Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus Review

Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus review featured
TESTED AT $299 USD

Master & Dynamic is a New York-based headphone and earphone manufacturer. The company began after founder Jonathan Levine built a recording studio in his office and later decided he wanted to create headphones that would stand up to the test of time in terms of both materials and design. Which leads us to the subject of today’s review, the Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus true wireless earphones.

The MW07 Plus is the second generation of the MW07 and feature an acetate body, Bluetooth 5.0, feedforward Active Noise-Cancelling and Ambient Listening Mode. Sounds dope right? Let’s check them out.

Master & Dynamic website: https://www.masterdynamic.com/

This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product.

Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus Review

Pros
  • Class leading battery life + fast charging
  • Ambient listening mode
  • Active noise-cancelling
  • Punchy bass
  • Midrange clarity and detail retrieval
  • aptX support
  • IPX5 water-resistance

Cons
  • No phone app
  • No wireless charging
  • Pricey

Package and Accessories

M&D MW07 Plus unboxing

The outer packaging is fairly standard for a TWS earphone. It’s a reasonably small box with an image of the MW07 Plus and charging case on the front.

On the back is an image of the box contents along with a product description in multiple languages. Here’s a list of what’s included:

  • Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus earphones
  • Stainless steel charging case
  • Canvas carrying pouch
  • 5 pairs of silicone eartips
  • 3 pairs of fit wings (S, M, L)
  • USB Type-C to Type-C charging cable
  • USB Type-C to Type-A adapter
M&D MW07 Plus box contents

Build Quality and Design

Master & Dynamnic MW07 Plus with charging case and laptop.

As you would expect (or at least hope) for a premium-price earphone, the MW07 Plus has an extremely nice build. Gorgeous handcrafted acetate is the material of choice and the finish looks very stylish indeed.

There are a total of 6 colourways including Jade Green, Black Pearl, Black Quartz, Steel Blue, White Marble and Tortoiseshell. The faceplates have a Master & Dynamic logo in the centre and a pulsing indicator light on the lower rear side.

Internally, the sound is taken care of by custom 10mm Beryllium dynamic drivers. Another feature of the MW07 Plus is their IPX5 water-resistance, making them sweat resistant and therefore suitable for working out and exercising.

How do they work?

M&D MW07 Plus fit wings and charging case

On the top of the left earpiece is a volume rocker which is also a multi-function control. A short press will lower or raise the volume, a long press on the front button activates the ambient listening mode and a long press on the back button controls the active noise-cancelling.

On the right earpiece is a single multi-function button. A single press will Pause/Play. Double-clicking skips forward a track and a triple bump skips back a track. In addition, a long press activates the voice assistant.

Each earpiece has a proximity sensor built-in which detects when the earpieces are removed or inserted. Music pauses automatically when an earpiece is removed and resumes again when reinserted. I found these sensors to work really well and consistently throughout testing.

The built-in microphones sound pretty great so people should be able to hear you clearly during phone calls. Here is a quick sample of the microphone quality below:

How about the charging case?

M&D MW07 Plus charging case and earphones

Keeping up with the premium styling of the earpieces, the MW07 Plus comes with a highly-polished stainless steel charging case. The lid has a magnetic seal and stays firmly shut when it’s in a pocket or bag.

On the back of the case is a USB Type-C port for charging. On the front are 3 LEDs: the left and right LEDs show the individual earphones battery levels (green=full, amber=medium, red=low) while the centre LED shows the case’s battery level.

The case has some heft and feels solid in the hand. It looks fantastic but is a major fingerprint magnet and also scratches quite easily.

How is the fit?

Despite their rather large size, I found the earphones to be quite comfortable, even during longer listening sessions. Thanks to the fit wings, the MW07 feel secure in my ears and I can go running without fear of them falling out.

How is the battery life?

One of the most compelling features of the MW07 Plus is their battery life which is, quite frankly, excellent. The earphones last around 10 hours on a single charge and can be fully topped-up an additional 3 times from the case. That brings the total working time to 40 hours which is really outstanding.

Furthermore, the charging case supports quick charging. In just 15 minutes, the earphones recharge to 50% or around 5 hours of listening time. A full charge takes only 40 minutes. The same numbers apply to the case itself: 50% charge in 15 minutes and 100% charge in 40 minutes.

Does the noise-cancelling work?

The short answer is yes but overall the noise-cancelling is only average. It will slightly dull outside noise but I didn’t find it to be very effective. Interestingly, these tend to cancel higher frequencies more where in my experience, it’s usually the lower frequencies that get cancelled out.

