 a pair. And with only 100 pairs being manufactured, time is already running out to reserve yours as the order book is already about one-third filled.
Muon is beautiful from any angle. Each Muon, constructed from precision-milled, machined aluminium taking a week of skilled craftsmanship, is about 2 meters high and weighs over 100 Kilos. The form of the loudspeaker is the result of a precise convergence between Ross Lovegrove’s design aesthetics and the physics of sound. The concept uses malleable sheets of heated aluminium where the final shape is achieved by vacuum forming so perfection of the roundness envisioned by Ross could be attained. The factory also builds aluminium parts for Aston Martin and Bentley… The original prototype was made using state-of-the–art computer-aided manufacturing software where the machines precisely cut away the excess material from an initial block of solid metal to reveal the final unique speaker form.
And they are packed with technology inside as they can handle up to 400W with output sound ranging from 25Hz to an exceptional 60kHz. There are 8 speakers of which 2 are rear-mounted sub woofers. KEF has also used its Acoustic Compliance Enhancement Technology, which enables them to effectively double the available volume through adsorption of air molecules by activated carbon – dubbed “magic dust” by the audio industry.
A Happy St. Valentine’s gift? In any case, don’t miss this opportunity at Bristol to see and hear these exceptional speakers for yourself, before the collector’s sculptures are all sold out !