Master & Dynamic MW07 Go Earphones Review

I had the pleasure of reviewing the MW07 Plus by Master & Dynamic before I got the chance to review the MW07 Go. Hence, I knew I had already tested the fancier, more expensive and, specifications-wise, better counterpart. I had way less expectations with the Go. I thought it would be really obvious why it’s a whopping $100 less than the Plus. However, to my surprise, this wasn’t the case at all. If anything, the MW07 Go exceeded my expectations, considering its reasonable price.

At this point, having reviewed a number of M&D products and gushing over their accessories, aesthetics and presentation, it’s needless to say that I was thoroughly impressed by the Go’s accessories. M&D has truly won the game of mastering its products’ aesthetics, and all their products serve as a reminder of that.

The Perfect Charging Case

My favorite thing about the earphones is the charging case, especially because the charging case of the MW07 Plus made me have exceedingly low expectations. Its case was flimsy and seemed like it had fallen a couple of times. The lid was also a little loose and the stainless steel body attracted a million fingerprints. As a result, it always felt dirty. The MW07 Go, on the other hand, has a carefully knit woven fabric charging case that looks beautiful and feels very fancy.

The case exudes sophistication and looks like a lot of thought went into it. I used this case with much less stress, knowing that there were no chances of accidentally scratching it, unlike with the Plus’ case. Its color, dark grey, is also sober and subtle. As always, the design is as minimal as it can be. It sports no decorations other than a little metal plate on top with the letter ‘M’ carved on it.

Typical of true wireless earbuds carry cases, there is a charging slot on the back of the case and battery indicator lights on its front. However—and this is where I decided to give M&D a point for innovation—the three lights on the front have the ability to indicate the battery status of both the case and the buds. The light in the center is responsible for the case’s battery and the lights on the side show how much juice the earbuds have.

Pretty Good Controls

To be a fan of the MW07 Go, you’d have to let go of the desire to own the most sleek and polarizing earbuds and make peace with the bulky body typical of M&D’s products. You’d also have to understand that bulky doesn’t necessarily mean bad. In my opinion, it gives you quite a lot of space to navigate, and the controls don’t feel crowded.

The Go makes use of the typical M&D design, consisting of a rather big main piece and wing tips. The body is matte and, hence, looks and feels absolutely great. The earbuds have three pogo pins sticking out of them that attach magnetically to the charging case with a rather satisfying click, so you don’t have to double check if it’s set properly. The controls are kept intentionally very simple. The right bud hosts only a multi-function button while the left earbud has just a volume rocker on it. Navigation on the Go could not have been any simpler than this.

No Surprises in the Accessories This Time

Considering M&D’s usual success with accessories, which has always been top-notch, the Go left me feeling slightly underwhelmed. Or maybe M&D has just spoiled us with little surprises every single time and a normally packaged product now feels way too simple.

Sure, the Go did have a separate compartment where a quick start guide was carefully packaged. And it also came with six different eartip sizes. But I still felt like there was missed potential with the Go’s accessories. There was visibly much less thought put into this one. The cables were plain rubber instead of the woven magnificence with which M&D has blessed us for previous products. The eartips were simply stuffed in little plastic bags instead of being carefully laid out in a box like Cleer’s Ally Plus. All in all, nothing blew me out of my seat in the accessories department and there were no surprises. It all seemed bare minimum.

Good Clarity but Not Enough Bass

Low Life is one of the most bass-heavy songs I know of and I struggled to hear the bass in it. That should give you an idea of how low the bass is on these buds. The treble on the Go is very good. So is the loudness and clarity. The sound is crisp, and you can hear every single part of the orchestra very clearly. However, if you’re a fan of bass, you might want to look elsewhere. The sound is a little too tinny for my taste and lacks depth.

Final Verdict

All in all, I believe $200 is a lot of money to pay for earbuds that don’t tick all of the boxes in terms of sound. The MW07 Go has an excellent design and good controls. But what’s the use if they don’t deliver a well-rounded soundstage? If a lack of big bass isn’t a dealbreaker for you, though, the Go is an excellent option if you want a cheaper alternative to the MW07 Plus.