Master & Dynamic MW07 true wireless earphones: First impressions

Dave Smith/Business Insider

New York-based audio company Master & Dynamic just unveiled
its first pair of wireless earbuds, and they might give Apple’s
AirPods a run for their money.

The new Master & Dynamic MW07 true wireless earphones are
certainly more expensive than AirPods at $300 — Apple’s wireless
earbuds cost just $170 — but the most noticeable difference
between the two products is the audio.

I personally have no problems about how AirPods sound. I like how
they sound, in fact. But the MW07 wireless earphones do indeed
sound noticeably better. The MW07s can can get much louder than
AirPods, and they provide a deeper and richer audio experience in
general.

I’d compare the audio difference here to the gulf between Apple’s
wired earbuds — the ones that come with every iPhone — and a pair
of Beats headphones: Apple’s solution isn’t bad by any means, but
Beats can get louder and have better overall range. To drive the
Beats comparison home, the MW07 wireless earbuds are definitely
more bass-heavy than AirPods.

The MW07 True Wireless
Earphones, in “grey terrazzo.”
Dave
Smith/Business Insider

Here’s a roundup of other things I really like about the MW07
wireless earbuds:

— They come in four colors: “Tortoiseshell,”
“Grey Terrazzo,” “Steel Blue,” and “Matte Black.” AirPods only
come in white.

— When you take one of the earbuds out of your ear, it
automatically pauses your music — just like AirPods.

— All of the controls involve small physical buttons on
the earbuds, which are easy to find, and to remember what they’re
for: A button above the right earbud can play or pause
your music, skip to the next song, go back to the previous song,
or activate a voice assistant. And the left earbud has a volume
rocker. AirPods have all of these functions, but you
can’t control all of them at once; you have to choose, in your
settings ahead of time, which commands you want to attach to
certain touch functions.

— The case charges your earbuds quickly. The
case can charge 50% of its capacity in just 15 minutes, and you
can reach 100% in 40 minutes. That’s about in line with Apple’s
AirPods, which charge similarly quickly.

— The earbuds come with five different-sized eartips —
from extra small to extra large — and two optional fit wings to
form a seal with your ear canal for a better audio
experience. I’ve tried plenty of other headphones and
earbuds that offer tips and wings, but these are by far the most
comfortable I’ve used. I didn’t even have to change the default
wings and tips that came on the earbuds out of the box!

— Music sounds really great. There’s definitely
an emphasis on bass, which isn’t easy for small earbuds to
produce, but everything sounds crisp and clear. I immediately
noticed a big difference when I put in these earbuds after
listening with my AirPods.

Dave Smith/Business Insider

To be fair, there are some aspects of the MW07 wireless earphones
that I don’t like as much:

— The earbuds are relatively large. They’re not
uncomfortable to wear, and they also look good (in my opinion),
but they almost look like small Bluetooth headsets.

— The metal case is lovely, but easily shows
smudges. Apple’s AirPods case is mostly white plastic,
so marks and fingerprints don’t show up easily. But Master &
Dynamic’s case for the MW07 earbuds is a fingerprint magnet.

I’ll have a full review of the MW07 wireless earbuds, but for
now, my first impressions are mostly positive. If you’re
considering an alternative to AirPods, Master & Dynamic has
built a sturdy solution.