audiosplitz: Master & Dynamic

Master & Dynamic MH40C1 Concrete Headphones

April 02, 2017

2015 Holiday Gift Guide - Portable Audio

December 20, 2015

As Christmas beckons and 2015 comes to an end, let's take a look at some great portable audio gear you can gift for your loved ones. Not sure what to get? Fret not! We break down a few choices for each persona.

Merry X'mas folks!

Fashionistas
1. Beats Solo 2 Wireless (SGD 490)
This model is a head turner with the variants like the Active Collection (for sports lovers), and Luxe Editions (for a more premium look) being recently released.

2. Sennheiser MOMENTUM On Ear (M2) (SGD 319)
The MOMENTUM series is helluva looker and why change a proven formula? And they haven't, given its design has been around since 2013.

3. Master & Dynamic MH30 (SGD 549)
This New York company is certainly going places with its premium design. Want something novel? It ain't seen very much in Singapore (yet).

No Cables Please (Wireless)
1. Bose SoundLink on-ear Bluetooth (SGD 379)
The OE SoundLink is one of the best in the wireless on-ears category for sound delivery. The price is very decent too.

2. Sennheiser URBANITE XL Wireless (SGD 419)
They are great headphones for street wear and high quality sound over Bluetooth makes for good icing on the cake.

3. Sony MDR-1ABT (SGD 499)
A good choice for a multitude of reasons - It's comfortable, it supports aptX and LDAC codecs and it's a Sony.

Sports Lovers
1. Jaybird X2 Wireless (SGD 259)
These rank right up there for sports earbuds. They are highly customizable and the Comply foam tips offer great noise isolation and fit.

2. LG Tone Active (SGD 189)
The space-age looking TONE series has been a killer product for LG. What better way to improve it than to make a sports variant?

3. Jabra Sport Coach (SGD 248)
It's pretty hard to find an effective product that gives an integrated software and hardware fitness solution.

Users On-The-Go (Noise Canceling)
1. Bose QuietComfort 25 (SGD 529)
The QC25 blocks off sound to the extent that you feel you're in a world of your own.

2. Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H8 (SGD 699)
This is a premium looking pair to be seen with. Oh, and it's great to use on an airplane where the engine hum is just taken away.

3. Sony h.ear in NC (MDR-EX750NA)
This really light pair of in-ears works wonders on the train. Once you flick the switch on, the train grinding sounds are magically reduced.

Audiophiles
1. Klipsch Reference X20i (SGD 999)
These are certainly pricey but the sound delivery will certainly appeal to purists.

2. Grado SR60e
The SR60e is their entry level headphones and despite that, the quality of the music is simply amazing for its price.

aptX

Master & Dynamic MW60 Over Ear - First Glimpse

November 15, 2015

Master & Dynamic make their grand entry into the wireless headphone segment. Launched in NYC to a fanfare of helicopter rides to the media to showcase its noise isolation capabilities, 5 Nov saw the unveiling of the MW60 Wireless Over Ear Headphones.

Master & Dynamic MW60 Over Ear Headphones - Launched on 5 Nov 2015

What's The Deal?

Let's break it down for simplicity.

1. Design
Similar to our experience of MH30 On Ear, the headphones are forged by a combination of lambskin, premium cowhide and stainless steel. This adds up to a hefty 345g but give a distinct touch of class to the MW60 Over Ear Headphones. If you think the design is a case of déjà vu, most likely you've seen its wired sibling, the MH40, which interestingly is heavier at 360g.

Master & Dynamic MW60 Over Ear Headphones - Fashion shot

2. High-fidelity Sound
Powered by 45mm neodymium drivers, the MW60 uses the aptX codec which promises CD-quality sound over Bluetooth. What this means is you need to play a high quality source such as streaming from Tidal Hi-Fi or use ALAC files to appreciate the audio. Promising 'rich, warm sound', we are keen to take this unit for a spin to find if it delivers.

3. Battery Life
Master & Dynamic leverages on Bluetooth 4.1, using a low energy protocol which theoretically promises a better battery life. At 15-16 hours of power, this is a decent number.

4. Multi-Point Connection
The MW 60 Over Ear can connect up to two devices simultaneously such as your mobile phone and a tablet. This gives a smooth transition when taking calls and switching back to viewing movies.

M&D MW60 - Foldable hinges for compact storage

5. Signal Reception
Its all exposed aluminum antenna on the left ear cup gives the potential of 'best-in-class signal range' boasting 4 times the industry average. Again, these are technical specs and we'll have to test these to see how this works for voice clarity and continuous music flow over wireless.

Master & Dynamic MW60 - Right earcup's playback controls

Pricing
At USD 549 (approx SGD 780), plainly put, these aren't the most affordable headphones out there. However, Master & Dynamic sure know how to create the need. The experience promised could be well worth the money you dish out.

M&D MW60 - Silver Metal / Brown Leather variant

Availability
The launch colors come in two variants - Gunmetal / Black Leather and Silver Metal / Brown Leather.

Master & Dynamic MW60 Over Ear Headphones - Premium materials

They are available for pre-order worldwide on the Master & Dynamic website and they mention on their website they will ship the unit by 1719 November.

