Audio specialist KEF has unveiled its first true wireless earbuds, the Mu3, with active noise cancellation (ANC) and IPX5 waterproofing for $230, challenging the $249 AirPods Pro head-on.

Like Apple's earbuds and the recent Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, the Mu3 also features an ambient mode that amplifies ambient noise; with 9 hours of ANC playback on a single charge, the Mu3 is not only better than the AirPods Pro, but many other promises to last longer than wireless earbuds.

Designed in collaboration with Welsh artist Ross Lovegrove, Mu3 features a compact in-ear design, multi-function buttons on each earpiece, and both Android and iOS devices via Bluetooth 5.0 via Bluetooth 5.0. According to KEF, the Mu3's sound output is tuned by the same team that engineers the company's high-end loudspeakers, and its 8.2mm dynamic drivers are "designed to reveal the tiniest details of your favorite music" with "rich mids, detailed bass and crisp highs designed to reveal the tiniest details of your favorite music"

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It is worth noting that the 15 hours of additional ANC playback time with the charging case is quite modest, at least compared to the life of the buds themselves, but still a total of 24 hours is comparable to the AirPods Pro and charging case. the Mu3's IPX5 rating is comparable to the AirPods Pro's IPX4 rating of the AirPods Pro, making it suitable for shrugging off rain and sweat.

However, the KEF Mu3 has the feature set and launch price to compete with other impressive ACN earphones, notably the Sony WF-1000XM3, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2.

The Mu3 is available in silver directly from KEF.