Master & Dynamic MW65 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones

The last time I reviewed a Master & Dynamic headphones was the MW60 in 2016. I was very impressed with the overall craftsmanship of the product, while the sound quality is smooth though not exciting. The latest release MW65 is, in short, miles better in audio quality while retaining the supreme finishing.



The Brand
Since launching in 2014, New York City-based Master & Dynamic has kept to its vision of building premium quality, durable, timeless audio products. Inspired by WWII aviator headsets, they have retained the design DNA throughout the headphones product line, improving each new release with new technology and materials. The latest MW65 which weighs only 245g is the lightest and most technically sophisticated headphones made by Master & Dynamic. Featuring dual-mic active noise cancelling technology, it is covered with leather, lambskin ear pads and anodised aluminium. In comparison, the similarly elegant Beoplay H9i weighs 285g, while the mostly-plastic Sony WH-1000XM3 weighs 250g.



The Details
Compared to the earlier models, the MW65 reveals more aluminium, skewing towards a more industrial feel yet retaining the earthy luxurious air. The meticulous details in both ends are exceptional: the double stitching towards the upper headband, the rear cup grille pattern, the hidden wires running within the adjustable metal headband, the embossed buttons. Despite appearing identical in colour tone, your hands would feel that the leather materials between the exterior and interior headband is different.


The tiny switches and buttons are designed to be inconspicuously small yet practical enough for the fingers to get it right. Even the ANC button is purposefully prominent with a design intent. All the accompanying accessories like the cables and adapters are also branded with metal accents.


Other than the design, the electronics are similarly premium. The headphones are driven by 40mm Beryllium drivers, there are 2 beam-forming noise-reduction mics, and it supports aptX HD. The headphones deliver 24 hours of continuous music enjoyment and up to 12 hours with a 15-minute quick charge. They are also optimised for Google Assistant, not just for triggering commands, but also to receive Google notifications and to read out messages.



The Sound
As earlier mentioned, the MW65 sounds better than MW60 I reviewed 3 years ago. In ANC modes, it delivers the impactful bass feel but not too boomy, and achieves the treble clarity and sparkle without too harsh. At loud volumes, the energy and intensity gets my feet tapping while I enjoy the clarity without sounding too noisy. In ANC mode, the MW65 are not clean enough for reference: the audio is slightly compressed, the details are not as resolving. At low volumes, the sound is slightly laid back, but thanks to ANC, I still enjoy adequately.


Under passive audio mode, which is when playing audio through the 3.5mm audio plug, the MW65 produces an impressive sound tuning. With the bass less pumped up compared to the ANC mode, the treble reveals more details and a little cleaner. The direct wire audio also delivers lossless signal, translating into better sound resolution. Midrange is clean, instrumental layering is impressive. The tuning is similar under active wireless mode with ANC off.

I compared the MW65 favourably to Sennheiser HD650, where MW65 delivers a more intimate direct stage for the main melody (vocals or instrument lead). Being a closed back headphones, the MW65 has more tightness in the sound, more directional when it comes to instrumental positioning. The HD650 achieves more roomy staging, delivers warmer tonality, treble is less forward.

The ANC
Overall, the noise cancelling is above average. No, it could not match the industry leaders, Sony and Bose, and higher-frequency environmental hiss can still be heard in a shopping mall when no music is being played. The MW65 is less aggressive in eliminating the upper frequency, but the low and mid range is suppressed sufficiently well. I compared closely with the Jabra Elite 85h and find that the MW65 removes low frequencies better than upper frequency, while the Elite 85h lets in the midrange.



The Complaints
There are a few areas that would make the MW65 an even better headphones. First, I find the ear cups are too small. They are just nice, touching my ears when worn. I would prefer them to be a little larger so that my ears can get some room. Second, in ANC mode, I could hear occasional thumping sounds as the ear cups flex when moving around. Finally, they are not ideal for high volume listening as the closed-back design results in pressure build-up.

