Customer Ratings & Reviews

These headphones are the real deal. They are solid so if you are looking for "invisible" or lightweight phones you may not like but the sound is spectacular.

Get tons of compliments on these. Nice "adult" headphones. Would love and be 5 stars if they had wireless version. But otherwise very happy with these.

I got for $100 plus tax after $50 reward money. The high is very good but not great but the mid & low are excellent. I really enjoying listening music with this headphone.

These are a good choice for the price. If you are looking for a alternate to the the main steam. Great Quality

When I write up any sort of documentation at work—perhaps some technical project documentation or a powerpoint slide deck—I think often about my boss who insists on the “rule of 3’s” when it comes to lists. 3 is his go-to number when trying to come up with any sort of explanations or examples of something; a list of 3 is not too long, not too short, and easy to complete (see what I did there)? I probably use the rule of 3’s in my reviews more frequently than I realize. I have a rule of 3 when it comes to the must-have array of bluetooth speakers—so it seems only fitting to review my rule of 3 around the must-have array of headphones. So, without further ado, here it is: * Basic earbud with inline mic - for every day use, generally less expensive, comfortable to the point you forget about them, and usable in most places. * Studio headphones - for musical, or cinematic (or both), adventures; they are your lounging headphones for when you want to zone out in your media. * Wireless - for the gym, yard work, house work, etc. All headphones I acquire have to be rated into one of these categories…and I have a new possible entry for studio headphones with the Master & Dynamic MH30’s. Before we get into the performance—I want to first emphasize a couple of things. First—these are not budget-friendly headphones. You might find them on sale, but you’ll be dropping three bills on these in most cases. They are true high-end headphones, and everything about the experience screams quality. The unboxing is the best experience; the box itself smells much like it comes from a very high-end shoe store, is extremely sturdy and simple to open. Inside the box you find the stunning headphones and a nice cylindrical leather case for cable storage…and it is real leather. There’s also a nice paper insert indicating just how high end these headphones are: “We design and build products utilizing the finest components and the most durable, luxury materials to ensure decades of use.” Decades? The notion of a piece of tech I get in 2017 serving me for decades is a bit foreign to me, but I guess only time will tell. So, I don’t need to go on about this I don’t think—but these things are gorgeous. A clean design, extremely solid build quality and feel; anodized (not painted) metal; lambskin ear cushions…these headphones are beautiful. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, they also fold flat and can be stowed in the provided soft pouch (which also smells heavenly) for easy portability. And although the carrying case has an odor profile that competes with newborn babies, I would have liked to see a hardshell case for these. Alright, so solid build and design—check. How’s the sound? God-like, or at least the closest thing this side of heaven. Keep in mind, I have an array of headphones and earbuds with price tags that hover from $50 to $250, so the premium audio market is not one that I have a ton of experience with. But, I can distinguish the difference even in the narrow price range of most of my gear. The MH30’s are clearly on another level. As a point of comparison, I briefly owned Bose’s QC35 ANC headphones and had to return them due to the ANC being so good they caused motion-sickness (it’s a real thing—Google it). The QC35’s were in the $350 price range when they were released, and from an audio quality perspective they were nothing compared to the MH30’s. Never before have I experienced headphones with this level of accuracy and crispness at all frequencies—lows, middles AND highs—regardless of volume. At full volume, the MH30’s outperform any audio equipment I’ve tested. All things being equal, it’s important to point out that the MH30’s are not over-ear headphones like the QC35’s, nor do they have any noise-canceling; they do, however, do an extremely good job of providing noise isolation thanks to the magnetic lambskin-coated ear cushions and rotating ear cups that will adjust to your ears. In terms of comfort, they are definitely not what the QC35’s (or even my significantly less expensive V-Moda Crossfade LP2’s) offer, but those comparisons are both against over-ear headphones. I point this out because you have to know what you’re getting into with on-ear headphones; by design, they will be less comfortable because they’ll push on your ears, while over-ear headphones will generally not touch your ears at all. That said, as I mentioned before—the rotating ear cups allow for a good tight fit on your ears without too much pressure—and these can be worn with some repositioning for hours without too much wear fatigue. From a features perspective, the MH30’s are a bit constrained in that they are wired headphones—no noise canceling, no bluetooth; however, both the right and ear cups have a 3.5MM headphone jack that can provide both input AND output. So, if you prefer your wire going into the right cup over the left, you can switch it without reversing the headphones. And, regardless of what cup is receiving the input, the other cups headphone jack serves as an output to another set of headphones, allowing for easy sharing of your music to a nearby friend with wired headphones. I really appreciate that Master & Commander innovated here and provided a built-in audio splitter without the need to carry extra adapters. In terms of competition, let’s call these headphones entry-level premium on-ear headphones. As I’ve mentioned already, they outperform the likes of Bose’s QC35’s in terms of frequency balance; they have a more full sound profile than my Sennheiser 598SE’s and they can equal V-Moda’s Crossfade LP2’s bass output without being as loud. On almost every account they outperform my entire collection of buds and headphones, wired and wireless. If I’m being honest—$300 is a pretty good price to pay for something that can perform at that level. But in order to truly compare these to any other gear, you have to listen to them. After my first encounter with these—I told my wife that “never before have I had come so close to an emotional experience listening to headphones.” In spite of my opinion of the value the MH30’s offer, these headphones are not for everyone. First and foremost, if you are not in the “on-ear” headphone camp, consider passing. I personally don’t care much for on-ear headphones, but the performance of these have certainly opened my eyes to Master & Dynamics over-ear headphones, although those start at $399 and go up from there. And under normal circumstances, I’d steer anyone away from these who doesn’t have an audiophile’s ear—the folks who can’t really distinguish the difference in audio quality between $50 headphones and $250 headphones—but I really think even those less-discerning ears will appreciate the sound quality of the MH30’s. For those with less flexibility in their monthly budget, it may be difficult to spend $300 on anything—and there are very few products that I think of as truly being worth saving for. The MH30’s are an exception to that; this is something you want to tuck money away for. They sound amazing, are made with very high quality materials, and are designed to be handed down to others. So I think it’s pretty clear how I feel about these headphones. These earn “Five Stars” in my eyes with seemingly little effort, but every bit of the experience seems carefully planned out by Master & Dynamic. And, I’m looking forward to doing a little of my own money tucking so I can get my hands on some of their over-ear headphones. At the end of the day, the MH30’s provide more than audio playback—they instead focus on providing a user experience that is not something you get with your average pair of headphones.

