As the 3.5mm audio jack is slowly being phased out, The New York-based audio hardware virtuosos at Master & Dynamic have struck gold yet again with the MW07, a worthy competitor to Apple’s AirPods and Jabra’s Elite 65t. These stylish, high-end earbuds are the perfect blend of inconspicuous for a morning commute, convenient for recharging and using throughout the day, and innovative in their unique design made to match your glasses or shades and elevate truly wireless headphones to the level of designer accessory.
These days, as technology accelerates faster and faster, living with tons of wires and tangled-up headsets in your bad or pocket just aren’t doable. People crave a truly wireless experience, and even Bluetooth headphones wired to one another can’t scratch the itch. The MW07 offers a fashionable, high-end solution that delivers high-quality audio and comfortable design that blows the competition out of the water and delivers a truly convenient, wireless audio experience tailored to everyday use.
New York audio titans Master & Dynamic are renowned for the quality of their products and, in their first attempt at competing in the wireless earbud market, have delivered something truly special. The fidelity of Apple AirPods or Jabra Elites simply can’t hold up to the crisp audio and broad soundstage of the MW07, especially since these competitors are more tailored for being multifunctional devices and not as dedicated to providing a high-quality listening experience.
Design & Build Quality
In a word, the Master & Dynamic MW07s are premium, and this can be seen in the build alone. The acetate outer casing, with its stainless steel enclosures, is sleek and contemporary, and comes in several different colors and finishes: grey terrazzo, tortoiseshell, matte black, and steel blue. 10mm beryllium drivers deliver brilliant sound from inside these gorgeous, high-end casings. They look built to match your sunglasses, and colors like tortoiseshell deliver a warm, welcoming take on a classic, retro design. Master & Dynamic has proven that the future of a truly wireless audio experience is very compatible with fashion. These earbuds are surprisingly lightweight, too, coming in at only 9 grams each.
The accompanying shiny stainless steel case for the MW07 is a bit larger than those that come with AirPods, but still comfortable fit into a standard jean pocket with ease. The case doubles as a charger that carries up to 3 full charges for as much as 14 total hours of listening time on the go. It’s also IPX3 certified, so if you’re worried about splash resistance, this is a good time to breathe a sigh of relief. That said, it wouldn’t be ideal to submerge this case, of course. The case can be prone to tiny scratches and fingerprints, and Master & Dynamics helps mitigate this by providing a fabric case for it.
The case lid displays battery levels with three lights on the outside and uses standard traffic light colors to indicate battery levels: green, yellow, and red. The lid snaps shut with a satisfying magnetic quality that ensures the MW07 earbuds will be secure in your pocket as long as they’re stowed in the case.
The overall packaging is lightweight and sleek. The earbuds come in the case fully charged. You will also find a USB-C cable with a Type A adaptor to make use of if needed. To customize your fit, Master & Dynamic has added five different sizes of silicone wing tips as well as different “fit wings” to ensure a comfortable but stable fit on the ear as well as inside of it. When you’re ready to pair your MW07s to a device, simply press and hold the multifunctional button on the right bud to go into pairing mode and connect to any given device, and these headphones will automatically remember up to two devices of your choosing simultaneously. This means you can connect them to your Mac and iPhone, or your iPad and Apple Watch, for example. The possibilities are endless.
Rather than rely on slightly disorienting touch controls, Master & Dynamic has opted for physical buttons with the model. The left earbud has a volume rocker, while the right one has the aforementioned multifunctional button. One press plays or pauses audio. Two presses skip forward, three presses skip backward, and holding the button pulls up Google Assistant or Siri depending on the OS your devices use. This simple setup is perfect for those who would rather be able to easily and precisely feel for the controls they wish to use with a tactile interface.
Connectivity
The left and right earbuds, when tested, synced correctly without any connection problems or latency, though sometimes pairing to both a PC and smartphone simultaneously posed some issues with connecting properly. For the smoothest experience, connecting to one device at a time is recommended. Master & Dynamic also utilizes Near Magnetic Field Induction (NFMI) to maintain the connection between earbuds and ensure flawless syncing. The wear detection on the MW07 is just as infallible.
The Bluetooth 4.2 connection was solid and experienced zero dropouts. Even video streaming was perfect, as many Bluetooth headphones struggle with a slight latency in the audio for playback of things like YouTube videos. The MW07 does not feature noise cancellation, but the fit itself is naturally noise-isolating to a degree that is satisfying for daily use. There are no apps to download and no extra settings to fuss with, which lets the focus stay on high-quality audio on demand.
