Master & Dynamic MW75 headphones review: Premium sound, premium price

Master & Dynamic has been building high-end, premium headphones for years now. All of its headphones offer a stunning build quality, excellent sound quality, and more. But over the past few years, some weird things have been happening in the headphone world. Notably, companies like Apple and Samsung have been building their own headphones, meaning that they can build more features into their headphones for those that use them with accompanying phones.

These feature-packed headphones often top “best of” lists simply because of their deep integration — and it makes sense. The AirPods Max, for example, not only sound awesome, but they offer support for things like Automatic Switching, Spatial Audio, and more, if you use them with Apple devices.

That makes it difficult for other companies to compete. But if any company can (perhaps aside from Sony), it’s Master & Dynamic. It’s been one of my favorite headphone companies for years, and it’s easily one of the most premium.

How well can the Master & Dynamic MW75 headphones compete in a world of first-party, heavily integrated options? Well, pretty good — but there are some caveats, like the $600 price tag.

Master & Dynamic MW75 headphones design

If you’ve ever seen a pair of Master & Dynamic headphones, you know what the new MW75 headphones look like. They’re built with metal and leather, and offer an extremely premium look and feel — which is exactly what you would expect from this company.

The ear cups and headband are clearly well-built and well-designed. The headband is made from a nice leather, which is the same material that covers the earcups. It’s soft to the touch and covers nice, plush memory foam. The ear pads are replaceable too, so if they wear out or get damaged, you can put on new ones.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

On the left earcup, you’ll find a power button and a button to control noise cancellation. On the right, you’ll find volume controls and a central playback control button. You’ll also find a USB-C port. Now, there’s no 3.5mm port, but you will get a USB-C to 3.5mm cable, which should alleviate that issue.

There is one thing missing, and that’s an indicator for the left and right sides. If you put the headphones on the wrong way, you’ll know immediately — but still seems like a weird omission.

The headphones are available in four different color combinations. We’re reviewing the Gunmetal / Black Leather combination, and they look great.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

There are plenty of adjustments that can be made with these headphones. The earcups can swivel, and the arms extended — meaning that you can get a great fit, and lie them flat for better portability. The headphones themselves don’t fold, and it would have been nice if they did, given the fact that they’re built for portability.

Also in the box, you’ll find an airplane adapter, a USB-C charging cable, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, and a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter. That’s not to mention the beautifully built and strong hard case, which is perfect for travel.

Master & Dynamic MW75 headphones features

In conjunction with the M&D Connect app, the Master & Dynamic MW75 headphones offer a number of extra features that may come in handy. The app is pretty well-designed, though it’s not necessarily the most comprehensive out there. Through it, you’ll be able to set the EQ preset, and set which functions the ANC button enables. Thankfully, the EQ does follow the headphones when you use different devices, and the headphones offer Bluetooth multipoint, so they can be connected to up to two different devices. Unfortunately, you can’t set up a custom EQ, which you would expect from a pair of headphones in this price range.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The battery life on the headphones is pretty good, sitting at 32 hours without ANC, or 28 with it. That beats out much of the competition, and matches some of the top-tier options out there, like the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones.

Master & Dynamic MW75 headphones comfort

With such a high-end build and such premium materials, you would expect the headphones to offer a comfortable fit. Thankfully, they do indeed offer a very comfortable feel to them.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

A lot of that comfort has to do with the good amount of padding, but there are other components to the comfort too. For example, the headphones offer a good clamp, which isn’t too tight, but also isn’t so loose as to let in any outside noise. And, the headphones are pretty lightweight. They’re not as light as the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, but still more than lightweight enough to remain comfortable over long periods of listening.

Master & Dynamic MW75 headphones sound

Ultimately sound quality is perhaps the most important thing to consider. How do these headphones sound? Well, great. They’re crisp, detailed, and well-tuned.

The bass response on these headphones is nice and thick. The headphones don’t offer too much of a bass boost, which is good for me, as I prefer a more natural response. Instead, the bass is relatively flat, with good extension. And, of course, users can tweak the EQ to offer more bass.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The mids are pretty well-tuned too. There’s perhaps a slight scoop in the mids, but it’s very subtle, and generally, the mids offer a flat response that makes listening to anything enjoyable.

The highs, however, are perhaps the highlight here. The highs are very detailed, and that makes for shiny cymbals and good sibilance. It helps make music more exciting, which is always nice.

The noise cancellation tech on these headphones is pretty good. It’s good at cutting out consistent rumble, but not as good at cutting out anything else. It certainly doesn’t match the tech from Sony and Apple, though.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The headphones offer an ambient listening mode too, which is also quite good. Like with the noise cancellation, it’s not as good as the AirPods Max — but it definitely allows you to hear what’s going on around you without any issues.

Perhaps the biggest issue I had with the sound on the MW75 headphones is the fact that there’s quite a bit of background hiss, almost all of the time. With ANC on it’s more pronounced, but it’s still there even when ANC is off or ambient listening is on.

Conclusions

The Master & Dynamic MW75 headphones are an excellent pair of noise cancelling headphones, with a premium design and build, and excellent frequency response. Only one problem. They’re $600. Headphones can get expensive, but in the world of premium noise cancelling headphones, these are among the priciest.

Ultimately, the design and build quality may make these headphones worth the price for some — but if you’re looking for a pair of great headphones that can be used for travel and around the house, you might be better off saving your cash.

The competition

The biggest competition in this space comes from Apple and Sony. The new Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, ultimately, are still the best option for those who want an amazing pair of noise cancelling headphones are sound great and cut out any outside noise. These headphones come at $400.

Alternatively, Apple users should consider the AirPods Max. The AirPods Max offer a range of extra features, like automatic switching between Apple devices, Spatial Audio, and more. They have a list price of $550, but are routinely discounted to $500 or less.

Should I buy the Master & Dynamic MW75 headphones?

No. You should get the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones or AirPods Max instead.