If you’re looking for the best performance from a pair of wireless headphones, including great sound quality, comfort, battery life, and noise cancellation, you’ll need to drop your headset and invest in something bigger. Master & Dynamics’ new MW75 wireless headphones bring all of the above to the table in style, but they’re also priced higher than even Apple’s premium AirPods Max.
It may not be as recognizable as a headset brand like Sony, Beats, Apple or Bose, but since it was founded nine years ago in New York with a focus on premium materials and premium sound, Master & Dynamic has been for a long time on the recommendation of Gizmodo. list, at least for those willing to spend. Master & Dynamic MW08 wireless headphones are my personal favorites when it comes to shoots, but at $ 300 ($ 416) they are undeniably expensive considering what you can now get for less than $ 100 ($ 139). The same can be said of the company’s new MW75 headphones, but do top-notch materials and performance really justify its $ 600 ($ 833) price?
Master and dynamic MW75
WHAT IS?
Wireless headphones made from premium materials such as aluminum and lambskin, with stunning sound and solid active noise cancellation.
PRICE
600 USD (833 USD)
I LIKE
Fantastic sound quality, extremely comfortable headphones and many buttons make controlling your music with headphones just easy.
I do not like it
Expensive, and active noise cancellation does not exceed the best offers from Sony or Apple.
An improved design that still offers a luxurious experience
Although several years away from the premium price of true hearing aid equipment, the new release of Master & Dynamic is, above all, a luxury product that also offers one of the best audio experiences available now. which could cost $ 600 ($ 833). label a little easier to justify.
Master & Dynamic changed the way the headband connects with increasing ear flexibility and improved fit. (Photo: Andrew Liszewski | Gizmodo)
An update to the Master & Dynamic MW65, which debuted in May 2019, the MW75 shares many design elements with its predecessor, including the use of aluminum for the ears, which makes them strong and durable, but also lightweight. . The outside of each headset includes a company-branded elevated glass panel that is surrounded by an aluminum mesh ring to keep out of sight the microphones used for active noise cancellation.
The headband of the MW65 connects directly to the top of these raised panels on either side, but on the MW75, it now connects to the side of each headset via an additional angled arm that follows the curve of the cups. It distinguishes the MW75 aesthetically, but also allows the ears to sit a little more flexed next to the user’s head. The only thing missing (I really can’t find them anywhere) are simple L and R tags so users know how to wear headphones. If you’re so concerned about the aesthetics of the exterior, just hide the left and right labels inside the headphones as Apple did in the Max AirPods.
The lambskin-covered ear of the Master & Dynamic MW75 (right) offers a thicker padding than the Sony WH-1000XM5s (left). (Photo: Andrew Liszewski | Gizmodo)
The most premium feature of the MW75 is the use of lambskin covering the padded headband and the thick layer of memory foam on each headset (which is much thicker than the one used by Sony and Apple). Lamb skin, of course, feels fantastic, and I can understand why the company opts for it over synthetic alternatives. Part of the original story of Master & Dynamic includes that one of its founders was inspired by 1940s headphones made of metal and leather that were still in great shape more than 60 years later.
Hard skin is well cared for, but since we now know the problem of raising livestock for the environment, now is a good time for anyone to move away from even top-notch electronics manufacturers. skin and lambskin. The synthetic leather material Sony uses on its WH-1000XM5 is as soft as the sheepskin on the MW75, while the knitted material Apple uses on its AirPods Max offers unmatched breathability.
Give me all the buttons
I will always be an advocate for companies that push as many buttons on a pair of headphones as possible. I understand that voice assistants are useful, but I won’t talk to Siri or the Google Assistant while traveling on public transportation, and touch panels usually come with a learning curve that I’m not willing to spend any time on.
The Master & Dynamic MW75s includes dedicated buttons to turn the volume up and down in the right ear, as well as a separate button for playback control. (Photo: Andrew Liszewski | Gizmodo)
I want buttons, and the MW75 comes with many. On the right ear you will find dedicated buttons to turn up and down the volume, and between them, an elevated button (which is easy to distinguish by touch only) to control track playback with single, double and triple presses.
