Master & Dynamic headphones are great. But until now, I've never considered buying any.
The fashion-forward New York brand has made striking, fantastic-sounding headphones since launching in 2014, but never offered the best performance for the money. No matter what style of headphones Master & Dynamic developed, it always felt like Sony, Bose, or some other big-name brand had something similar for hundreds of dollars less.
That’s how I felt about the company’s first wirefree earbuds, the model MW07. The sleek, D-shaped in-ears sounded fantastic and fit great, but at $300 per pair—and with nearly half the battery life of $160 AirPods—it was tough to wax poetic about them to anyone who hadn’t already mentioned their "little condo" in Sun Valley.
Times have changed. The $200 MW07 Go are water-resistant workout 'buds that offer a whopping 10 hours of battery life. Master & Dynamic have finally made headphones for those of us who buy our luxurious Charmin at Costco.
One of the best things about the Go is how great they feel. Like the original model, they come with five comfy silicone ear-tip sizes and three different ear fins, allowing them to twist inside your ears and stay situated with a sort of pillowy leverage. This time, however, the headphones are a bit smaller and lighter, which means they don't jostle as much when you're out on a jog.
The firm but cozy fit provides epic passive noise isolation. On numerous occasions, I was totally unaware that someone was talking to me until I actually saw their lips moving, which isn't something I can say about many other completely wireless earbuds.
Such a great seal has sonic benefits, providing space for the MW07 Go to showcase a wide and detailed soundstage that's among the best I've heard from any wireless earbuds.
Lately, I’ve been obsessing over Julia Jacklin’s new album Crushing, and the Australian singer’s high-pitched voice sounds crisp and airy on the MW07 Go, with a bright, silken quality. A bold kick drum balances well with the whisper quiet piano on the opening track "Body"—an elegant detail that's often lost in other earbuds. The 10-mm beryllium drivers retain the music's height and crispness, but still give me the bass thump I need to finish out a rainy Portland jog.