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Nothing and KEF Announce Strategic Audio Partnership

thewas

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From: https://international.kef.com/blogs/news/nothing-kef-audio-partnership

Today, we announced a strategic partnership with Nothing, the London-based consumer technology company, to explore new frontiers in sound innovation and bring refined audio experiences to a broader audience.
Rooted in a shared commitment to craftsmanship, engineering excellence, and bold design, this collaboration brings together two of the UK’s most iconic brands. Our six decades of high-fidelity audio expertise will support Nothing’s expansion into new audio categories – bringing acoustic precision to products shaped by Nothing’s distinct approach to design and user experience.
“KEF is one of the most respected names in audio, and we’re proud to partner with them as we take the next step in expanding Nothing’s audio journey,” said Andrew Freshwater, Head of Smart Products Marketing at Nothing. “By combining KEF’s decades of expertise with our design-led approach to technology, we’re laying the groundwork for a new standard in everyday listening. Our products launching later this year mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter of our collaboration and the future of Nothing Audio.”

“At KEF, we’ve always believed in the power of great sound to inspire and connect people,” said Grace Lo, President & Head of Global Marketing at KEF. “This partnership allows us to bring our acoustic heritage into a fresh context – working with a brand that shares our dedication to innovation, quality, and design. Together, we’re setting out to redefine what premium audio can look and feel like for the next generation.”

The collaboration marks a meaningful evolution for both brands. For Nothing, it diversifies its audio offering and enters new product categories. For us, it opens new pathways to share our expertise with a wider audience through a fresh design and technology lens. With several acoustically co-developed products already in progress, the partnership signals a long-term commitment to delivering refined sound experiences through beautifully designed hardware.

Further details will be shared in the coming months.

About Nothing

Founded in 2020, Nothing is here to make tech fun again. Its debut smartphone, Phone (1), earned Time Magazine’s prestigious Best Inventions for Innovative Smartphone Design award. Through cutting-edge design and user interface innovation, the London-based company is creating an alternative ecosystem of tech products for the young and creative. To date, Nothing has sold more than 8 million units worldwide across its product lines, having released eight audio products, eight smartphones, and two smart wearables under the Nothing and CMF by Nothing brands. The company has amassed a cumulative revenue of $1 billion. All products are developed in close collaboration with the Nothing Community, which includes over 8,000 private investors and are crafted with sustainability at the forefront.
 
So... Nothing-branded lifestyle speakers with glowy bits using KEF drivers?
 
KEF is one of the most respected names in audio
It is... Certainly not for their (terrible so far) headphones/IEM...

I hope that's not what they have in mind.
 
Nothing has good industrial design, branding, and I assume good marketing capabilities to younger audiences. One would hope their app is decent. What they don't have are speakers, let alone speakers worth buying.

I think this could actually be a pretty productive partnership if they each lean on their strengths. The press release implied Nothing had input on the acoustic design, which concerns me.

But KEF stuff being marketed to Gen-Z or otherwise non-audiophile folk seems like it's expanding the audience for decent hi-fi, so as far as it goes, I'm in favour.

My guess for the launch product: A transparent, cyberpunk looking version of the LSX II... But maybe it wouldn't be something so obvious.
 
Announced and listed on KEF's site now: https://us.kef.com/products/nothing-headphone-1?variant=49817179750647

Personally I think the industrial design is very love-it-or-hate-it and it would not be out of place on a Star Wars set. Personally, I think that's great, but don't expect to be in the majority on that here.

So far I have only seen a positive but fully subjective review from Gizmodo, but if I find myself in the market for $200+ headphones anytime in the near future I'll probably have these high on my list. I will likewise be interested to see any measurements, do we think these are gong to hew close to Harman or do something different?
 
Announced and listed on KEF's site now: https://us.kef.com/products/nothing-headphone-1?variant=49817179750647

Personally I think the industrial design is very love-it-or-hate-it and it would not be out of place on a Star Wars set. Personally, I think that's great, but don't expect to be in the majority on that here.

So far I have only seen a positive but fully subjective review from Gizmodo, but if I find myself in the market for $200+ headphones anytime in the near future I'll probably have these high on my list. I will likewise be interested to see any measurements, do we think these are gong to hew close to Harman or do something different?
Now if they would just sell a replacement for the Muo…
 
I was intrigued as to whether these would be any good - they certainly do well on weight, I like the controls, particularly the totally intuitive volume control. IMHO, everyone looks a bit silly wearing headphones. You just have to get over the fact that everyone thinks you are a dork. The Gizmodo review is positive on the sound. As, it appears, is What Hi-fi, although quite what this means is completely unclear "a balanced and authoritative pair of over-ears, with a sound that blends weight and solidity alongside a knack for organisation and control"

Good grief. They must have some sort of "in house macro" that generates this sort of nonsense.

I can't for the life of of me decide whether I want to buy a pair - the price is in the "these might be good" range, particularly as I don't have any ANC over ear headphones... On the other hand, I much prefer speakers....
 
I was intrigued as to whether these would be any good - they certainly do well on weight, I like the controls, particularly the totally intuitive volume control. IMHO, everyone looks a bit silly wearing headphones. You just have to get over the fact that everyone thinks you are a dork. The Gizmodo review is positive on the sound. As, it appears, is What Hi-fi, although quite what this means is completely unclear "a balanced and authoritative pair of over-ears, with a sound that blends weight and solidity alongside a knack for organisation and control"

Good grief. They must have some sort of "in house macro" that generates this sort of nonsense.

I can't for the life of of me decide whether I want to buy a pair - the price is in the "these might be good" range, particularly as I don't have any ANC over ear headphones... On the other hand, I much prefer speakers....
Personally, I like that the ANC is being applied in real time, as opposed to all those systems that apply it to the future or the past.
 
What Hi-fi, although quite what this means is completely unclear "a balanced and authoritative pair of over-ears, with a sound that blends weight and solidity alongside a knack for organisation and control"

Good grief. They must have some sort of "in house macro" that generates this sort of nonsense.

What HiFi is probably the worst rag I’ve seen for lazy unhelpful and sometimes ridiculously anthropomorphic descriptions.
 
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Turns out I'm testing one at this very moment... It really sounds between mediocre and unremarkable. :confused:
 
…and they have announced a new muo but no mention of it having a UniQ driver which they crowed about on the last one so it’s probably safe to assume it doesn’t.
Realistically a coax driver on a portable mini speaker makes no sense. You give up mid/ woofer area in exchange for more even directivity... When what you really need is more output and as wide as possible.

And let's not forget people are getting drunk and dropping these things all over the pool deck, so having the voice coils that close together seems iffy...

I appreciate committing to the bit for branding but I think ditching it was the right decision.
 
Realistically a coax driver on a portable mini speaker makes no sense. You give up mid/ woofer area in exchange for more even directivity... When what you really need is more output and as wide as possible.

And let's not forget people are getting drunk and dropping these things all over the pool deck, so having the voice coils that close together seems iffy...

I appreciate committing to the bit for branding but I think ditching it was the right decision.
I’ve got one of the old ones, it also has a passive bass radiator due to the lack of LF area. The new Muo is also cheaper at recommended price here it’s £249 where as the original started off life at £299 although by the end it was being discounted to £150
 
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