Founded in 2013. New York-based Master & Dynamic is a young company that focuses on premium headphones and related products. The MW65 active noise-cancelling wireless headphones I have in this review is their latest product. It’s a well-made headphone that both sounds great and looks beautiful.
Master & Dynamic has continued to stick with a design inspired by WWII aviator headsets. This gives the MW65 an unmistakable look, one that is timeless and distinct.
Made out of anodised aluminium and generously decked out with luxurious leather all around, the MW65 definitely looks and feels premium. The stitching on the leather headband, embossed buttons, metallic grill pattern, hidden wires, and many other little details hint at the exquisite craftsmanship that goes into the MW65.
Despite its appearance, the grill pattern on the back of the ear cup is entirely about visual design; the MW65 is a closed back headphones.
The MW65 is an active noise cancelling Bluetooth 4.2 headphones that offers two levels of noise cancellation. It also offers a backup 3.5 mm audio mode that works passively without noise cancellation.
The main power and mode switch is on the left ear cup. A single button on the face, below the grill, allows you to cycle through two levels of active noise cancellation, as well as to turn it off entirely. The 3.5 mm audio jack is on the bottom of this ear cup.
On the other ear cup, you’ll find the up/down volume control buttons and a multi-function button. The latter lets you play/pause music, answer/end calls, skip forward and back tracks, and activate your phone’s voice assistant. You can also have the MW65 read out Google notifications.
For charging, the MW65 uses a USB Type-C port located on the bottom of the right ear cup.
The MW65 is enjoyable and easy to listen to. The custom 40 mm Beryllium drivers produce a beautiful acoustic experience. The bass is energetic, especially at louder volume levels, but doesn’t become boomy or too overpowering. I would personally prefer a tad more punch in the bass. The treble is bright, though it seems that the mids were a little more laid back.
When listening through the the passive 3.5 mm wired connection, the MW65 sounded a little clearer in the mid range.
The purpose of getting a headphone like the MW65 is about the active noise cancellation. Master & Dynamic describes the MW65 as using a feed-forward and feed-back (hybrid) active noise cancelling technology. I found that ANC works well, though the MW65 is not as aggressive as some other ANC headphones. It’s quite capable of muting out the low-rumbling noise from trains and traffic. In my office, the MW65 muted out all the ambient noises from computer fans and a bar fridge. I’m actually quite happy with this level of ANC.
The MW65 has a dual beamforming noise reduction microphone array. It seems reasonably capable of cutting out background noise, but the sound quality that gets across the call isn’t great.
The MW65 comes with a carrying pouch, 3.5 mm audio cable, a USB Type-C cable, a USB Type-C to Type-A adapter, and an airline audio adapter.
Battery life is rated at 24 hours, with up to 12 hours of usage with just 15 minutes of charging.
The Master & Dynamic MW65 retails at S$759.
Conclusion
The Master & Dynamic MW65 is a beautifully crafted Bluetooth wireless that sounds as good as it looks.
Pros:
- Durable construction
- Beautiful timeless design
- Active noise cancellation works well
- Great sound quality
Cons:
- Mediocre call quality