- Cheryl Tan
Master & Dynamic MW07 Review: Premium Offering That Has Excellent Sound Quality
Updated: Aug 19, 2021
Written by Cheryl Tan
Premium carrying case made of stainless steel
Sound signature on the warmer side of neutral with emphasis on bass, but still retaining clarity and detail
Interesting rubber sleeve with fins on wing to provide secure fit
If you wanted a pair of premium true wireless earphones previously, there was pretty much only one option, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless. Now, you’ll be able to choose between those and the Master & Dynamic MW07 true wireless earbuds if you’re in the market for a premium-looking product.
The box itself doesn’t appear all that premium, but once you open it up, you’ll see the eye-catching earbuds on top of a polished stainless steel case which feels hefty in the hand and definitely exudes a luxurious vibe. There’s also a soft carrying pouch included which is meant to protect the case from scratches and dings, but I think it’s a bit too much of a hassle to carry a case within a case. Perhaps a matte case would have been better.
What’s interesting about these earbuds is that Master & Dynamic have come up with a rubber wing sleeve for the body of the buds that resembles fins. These rest against the concha of the ear, providing a more secure fit, which is needed considering the faceplate of the buds is designed to protrude from the ear.
Generally, the shell of the buds provide decent isolation, but I found that it didn’t seal out all external noise.
The MW07 has great bass, thanks to the 10mm beryllium drivers, and that’s definitely the area that’s most emphasised. But the mids and highs are no slouch either. The overall sound is balanced, with the mids being just a tad bit recessed and slightly overpowered by the bass at higher listening volumes. But guitar riffs are good and cymbals and high hats are clear and have a good amount of separation.
I do feel the soundstage is on the intimate side, but that’s not always a bad thing, since imaging is still accurate. The general sound signature borders on the warmer side of neutral, with a fun sound and enough energy.
Let’s talk about what I’m not too fond of. Unfortunately, it seems the MW07 has joined the market as a low battery life offering, packing just 3.5 hours in the buds and an additional three charges in the case for a total of 14 hours.
I listen to music louder than average, so the buds lasted me around 3 hours, for a total of 12 hours. That ranks at possibly the worst earbud battery life amongst the pairs that I’ve tried so far.
Microphones are pretty average for these, you do have to raise your voice to be heard on the other end if you’re walking along a busy street with cars and pedestrians. Additionally, the magnets keeping the buds inside the case are pretty weak, unlike other true wireless earbuds we’ve tested. This could result in the buds falling out if you ever tilt the case sideways with the lid open.
I found that the connection on the MW07 was a bit spotty at times, because it’s still using Bluetooth 4.2 and the aptx codec. There was occasional interference when walking through crowds and the range wasn’t as good as it could be with bluetooth 5.0.
A big issue for me was that whenever I took the earbuds out of the case and it auto-paired to my phone, the volume level was raised to around 95% instead of the 80% I usually listened to. This resulted in me having to check and lower the volume everytime I take out the earbuds, but perhaps it’s just a quirk with the unit that I received.
Other than those quibbles though, the sound quality is definitely there, and if you’re looking for something that feels and looks premium, there’s no better choice than the MW07 in my opinion. From the metal case to the beautiful acetate faceplate choices you get (we had our hands on the Tortoiseshell and Grey Terrazzo options), it’ll definitely look every bit as expensive as it costs.
Do I think it’s worth the retail price of S$459? Not so much. There are still areas that can be improved a bit further, but the current promotional price of S$399 is a bit easier to swallow and definitely more in line with what I would value these at if the battery life were to be improved. Hopefully M&D (and other competitors) finds a way to balance out sound quality with battery life, because I find it a bit hard to accept a true wireless earphone that can only last me half of a 6 hour flight.
The Master & Dynamic MW07 (S$459) is available at authorised retailers such as TANGS Orchard, Robinsons, Isetan, Takashimaya, Analogue+, Musica Boutique by Challenger, Stereo, Zeppelin.co, Sprint-cass, Lazada, Headphones.sg, TREOO.com, Shopee.sg and more.