In True Wireless Stereo mode (TWS), two speakers can be paired as a left and right stereo set, widening the soundstage. Stereo pairing, like USB-C, involves a few coordinated button presses, but remained stable throughout my testing.
Battery life is great, with up to 24 hours playback on one charge. You can top up three hours in just 15 minutes, and it takes two hours to full charge. It’s up there with the best alternatives, and means you’ll rarely need to worry about it.
Racetrack Driver
Photograph: Chris Haslam
At the heart of the KEF Muo rebuild is a new racetrack-shaped mid/bass driver (2.5 × 5 inches) that has been paired with a 0.74 inch (19mm) tweeter and driven by a total of 40 watts of Class D amplification (30 watts for lows, 10 watts for highs.) The elongated oval shape (hence why they call these “racetrack” drivers) allows for more internal volume and greater efficiency. Combined with KEF’s own P-Flex Surround technology—a pleated structure borrowed from their subwoofers that reduces internal air pressure—it should get deeper, more controlled bass despite the tiny enclosure size.
The Muo even drew praise from airport security. On a recent trip, my bag was singled out for searching, and the officer asked me, “do you have an expensive Bluetooth speaker?” He explained that larger air volumes show up denser on X-ray. Cheap speakers, he said, rarely get flagged. It is a throwaway anecdote, but it neatly underlines what KEF is chasing here: more usable air inside a small enclosure, and the fuller sound that comes with it.
True to the press release, the Muo’s lower frequencies do have more about them than I expected, echoing quality hi-fi speaker bass, rather than the over-tuned sound of most portable speakers. It’s deeper and more immediate but also nicely controlled. There is heft, but it doesn't swallow the midrange as so many do.
Settling In
Photograph: Chris Haslam
On first listen I was not blown away by the Muo. Much like Low-era Bowie, I have eventually grown to love it. I think the general quality of Bluetooth speakers has improved so much in recent years, that it’s easy to forget just how bad they can and did sound in the past.