A triumph of form marrying function, MUON is perhaps the most extraordinary loudspeaker ever conceived.
MUON is the result of KEF engineering prowess combining with world-class industrial design by Ross Lovegrove. The Muon is limited to an edition of 100 pair.
A KEF Concept designed by Ross Lovegrove
The MUON project is ambitious to say the least. Visionary designer Ross Lovegrove was tasked with turning the finest acoustic engineering into the ultimate loudspeaker by combining form and function with manufacturing integrity. The MUON loudspeaker is fabricated from super-formed aluminium to create a shape that is devoid of sharp edges and extremely stiff. It combines Ross Lovegrove's design aesthetics with KEF's finest engineering. The process by which MUON was conceived meant that, in effect, Ross Lovegrove was sculpting the sound by 'skinning' the technology with purposeful form - the final shape was created through an evolutionary process that makes it perfectly suited to its purpose.
The MUON Story
MUON is a truly remarkable feat of sound-engineering and cutting-edge design. Rarely does one find such a sublime marriage of form, function and manufacturing integrity in any field. Individually crafted and carefully measured in KEF's highly accurate anechoic chambers, each loudspeaker comes with a certificate showing its unique frequency response curve, signed by the skilled craftsman who made it in KEF's Maidstone workshop.
One of the reasons why MUON has such outstanding sound quality is its unusually wide bandwidth. It reproduces sounds that are so low and so high that the human ear does not register them in the normal way. We can feel very low bass and tests have show that we sense very high frequencies, so this extra information increases the realism of the overall sound. The way that Ross Lovegrove has wrapped form around sound in MUON reveals that great design and superlative sound can coexist in one product.
Not only is MUON iconic in its styling, its design and manufacture would not have been possible without highly sophisticated CAD/CAM software and technology. Guided by engineering and aesthetics, MUON is as much an extraordinary piece of sculpture as it is the ultimate sound provider. It's an exquisite example of British engineering and design at its very best.
One of the reasons why MUON has such outstanding sound quality is its unusually wide bandwidth. It reproduces sounds that are so low and so high that the human ear does not register them in the normal way. We can feel very low bass and tests have show that we sense very high frequencies, so this extra information increases the realism of the overall sound. The way that Ross Lovegrove has wrapped form around sound in MUON reveals that great design and superlative sound can coexist in one product.
Not only is MUON iconic in its styling, its design and manufacture would not have been possible without highly sophisticated CAD/CAM software and technology. Guided by engineering and aesthetics, MUON is as much an extraordinary piece of sculpture as it is the ultimate sound provider. It's an exquisite example of British engineering and design at its very best.
The Technology Behind MUON
MUON's powerful bass drivers are one element that makes it so superior. But it is also the upper mid-range and treble where some of the key technology lies, the Uni-Q® drive unit array which delivers seamless imaging throughout the room. KEF also used Acoustic Compliance Enhancement (ACE) technology, this effectively doubles the available volume through adsorption of air molecules by activated carbon.
MUON has established a major benchmark in acoustic transparency. It has achieved this through several key innovations in form, function and materials. As KEF's senior engineer Dr Andrew Watson puts it. 'we wanted to take our technology to the limit and then develop some more along the way'.
MUON has established a major benchmark in acoustic transparency. It has achieved this through several key innovations in form, function and materials. As KEF's senior engineer Dr Andrew Watson puts it. 'we wanted to take our technology to the limit and then develop some more along the way'.
Perfect musical form
Ross Lovegrove's design for the MUON is more than just a beautiful form in polished aluminium. It provides the drivers with the perfect environment to deliver seamless, open sound. The curvaceous torso like form breaks up the visual mass of the cabinet whilst providing a smooth, unbroken surface that allows sound radiate out and create a field of pure sound. The result is music with unprecedented three-dimensional presence.
MUON's 6mm thick aluminium shell provides a totally rigid structure that minimizes sound-distorting vibrations. Inside are strengthening braces and a coating of damping compound that makes the whole unit completely inert, even when the speaker is playing loud.
MUON's 6mm thick aluminium shell provides a totally rigid structure that minimizes sound-distorting vibrations. Inside are strengthening braces and a coating of damping compound that makes the whole unit completely inert, even when the speaker is playing loud.
Uni-Q driver array
KEF's patented 'sit anywhere' Uni-Q driver places the tweeter in the acoustic centre of the midrange cone. This allows both midrange and tweeter to act as a single, focused source of sound that is dispersed widely and evenly throughout the room. In MUON the smooth curved shape of Ross Lovegrove's beautiful cabinet design significantly enhances the benefits of Uni-Q by removing sharp edges that cause diffraction and blur the image. The result is truly extraordinary sound quality that can be experienced from anywhere in the listening environment with no obvious "sweet spot" effect.
SPECS:
Design
Four-way closed box floorstanding loudspeaker ACE enclosure
Dimensions
H x W x D: 2000 x 600 x 380 mm (78.8 x 23.6 x 15 in.)
Weight
115kg (253lbs)
Drive Units
6 x 250mm (10in.) LF,
1 x 250mm (10in.) LMF,
Uni-Q driver array:
MF: 1 x 125mm (5in.) Li-Mg-Al /LCP, hybrid cone
HF: 1 x 25mm (1in.) vented aluminium dome, featuring KEF's unique 'Tangerine Waveguide'
1 x 250mm (10in.) LMF,
Uni-Q driver array:
MF: 1 x 125mm (5in.) Li-Mg-Al /LCP, hybrid cone
HF: 1 x 25mm (1in.) vented aluminium dome, featuring KEF's unique 'Tangerine Waveguide'
Frequency Response
25Hz to 60kHz * (±3dB)
Crossover Frequencies
120Hz, 300Hz, 2.3kHz
Amplifier Requirements
100 to 400W (typical)
Sensitivity
90dB (2.83V/1m)
Input Impedance
4 Ohms
Frequency Range
28Hz - 45kHz (-6dB) free field
20Hz (-6dB) typical in room bass response
20Hz (-6dB) typical in room bass response
Low Frequency Extension
20Hz (-6dB) *
High Frequency Extension
100kHz (-10dB) *
Maximum Output
118dB