Master & Dynamic’s MW08 give ANC and audio upgrade to true wireless earbuds

Master & Dynamic has a new set of true wireless earbuds to tempt your ears and torment your wallet, with the MW08 throwing in hybrid active noise cancellation and a promised uptick in sound quality. Successors to 2019’s MW07 Plus, the MW08 keep the chunky styling – looking a little like ingots lodged in your ear canals – but go more upscale in the materials.

Gone is the acetate casing of the old earbuds, with Master & Dynamic opting for a mixture of ceramic and aluminum for the MW08. They’re also smaller than the old earbuds, and that has meant they should be easier to keep in the ears, with a new bud design that does away with the MW07 Plus’ fin-like wing.

There’ll be several different color options – white, black, brown, and blue – all with a charging case that recharges via USB-C. The MW08 should last for up to 12 hours on a charge by themselves, while the case can add up to a further 30 hours, Master & Dynamic says. 15 minutes in the case is good for a 50-percent charge; it’ll take 30 minutes longer to go the remaining 50-percent.

They’re IPX5 water resistant, which means rain and sweat should be no hassle but swimming pool use is out. The right earbud has a multifunction button, different presses of which handle play/pause, skipping through tracks, and triggering your smartphone’s voice assistant of choice. The left, meanwhile, has a volume control.

Holding down one side or the other of that rocker, meanwhile, controls the MW08’s ANC system. ANC Max offers, as the name suggests, the most potent noise isolation. All Day ANC, meanwhile, allows through more ambient sound, so that you don’t feel entirely disconnected from what’s going on around you. There’ll be two ambient sound modes – Awareness and Voice – that adjust what you do hear in pass-through mode.

Also inside are larger Beryllium drivers, now 11 mm versus the 10 mm versions in the MW07 Plus. Master & Dynamic has also added a third microphone to each earbud, which the company says is to improve wind reduction.

A companion app will allow more granular control over the active noise cancellation system and other features. The MW08 will go on sale at the end of March, priced at $299, and join rather than replace the MW07 Plus. The older earbuds will get a price cut at that point, trimming them down to $249.