Comfort and Fit
The MW07s are surprisingly comfortable considering their larger design, especially with all the options for fitting them to your ear right out of the package. The headphones themselves have IPX4 splash resistance, so sweat and water splashes are a non-issue, though jumping into a pool with them on may not be the best idea.
These lightweight earbuds are flexible and soft with their silicone tips, and come with five additional sizes to fit perfectly to your ear. Master & Dynamic also uses “fit wings” to attach the earphones to your ear and the fit is superb. These headphones can easily be worn for hours without discomfort, irritation, or chafing, which makes them even better for all-day wear. For charging throughout the day, you can simply slip them back into the case and let them charge up in your pocket.
A truly wireless experience like the MW07 is perfect for day-to-day use like the morning commute. While the pack a lot of style into a small package, they’re inconspicuous enough to safely wear. The natural isolation provided by the build of these headphones, while excellent, doesn’t leave you totally unaware of your surroundings, and is excellent for the office. That said, you will still probably have to take one out to have a conversation with friends or co-workers.
Audio Quality
Master & Dynamic really shows off their audio expertise with the MW07’s 10mm beryllium drivers, which provide an unexpectedly deep, rich soundstage for your music to come alive in a way that most competitors simply cannot replicate. You can expect punchy bass, strong, driving mids, and clear highs that aren’t harsh on the ears: all in all, a very warm, balanced, and well-rounded audio experience. There are no syncing issues, connection dropouts, or latency problems to speak of for media playback or music streaming. The snug, naturally noise-isolating fit is comfortable for all-day use and is perfect for daily wear.
While there are no EQ adjustment options or an accompanying app for the MW07 that allows for making various adjustments, the audio balance is so fine-tuned that it works for pretty much any listening. Like most wireless earbuds, the MW07 won’t get as loud as high-end studio over-ear cans, but pack quite a punch nonetheless and have little to no distortion, even at higher volumes. Those who love simplicity and high quality will not be disappointed.
The MW07 packs an omnidirectional microphone for calling and voice chat. As with most earbuds on the market, the quality, while not incredibly crisp, does a fine job for taking calls. If you’re, say, on a busy street and need to take a call, expect to need to speak up a bit to make sure the microphone picks you up clearly, but otherwise the MW07s deliver serviceable call quality.
Battery Life
The MW07’s battery holds up just a tad less than that of its competitors, clocking in at about 3.5 hours. The stainless steel case packs up to 3 full charges for 14 hours of total listening. While Airpods and Jabra Elites can clock in around 4 hours, there’s something to be said for the incredible convenience for charging on the go.
Getting up to a full recharge with the MW07 takes approximately 90 minutes, while the case takes 40 minutes to reach full battery via a USB Type C connection. The MW07 also comes with an adaptor to use the Type C charging cable with USB Type A ports. While getting a full charge can take longer on these headphones, it only takes about 15 minutes to hit a 40% charge, and you can get over an hour and a half of playtime from just 45 minutes of charging.
The MW07’s Bluetooth 4.2 and aptX codec means they’re never really “off” unless completely out of battery or put into a battery-saving sleep mode when pausing playback while the earbuds are in. These earphones will immediately “wake up” upon taking them out of the case and turn on when put into your ears, and does this with sophisticated proximity sensors located in each earbud. If one or both buds is taken out of the ears, playback will automatically pause. In short, the battery life isn’t bad at all considering the convenient features that come with these stylish earphones.
Our Verdict
Are the Master & Dynamic MW07 earphones worth a listen? Absolutely. These premium earbuds pack sound that surpasses that of the competition, with its powerful, driving bass, strong mids, and clear, defined highs. The simplicity of use and natural isolation is another plus: no need to tinker with annoying apps! You can simply put your headphones in and enjoy a true wireless experience without any fuss whatsoever.
The design is unique and tailored to match most wardrobes, and the comfort provided by custom fit silicone ear tips and M&W’s unique fit wings provide a stable, yet comfy fit for everything from listening at the office to a morning run. The style and audio quality elevate these beyond just being earbuds into something that makes everyday life more convenient while acting as a powerful, yet subtle fashion accessory.
The battery life could be a bit longer, but the charger’s 3 additional chargers compensate for this perfectly. Flawless proximity sensing, lack of connection bugs or dropouts, and media syncing makes liberation from the dreaded 3.5mm cables even more freeing. In short, if you want a premium product with premium features, Master & Dynamic’s MW07 delivers.