Review of Master & Dynamic ME01, ME03 ME05 and: second date

Not so long ago we met with the new for Russia brand, the American company Master & Dynamic and its full-size models MH40 and MH30. It was noticed that the manufacturer cares not only about design and high quality finishes, but also worthy of the sound of his headphones. I wanted to continue and to deepen the acquaintance, this time with in-ear models. Did the company make them equally attractive in all respects? Here it and find out.

Specifications

Packaging equipment

The package of all three models is similar: a small rectangular tray of black closed white cardboard sleeve of heavy paper (or thin cardboard — as you like). On the back there is a small window through which visible case headphone, recessed in the bed of a dense opaque material.

After opening the package we find that in fact headphones are the round spool on which is wound a cable, she was lying in a round case made of genuine leather (as the models MH40 and MH30), and under it — a round shape of the porous polyurethane of the same color, with silicone nozzles. Such material is made and the base, the recess in which it is recorded the case. It is fixed clip for fixing the cable to clothing, and the older model is still soft polishing cloth. Below is a box with documentation and a soft fabric cover.

Equipment two Junior models are made the same way: except the headphones, the buyer receives four pairs of silicone tabs of different caliber (white — ME01 and dark grey — ME02), documentation, soft fabric cover, clothespins, leather case, and the model ME05 — and even mentioned polishing cloth and a pair of miniature air filter for tuning (later we find out how they affect the sound).

It is seen that all the kit and packing is thoroughly thought over. And no wonder: we have not had time to listen to headphones and is nice.

Appearance and design

All three models are built with high quality drivers with an aperture diameter of 8 mm of titanium. As you know, this metal combines high strength, elasticity and low weight, is the very thing that is required for radiators. Usually manufacturers boast a large diameter diaphragm as it is able to move in a single pass more air, thus increases the return on low frequencies. And the increase in moving mass reduces the resonant frequency of the driver and reduces the lower bound of the playable range. The reverse side of these advantages is the fall of the sensitivity due to the increase mass of the movable system and amount of transported air, and the increase in distortion due to uneven deformation of the diaphragm.

If you reduce the diameter and weight of the radiator increases the speed of system response to a rapid change of signal is seen in a better articulation of the low frequencies and increased resolution on high, clearly passed the fronts of the signal, reduces the distortion, because the smaller the aperture, the harder it is for the same thickness of material. It is possible to obtain a sufficiently low and rich bass, if you reduce the internal volume of air, which is loaded emitter. Therefore, case headphone should have the minimum possible size (accordingly, they become easier, that’s fine too).

All this is well known to the creators of the headphones, but in practice it is implemented by only a few. First, because miniaturization requires high precision equipment and production — on the knee, in the basement of the headphones is not done. Secondly, the consumer needs to understand that “more” does not always mean “better”. More importantly the credibility of the brand: we must trust that the manufacturer knows exactly how to do the technique that he cares about our welfare and not about how to quickly grab the money and run. To gain this confidence requires many years, but Master & Dynamic got it faster than others: the company was created recently, in 2013, but has already managed to earn a strong reputation in the United States and Western Europe.

Design and form housings for different models are not the same. From ME01 and ME03 cylindrical shell made of aluminum, but the ME03 has an external apron black — was made not only for decoration, but also because it changes the resonance properties of the hull.

Model ME01 ME03 Model

The model ME05 housing made of brass, i.e. an alloy of copper with zinc and other metals — Nickel, lead, manganese, iron, etc. According to its damping properties, this alloy is better than aluminum, but if its Polish, it becomes attractive and does not require additional painting.

Form complex cylindrical at the rear and a spherical in the middle. From the point of view of acoustics, the ball — perfect shape because in the inner volume do not form standing waves. Actually, of course they occur, but their amplitude is much smaller than in rectangular boxes. As you can guess, this form, like ME05, more difficult to manufacture than cylindrical. It’s not stamping — housing in-ear headphones M&D are.

Zvukovoy all models short, though, and have different sizes. But the same cables are flat, tangle such much harder than usual. The microphone is placed in a separate remote enclosure is allowed to place it closer to the face and improve the intelligibility and at the same time to free up space on the console and make the buttons on it are larger. As you can see, everything here is carefully thought out.

The remote is compatible with the technique of Apple, but the center button (call answer and end, stop, and resume playback) works with smartphones running Android.

Sound

Listening conditions were almost the same as when testing full-size models MH40 and MH30. Sources: DAC PS Audio PerfectWave MkII DAC and a tube headphone amplifier, Schiit Valhalla 2, the smartphone LG V10 (DAC Hi-Fi chip ESS Sabre32 ES9018KM2 and headphone amp Sabre 9602), Hi-Fi player COWON PLENUE M.