Great product that does everything you want to do and you will need

These headphones are hands down the highest quality headphones I've ever come into contact with. I've always worn Bose and while they sound great in their own right and are quality products, they don't touch the design and machining of Master and Dynamics. It sounds silly, but I couldn't help but gawk at them when I pulled them out of the box. The materials are first class, including premium cowskin leather and braided cables. The 3.5mm audio cable has a long (almost too long) cable and included with the package is a nice quality travel bag (more on that in a second) and a nice circular box to hold the cable itself (although this box doesn't have much utility to me, it is a nice addition). The ear cushions are extremely nice and comfortable. The sound quality is crisp and punchy. Vocals are extremely clear. I'm absolutely no audio guru, I'll just say they sound great. The bass doesn't punch like Beats or other brands, but that's okay for me. That's probably a function of the fact that these are on ears versus over ears cups. I found these headphones to be comfortable during short sessions, but I did notice a pain in my ears after taking them off following a long flight. I think the headband is a little tight and I'm hoping it will "loosen" up after wearing it some more. But it wasn't bad enough that I wouldn't recommend these headphones. The biggest drawback is that it's 2017 and it seems that every headphone maker is going to Bluetooth which these do not. This isn't a big deal to me because I only want Bluetooth headphones when working out and when I'm listening with these headphones I generally have my phone in my pocket. I also have some concerns with traveling with them. The aforementioned carry bag offers no protection from crushes, only scratches. These headphones don't fold up, I woudl describe them as folding flat. So I would be careful when traveling with them. For my old pair of Bose QC35, they came with a hard shell case that allow me to stuff them in my bad without worry. Maybe I could throw these in my bag and they'd be okay (I'm generally careful with my things) but I'm too concerned about damaging them given their price. This is just something to keep in mind depending on how often you travel and how you travel. If you are looking for a high quality reference headphones to truly appreciate your music (it makes streaming music sound great, versus high quality audio files) then these are a great choice. They are impeccably made. Hands off to the audio engineers at Master and Dynamics.