While it’s not all that powerful, it’s certainly better than having no ANC at all. What’s great about the MW07 Plus is that there is no loss in audio quality when the ANC is turned on.

Is the Bluetooth connection good?

Pairing the Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus was quick and easy across all of the multiple devices I used for testing. Once up and running the Bluetooth connection is consistent and reliable. I’ve not experienced any skipping or drops and when leaving the source on my desktop I can walk all around my house without a hitch in the music.

There were no noticeable sync issues when watching YouTube videos on my phone. I don’t play games on my phone but on the iGun II app, there was a slight delay between the firing animation and the sound.

M&D MW07 Plus with misc objects

Sound

Sources used for testing include my Galaxy Note phone, FiiO M6, Shanling Q1 and Sony NW-ZX300.

What I noticed right away about the sound of the MW07 Plus was their clarity. A lot of TWS earphones have an overly warm, bass-heavy signature with rolled-off treble but that’s not the case here. The MW07 is balanced, dynamic and spacious. They definitely sound more HiFi than the majority of wireless buds I’ve tested so far.

Bass

The 10mm Beryllium drivers deliver a punchy, controlled bass. There’s a nice amount of body in the low end but the quantity of bass is reasonably light. What I like about it is that it sounds big without actually being big, if that makes sense. The decay is a bit on the slow side but the fast attack helps maintain control.

In Jhené Aiko’s “Happiness Over Everything”, the bass can be felt in your ears, with a nice, light rumble. But it steps back and lets the vocals come to the forefront which, at least for me, is exactly the way it should be for this song.

Mids

Whale Fall’s “Holarctica” sounds great on the MW07. The midrange has a clarity unlike most other TWS earphones making the piano sound clean and the electric guitars are full of crunch and texture. It’s a spacious midrange that feels very open and organized with an instrument separation that a wired earphone would be lauded for.

Vocals have the same clarity too, along with a natural tone and accurate timbre. Both male and female vocals sound great, rising clearly above the din. It’s really refreshing to hear after so many other thick-sounding TWS IEMs.

Treble

In “The Rain” by Melody Gardot, the hi-hats often sound subdued on TWS earbuds as they tend to roll-off in the treble pretty rigorously. But they’re definitely present and accounted for with the MW07 Plus. The treble is crisp and lively with a good helping of sparkle added but it’s also smooth which is what makes it a quality treble in my book.

It’s where the MW07 Plus gets its airiness as well as that midrange clarity I mentioned above. The attack on percussion instruments is nice and sharp too but without harshness. Even Dr Dre’s “It’s All On Me” and its inherent sibilance poses no problem for my treble-sensitive ears with the MW07 Plus.

Soundstage

The MW07 Plus simply trumps other TWS that I’ve heard when it comes to soundstage. Its combination of a mature bass, clean midrange and crisp, airy treble are all the right ingredients for a large, open stage. Imaging is quite good too and just another element that makes the MW07 Plus feel more like a proper IEM rather than a thick and thumpy wireless sports earbud.

Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus with charging case and laptop

Conclusion

If you’re someone who values style and great sound, the Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus should be right up your alley. I love the physical control buttons and the way they’re implemented which makes the earphones so easy and intuitive to use.

With a total of 6 different colourways, there’s bound to be one that appeals to your senses. If your main concern for a TWS earphone is the active noise-cancelling, then there are better options out there. But when it comes to battery life and pure audio quality the MW07 Plus is way ahead of the curve.

Specifications
  • DIMENSIONS
    Earphones: 22.5mm x 19mm x 25mm
    Case: 64mm x 45mm x 26mm
  • DRIVERS
    10mm Beryllium
  • WEIGHT
    Earphones: 9.0g each
    Charging Case: 84.0g
  • MATERIALS
    Handcrafted acetate, stainless steel
  • EARPHONE CHARGE TIME
    5 hours playtime after 15 minute charge
    10 hours playtime after 40 minute charge
  • BATTERY LIFE
    10 hours
  • CHARGING CASE
    3 additional charges, 40 hours total playtime
  • CASE CHARGE TIME
    50% charge in 15 minutes, 100% charge in 40 minutes
  • MICROPHONE TYPE
    Two beamforming mic arrays
  • CONNECTIVITY
    Between Earphones – Bluetooth 5.0
  • BLUETOOTH PROFILE
    5.0 With aptX and SBC
  • CONNECTIVITY DISTANCE
    100ft/30m
  • WATERPROOF LEVEL
    IPX5 water resistance

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