Master & Dynamic MH40 Over-Ear Headphones with Wire - Noise Isolating with Mic Recording Studio Headphones with Superior Sound

Okay let's get this out of the way, these headphones are gorgeous and just a beauty to look at. I would have to look very hard to find anyone that would disagree with me regarding the look of these cans. I will break this review into 4 parts: aesthetic, build quality, comfort, and sound.Aesthetic: as mentioned before, these are very good looking headphones. Just from the look alone, ones can tell that Master & Dynamic has put much thought into designing the MH40, making sure that the design translates to the user. Aside from being a tool to listen to music, I think these are also a fashion statement for many people who like to stand out from the crowd (especially the tan/silver color scheme). These are probably the best looking headphones at any price point. Note that they offer these in many colors and should appeal to many individuals.Build quality: unfortunately, I have to take one star off of the review due to the build quality. Let me be transparent and upfront, the build quality is solid overall, but suffers from a few issues. The first pair I received had a loose adjustment hinge that keeps slipping around; this affects the fit of the headphones. The second pair was much better but not sure how well they will hold up over time. If you are individuals who constantly adjust their headphone band, it might wear out over time. The sliding metal rod is simply held together by a rubber gasket. Another problem I experienced with the 2nd pair is the fact that the magnetic ear pads keep sliding around and are not tightly attached to the metal housing. I am sure it won't fall off, but an annoyance regardless. I believe this is because the three alignment rods holding the leather pads are a bit short and cause the pads to have a little play. I'll have to see how well these parts will hold up through time.Comfort: given how heavy these headphones are, they are actually very comfortable over longer listening sessions. This is thanks to the super soft lamb skin ear pads. Also, the clamping force of these headphones are not too tight and won't slip around while on your head. I wear glasses and still find it comfortable enough to listen to about 2 hours at a time. I cannot say the same about other over-ear headphones such as the Beats Studio 2 Wireless. They are almost as comfortable as the Sennheiser Momentum M2 over-ear, which are the most comfortable I've used to date. You might have to play with the positioning while they are on your head to get the best comfort and sound.Sound: Okay, the sound quality of these headphones is what REALLY got me. I didn't expect a fashion oriented headphone company would make such great sounding headphones. These are the most balance sounding headphones I've had, as compared to the Beats Studio 2 Wireless, B&W P5, and the Sennheiser Momentum M2. The lows are very well defined and never mask any other frequency range. The bass make its present but never overwhelming. The midrange is not overly exaggerated like the Sennheiser Momentum and not as bright also. Treble is where these shines for me. They are airy sounding and not piercing at all. Overall, the sound signature of these headphones lean towards the darker side and sound very intimate. Furthermore, they are good for extended listening since they are not fatiguing. They sound similar to the B&W P7, but a bit darker. One thing they can improve on is the soundstage presentation. While the soundstage is realistic and convincing, it is not as wide as the Sennheiser or the B&W P7. But at the end of the day, I think the M&D MH40 is well suited for many music genre and will give listeners a well balanced listening experience. If you ever listen to Sonus Faber speakers, these headphones sound exactly like them.Conclusion: these headphones are surely geared towards higher end fashion oriented individuals who also appreciate great sound. From an audiophile point of view, these headphones are a great tool to a great musical experience without sacrificing aesthetic.***Note: I used my MacBook Pro Retina, iPhone 7 plus, and Fiio K1 to power these headphones.

Overall, these are well executed, beautiful headphones, but they are not exceptional sound reproduction devices. IMHO they are not nearly as good in the clarity, effortless reproduction and neutrality of even the middle tier headphones from AKG or Sennheiser, HifiMan, etc. and I can't recommend them due to the sound quality.My normal headphones are AKG 712s or old Shure E4 IEM's. I reviewed these with an LG V30 with a quad DAC and Fiio portable headphone amplifier.First the fit - I have an abnormally large head. XXL hats are almost big enough. Of a lot of headphones I have auditioned recently these almost did not fit due to the limited travel. Also, while they are in fact "over the ear" design, this is just barely true. They will touch all of your ear unless you have small ears.The band comfort is pretty much what you'd expect from the pics. There is enough spring to give a constant tight fit, but no padding on the noggin. If you are at all sensitive to that, move along, not going to be comfortable for long term wear for you. The studio style AKGs you can wear all day long and not notice by comparison.The choice to go with barely big enough pads also makes them really good noise blocking headphones. These are really nice for offices and noisy environments for those who don't like IEMs.Now, the tonal balance. I started writing this review in a very positive light. Good noise blocking cans that are a little too laid back. When I switched to the AKGs though I realized that no, these are not really good sounding cans at all, certainly not at full retail. The tight ear seal gives you unusually good bass, with maybe a touch extra boom, and yeah, a lot of AKG models lack bass, but the bad is that to me, the mid to treble is noticeably low by comparison to my other two pairs. I'm listening to Chet Baker's Milano Sessions and the trumpet is just too low and lacks any of the sweet detail to be enjoyable. Switching to the AKGs it was night and day. Across the entire spectrum the AKGs demonstrate how congested and sluggish these headphones sound. The MH40 don't replay music so much as murmur. The best example I can give is listening to a speaker with a bad tweeter. It's really that bad.I really can't recommend the purchase and I have no idea why any reviewer would call the treble "crisp." Seriously? Not the pair I got.