Verdict
The Master & Dynamic MW65 is a special breed of headphones. It looks good, feels good, and most importantly, sounds good. I enjoy the audiophile-grade tuning when listening through passive audio wires, and the flexibility of eliminating ambient noise outdoors so that I can immerse better in high-res wireless audio over aptX HD. The ANC is not spectacular, but it works good enough for me to indulge in my music better than other non-ANC over-ear premium headphones.

Among the ANC headphones, the Master & Dynamic MW65 wins hands down in design, style and build quality. It will delight owners who appreciate both premium product design and balanced sound quality. For consumers looking for practical ANC, it would still be a choice of Bose HP700, QC35II, or Sony WH-1000XM3, but for sound quality, I would go for MW65.

Master & Dynamic MW07 TWS And MW65 Headphones Review - Bluetooth Engaged



Master & Dynamic is a friendly company from USA, known for their excellent headphones, all of them having awesome features like ANC, APT-X Bluetooth and other bells and whistles that tell them apart from the competition. MW65 is priced at 500 USD, and will be compared to Ultrasone Signature Studio, and Sennheiser HD660S while MW07 is priced at 150 USD, down from 250 USD, and the closest direct competitor to it is HIFIMAN TWS 600, which is also priced at 200 USD at launch.




Introduction

Master & Dynamic is one of those companies really nice to deal with, with a strong USA-based mentality and with a strong support for their customers and fans. They designed and created a large plateau of audio delicacies, including the MW60 headphones which I reviewed in the past. Most of their headphones are centered around a bassy, warm, fun and usually punchy signature, so we could say that Master & Dynamic has a house sound to them. If you ever purchase a product from them, you can expect prompt support, and if you explore the internet, you'll hear that everyone who had an issue with their products has had their issues solved. Furthermore, they run sales often, and you can find special offers for their excellent headsets, so if you're interested in any of their offerings, don't forget to check the latest price.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Master & Dynamic, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I'd like to thank Master & Dynamic for providing the sample for this review. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Master & Dynamic MW65 and MW07 find their next music companion.



About me

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/about.html



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way!

The fun thing here is that we're dealing with a company that really knows how much the unboxing experience matters to the final customer. The thing is, most people will probably think at first, that once you open a package and take the product out, you won't care about the unboxing experience, but the truth is, unboxing experience matters. I decided to not include the word Unboxing anymore in my Youtube videos, because it seems to make some people think that there is less content in each video than it actually is, but having owned products outside of the audiophile hobby, I can tell you, I do care how those are presented. For example, all DSLR cameras are presented in a nice, fancy way. The same goes for high-quality drawing tables, even the cheapest Wacom tables are presented nicely, and some of those cost a mere 50 USD or 100 USD, yet they are presented, like they are the tables you will be using for a long time to make your art. The same goes for any product I have enjoyed, it is part of owning the product, to have a nice presentation to it, to have it presented personally, in the same way that you'd see it presented online.

MW65

The headphone, the master, comes in a much larger overall package, with the same high quality to the entire presentation. The headphone comes along with a beautiful leather / fabric carrying pouch, a USB / Data Cable, which also is a Type-C to Type-C cable, and which has an adapter from Type-C to Type-A adapter.















There is also an Audio cable included in the package, so that you don't have to run your MW65 exclusively as a Bluetooth headphone.



What to look in when purchasing an upper midrange Headphone or TWS Earbud

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/what-to-lookl.html



Technical Specifications

MW65

MODEL - MW65
ACTIVE NOISE-CANCELLING - Feed-forward and feed-back (hybrid) active noise-cancelling echnology
MATERIALS - Leather, Anodized Aluminum
DIMENSIONS - 165mm x 190mm x 66mm
CABLES - 1.5m Standard 3.5mm Audio Cable, USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable (with USB- Adapter)
HEADPHNE CONNECTION - Optional 3.5mm Passive Audio Input, Two-Prong Flight Adapter
MICROPHONE TYPE - Beamforming Noise Reduction Mic Array
VOICE ASSISTANT - Google Assistant built-in, voice assistant enabled
DRIVERS - 40mm Beryllium
WEIGHT - 245g
EAR COUPLING - Over-Ear
IMPEDANCE - 32 Ohms
EAR PADS - Replaceable Lambskin-Wrapped Memory Foam
BLUETOOTH PROFILE - Bluetooth 4.2 Supporting AptX and SBC



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

MW65

MW65 is the culmination of the current Master & Dynamic tech, and the introduction of the best headphone they made to date, except for special partnerships they had with certain artists, so this one is really really well made. Or at least it is supposed to be so, so let's explore what features it has, and how well implemented all of those features are.



It always brightens my day when you get in touch with me, and I'm happy to read your feedback, with many people thanking me for my reviews on MW60, as well as for my previous videos on MW65 and MW07, really making my days much better. Thank you, and if you have feedback for me, I'm always happy to hear it!

Let's start with the battery life for MW65, as it is a portable headphone. We're talking about a full run of about 21 hours of music listening, with ANH set to high. This is pretty much like saying they last an entire day. What's even more amazing, with about 20 minutes of charging, you get half of that battery back, so awesome job on that.



The not so cool part about them is that the ANC doesn't work so well, and for me, I still have better passive noise isolation from a closed back headphone like Ultrasone Signature DXP. This being said, the ANC works well at muffling and cancelling human voices, and I can say that someone screaming next to you will sound like a whisper, so a baby on a plan won't be an issue anymore. For normal traffic noise, and for city noise, though, the ANC is not quite as effective.

The headphones are beautiful, and me having the brown variant made me really fall in love with the aesthetics of Master & Dynamic. The buttons on the headphones take care of the controls, and you have 20 meters of Bluetooth range from your smartphone, and as I said, Bluetooth 5.0 is useless unless it comes with APT-X. BT 5.0 does not change sound at all, you're better off not knowing what bluetooth variant you have installed, rather than caring whether it is 4.2 or 5.0, the sound is dictated much more by the codec, which is either APT-X, SBC, or LDAC and other high-quality Codecs. From all of them, AptX is the one that provides the best bang-for-the-buck. I would go for LDAC where possible. This being said, if you don't feel like trusting your music over Bluetooth, you can also use MW65 wired, and I could say it sounds awesome in both modes, although it feels more neutral, more reference in wired mode.



The passive noise isolation is average towards low, about 10 dB of passive noise isolation. You really need that ANC for MW65 to isolate you better. They have Google Assistant integration, but I actually never used that feature. The comfort is actually great, although the earpads are at the limit of being over-the-ear and on-ear. The fact that the earpads are actually made of sheepskin, and removable, shows that Master & Dynamic cares about the overall life of their headphones, and that they care about you owning their products for a longer time than just after the purchase date.



Youtube Video Review

Master & Dynamic MW65:



Sound Quality

Master & Dynamic MW65

I was really surprised at first, because this is the first Master & Dynamic headphone that went into this direction. Usually, their headphones are smooth, clean, and bassy, with a good amount of impact, and less detail / soundstage. This time around, though, they changed things and made sure you're going to have a fun time listening to their flagship, and MW65 ended up being really clean, crisp, neutral to mild V-Shaped, with a good kick for a holographic soundstage, and even for textures in your music.



The bass is clean, quick, and not overly enhanced. It is borderline neutral, with some slight emphasis in the sub lows, making MW65 a really really enjoyable headphone. They have enough speed to their bass to work with technical death metal, and very aggressive music, without feeling slow, but the bass also has enough size and amount for the headphone to not feel thin or lack substance.

The midrange is what I would call lovely. Neutral to slightly bright, with a slight upper midrange emphasis, and a very slight valley in the lower midrange, along with excellent detail, clarity and punch / dynamics. Indeed, this is the first Master & Dynamic headphone I can call quite dynamic and punchy. There's just enough soundstage and instrument separation to call MW65 a top headphone actually, they work well with Progressive music, so Tool fans will love this one. You get a good number of layers presented and well separated from each other, and you can also hear a unique naturalness to the tonality of each instrument, they simply sound live.

The treble actually compliments the rest of the signature, with a nice treble sparkle and extnesion, so you don't get that roll off, and you don't lose sight of your cymbal crashes and air. In fact, I could say that MW65 has more treble extension, more sparkle and more overall treble detail than their most direct competitors, HD660S, which is a pretty respected and loved headphone at this point. I wouldn't have thought they will sound this extended and clear, before hearing them. This time, Master & Dynamic doesn't just offer build quality and premium in the build, they offer premium in the sound as well.



Portable Usage

The portable usage of both headphones is excellent. Most of the things I described before are my actual experiments and test results. More precisely, they did actually survive to the lengths Master & Dynamic promises, and I'm happy they weren't overconfident on the specs when describing their headphones.



MW65 is really easy to drive actually, and a source like iBasso DX120 should do a fairly good job at it. Compared to other bluetooth / wired headphones, like the M0 Headphones from MOOH, they are considerably harder to drive though. There are bluetooth headphones that are similar in general compared to MW65, like ARC-1 from AIWA. This being said, ARC-1 has way less battery life, and the considerably lower price comes, at a cost. The materials are much better on MW65, and so is the comfort and bluetooth stability.

There are many other headphones that are TWS and do a great job, like Lypertek Tevi, for example, which has been raved about, even by me, but I feel that MW07 will either be your thing, when it comes to their aesthetic, or not. They really are defined by the particular aspect that Master & Dynamic gave to them.

Master & Dynamic are known for premium materials, portability and for overall quality to their products. There are many alternatives, but you either fall for Master & Dynamic and their premium approach, or you're looking for something else, so don't I don't want this review to make it sound like those two are the only two models in the world that are good. There are lots of amazing Bluetooth products out there, MW07, MW65 are also two of those really good ones.



Comparisons

The main contenders here are the Signature Studio and Sennheiser HD660S, for MW65, and TWS600 from HIFIMAN, for MW07. Those are all at similar price ranges, but they are different products, the whole point of the comparisons segment of this video is to compare them sonically, and to explain what purpose each of those achieves, and help you decide what kind of product you need.



I will also skip over the pairings part of this review because both MW65 and MW07 are bluetooth products, and they sound similar with all sources. For the wired tests, I have been using either FiiO M11, iBasso DX229, or Opus #3, usually relying on quick switching and volume matches tests for determining the differences between MW65 and its competitors. For MW07, and TWS600, all tests were done on Bluetooth. I thought it would be really fair to include a comparison between MW65 and MW60, which I reviewed in the past.

Master & Dynamic MW65 vs Sennheiser HD660S - All is good and well, but when Master & Dynamic decided that MW65 will sell for 500 USD, they knew they had to beat HD660S, and they knew they couldn't just add bells and whistles like Bluetooth and Active Noise Cancelling, or ANC and stop there. So, they also gave their Mw65 a sound that would make them stand their ground in the market, and man, did they deliver on that. The package of the two is actually better for MW65, with a more rich package, more accessories, and with better earpads, longer lasting earpads, and with a better overall cable included in the package. I was a big fan of HD660S, but Master & Dynamic simply made a better package there for their MW65, Sennheiser were never adepts of a strong package, although their prices are on the high side, compared to HIFIMAN, which also has a more minimalistic approach, but which at least offers a good price, being a more budget, good sound, barebone headphone. In terms of comfort, HD660S is more comfortable, has a larger earcup, but the headphone sits tighter, and the earpad is tighter, making it sit slightly less comfy than MW65, where the earpads are softer and made of sheepskin. HD660S is really hard to drive well, so you will need to make sure you have the proper source, where MW65 can be driven from a midrange DAP like iBasso DX150, FiiO M11, or even an entry-level DAP like FiiO M6 or iBasso DX120. On the other hand, you need at least iBasso DX220 with AMP7 to drive HD660S, or something just as strong, like the newly released TR-AMP from Earmen, or iFi xDSD, or Chord Mojo. HD660S is an open-back headphone and leaks a lot of sound, it does not isolate you from the outside noise, and you cannot wear them in any public location, or near your loved ones, if you don't want them to hear your music as well, where MW65 does not leak, and if you have a crying baby around, you can cut yourself from it for a few minutes with the ANC function. When it comes to the sound, you will have the biggest surprise. I always took Master & Dynamic for a premium headphone manufacturer, but now they also have proper audiophile sonic quality, with proper textures, holographic soundstage, and more quality, more punch, and better dynamics than even HD660S, making them one of the easiest to recommend headphones at the moment of writing this review, if you want a high quality closed back headphone, one that sounds neutralish. HD660S is warmer, thicker, darker, has a more creamy presentation, where MW65 has more dynamics, more punch, and a more balanced signature, with better extension both in the treble and in the bass.

