Master & Dynamic Mw65 Anc Over Ear Wireless Headphones - Black/black

Had some Bose QC35s before. These are a class above both in terms of quality finish and more importantly in music quality. There are headphones with more complete noise cancelling but between Bose and B&W these are for audiophiles. As an update I have now found the battery has become almost useless even in standby after just 5 years with relatively infrequent use unlike other headphones I have bought before so will not be buying this brand again given the price point.

About me. I listen to headphones to enjoy music at a high level of quality. So I'm willing to pay a little more to find a fairly neutral sound signature with slightly emphasized bass, mids that are not too recessed, and detailed highs that aren't harsh. In my opinion, the Master & Dynamics MW65 are one of the best sounding headphones I have ever listened to. They are on par with my Drop HD6XX (Sennheiser collaboration), which based on audiophile reviews are considered a reference standard. These are in fact so good, that I have virtually stopped using my IEMs (which I preferred) and now use the MW65s indoors and outdoors. Bottom line, if you favor sound quality over noise canceling, these are an amazing set of headphones. But what really sets these apart is that with the active noise canceling turned on, the sound quality is only slightly lower. I've owned and tested Bose, Sony, Audio-Technica, and Sennheiser noise canceling headphones and none has as good of a sound quality as the Master & Dynamic MW65; especially when the noise canceling is turned on. Nor does the noise canceling create an overpowering or uncomfortable pressure on the ear. The Bose and Sony will provide better noise canceling, but not better audio quality. The sound quality is fairly neutral, with a slight sub-bass emphasis. The detail and imaging is very good, but slightly less than you would get with planars or a high-end set of headphones. But the musicality, tone, imaging, sound stage, and overall sound signature is near perfect. They are light, very comfortable, and look stunning. The build is solid using high quality materials. And did I say they look incredible? What else do I like? Fast USB-C charging, long battery life, comfortable ear pads, the option to listen to them wired without consuming battery charge, and easy to use button controls. The touch pad, gesture user interface on some of the newer products is a bit confusing. I'm sure I would have become used to them, but the tactile feel of a physical button makes them easy to locate and more comfortable to use. These are definitely on the higher end, unless you can pick up a "Like New" product, which I did. No problems whatsoever, and I saved $200. But the combination of excellent sound with very good noise canceling, the option to listen to them wired, USB-C charging, and a luxury look makes these a very good buy. Highly recommended!

The speakers and microphone are very clear. Mic is a bit quiet though. I am using these purely for Discord while gaming. This is not what they were designed for but thought I'd try them out. I discovered these while researching headsets with good range. At first I was disappointed, but after getting a better BlueTooth transceiver (with an antenna) and cabling that so it was outside of my office with a powered USB hub in that cabling, coverage is now very good. Office is upstairs at 1 corner, and can get clear reception downstairs at opposite end of house. Turning noise cancelling on changes how you hear your own voice. Impressive blocking of external sound, just by wearing these. But quite a bit of pressure on your head to get it this way. And the small cups are not quite comfortable even for my small ears. Pressing the ANC button has near deafened people I'm talking to. They have had to turn me up to hear me clearly on Discord. Windows says my slightly louder than normal talking volume is 6% where my other set hits 27%. Not had volume complaints on Zoom though. Power setup is my biggest issue. I've read people getting about 4 hours use with ANC on, but I only get that without ANC. There is a shutting down sound when it runs out of juice and instantly powers off. No other warning beforehand. Not being able to turn them on while still charging from the cable is such a bad design. Once the battery is flat, I cannot just plug in a power cable and keep on chatting, I have to have a backup headset to use while it is charging. Because of this, I rarely use this headset. Great for a 1 hour meeting if you remember to put it back on charge all the time. Terrible for voicechat if you need it running for more than 3 or 4 hours. I would not buy again. Though, I am using them for a purpose they were not designed for. Slightly bigger ear cups and ability to use without taking it off charge cable may change my mind, though something with a mic mute button would still win out over this model for me.

Ein guter Kopfhörer, der sowohl für den heimischen als auch für den mobilen Hörgenuss geeignet ist.

Wer einen ausgezeichnet verarbeiteten Over-Ear-Kopfhörer in edler Ausführung sucht, der sich sehr komfortabel trägt, der sehr leicht ist (ca. 250 g Gewicht), schön anzusehen ist und über einen hervorragenden Klang verfügt, der ist hier genau richtig! Der Klang ist sehr, sehr angenehm und ausgewogen, eine sehr gute Auflösung verbunden mit klaren Höhen und satten runden Bässen. Der Sound ist dynamisch, aber immer entspannt, niemals schroff. Er versprüht fast ein wenig analogen Charme, besonders bei der Wiedergabe über ein hochwertiges Kabel, aber auch über Bluetooth ist die Wiedergabe exzellent. Der Kopfhörer empfiehlt sich nach meiner Ansicht besonders bei hochwertigen Jazz-, Folk-,Blues- und Singer-Songwriter-Aufnahmen, gibt aber auch Pop und Rock authentisch und ansprechend wieder. Einen Kopfhörerverstärker verwende ich nicht, bin aber trotzdem völlig zufrieden! Der Kopfhörer verfügt über eine aktive Geräuschunterdrückung (ANC) in zwei Leistungsstufen, das ANC ist gut, aber nicht Spitze. Die Akkulaufzeit beträgt 24 h im Maximum, auch das ist ein guter Wert. Die Bedienbarkeit ist gut, aber nicht intuitiv. Der Preis ist nicht billig, aber, wie ich finde, für die hohe Qualität angemessen. Fazit: Ein wirklich guter Allrounder für Zuhause und unterwegs in toller Qualität und mit stets relaxtem und überzeugendem Klang zum angemessenem Preis.