The music program is a permanent set of records in different genres (jazz, rock, classical) in standard (16 bit/44.1 kHz) and high (up to 24bit/192kHz) resolution FLAC and DSD. From time to time we add some new items this time — the last album of Alice Cooper “Paranormal” in FLAC 16 bit/44.1 kHz.

Before the audition conducted a process of “heating”, but if we generally leave the headphones for a day or more, miniature headphones Master & Dynamic had 3-4 hours disappeared “sand” on top, for the music was smooth, and the bass is more tight and clear.

But before that, we had to pick up silicone inserts. Always do it by album Billy Wyman “Back to Basics”, where the accented bass (if you remember, bill, a bassist, so it’s forgivable). Alas, none of the calibers of standard nozzles to the author of this review does not fit: because of shortened waveguides headphones didn’t want to sit firmly in place and continually fell out. And this happened even with very heavy attachments. Because of this, the frequency balance was shifted up, and the bass lacked. Had a look in the “bins Motherland” and look for the more dense “skin”. With them headphones got stuck in the ear canal and kept steady, and Cestoda returned to normal. This is the fee for sophistication and miniaturization. It seems that the owners of compact ears all these problems do not threaten.

It is clear that full-sized headphones and in-ear may not sound quite the same, but it was clear that all models Master & Dynamic, regardless of their type and size was created if not one team, then people with common sound ideal, matching their auditory preferences. It was heard that this headphone is one company that has one character.

As befits a portable models designed for use in high external noise, they have a V-shaped characteristic, but gentle, climbs on the edges of the band are small and do not lead to the impoverishment of the middle. High just a little brighter, and the bass is a little harder than, say, a serious in-ear monitors on reinforcement drivers with the most aligned chastotnoi. This is a kind of loudness that allows you to listen to headphones at a comfortable volume.

All three models — light load to any source: they with a good margin for enhancing play even with the usual smart (Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300) and player PLENUE M music smartphone optimum volume is achieved at the level less than 50%. Lightweight headphone is evident in the fact that the stationary system, with its vast supply current does not give any significant advantages over portable sources Hi-Fi. However, even younger ME01 have a high enough resolution that they were clearly audible differences in different DACs. Therefore, all sources, stationary, portable, played with in-ear headphones M&D in different ways, but to say that some of them had real advantages, it is impossible — it is a matter of taste.

And now the most interesting — the differences in sound between models. They are definitely there and very audible to the sources of the Hi-Fi on a regular smartphone, the difference was barely noticeable. It was hard to discover on the albums hard rock (Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple), here is a recent Alice Cooper best played on ME05, although the ME01 and ME03 moreover, he, too, listened with pleasure.

The sound of the models accurately correlated with price: with increase it the sound becomes more pure and transparent, the feeling of coarsening and simplification that occur when listening ME01, ME03 got noticeably weaker and disappear completely at ME05. Yes, I almost forgot about the additional filters-nozzles: they change the characteristics in the upper middle, there is a little more “metal” tone a little brighter — good for rock and dance music. With the standard tips sound smoother and gentler — better for classical and chamber jazz.

If we compare sound in-ear models M&D with a full-size, one can say that the first is more pop, a spectacular, they have slightly accentuated the edges of the range. They retain total neutrality, genre versatility and comfort. Simply, they are designed for a different situation: if the full — size for a quiet home environment, in-ear — for roads, transport and other noisy places. You do not go to one Shoe at home and at work? And what headphones are worse? For some they are even more important than shoes.

The results

After the “second date” with headphones Master & Dynamic we already know that their creators have a clear idea not only about the “right” sound, but also that different types of headphones are used in different conditions, and therefore should vary in sound. They manage to make their products attractive, without compromising quality of work, and sometimes improving it. Of course, small size in-ear models is the design element, but Master & Dynamic is working on the sound: a small-diameter drivers with lightweight and durable titanium diaphragm with minimal response time, which makes the sound particularly clear, transparent, clean and expressive.

Learn more about the model ME05

Learn more about the model ME03

Learn more about the model ME01

Pros:

• elegant design;
• small dimensions and weight;
• luxury equipment;
• effective sound insulation;
• a decent sound.

Cons:

• the lack of “foams” in the kit.

The author of the text: Vasily Zuev

Picture device: Daria Golubovich

Source: 4pda.ru

• https://gadget fsetyt com/articles/obzor-master-amp-dynamic-me01-me03-i-me05-vtoroe-svidanie html