Journalists are probably already tired of writing phrases like “the market of portable headphones is constantly replenished by the manufacturers-newcomers. But the market still does not get tired of them. More and more firms are swooping in for this sweet, high-margin pie, and everyone is trying to get the biggest piece. Not all of them, however, have names unknown to the general public so far, many of them come from adjacent areas related to the market of high quality fixed audio equipment. To such companies, it would seem, it should be easier to breathe on a new market than to the newcomers who have appeared from nowhere. They have both name and experience. But in fact not every company that has earned fame in the market of “stationary” make good and commercially successful portable headphones. In this review we will get acquainted with KEF M200 in-ear headphones from British company KEF, a well known manufacturer of high quality acoustics. The headphones are in their original shape, made of metal, and come with Dual Dynamic Driver coaxial drivers. And they cost about 8000 Dollars. How well worth the price?
Packing, delivery set
KEF M200 comes in a well-made cardboard box. It has a simple appearance, but such trifles as a magnetic cover with a big window and velvet finishing of the inside make it clear that inside there is not a cheap product.
The KEF M200 delivery set, meanwhile, is not the most interesting – three pairs of rubber nozzles of different sizes, a plastic case for storing and carrying the headphones, instructions and warranty card, it ends here.
Appearance, design
On the surface KEF M200 doesn’t look a lot like what we used to call in-ear headphones. The large and thick more than a centimeter in diameter and about the same thickness metal “pucks” from which go wide spouts and bending rubber tails … With these tails the headphones cling to the ear cups – with their considerable weight these “support” they are needed to keep them from falling out of the ears. The “tails” are quite gutta-percha, they can be “fitted” to any size sink with no problem.
The unusual shape of the KEF M200 is no designer’s whim. The headphones are equipped with large coaxial Dual Dynamic Driver speakers with 10-mm diaphragms for bass and 5.5mm diaphragms for treble and midrange frequencies.
KEF M200’s signal wire has a microphone unit with volume keys and answer button. It is comfortable to operate the buttons – they are easy to feel by sight and have a palpable depth of movement. The wire has a symmetrical branching. Microphone effect is present, but not strong.
Convenience
Despite the fact that KEF M200 headphones are big and quite heavy even owners of small-sized ears can wear them without any discomfort. Owners of larger sinks will have no problem at all. True, not all users will be able to plant KEF M200 deep enough, which will not give them the opportunity to achieve maximum noise isolation.
KEF M200’s deep seating position allows them to provide very good isolation, close to that of a good armature headphone. Even in noisy places such as the subway, it is completely comfortable to listen to music – there is no need to crank up the volume too much.
Sound
B-b-b-bass! Deep, epic power, real bass! That’s what dominates and reigns supreme in the sound of the KEF M200, and it’s the first thing you notice the first time you encounter these headphones. Though, “paying attention” is too mild an expression… The bass of KEF M200 makes your eyes widen, and if you play with the headphones some notoriously bassy composition – it will be hard to resist jumping up at the sound of the first low-frequency strokes. There’s so much bass in the KEF M200 – and so much power.
Just another bass “gun”, which is a dime a dozen among the new models of headphones – a more or less skeptical and oriented in today’s headphone market reader may think, having read the above written. But no. KEF M200 isn’t the kind of headphone where, apart from a lot of bass, you get “nothing”. It’s true hi-fi, with superb dynamic headphone resolution and a high degree of naturalness.
You think because there’s a lot of bass, it means it’s slow, “soft” and drawn out? But it was a mistake – KEF M200 has perfectly articulated bass and it is so clear and fast that playing heavy metal with a lot of super-fast kick bass parts is not a problem for these headphones at all.
No “porridge of sound” and no low-frequency hum – KEF M200 can play such music “without a hitch” and cope with it just slightly worse than the high-end Armature headphones cohort which are characterized by extremely high speed characteristics and resolving power . The bass in KEF M200 is perfectly worked out – in the compositions low-frequency reverberations and echoes and soft bass notes are distinctly heard.
“The “middle part” is reproduced by KEF headphones almost ideal evenly without any critical for hearing “peaks and troughs” of frequency response. Hence the natural, realistic sound of voices and live instruments, no such troubles as muted or unnecessary brightness, shouting. KEF M200’s midrange intelligibility and clarity is also excellent.
It is not difficult to hear the slightest vibration of voices, soft notes of instruments, plenty of echoes, sounds, reverberations, fades, overtones. All of this contributes to a realistic musical “picture” created by headphones. Again, a good “armature” will surpass KEF M200 in “thoroughness” of midrange, in such headphones you will hear even more overtones, reverbs and other small things, the overall sound picture will be even more realistic, diverse and richer. But among the dynamic KEF M200 headphones the quality of reproduction of the “middle” occupies one of the leading positions.
The high frequencies in KEF M200, as well as the “middle”, are natural and for dynamic headphones – very detailed. In their lower part, at the junction with the midrange, there is a slight boost of frequency response. It adds a touch of brightness, zonkiness, accentuates minor “details” from the category of chairs creaking in the auditorium. At the same time, it somewhat accentuates the sibilants – hissing and whistling consonants. In some songs they can sound harsh, unpleasantly “ticklish”. It’s a small flaw, but we can live with it. Well, or you can beat it with EQ.
Another feature of the sound of KEF M200, which can not fail to mention – the scale. The breadth and breadth, with which these small although not small, for its class monsters present the listener his favorite songs, for plug-in headphones – simply outstanding, if not record. This is largely achieved through the bass, the power of which “enlarges” images of imaginary audio sources. But resolution also contributes to the accuracy of positioning sources in an imaginary scene.
Conclusion
Returning to the question posed at the beginning of the review – how well the KEF M200 justifies its price? – We can say without a shadow of a doubt: justify it fully and completely. And sound quality, quality of craftsmanship and well thought-out ergonomics.
As for the nature of the sound and matters of taste – KEF M200, in general, can be called universal headphones – thanks to the naturalness of sound and high resolution, they do well with music of all kinds. But the bassiness of the KEF M200 won’t necessarily appeal to all listeners. For all others, who are looking for a high-quality sound companion to the player, we recommend to get acquainted with them.
Are the KEF M200 headphones really worth the hefty price tag of $8,000? What makes them stand out from other headphones on the market?
Are the KEF M200 headphones really worth the hefty price tag of 8 thousand dollars? I’m curious to know if they deliver exceptional sound quality and unique features that justifies the high cost. Are there any comparable alternatives that offer similar or better performance at a more reasonable price?
Are the KEF M200 headphones worth their hefty price tag of 8 thousand dollars? How do they compare to other headphones in terms of sound quality, comfort, and features?