KEF Porsche Design Space One: A Headphone That Looks as Sharp as It Sounds

A few years ago, while strolling through a boutique in New York, I spotted a Porsche Design chronograph gleaming under the lights sleek titanium body, clean dial, minimalist yet bold. It wasn’t cheap, but something about that precision aesthetic whispered luxury in motion. I bought it on impulse.

It felt special every time I wore it, not just a watch, but a statement of design and intent. And that day taught me something: Porsche Design doesn’t make products just to impress you; they make them to represent a philosophy.

So when the chance came to test the KEF Porsche Design Space One headphones, that same thought crossed my mind: would this be another beautiful creation with real substance beneath the surface?
Two weeks later, I had my answer: yes, absolutely. The cables didn’t fray, the leather didn’t peel, and nothing felt flimsy. Simply put, KEF is not just trading on design; they’re engineering it.

Porsche Design – The Spirit Behind the Look

Before diving into the sound, it’s worth understanding what Porsche Design truly represents. Many brands simply license their name to third-party manufacturers, but Porsche Design plays a different game.

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Founded by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the grandson of the legendary Ferdinand Porsche, the studio operates with one timeless design principle:

“If you understand what an object does, its shape becomes obvious.”

From timepieces and eyewear to laptops like the Porsche Design Book One, their creations embody form that follows function, minimal, purposeful, and elegant. Even their 911 Soundbar, built from actual Porsche exhaust pipes, is an ode to precision and passion..

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Their collaboration with KEF isn’t a marketing gimmick; it’s a continuation of a long-standing relationship. Porsche Design’s studio previously crafted the look of KEF’s M100, M200, M400, and M500 headphones, all of which earned Red Dot Design Awards. The Space One continues that legacy, combining acoustic engineering with visual purity.

Design and Build Quality

Straight out of the box, the Space One exudes quiet confidence. This is a closed-back, full-size headphone that pairs brushed titanium-finished aluminum with soft matte black leatherette. It’s industrial yet refined, the kind of aesthetic that wouldn’t look out of place next to a Porsche’s dashboard controls.

The ear pads are plush and filled with memory foam that gently hugs your ears. Comfort is excellent, though after an hour or two, I did feel slight pressure from the headband (perhaps the cost of having a large audiophile-sized head). For comparison, my KEF M500 remains a bit more forgiving during marathon listening sessions.

Build quality is top-tier. Every joint feels machined rather than assembled, solid, deliberate, and premium. It’s not a headphone that tries to look expensive; it is expensive, and it shows in the details.

Features

On the left earcup sits the 3.5mm input, the active noise cancellation (ANC) toggle, and a discreet white LED indicator. The right cup hides a AAA battery compartment, accessible via a small release button under the padding, elegant and cleverly engineered.

Battery life is rated at up to 50 hours with ANC on, which easily outpaces many competitors. The included flat cable is tangle-resistant, though KEF could have included a second cable with inline smartphone controls — a small oversight in an otherwise meticulous design.

Even the packaging feels like part of the experience. The outer box has that soft, rubberized matte texture that screams understated luxury. If you were gifting these headphones, you wouldn’t need extra wrapping; the presentation itself is pure Porsche.

Sound Quality

Under the hood, the Space One features 40mm neodymium drivers with copper-clad aluminum voice coils. The tuning reflects KEF’s signature DNA: neutral mids, refined highs, and controlled, articulate bass.

These headphones won’t blast your eardrums with exaggerated low end — instead, they deliver detail, texture, and balance. They reward attentive listening rather than instant gratification. Play a well-recorded track, and the resolution is stunning. Vocals breathe, cymbals shimmer naturally, and instruments occupy a clear, realistic space.

However, they don’t forgive poor recordings easily. Compressed streaming files sound lifeless, but switch to Hi-Res FLAC or Qobuz, and the Space One blossoms into a precision instrument.

With an impedance of 32 ohms, they’re easy to drive from most devices, and even a smartphone does them justice. Still, pairing them with a dedicated DAC like the Apogee Groove or OPPO HA-2 unlocks their full potential.

Performance

The Space One can get very loud without distorting. What’s impressive is how it maintains composure even at high volume. Bass stays tight, mids remain transparent, and treble never becomes harsh.

They’re also remarkably versatile. Albums like Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories (2022 Remaster)”, Adele’s “30”, and The Weeknd’s “After Hours” sound cohesive and full of life. Yet, where they truly shine is in more intricate material — Hans Zimmer’s orchestral recordings, Olafur Arnalds’ ambient compositions, and Steven Wilson’s progressive rock productions, where every instrument and atmospheric layer is given space to breathe.

Active Noise Cancellation

KEF and Porsche Design have emphasized ANC as a key feature, and rightly so. While it doesn’t silence the world as completely as Sony’s WH-1000XM5 or Bose QC35, it has something they often lack: natural tonality.

When ANC is activated, the sound opens up slightly, bass deepens, and treble sparkles just a bit more. The effect feels organic rather than digital. There’s no hiss or artificial pressure on your ears. It’s a subtle kind of silence that complements KEF’s balanced tuning.

Interestingly, I found the ANC mode perfect for podcasts and spoken word. Voices sound beautifully intimate and grounded. Listening to This American Life’s “One Last Thing Before I Go” during a late New York subway ride, I was struck by how lifelike the narration felt, quiet, focused, and deeply emotional.

That’s where KEF’s craftsmanship truly shows: in the way it handles human voices.

Conclusion

The KEF Porsche Design Space One is a product born from two masters of their craft: KEF’s acoustic expertise and Porsche Design’s design philosophy. Yes, it carries a premium price tag, but it delivers equally premium execution visually, sonically, and materially.

If you’re after exaggerated bass or colorful tuning, these won’t be your headphones. But if you appreciate balance, honesty, and understated sophistication, the Space One delivers a listening experience that feels engineered rather than manufactured.

Compared to KEF’s earlier M500, the Space One is a clear evolution, a grown-up, refined version that sounds bigger, more detailed, and unmistakably Porsche in spirit.

For me, these are headphones that invite you to slow down, pour a coffee, and truly listen not just to music, but to the emotion behind it. That’s where the real luxury lies.

KEF Porsche Design Space One Specifications

Feature	Details
Type	Over-ear closed-back headphones
Driver	40 mm full-range dynamic driver with neodymium magnet
Diaphragm Material	Polymer (unspecified by KEF)
Frequency Response	20 Hz – 20 kHz
Sensitivity	94 dB
Impedance	32 Ω (wired mode) / 16 Ω (wireless mode)
Noise Cancelling	Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) with analog filtering
Bluetooth Version	4.1
Codec Support	aptX, SBC
Battery Type	850 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery Life	Up to 30 hours (Bluetooth + ANC), up to 40 hours (Bluetooth only), up to 110 hours (ANC only)
Charging Port	Micro USB
Dimensions (H × W × D)	195 × 170 × 82 mm
Weight	330 g
Cables / Connectivity	3.5 mm detachable cable with inline mic
Included Accessories	Carrying case, 3.5 mm audio cable, airline adapter, micro USB cable
Available Colors	Titanium Grey