Master & Dynamic has overhauled its elite (and great) wireless headphones
While one of the best-looking can sets we’ve ever looked at (and we’ve seen a lot), the original Master & Dynamic MH40 Wired Earmuffs were such overpriced sounding headphones.
The wireless version of the retro style headphones came out in 2019, but their sound quality once again fell short of the stylish design and high price compared to the best wireless headphones.
However, the American company intends to remedy these shortcomings with the newly announced version of the second generation Bluetooth MH40.
Retaining the brushed aluminum and leather styling of the original, the revamped model features all-new 40mm titanium drivers, longer battery life and an improved microphone.
There’s still no active noise cancellation, but the V.2 MH40s get Bluetooth 5.2 along with support for AAC, SBC and aptX Adaptive codecs up to 24-bit/96kHz, as well as an enhanced app that allows custom EQ settings.
M&D claims the new driver configuration delivers “crystal clear highs and full-bodied lows” while the battery will now last for 30 hours compared to the 18 hours of playback provided by its predecessors (quick charge function provides a full six hours of playing time with just 15 minutes of juicing).
All of these new features come at a newly increased price, with the MH40 V2 a whole $100 more expensive than the $400 V1 (around £330 / AU$600), with five color options available.
Analysis: will there be more style than substance in the new MH40s?
While their classic looks are more than a little alluring, it was hard to fully recommend the previous iterations of the MH40.
There are many significant updates from V2, with increased battery life and new drivers addressing some of the major critics of their ancestors.
We can’t wait to hear what these upgrades sound like, however the lack of noise cancellation coupled with the increased asking price will likely be a nuisance when compared to the leading competitors on our best over-the-ear headphones.