Master & Dynamic is known for making great quality audio devices. What they do better than anyone else, though, is adding a touch of flare that leaves your products both stunning and functional. This is no different from the Master & Dynamic MW08 earphones that had me speechless upon opening the box for the first time.
These earphones are gorgeous. That seems like an odd thing to say about a product I’m going to cram into my ear, but everything about them is beautiful. The ceramic material used is clearly premium, the colours are vibrant and unique, and the finish is crisp and glossy. The Master & Dynamic MW08 earphones are pricey, but you can tell that they will be the second you set your eyes on them.
The earphones come in a stainless-steel charging case that is almost as beautiful as the earphones themselves. The case for the Master & Dynamic MW08 earphones can even be monogrammed upon purchase, adding a little extra flair to your extravagant device. I will note however, it is very susceptible to damage/scuffing/fingerprints. Though it comes with a fabric carrying case as well, I found myself polishing it up regularly.
The charging case provides an additional 30 hours of charge for your earphones, allowing for up to 42 hours in total. In my experience, using them almost daily in the office, it took about two weeks before I ever needed to charge the case, and even then, my earphones were still at 46% battery power. The battery life on the Master & Dynamic MW08 earphones is not to be rivalled, especially with how quickly they charge when the battery finally does run out.
“The Master & Dynamic MW08 earphones are pricey, but you can tell that they will be the second you set your eyes on them.”
The shape and design of the earphones themselves is comfortable. In the box, they deliver several ear tip sizes, with the medium option already attached. I moved down to the small and found the MW08’s comfortable and secure no matter what I’m doing. I manage to wear them for long periods of time without irritation, though this did take a little getting used to first.
Thankfully, compared to most other earbuds, the controls on the Master & Dynamic MW08 earphones are simple and responsive. With a multifunction button on the right controlling pause, play, skip back, call answering AND voice assistant, I thought it would be complete chaos. Though I did need to check back in with the instructions a few times, once I got the patterns down, I didn’t seem to have issues with the button’s functions. The volumes up and down are located on the left and do exactly what they should. Pairing was equally simple, take them out of the case, turn on your devices Bluetooth search and there they are. I never had to re-pair them at any time during the review process.
The MW08’s sound better than any other earbuds I’ve owned, but somehow I still wanted more. At the price point of $299, I wanted to be blown away by the sound quality, and I just wasn’t.
“Thankfully, compared to most other earbuds, the controls on the Master & Dynamic MW08 earphones are simple and responsive.”
Don’t get me wrong, the Master & Dynamic MW08 earphones sound great, but you can find a similar sound at a much lower price point. They provide a rich listening experience, with 11 mm beryllium drivers, allowing for a warm sound, but little is offered beyond that.
Master & Dynamic uses M&D Connect, allowing you to update your devices and optimize them for your personal listening experience. Unfortunately, the MW08 earphones have very few options for customisation. Within the app, you can customise the device’s name, the world volume, the auto-off timer, and the in-ear detection. I turned off the in-ear detection almost immediately, as any time I fidgeted with the earphones, or they weren’t sitting just right, my audio would shut off completely. Yes, this can save battery, but it certainly didn’t save my sanity.
“Master & Dynamic uses M&D Connect, allowing you to update your devices and optimize them for your personal listening experience.”
The world volume is really the only worthwhile feature of the MW08 earphones. It allows for Active-Noise Cancelling in two modes, Max ANC and All Day ANC (recommended for less noisy environments) and Ambient listening. The office is pretty quiet as standard, so I took the earphones home to put them to the test. With two children under six, I can confidently say that the Master & Dynamic MW08 earphones feature ANC that works extremely well. The problem lies with that being essentially the only feature.
The microphone on the MW08 earphones is sufficient. In phone calls and video calls, the sound was clear, and I didn’t have to shout over anything to be heard. I did, however, find an issue with the earphone’s connection to my Samsung 20 Ultra 5g Smartphone. Often, sitting right next to my phone, one or both earphones would cut out or crackle, taking a second to set itself straight again. I also need to be sure to keep my phone on me if I intend to leave the room, as the connection does not have a great reach, often cutting out if I go one office over. This isn’t a make-or-break deal, but again, for the price, I want these earphones to move mountains.
All in all, the Master & Dynamic MW08 earphones are slick, but they don’t hold up their end of the bargain when you look at the price. The style they provide is far beyond any other brand out there. They sound great, but the features and functions need to be flawless to excuse coming even close to this price point. Unfortunately, the MW08 earphones just don’t meet that mark.
