Battery life is on par with other high-end noise-cancelling headphones at 32 hours, and the headphones come with a USB-C cable in a great hard-shell carrying case, allowing them to plug into a computer or phone and act as the headphones themselves High-quality digital-to-analog converters – great for those who like to listen to high-end audio on the go. If you don’t have a USB port, there’s also a 3.5mm adapter for standard unpowered listening and a quarter-inch adapter for headphone amps and other high-end sources. It’s two wired and one wireless for listening to the MW75, and it’s beautiful.
sound quality
The 40mm beryllium drivers inside the MW75 combined with Master & Dynamic’s excellent onboard digital-to-analog conversion provide one of the most vivid and pleasing soundstages I’ve heard from a pair of wireless headphones.
I think the AirPods Max sound fantastic, but these somehow beat their excellent reproduction, and the MW75 deliver a soundstage so dynamic you feel like you can bathe in it. The bass, in particular, stands out from many other options in this category with a punchy, confident sound that never muddles the waters of the tones above it. If you like bass-heavy music, this is like a clear canvas to re-hear it, and records like Kaytranada’s 99.9% are like they’ve never done for me in the past on active noise-canceling models.
one more time, anything Sounds great through these headphones. I love listening to jazz, classical, folk, and other acoustic music through them because the high-side tuning really brings a sense of immediacy, making the digital-to-analog sound like the instrument is right in your ear.
The M&D Connect app lets you adjust the noise canceling and ambient sound modes, as well as scramble the EQ, but I’ve found these headphones sound best with high noise cancellation and EQ set as standard, as you’d probably want most to leave them out of the box use. That said, Ambient Mode can come in handy on the fly, or when you want to have a quick chat with a lover, pet, or co-worker (or some combination of these).
hiss
Photo: Master & Dynamic
Noise-canceling quality is excellent, and the headphones can easily tune out the sound of my HVAC system and my clumsy mechanical keyboard. I’d say it’s as good as anything I’ve heard from any top brand lately, though Sony and Bose may have a slight edge on mid-range noise cancellation. With the Master & Dynamic algorithm, I can sometimes still hear the air filter humming at 600 Hz. Also, the onboard mic is good, just not as good as the ones from Apple and Bose. They are still fully available during calls.
The only real fly in the ointment is that the MW75 has a low-level noise-canceling hiss at all times, which I can only hear when it’s not playing. When I record with analog gear, it reminds me of tape hiss at an ultra-low level. I’m a stickler for low-noise floors, and it doesn’t even bother me (disappears as soon as I hear any music), but if you’re the type who doesn’t need noise at all, I’d recommend another pair.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with the MW75s and strongly recommend them to high-end and aspiring audio nerds alike. The sound is excellent, I can forgive a bit of noise-canceling hiss when nothing is playing, and the fact that you can listen to them in a number of ways – wired or wireless, with or without an external DAC – is great. If you like bells and whistles, especially their high-fidelity sound, these are a great pair.
