What is the KEF Porsche Design Space One Wireless?
Meet KEF, a high-fidelity manufacturer with an excellent success rate in the ground of the speakers. Meet Porsche Design, the luxury lifestyle arm of the company whose fast cars you can not afford. They have joined forces to manufacture a pair of Bluetooth headsets with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and they are a solid offer
However, they are not exactly cheap and the rivals are strong. The Sony WH-1000XM2 is smarter and the B & W PX sounds better. Still, there's a lot here to like.
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KEF Porsche Design Space One Wireless – Design
The Space One Wireless are easily among the smartest headphones you'll see on the street. They offer a subtle design, although the aluminum headband helps establish a premium environment. The headband and pads look and feel convincingly like leather, although it is actually "synthetic" plastic.
There is more imitation on the back of the pads, where the plastic does a good job of imitating the sandblasted metal. I would say that these headphones seem more expensive than they seem, although there is a reassuring weight for them.
The reasonable clamping force and the soft memory foam on the earpads make these headphones comfortable to wear, although they are not for those with large ears. I found the fit a bit tight.
When you finish listening, they turn flat to store them in a hard and bulky case. I would have preferred a collapsible / clam-like design, but these headphones clearly have the aspiration to slip easily into briefcases, not tucked in backpacks.
KEF Porsche Design Space One Wireless – Features
As the name implies, these are wireless headphones. They use Bluetooth 4.1 with aptX, unlike aptX HD, which is able to take full advantage of high-resolution audio.
The next big step here is ANC, or active noise cancellation. Some headphones force you to have it on as soon as you turn it on, but that is not the case here: you can choose to have it off if you are not in a noisy environment. If you decide to use ANC, the battery life is calculated in 30 hours.
The battery is charged via micro-USB. A charging cable is included, along with 3.5 mm (with buttons and without buttons), if your phone still has one of those. Oh, and there are standard controls (volume / pause / playback) on the right ear.
That is your destiny. For the money, I can not help but feel that this is a basic offer. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II, Sony WH-1000XM2 and B & W PX cost less and offer intelligent features such as the integrated Google Assistant or proximity sensors.
Still, there's something to be said for technology that simply works, and Space One Wireless does it very well.
KEF Porsche Design Space One Wireless – Performance
KEF's high-fidelity heritage definitely helps, as Space One Wireless is at the top of the market of wireless headphones / with noise cancellation. It is an energetic and entertaining sound that works well in almost all departments, with few deficiencies.
I started with & # 39; Come Together & # 39; by Gary Clark Jr and the first thing I noticed was the bass. It's deep, thick and powerful, and I immediately worried that these headphones were just good for pop. But that is not true at all.
The Space One Wireless is certainly willing and able to get dirty and dirty, and the signature in general leans toward the warm, but there is a tension in the bass that ensures it never gets overwhelmed. The more I listened, the more I came to appreciate how the songs benefited from firm and pronounced foundations.
The voices are also different. They may be a bit too advanced to be completely neutral, but they also do not attract attention. They are direct and complete enough to get your attention. The treble is less noticeable, but there is little wheezing, and the sound does not harden or strain when the volume is turned up.
The sound is wide, with a well-defined stereo image. My test track to test the audio panorama is & # 39; Space Oddity & # 39; of Bowie, and the aptly named Space One Wireless did not disappoint in that department during the strummy presentation of the song. The amplitude has a slight bump when the noise canceling mode is activated, but it is worth it when the alternative is other people's racket.
Speaking of which, the noise cancellation here is pretty good. It does not live up to the market leaders like Bose QC35 II and Sony WH-1000XM2, but Space One Wireless does a better job than B & W PX and B & W H9i.
A good overall performance, then, but that does not mean there are no capable rivals. The Sony WH-1000XM2 not only has a better ANC, but offers a more agile sound with a greater sense of attack. The B & W PX, on the other hand, offers many more details.
Why buy the KEF Porsche Design Space One Wireless?
KEF and Porsche Design have got some good headphones, but I can not help but feel that they have reached the market a bit late in the game. For now, the same money can get a pair of headphones with excellent sound, with remarkable noise cancellation and even some smart features. However, if you are a design freak, or if you want something simple, the Wireless Space One will not disappoint.
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Verdict
A pair of wireless headphones and noise cancellers, but competition is difficult.