I have owned a lot of headphones in my day. I have owned and used everything from the old cruddy earbud that came with old AM radios to top of the line planar magnetics. I was a practicing audiophile for years with all the debt that entailed but now I'm a recovering addict! I sold all my high end gear and decided that I need to just be happy with good instead of always chasing 'Oh my GOD!'. I will say, there is something sublime about listing to some artists on some top-notch gear and hearing the little breaths they take between lyrics and it sounds like they are whispering right in your ear. It is amazing and gives you goosebumps sometimes and I love it but you will go broke chasing it and the perfect rig is not very portable. In addition, modern music has been so 'perfected' and digitalized that there is very little character to discover in the spaces. With that being said, I still appreciate a nice set of 'cans' and the Master & Dynamic are very nice in their sound quality and especially in their styling. I have the gunmetal edition and they are very sharp. They are also built like a tank. There is no plastic and the leather is real leather and not the artificial protein leather that you find on other 'phones. You know right when you open the box that you are getting something special with the leather cord case and stylish box. Now packaging can make garbage look nice but it makes a thing of beauty even nicer and lets you know the the team and M&D are taking this seriously. If you are an audiophile or heck, even just an admirer of headphones, you will immediately think that these come from some lineage related to Grado since they look like the rich, beautiful cousin to their line of headphones. Grado is a phenomenal brand to be compared to but many of the headphones that are in the same price range as the MH30s have a ton of plastic and plain old foam earpads. The Grado similarities don't just end at aesthetics, they also are similar in comfort (at least as far as the headband goes). Both are a tad light on padding for the headband and while it isn't too bad for a relatively short listening session (less than 2 hours), I could not go all day with these without adding an aftermarket wrap-pad or some serious breaks. To be fair, I have kind of a pointy head and my natural padding (hair) has thinned significantly so take my discomfort with a grain of salt. That being said, the rest of the headphone is very nice in terms of comfort (earpads, spacing, etc.). So now I should probably talk about what these things were intended for, listening to music. I tend to prefer a pretty neutral headphone and I would call these a neutral-warm headphone. It makes them great for acoustic, rock, country, and those kind of genres. Classical or Jazz fans may not like these and they are definitely not bass heavy so they probably would not satisfy people who like R&B, dance, or hip-hop. Fortunately my music collection spans a wide range but focuses on 60's to 90's rock and the MH30's suit that pretty well. There is not a lot of isolation but I wasn't expecting much since they are on-ear and not over-ears. Also, they are a bit 'closed' sounding, but again that was expected since they are solid backed and not open but that helps with sound leakage and a bit of extra oomph to the bass. All-in-all, I am extremely pleased with these headphones. While many people still balk at paying this kind of money for headphones, these are actually worth it. They will probably last forever (try saying that about a pair of Beats), have replaceable parts, sound great, and are pretty comfortable. They aren't cheap but they are actually worth the price you pay and not just because they have a certain name on the headband. Something to be said about quality.

headphones are of course largely subjective to a certain degree. some prefer accurate reproduction, some prefer more ‘excitement’ in their sound, others like heavier low end and some will prefer mids or highs. at the end of the day, a review has to pick one area and give an all around score in my opinion. i personally tend to prefer a more exciting and engaging sound, balanced in all spectrums with neither too much of any given frequency pushing forward (maybe just a tad more V shaped than “flat”). with that in mind, here’s my take on these headphones. the good: -beautiful craftsmanship. the design and build quality are superb in my opinion. -compact design, actual speakers rotate toward and fold flat for case storage or just for sitting around your neck. -on ear design, ear pads are lush and comfortable. after stretching out the headband a bit, i found them quite comfortable for longer listening sessions. -2 included cables, one shorter for mobile phone use, one longer for home use. -small, hard case for cables included. the bad: -no included hard case for headphones themselves. while the included bag is nice, it’s not very protective. however, the headphones do seem to be built like a tank, so perhaps not a huge negative. -for those with larger head sizes, these will not fit. i would consider mine fairly average, and with the yoke fully extended, they just barely fit. a bit more extension room would be nice to fit larger head sizes. could be good or bad, depending on your taste: -sound quality - recessed treble, but otherwise very warm and full of body. for lovers of brands like Beats, these would absolutely be a step up in listening quality. the lack of treble leads to essentially zero fatigue on long listening sessions, but to me still feels like a bit of detail in the music could be lost as a result. depending on your taste in music and in headphones, this may not be a deal breaker for you. -bass is nice and tight, very punchy without feeling overwhelming or muddy. overall: quite nice headphones, but personally i would’ve preferred slightly dialed up treble to compete a bit more with the mids and bass.