Headphones

Master & Dynamic MH30 On Ear - Designed with Class

October 27, 2015

Master & Dynamic are the new kids on the block in the high end headphone segment. The NYC-based company, headed by Jonathan Levine, brand themselves as a 'premium audio company obsessed with sound and creativity'. With this declaration of intent in mind, we take a detailed look at the MH30 (SGD 549 / USD 329), Master & Dynamic's first offering in the on-ears category.

Design

As usual, before looking at the product, we look at the unboxing process.

The MH30 is packaged in one massive (and I mean massive) 227 x 250 x 95 mm box, the kind normally associated with huge-ass over-ears headphones. We likely received the US / Canadian SKU given the ample English and French text on the back of the box.

A flap on the right allows the pulling out of a black box casing. Smack in the center is Master & Dynamic's (M&D) embossed logo.

Opening the lid reveals a card that explains M&D's philosophy behind its products - a nice precursor that builds some expectation to unveiling the on-ears.

And lo, under the card lie the headphones. They are laid out with a circular box, containing the relevant audio cables, right in the middle.

Removing the foam layer reveals a slip of paper displaying some usage tips, a carrying pouch tucked on the left side and a cardboard box on the right.

Opening the box produces a neatly designed user manual.

On spilling out the packaging contents, the full breakdown is revealed:
- MH30 On Ear headphones
- Audio cable with in-line remote and mic of 1.25m length (3.5mm to 3.5mm)
- Audio cable of 2.00m length (3.5mm to 3.5mm)
- 3.5mm / 6.3mm adapter
- Canvas carrying pouch
- Leather cable box

And now to the MH30 proper. There are 3 color variants to choose from - Silver Metal / Brown Leather, Black Metal / Black Leather and Gunmetal / Black Leather. I was provided the 3rd option.

These headphones weigh a hefty 260g, heavier than two of its peers in the on-ears category (and they are wireless too) - the Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H8 (255g) and the Beats Solo 2 Wireless (215g).

However, let's consider the build and the materials used to make this unit. The earcup frame is built from solid aluminum and for compact storage, the headphones have really solid stainless steel hinges that fold inwards. The headband is made from premium cowhide. Ear cups? We'll get to that in a bit. All in all, these give an air of luxury to the Master & Dynamic headphones.

Great attention to detail has been taken in many aspects. One is 'M&D' being deliberately inscribed onto different steel components that serve to reinforce its branding. 'Designed & Developed New York, New York' lies emblazoned as a badge of identity under the left ear cup.

On trying them on, one issue that I had was the extent to which the headphones can be fitted over the head. I stretched the aluminum rivets to the max and even then, the headband only just fitted around my head snug but bordering on tight.

When adjusted on your ears, the ear cups sometimes make a creaking sound, but nothing to be overly concerned about once they are fitted nicely in place.

Features
There is a 3.5mm socket under both the left and right ear cups. This allows for both a normal audio connection to your source device and an additional connection via a 2m audio cable (daisy-chain style) to another pair of headphones. This is convenient if two persons are listening to the same source.

The second audio cable comes with an in-line remote lining the cable. Interestingly, the microphone unit is aligned close to your mouth while the remote with the playback buttons is lower down the cord so you can visually see what you are pressing. For practical purposes, the separation of the two units is a welcome implementation.

The ear cups are replaceable and are magnetically held in place, a very nice touch. The 40mm Neodymium drivers are fully revealed once the lambskin cups are taken out.

The carrying pouch is well designed for practical purposes - it comes with a magnetic clasp lining the outer rim that firmly seals its contents. There's a handy additional pouch within to hold any cables you may want to store.

Performance
Placing the MH 30 on your ears, you initially appreciate the comfort afforded by the cups, made of lambskin that envelops the underlying memory foam. However due to its on-ears nature, after an hour's usage, they can get a little warm so you may need to adjust the headphones.

When relaxing with Coralie Clement's bossa nova-inspired L'Ombre et la Lumière, the bass and instrumentation overlap with one another to produce a generally warm sound for listening. Daft Punk's instrumental Solar Sailer gives a hint of MH30's capability - generally a natural sound with what I felt was a (very minor) tinge of inclination to bass.

The MH30 produces a rather wide soundstage, a pleasant surprise taking into consideration that these are a pair of on-ear headphones. I'd usually associate this trait with the over-ears category.

Noise isolation is decent enough. Placing them over your ears will shut off minor ambient sounds such as air con white noise. On a bus, the engine noise will still reach your ears with ease.

Overall
Master & Dynamic's MH30 is a visual beauty to behold and is crafted with much attention to detail. The price and weight of the on-ears is undoubtedly on the high side but its classy design forged by luxury materials combined with a warm sound will most definitely make this a coveted item on quite a few Christmas lists.

The MH30 is available in Singapore at Tangs, Orchard and Apple Store SG.

Audio Sources
Solar Sailer (TRON: Legacy OST) - Daft Punk (Spotify 160kbps MP3) on iPad Air
L'Ombre et la Lumière - Coralie Clément (Tidal 1411kbps FLAC) on Samsung Galaxy S4

Credit to Master & Dynamic and StarWorks Group for a review unit.

You may be interested in: