[dweaver]

Seeing the wires version of these on sale for $99 in the US Newegg and $148CAD is Canada Visions Electronics.

So was tempted buy a pair. Fortunately I was able to have a trial listen in store.

Bottom line for me was the ANC impacted the signature a lot so only good when really needed such as a plane or transit. But ANC off these sounded pretty amazing. But just a bit to forward in the midrange for me.

If you fly a lot these would definitely give you the best audiophile sound possible, much better than Bose or Sony in this regard. But if you dont need the ANC and already own the M500 or the NAD5 HP50 then I think these are to similar to justify buying.

Comfort wise the ear cup is slightly smaller than the NAD HP50 in the opening but is wider so close to the same comfort. In other words just OK not great.

The lack of s proper smart phone cable is a complete miss by KEF considering these are meant for portable use.

Unfortunately KEF made enough gaffes like the cable to probably kill any chance of these being popular which is why they are being sold at such a low price.

But a cheap after market cable can overcome the cable gaff and at their sale prices your never going to get a more affordable audiophile quality ANC product. That sounds even more awesome when you turn off the ANC.

 

[dweaver]

OK I know I just posted about the wired version of Space One but I feel this headphone needs more discussion.

I mention the ANC reduces the sound quality of the headphone which is very true. BUT and this a big but, most ANC headphones sound different in ANC mode and most sound their best in ANC and usually bland at best in non ANC mode. The only ANC headphone I have tried that sounded almost the same in both modes is the MX550 by Sennheiser. This headphone bucks the trend though sounding awesome in non ANC mode and at least as good as the old Bose QC25 from an ANC perspective and audio quality perspective. In fact audio wise even though the ANC loses airiness and open qualities compared to its non ANC mode it still has probably the best audiophile signature I have heard in an ANC headphone. If you then consider the use case of WHEN you need ANC and the fact this ANC will work as well as the QC25 I think the loss of air and open sound is more than compensated by the ANC removing the Jet engine noise that makes it impossible to hear that open sound and air anyway. So if you want an audiophile sound and need ANC I think this headphone is the best available product I have tried. Better yet you get an amazing sound quality when you don't need the ANC that is much much better than any other ANC product on the planet, a sound quality that is as good as the original KEF M500 or close to it.

Moving in from the ANC, if you LOVED the M500 but sold it or sent it back because it was to loose on the head or not isolating enough. Then the Space One wired is going to be damned near perfect as it definitely isolates well even with ANC off and it will not be falling off anyone's head.

Let's talk fit a bit more. Comfort wise the inner size of the headphone cushion felt slightly more cramped than the NAD HP50, slightly smaller than I personally like. But the extra width of the cushion helped offset that a bit and added more passive isolation than my HP50.

Sonically speaking the HP50 is not quite as forward in the midrange and maybe a bit more delicate sounding. But both offer scads of detail. If you want a bit more bass though the Space One was a bit harder hitting than my HP50. So I would say the Space One is more vibrant and the HP50 more delicate.

But what about wireless????? OK, I currently own the MDR1000XM3 and the NAD HP70, two of the more competent wireless headphones on the market. The 1000XM3 has LDAC and offers a detailed yet very dark/warm signature that actually lacks detail especially in the treble range for things like drum kits etc. The HP70 on the other hand offers up to APTx HD and when in that mode sound good. But does not have LDAC and has a brittle edge to the sound when running in APTx only (unfortunately for me my S9 does LDAC but not APTx HD). The HP70 offers much more detail than the 1000XM3 and a more audiophile sound but has a harsh edge unless your using an APTx HD source.

Now enter this wired headphone, how can it compete? For this super low price of the Space One you simply buy the ES100 or the Fiio BTR3 and suddenly this wired device is BT compatible and can go LDAC or APTx HD as needed. Now you have a headphone that costs only slightly more than half of either of the BT heavyweights discussed with a signature that is more audiophile than either of them!

Dang it I might have to rethink if I should buy this headphone again...

 

[dweaver]

Bought the last pair in the store nearest me...

 

[ejswa51]

Ok, agreeing with dweaver above that these cans deserve more attention!
So I'm doing another comparison on these now. I brought my office ATH-DSR7BT's home and I couldn't leave a black friday offer on the Beoplay H9i's. I might leave a more sophisticated comparison later, but as far as first impressions count:
Sound: AT+++, Kef++, H9i+
Comfort: H9i+++, AT++, Kef+
ANC: H9i++, Kef+
Build: H9i+++, Kef++, AT-
Controls: Kef++, H9i+, AT+/-

 

[dweaver]

Ok, first time using the ANC in a place where I need it... On the bus going to work.

So as I suspected. Once I was in a place where external noise was impeding on the music the ANC actually sharpened the music by cancelling the noise. The ANC is better than the NAD HP70 and almost as good as the MDR1000XM3. Signature wise these sound more like the HP70 but without any of that headphones harshness. So as I mentioned earlier these sound better than both in my opinion.

I also used these when I fell asleep last night with no discomfort. I sad they were slightly smaller than the HP50/70 but actually I think they are pretty close to the same size. When I have time I will measure the actual hole size.

Searching hard for a small (10cm) interconnect cable that with fit the socket size of the headphone. Then I will velcro my ES100 to the headphone and have a Frankenstein BT solution

 

[dweaver]

I have been using these just about daily. After more time using them the ANC is good but not as good as the best ANC headphones. But is good enough for transit. Unfortunately I dont fly so will never be able to comment on flying but suspect they might be better at cancelling jet engine noise than higher pitched transit noise.

The more I use these the more I appreciate how good their audio quality is and that's for ANC and non-ANC. As I have already said they sound their best with ANC disabled but I actually appreciate their clarity in ANC mode preferring them over the 1000XM3. The only area the 1000XM3 is slightly better in is sound stage. In all other areas I prefer the KEF.

 

[PGibby]

I made an account just to add to the reviews. I'm a DIY audiophile with a long history with 2 channel systems, but not much experience with headphones...so here's my take:

I picked a pair of these up last week from Newegg for $89 (back up to $99 this week). For under $100, absolutely fantastic...blow anything away at the price I've heard. For full price, I don't know. I've not listened to many modern closed back headphones in that price range...the most recent i have are some vintage HD230s. I'd still give the edge for sound quality to the open back HD650s...but those are open back and serve a different purpose. The KEF are great for office and travel.

 

[dweaver]

Well Visions Electronics started to sell the Space One Wireless and the Motion One in March. Initially I only saw the Space One and was resisting since I have the wired model. But when I saw the Motion One on sale for $148 I caved.

Sure glad I caved...

These sound even better than the Space One. They have a slightly elevated bass with amazing midrange and treble response and a very good 3D presentation. At $148 they are simply outstanding sound wise. You have to be OK with a horse show neck design but if your OK with that these kick ass. I own the Sony WI1000X and I think these easily best that model sonically speaking (minus the ANC functionality of course). These only do APTx but it I sure can't tell they are missing anything.

They come with a standard cable too but since they are MMCX connectors I won't be cable swapping as I always find MMCX connectors fail if you do that. But for the adventurous this is an option.

OH these are also IPX5 rated so can be used in rain and when working out to.

10hr battery life will last me all day as I rarely have time to listen for more than a couple hours at a time.

 

[dweaver]

Here is review of the Motion One.

 

[BrotherKathos]

I've just recently picked up the space one wired versions and I'm really pretty impressed. I like the signature alot. They are my favorite closed backs I've got at the moment, and for my taste handily beat my Meze 99 noirs and Senn HD 598 CS. The space one has a very nice low end with plenty of impact. Not quite as much as the 99 Noir in slam or impact, but the perception ow the low fequencies even as low as 30-40 hz is there. The mids are forward, and in some ways remind me of my hd6xx when hooked to my darkvoice tube amp.

The highs are a bit recessed, and in some cases can sound a bit like the music is pushed away from you, but i find that makes listening to them for long periods much more pleasant. These headphones will not fatigue your ears unless you are listening to some really shrill stuff at very loud volumes. Very good effort from KEF imo. The ANC is a plus and does help quite well with background hum and things like fan noise. They do not really do much at all for voices though so keep that in mind. My only real gripe with them is on comfort. My ears are not huge, but are a bit bigger than average and have no problem being covered by the earpads, but the issue I have is with the headband.

There is just not enough cushion for me, or it just does not form to my head properly. I fixed this by getting a $11 replacement headband for a beyerdynamic dt series headphone, cutting the button straps off it, and twist tying the pad part under the headband in order to create a make shift suspension headband setup. Much more comfortable for me that way. All in all for the money I've spent total I'm very happy with these considering the features and sound quality. I absolutely recommend these for the $99 price. Best closed backs under $100 most likely

 

[lwrs10]

Getting my shovel out....

I just picked up a pair of the wired version. These sound absolutely phenomenal to me. They are deff my new go to at work headphones. I also found an AutoEQ profile for them, but it takes a lot of bass out and not nearly as fun sounding.

Are they reference/flat headphones? Nope. But I really enjoy their sound signature.

I had to mod them right off the bat though. My earlobes were touching the drivers, so I stuffed a thin felt ring behind the ear pads to space them out. Much more comfortable.

I honestly find myself grabbing these and my Fiio BTR5 over my Sony WH-1000XM4's. I think they sound much better.

 

[Anonymous User2222]

I honestly find myself grabbing these and my Fiio BTR5 over my Sony WH-1000XM4's. I think they sound much better.

Interesting, I have the Bose NC 700's and while the noise cancelling on the Bose NC 700's is way better, the sound quality is definitely better on the KEF space one's.

 

[Pesado]

This headphone is super underrated, glad i grabbed one.

Here's mine with thick pads(sony mdr1a cushions fit these perfectly), better cable and headband cover:

Basshead delighty

 

[eeagle]

This headphone is super underrated, glad i grabbed one.

Here's mine with thick pads(sony mdr1a cushions fit these perfectly), better cable and headband cover:

Basshead delighty

Thanks for posting the pictures
Are these sony mdr1a pads the ones you used? I too love the sound of the KEF wired Space One and use them daily, the stock pads are in very bad shape and I had not found a source for new ones.
How do you remove the pads? I see a button on the top of each earphone than looks like a release, but does nothing.

 

[Pesado]

Thanks for posting the pictures
Are these sony mdr1a pads the ones you used? I too love the sound of the KEF wired Space One and use them daily, the stock pads are in very bad shape and I had not found a source for new ones.
How do you remove the pads? I see a button on the top of each earphone than looks like a release, but does nothing.

They might fit.

I bought this thick sheepskin pads from China: https://m.aliexpress.com/item/33024309368.html?spm=a2g0n.order_detail.0.0.19b5f19cT1Ktoe

Audio-technica m50x pads fit them as well.

To remove the pad, simply pull everything out, as the cushion is glued to the ring. And since it's glued, you have to peel it off.

Once that's done you can place the new pads on the ring. Keep in mind that it uses a snapping system so you have to force it a bit.

Note that the ring is thick, so you will have to stretch the pad to fit, or you could use 3m electrical tape around the edges to seal it like i did.