The left ear of the Master & Dynamic MW75 includes a power button and a button to switch between ANC modes. (Photo: Andrew Liszewski | Gizmodo)
On the left ear there is a power button (which also activates Bluetooth pairing mode) and a dedicated button to switch between or turn off the ANW modes of the MW75 and the ambient sound boost modes. completely.
Excellent sound with solid noise cancellation
One of the things I like about Master & Dynamic is that it’s not a company that just finished with a couple of regular headphones. The new MW75 sounds great, and with a 40mm beryllium controller on each headset (the same size as the Max AirPods, while the WH-1000XM5 uses smaller 30mm drivers), I actually think they sound better than Apple and Sony. ANC options. The voices of Wig Wam’s Do Ya Wanna Taste It (made popular as the main theme of HBO’s Peacemaker) sound clear and crisp across the MW75, and while it’s a busy song, all layers, from the hats of driving up to the electric guitar. , passes clear and separately.
The ANC of the Master & Dynamic MW75s (left, bottom) cannot compete with the extremely effective ANC of the Sony WH-1000XM5s (right, top). (Photo: Andrew Liszewski | Gizmodo)
Where the Master & Dynamic MW75 has a slightly lower performance is with active noise cancellation. It’s great to take a big bite out of the lower frequencies of the roar of an airplane’s engine as heard from inside the cockpit (as simulated through my home theater setup ), but it’s remarkably one step behind the ANC capabilities of the AirPods Max, and even further behind Sony. For whatever reason, Sony has decided that the ANC is the only feature in which its headphones excel, as is evident with the impressive WH-1000XM5. Sony now includes eight microphones (plus two processors dedicated to nuclear noise) in its flagship ANC headphones, while Master & Dynamic has been left with only four in its new MW75. The difference is very noticeable, but even more so considering that the WH-1000XM5 is $ 200 ($ 278) cheaper.
Make some extra space in your suitcase
The best reason to opt for a pair of more expensive headphones with active noise cancellation is to drown out the sound of aircraft engines on a long flight, in addition to everything that happens inside the cockpit.
The carrying case of the Master & Dynamic MW75 (bottom) is much thicker than the Sony WH-1000XM5 case (above) and does not sink smaller when the MW75 is removed. (Photo: Andrew Liszewski | Gizmodo)
Although the MW75’s ears can be folded completely flat (with the opening face down), they are actually designed to sit inside the included carrying case with the same orientation in which they are used. This means that the MW75’s case is actually one of the bulkiest I’ve ever tested, and unlike the case that Sony includes with its WH-1000XM5, it can’t sink thinner when the headphones are removed.
The carrying case of the Master & Dynamic MW75 includes accessories such as a headphone cable, a charging cable, and an adapter for headphone jack sockets. (Photo: Andrew Liszewski | Gizmodo)
This makes the Master & Dynamic less attractive for travel, especially for those who strive to make luggage as light as possible. On the bright side, inside the carrying case, you’ll find a headset cable, a USB-C charging cable, and even an adapter for uncomfortable dual headphone jacks on the air seats during decades.
Is it worth demolishing?
In 2019, when Sony wasn’t so obsessed with ANC performance and the AirPods Max only existed in one R&D facility from Apple, the excellent MW65 was an easy choice for someone looking for excellent sound in a premium package. In 2022, the new MW75 faces much tougher competition.
The Master & Dynamic MW75 feel great and sound even better, but the ANC’s disappointing performance makes it hard to justify that $ 600 ($ 833) price tag. (Photo: Andrew Liszewski | Gizmodo)
If you’re looking for the perfect pair of wireless in-ear headphones to make your return to air travel smoother and more enjoyable, the $ 400 ($ 555) Sony WH-1000XM5 is still your best bet. and if you are everything. in the Apple ecosystem and prioritize effortless wireless connectivity (in addition to having easy access to the occasionally useful Siri), the $ 550 ($ 764) AirPods Max is the way to go.
The MW75 outperforms both Sony and Apple in terms of sound quality, but for $ 600 ($ 833), I was hoping to be blown away by its ANC performance, and I wasn’t. Despite the premium finish, this makes the expensive price harder to justify. Unlike the more than 60-year-old analog headphones that inspired Master & Dynamic when the company was founded, premium building materials that can last for decades …