Nothing has just announced that it is working with British Hi-Fi institution KEF on new audio products that are “the next step in expanding Nothing’s Audio Journey”, according to Andrew Freshwater, head of smart products marketing on Nothing. The new products are due “later in the year.”
This kind of partnership between electronics manufacturers and hi-fi companies has a long history and is filled with lots of disappointments as well as successes.
I was never sure we got so much from LG and Meridian Audio who worked together, and Belkin’s collaboration with the Devial (without a doubt not really a hi-fi company, but still) never produced anything I liked. But TCL’s work with Onkyo on TV speakers succeeded (and the company is now working with Bang & Olufsen), while the bond between Philips TVS and Bowers & Wilkins produced some fantastic results.
(Panasonic’s long history of providing sound set by technique in its products does not count; it is cheating if you own the hi-fi company.)
However, I am optimistic about this collaboration because nothing has proven to be much more serious with good sound quality in the last year or so, and Kef has a history of making headphones that sound very fine but could not compete for smart features.
We were blown up by how good the sound in it no ear (a) is for the price, and we still evaluate them as among the best earplugs today with a five -star score.
And the slightly more expensive no ear is filled with smart features that work well and is a strong value. If nothing is thinking about going higher than with new earplugs or maybe competing with the best over-ear headphones-are a good partner to help make sure the sound is up to standard while nothing gives the features.
Not that KEF has a terrible record in smart features – the wireless KEF LSX II LT speakers got a cool five stars in our review.
Let’s become amazing
I would also not be surprised at all if nothing enters the world of the best Bluetooth speakers, which could be a real hit if they keep the company’s cool through-aesthetics and kef’s experience with speakers would of course be a massive advantage.
While this may be unlikely to a launch late in the year, as companies are generally trying to get Bluetooth speakers launched ready for spring/summer in the northern hemisphere.
However, my dream product from this collaboration would be an affordable wireless speaker design that includes Kef’s UNI-Q driver. This speaker design sets a tweeter speaker right in the middle of the larger Woofer dynamic driver, with the idea that this helps adapt their sound perfectly to a unified result with a large dynamic interval. It also gives Kefs speak their amazing, simple looks.
I strongly suspect that either KEF would like to keep uni-Q for himself or that it would be too expensive to implement-or both.
My money is at KEF who performs sound setting and design advice for Nothing’s own designs – but that can be enough to have a big impact. Nothing Ear (A) was already kicking Sony from his perch as the king of value porch for us.
Is there anything that comes to Sony’s more premium headphones next, or JBL’s portable speakers? Or both of the part-now statement says there are “more acoustically co-developed products that are already underway”.
