Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus wireless earbuds review

I quickly fell in and out of love with wireless earbuds in 2019.

After years of devotion to a pair of really good over-the-ear headphones, a combination of peer pressure and a generous tax refund convinced me the second-generation AirPods were the right way to go. And I loved them, at least for a while. Eventually, however, a lack of quality noise reduction and a desire to blast the hell out of my music pushed me back towards those big, clunky headphones I love so much.

But a lot can change in a year. Apple released a much better version of its AirPods with noise cancellation and a heftier $250 price tag. If you want to spend even more than that and/or you don’t own an iPhone, Master & Dynamic is back with its MW07 Plus wireless earbuds. With active noise cancellation, excellent battery life, and an emphasis on customization, there’s a ton to like here.

Just be ready to empty out your wallet because these bad boys cost $300.

The good: Tremendous sound, versatile fit, juicy battery life

Image: zlata ivleva / mashable

At first blush, the MW07 Plus earbuds don’t do a ton to stand out amongst their crowded competition. They look vaguely fancy, with an acetate finish on the outer panel and a stainless steel charging case that I actually wish were slightly lighter. 

But let’s get right into their ability to make noise, which is obviously an important part of the process.

I love the way these earbuds sound. I live and work in a city with a noise level that can fluctuate wildly in the span of 20 minutes —whether that’s riding in a crowded subway car, walking through rush hour foot traffic, or settling in at a quiet office. So I have to adjust the volume in my earbuds pretty frequently. And, at either the high- or low-end, the MW07 Plus delivers the goods.

I can jack the volume all the way up when I’m out in the street or cap it at about 25 percent when I’m sharing an elevator with people without a noticeable loss in sound quality. Based on that alone, I’d opt for these over the standard AirPods. Factor in an active noise cancellation feature (which you can turn off) that’s at least comparable to my favorite over-the-ear headphones from 2019, and you’ve got a real treat for your ears.

I have reservations about the price point that I’ll address in a bit, but another distinct advantage the MW07 Plus has over Apple’s entire AirPods line is battery life. Master & Dynamic promises 10 hours of listening time on a 40-minute charge (thanks, USB-C!), which is twice that of the AirPods Pro. The charging case justifies its heft in this regard, offering three additional full charges for an impressive total of 40 hours of battery life before you need to plug back in. 

One way the MW07 earbuds distinguish themselves from the competition is with rubber “wings” on the side of the bud that goes into your ear. You’re meant to fit those underneath the ear ridge, which is a little awkward, but not nearly as weird as the instructional graphic makes it look. I have no complaints about comfort, but you do have to fuss with them a tiny bit more than you would with AirPods to get them in your ears.

The good news is the earbuds come with three different wing sizes as well as five different earbud sizes for maximum versatility. Ear size and shape varies greatly from person to person, so Master & Dynamic deserve props for giving customers additional options without charging extra. I never felt the need to change them out, but someone else probably will.

The bad: Massive price, Bluetooth problems in crowds

As I’ve said, actually using the MW07 Plus is generally a joy. They sound great, do a decent enough job at drowning out the world around you, and the outer panel kinda looks like a kitchen counter. I only had one major performance issue: Bluetooth interference.

These earbuds contain what the official product page calls “best-in-class connectivity” with Bluetooth 5.0. They pair to devices effortlessly and appear to have solid range. However, I had a frustrating time trying to listen to things while walking around any reasonably crowded area. A huge portion of my daily walk from the subway to the office renders the earbuds unusable, with constant bouts of lost connectivity unless I hold my phone up at about chest level.

Image: zlata ivleva / mashable

Anyone who has tried to use Bluetooth earbuds in crowded metropolitan areas has likely noticed this issue regardless of the specific devices at hand. But the MW07 Plus performed much worse in this regard than any other headphones or earbuds I’ve used. It’s a real bummer because I prefer walking around outside with earbuds rather than large headphones, but the disruption on the streets of Manhattan was too consistent to endure.

Of course, not everyone lives in New York and has to deal with this city’s daily assault on any and all wireless signals. Many of you will likely not have much trouble with these earbuds. But the price tag might give you a bit of pause. At $300, the MW07 Plus is simply going to be too much for many people. It’s an especially hard price tag to swallow when AirPods, Apple’s wireless earbuds “gold standard,” are $50 cheaper. 

I’m not going to claim the price is unjust. That huge battery life alone might be attractive enough for some people. But it’s hard not to look at the MW07 Plus and wonder if maybe one of its cheaper alternatives will serve you just fine. 

For high rollers only

Image: zlata ivleva / mashable

I had a really nice time with the Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus earbuds. Finicky Bluetooth connection in certain circumstances aside, this is a powerful set of wireless earbuds that sound fantastic at both high and low volumes. Their active noise cancellation isn’t mind-blowing or revolutionary, but it’s more than good enough to keep you focused in a chaotic work environment.

Handsome looks don’t count for much with these earbuds, but hey, they’ve got that, too. The tremendous battery life and fit customization also make them eminently useful for lots of different people. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the $300 price. It’s just too high of a price barrier for those who would otherwise be interested. And, besides, it’s not like there aren’t other perfectly fine, cheap wireless earbuds out there.

Still, if you’ve got $300 lying around and AirPods aren’t your thing for whatever reason, you might as well go for it. At the very least, you’ll look like a real big shot out in the world with these buds on.