Master & Dynamic MW65 vs Ultrasone Signature Studio - Ultrasone signature studio was a really bright headphone, with a really quick and light bass. MW65 is a much more balanced version of that sound, and is also more comfortable, where Sig Studio was tighter on the head, with smaller earpads, which felt considerably harder to the touch, and became uncomfortable a bit faster than MW65, which I can wear for a few hours without wearing fatigue. In terms of package, both have an excellent package, and Ultrasone may have the upper hand here, with a better, yet less practical carrying case. In terms of sonics, Ultrasone is considerably brighter, and has less body, less punch, but better detail, and a larger soundstage. There are more textures, with better micro-detail with Sig Studio, but there is more dynamic, and a more balanced overall sound that is still very airy and extended with MW65, but which doesn't feel nowhere near as fatiguing as Sig Studio, which although is made for studio, can be very fatiguing after a longer listening period.

Master & Dynamic MW07 vs HIFIMAN TWS600 - Now, we should compare the MW07, to the TWS600 from HIFIMAN. You can tell from the start that Master & Dynamic invested more in the build materials of the charging / carrying case, and also in the earbuds themselves. There's better comfort for MW07 actually, and they sit better in your ear. HIFIMAN has a considerably different sonic presentation, with a much lighter and more neutral sound, where MW07 has a very heavy and thick sound. The two are polar opposites, and if you like bass, you should totally go for MW07, they are all about the bass. TWS600 has much better detail, clarity, impact and treble, but they have a very thin sound out of the box, and they need to be EQ'ed to have a more natural sound. I have taken some time to EQ them, and they take the EQ'ing well, but it is a necessary step if you want to enjoy them, where MW07 can be enjoyed right out of the box, if you're a basshead, or someone who enjoys a more commercial type of sound.

Master & Dynamic MW65 vs Master Dynamic MW60 - The new vs the old, what changes, and where is MAster & Dynamic headed? To answer all of those questions, I first need to tell you that my review of MW60 has been confirmed to stand true by the test of time, so they are exactly as described, and I encourage you to read it before reading this comparison, so that it makes way more sense. Where MW60 was imposing, deep and powerful, MW65 is neutral, clean, and crisp, with much more focus on the detail, clarity and overall soundstage. There's a much larger stage with MW65, and where MW60 was really warm and thick-ish, with a smoother treble, with MW65 you get a much edgier treble sparkle, with better overall extension and more air. MW60 was lush and full, MW65 is clean and sparkly, this would be the easiest way to compare the two, and to know which one should work best for you.



Value and Conclusion

We can draw an easy conclusion about both MW65 and MW07, which is that they are both premium products. They have those high-quality materials in their build, they have the fine craftsmanship, and the sonic performance to be sold at their current price points. This being said, there are other, more budget-oriented options out there, Master & Dynamic is designed for those who really want the quality and the experience offered by Master Dynamic.



