CES 2008

The KEF Muon, dreamed up by idiosyncratic industrial designer, Ross Lovegrove, is unlike any other speaker I know. At $140,000/pair, it should be special. KEF's Marketing Director, Johan Coorg, explained that the Muon started out as an attempt to create the absolute best possible speaker, and evolved into something more—"a work of modern art, like a Henry Moore sculpture."

More than just a loudspeaker, it's a statement. And, while I'm not usually impressed by such extravagantly priced things, I found myself wanting the Muons, imagining them in my imaginary home in my imaginary future.

The Muon stands nearly 80 inches tall and weighs over 250 lbs, but, perhaps due to its mirrored surface and contoured shape, it seems neither large nor heavy. It follows you, changing its form as you move around the room. It resembles a pitcher of water, a cloud, a wine glass filled with liquid mercury.

It looks nothing like KEF's Reference Series. When Paul Egan spoke of KEF's long-term goals and design principles, he stressed the importance of moving forward while never losing sight of heritage. So, I wondered: What characteristics do the Muons share with the Reference speakers?

Listening to the Muons was all it took to answer that question. The sound was involving, lyrical, seductive, and natural—a sound that moves me, makes me want to listen longer. Egan reminded me that this particular sound has much to do with KEF's Uni-Q driver technology.

And then I wondered: Will future generations of KEF speakers have more in common with the Reference Series or will they be more clearly related to the Muons?

I was surprised by Egan's answer: "More like the Muons, I think. We learned a lot by designing this speaker. We're only limited by our imaginations."

KEF will produce 100 pairs of the Muon loudspeaker. So far, about 25 orders have been placed.