The quality of the headphones was very nice but the sound was just average.

Right off the bat, I have to say that I'm very impressed by the stunning design and build quality of these headphones. The lines are sharp, sleek, and the headphones boast an all aluminum build with a sexy blend of metallic gunmetal gray. When I held these I knew I was holding a quality product. The audio is incredibly balanced. I was pleasantly impressed! Tight & punchy bass that didn't overpower the mids or highs. The mids and high were crisp and clear. I would say that these headphones sound best when listening to EDM/Pop/hip hop genres. Rock sounded good, but dance music sounded incredible. So why didn't I give these headphones 5 stars? In good faith, I have heard slightly better in this price range so I can't give these a perfect 5/5. This could be purely subjective as different people are going to have different tastes in audio/sound reproduction. Some people like more bass and some people may like minimal bass and a clearer distinction of mids & highs. If you prefer a more flat and balanced sound (as I do) than these could be a 5/5 for you. One last note is that I would have preferred the headphone cups to be a bit larger. The earcups are rather small and don't completely seal your ear. I prefer earcups that seal your ear because, in my opinion at least, not only are they more comfortable but I prefer minimal sound leak. Again, that's just me and is purely a preference. In any case, if you're looking for some beautifully designed headphones which are sure to turn heads with some great sound quality check these out!

When I first took these out of the box, my wife said “oh, those look cool!” I had to admit they do look pretty cool--maybe like something a radio operator in the 1940s would be wearing. When I put them on, however, and cranked up Pink Floyd there was nothing 1940s about them. The sound quality is noticeably better than any other top-of-the-line headphone that I’ve used. The literature in the box said they use “the most durable, luxury materials to ensure decades of use” and this doesn’t seem like the usual marketing exaggeration. They really are solid, simple, and feel like they’ll last forever. Even so, I wish they had come with a little better case instead of a bag. I’d feel a little uneasy throwing these in my backpack to rattle around with everything else, just because they’re so nice. These are wired headphones (no bluetooth) but the audio cable does have a microphone and controls. With my Samsung Note 5 the play/pause control works, but for some reason the volume up/down doesn’t. I do like that there’s an audio jack in each headphone so you can use whichever is convenient. The spare one can also be used to connect to another pair of headphones if you want to share with someone. One slight mark against them is I found the over-ear design to be a little uncomfortable on my ears. They do fit snug which is good so they don’t slide around, but after 30 minutes my ears got a little sore. However, my wife thought they were the most comfortable pair of headphones she had ever put on. She’s got a pretty small head and ears, so that probably makes the difference. Considering how cool she thinks they look and how comfortable they are on her, I think I’ve lost this pair of headphones. But at least they have that extra audio port so she can share music with the pair I’m going to have to buy.

ear cup are very tiny - zero comfort barely reach your ears or even fit over the ears

I am actually quite familiar with the brand as I have seen them in Neuhaus in Los Angeles. I cannot express how much I love these headphones. Not only do they sound great, but they look just as good as they sound. I never not received a compliment when I wear these on plane, train etc. Also, the ear pads and the remote cables are removable and I actually lost my remote cable and reached out to customer support and they sent me a new chord right away. Great customer service! I absolutely love my Master & Dynamic and would never wear a pair of beats ever again.

The overall feel and quality of the materials are excellent. Master&Dynamic definitely values quality craftsmanship. The leather/lamb headband is very comfortable and greatly constructed. The ear cups fit on my small ears generously. But if you have bigger ears I could see them not being comfortable for long extended periods. The sound quality is on point. The bass,the treble,the mids,etc all sound so amazing. There isn't really much sound leakage when you turn the volume up.There is an included pouch to carry your headphones in. I like that you can turn the ear cups away so it's easier to manage or store, the included braided cable for the 3.5mm is always a bonus. This is definitely a premium set of headphones well worth the price. Crystal clear music the way you were meant to hear it.