I have just received these wonderful, superb headphones the MH40 and cannot find enough superlatives to describe them! The build quality is outstanding and the sound fabulous! The whole spectrum of highs, mids, lows is beautifully balanced and these headphones are just in a class of their own! As soon as I opened the box, beautifully packed I knew these were special! The build quality is totally wonderful and I have had these on my head an hour or so and they are fabulously comfortable [and I am a medium sized lady owner] and they don't feel heavy at all! That said the solid build is great and the luxurious leather and metal components add a touch of retro luxury to the whole package! I think the soft carry bag is great for travelling and I can easily source a wood or metal box if I want though the nice solid box they arrive in with moulded fittings should be fine for most people's home storage I would think? I have glasses on as I type and the seal is solid and no leakage at all These headphones are amazing value for money! I tried two other types in the £100 plus bracket and both were faulty and had to go back and I am so glad I decided to push the boat out and spend just over £300 on these! Worth every penny! Buy these and you won't regret it! One final point, I noted that someone said in their review that they scratched the metal edge of the rim with the serrated part that adjusts for your ears so I have solved that possible tiny problem by sticking two little felt pads on the back of the serrated bit so it touches the edge softly and won't scratch! I have also instantly ordered an extra set of ear pads in navy from the Master and Dynamic website to change the look of the headphones which is so easy with the magnetic fit of the pads which is another very nice touch and shows the depth of research from the makers I can't fault these lovely retro looking headphones! As you can gather from the five stars [wish I could give ten] I am just bowled over with these truly magnificent headphones A two year guarantee is given too which is longer than most I have found from a little research but I expect these to last forever!! They are certainly built to do so!! Buy them and you will see just why I am raving about them!! This is by the way an unsolicited review and I paid full price for my headphones!

I bought these mainly because I hate plastic headphones and I wanted something with a solid build quality. I chose correctly.The bass isn't very powerful, so if you like that, you'll hate these. This is for people who appreciate a warm balanced sound that is more accurate.I bought these for video editing where I need to listen to and monitor my sound, and for that they are brilliant. One thing I didn't expect is the 3D sound effect where I really get a sense of direction and distance, it blew me away.The packaging is top quality and the little leather box and canvas dust bag was a beautiful touch.The whole thing oozes quality, luxury and premium design.The cons:The volume button on the cable only works with apple products, I have android. The middle pause/play button does work though.The over ear cans have been designed for the lowest profile possible, which means the beautiful lambskin covers are quite thin walled and this increases pressure. So after a couple hours you will probably want to take a break.These are heavy due to the materials (which I like), so if I put my head all the way back or all the way forward, they start to slide off (without actually coming off). I you were laying back on a pillow however, you would be fine.Recommended.

Now I have owned a lot of headphones. I have great quality hifi gear..not McIntosh high end, but Rega, Bowers & Wilkins, Marantz to give an idea, and am a massive audiophile..not nerdy tho!!So I waited to review these until they were burnt in a bit.I also played them thru a Samsung Galaxy A71 just to see. Tried on both with Enigma's Principles of Lust off the album.Cannot see how there is any negative points! Thru my hifi system they sound immense, bass, mid range etc just incredible clarity, response and perfection. On my phone damn good, but not enough power to drive them as they should be, but still amazing.So not only amazing sound quality, but they look amazing as well. I have the Leica SE version. Just gorgeous, superb detail and quality, and the M&D stand to go with them is just a thing of beauty like the cans.My advice..buy them. Way better than anything else IMO.Thanks for reading...oh and I like rock, jazz and a lot of other stuff.

These are stylish headphones and the build quality is good. They also sound good for the money. My biggest gripe is they are so uncomfortable and keep falling off my head all the time. They are also very heavy and totally unsuitable for using out and about.

While they are absolutely stunning, the sound is not as good as my P5 bowers and Wilkins or Sennheiser Momentum. It just doesn't have midrange strength, the pass is a bit feeble and vocals sound raspy. It's still a solid headphone and you will be pleased, but there are much better options at this price point.