These $300 wireless earbuds are like AirPods on steroids — here's what they're like to use

apple airpods master & dynamic mw07 wireless earbuds

New York-based audio company Master & Dynamic unveiled its first pair of wireless earbuds.
The MW07 true wireless earphones are similar to Apple's AirPods, but more expensive.
Master & Dynamic's wireless earbuds actually sound better than Apple's AirPods, and offer several extra nice perks.

New York-based audio company Master & Dynamic unveiled its first pair of wireless earbuds back in September, and they 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.

master & dynamic mw07 wireless earbuds

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.

master & dynamic mw07 wireless earbuds

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.

These earbuds aren't perfect, but if you're considering an alternative to AirPods, Master & Dynamic has built a sturdy solution that's worth your consideration.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why autocorrect makes so many mistakes, according to the former Apple engineer who helped create it