The package is always interesting and beautiful to discover, there's a rich accessory setup with both MW07 and MW65. I'm a big fan of the fact that they have both wired and wireless modes for their MW65. Furthermore, I'm in love with the fact that you can replace the pads of MW65, making them last quite longer than those headphones where the earpads are there to stay.

Both MW07 and MW65 are comfy headphones, but for MW07, it should work with every ear size and shape, due to their overall design, the inner part being really nice for a wider number of ears. This being said, when it comes to MW65, things do not work quite the same, they are on the border for me, they simply aren't quite as comfy, since they are exactly at the edge of being on-ear and over-the-ear. This may be because I have larger ears, but still, it is something to keep in mind, you will be in contact with the earpads quite a bit.



The sonic performance of both headphones is excellent, but they went in different directions this time around. MW07 is more in tone with the typical Master & Dynamic signature, which is warmer, creamier, where MW65 ended up as a really revealing, clean, crisp and detailed headphone, that's pretty much neutral, to mildly V-Shaped. This is quite intriguing, and MW65 ends up being one of my favorite headphones, and I will also be adding it to Audiophile-Heaven's Hall Of Fame for their excellent sonic delivery, detail, but also for their build quality, and design.



At the end of this review, if you're looking for solid TWS earbuds, and especially since they are on sale, if you love the design of MW07, you should totally go for them. At the same time, investing the full price of MW65 is quite complicated at first, but the final sound is totally worth it, they are a headphone that should satisfy both your needs for something that is beautiful, has practical usages, but which has good details, a wide soundstage, holographic even, and with great instrument textures.



Full Playlist used for this review

While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you're searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.

Youtube Playlist



Tidal Playlist

https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b

Song List

Bats - Gamma Ray Burst: Second Date
Eskimo Callboy - Frances
Incubus - Summer Romance
Electric Six - Dager! High Voltage
Kishida Cult - High School Of The Dead
Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir
Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow
Thousand Foot Krutch - The Flame In All Of Us
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Infected Mushroom - Song Pong
Attack Attack - Kissed A Girl
Doctor P - Bulletproof
Maximum The Hormone - Rock n Roll Chainsaw
Rob Zombie - Werewolf, Baby!
Escape The Fate - Gorgeous Nightmare
SOAD - Chop Suey
Ken Ashcorp - Absolute Territory
Machinae Supremacy - Need For Steve
Ozzy Osbourne - I Don't Wanna Stop
Crow'sclaw - Loudness War
Eminem - Rap God
Stromae - Humain À L'eau
Sonata Arctica - My Selene
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back
Metallica - Fuel
Veil Of Maya - Unbreakable
Masa Works - Golden Japang
REOL - Luvoratorrrrry
Dope - Addiction
Korn - Word Up!
Papa Roach - ... To be Loved
Fever The Ghost - Source
Fall Out Boy - Immortals
Green Day - Know The Enemy
Mindless Self Indulgence - London Bridge
A static Lullaby - Toxic
Royal Republic - Addictive
Astronautalis - The River, The Woods
We Came As Romans - My Love
Skillet - What I Believe
Man With A Mission - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Yasuda Rei - Mirror
Mojo Juju - Must Be Desire
Falling Up - Falling In Love
Manafest - Retro Love
Rodrigo Y Grabriela - Paris
Zomboy - Lights Out
Muse - Resistance
T.A.T.U & Rammstein - Mosaku
Grey Daze - Anything, Anything
Katy Perry - Who Am I Living For
Maroon 5 - Lucky Strike
Machinae Supremacy - Killer Instinct
Pendulum - Propane Nightmares
Sirenia - Lithium And A Lover
Saving Abel - Addicted
Hollywood Undead - Levitate
The Offspring - Special Delivery
Escape The Fate - Smooth
Samsara Blues Experiment - One With The Universe
Dope - Rebel Yell
Crazy Town - Butterfly
Silverstein - My Heroine
Memphis May Fire - Not Over Yet

I hope my review is helpful to you!

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