I actually hadn't heard of this brand before but decided to try out these headphones. I'm really glad I did! I will say these are snug, but I found them to be very comfortable. Both the fit and material made these very easy to wear for long stretches. I have a desk job where I can listen to music for a good portion of the day while I work, and I loved being able to wear these! I'm also very happy with the sound. You don't get a super deep bass from them, but I don't really like that in headphones anyway. I feel like there is an excellent balance and everything just sounded better. I'm usually someone who goes for smaller headphones, I often use my ear buds. But for long stretches of wearing headphones, these are much better. And even though they're big, the fold down well. The only negative I might have is that they are wired. That doesn't really bother me, but with the direction that technology is going (and at this price point), I could see that putting some people off. But the comfort and balance of sound is definitely there with these.

These headphones are awesome! From the moment you open the box you'll notice that a lot of attention went toward building a quality headset with the best materials in a solid metal and leather design. There are two different cables included one with a microphone with buttons that provide limited control to your phone or the other cable that's just a normal cable. The sound quality is great and I'd have to say better than other headphones in terms of quality. The only thing that I did not care for is that the headphones may only fit average size head. Anyone with a large head may have trouble fitting this headset comfortably. They come with a nice case. Outside of that if the on ear style is a style you like and have an average size head I'd absolutely recommend these.

Upon unboxing these headphones by Master & Dynamic you are welcomed with a very sophisticated-like experience. The two different types of audio cables are perfectly woven in their high-quality leather storage case. The headphones are nestled perfectly underneath an intuitive box design. Once unboxed, you'll notice that you have two audio cables; one can be used to simply listen to audio and the other has an in-line mic with volume controls for cell-phones, etc. Both cables are very generous in their length as I have mine hooked into an amplifier so cable length was important (roughly 4 feet long). Build quality, design & craftsmanship is by far the best I have ever seen in a pair of headphones and I've owned Astro's, Beats, Bose,Sonos gear, etc.. The exterior of the headband is made of ultra premium & durable cowhide while the headbands' interior is made of soft, memory foam-like lambskin (ear cups also of the latter quality). Stainless steel frame and foldable hinges with artistic focus on the design and engineering of the entire package. Highly recommend these to anyone looking for ultra high-end premium audio fidelity!

The master & dynamic MH30’s are a most definitely buy. The box is big and has some weight to it. The headphones are well protected inside of the box. There’s padding around the headphones, and a separate container for the cords. Underneath the headphones and cords is a bag for the headphones and user manual. The design of the headphones is super sleek, very elegant looking. Nice dark colors / warm colors. The headphones are heavy. I wish they were a little lighter. The ear cuffs are the on ear design but for me they sit just right around my ears. They get a little warm, but not bad. The headphones fold flat, although they seem like a simple design I do find that when headphones don’t fold flat I get bothered, so I appreciate that they fold flat. There are two to options for inputting the audio either on the left or right ear. The cords are braided and feel sturdy, I thin they will last for a long time. There is one regular cord then one with a mic and remote. The mic is positioned higher on the cord to be closer to the mouth, I do find that I have trouble at times with people not hearing me and I have to hold the cord closer to my mouth. The cord has a tendicy of hanging back away from my mouth and closer to my neck. The box says that it works with ipod iphone and ipad; I haven’t tested it on other devices. The case for the cables was a nice touch. The sound on this headphone has easily become one of my favorites. The sound is balanced, warm; the base is present but not overwhelming or loud. The highs and mids blend in well. I can hear everything really well and muddled sounds don’t distract you. The headphones are not noise canceling but It does block a lot of the sound out to wear you can focus on the music but can still hear a bit of the outside world. I did find it hard to hear people around me unless I am listening for it. I found it as a nice little bonus. If you are looking for some nice on earish headphones I would say to grab these for sure.

Nice build, warm excellent sound, size will be a problem for some (too small and tight). On the ear headphones need to be perfectly positioned - make sure they fit before purchasing .Minimally adjustable - if large head will be uncomfortable and may pressure glasses