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.