Sumptuous-looking is the overriding impression I have of the MW07 Plus. And the impression starts even before I take out the earbuds.

Premium audio brand Master & Dynamic's second-generation true wireless in-ear headphones come with a stainless steel charging case, which houses the earbuds, that is all-silver and all-shiny. While a fingerprint and smudge magnet, it looks so sleek it is sure to attract glances of envy whenever you take it out from your bag.

The sleek design extends to the earbuds. Each has a handcrafted acetate shell said to vary in pattern and colour due to its material and hand finish. The headphones come with four colour options - blue, white, brown and black (version tested).

Each earbud houses a 10mm custom Beryllium driver and a beam forming microphone array. The headphones have active noise cancellation (ANC) and ambient listening modes.

Instead of using touch-sensitive controls, which are found in many of its competitors and can be hard to execute, the MW07 Plus uses small physical buttons on the earbuds. They are intuitive and easy to locate.

On the left earbud are the volume up and volume down buttons, while the right earbud has a multi-function button.

Press the multi-function button once to play or pause a song, double press to skip to the next track and triple press to go back to the previous track. Press and hold to activate the voice assistant of your smartphone.

Press and hold the volume up button to turn the ambient sound on and off. Do the same with the volume down button to activate or deactivate the ANC.

Each earbud features a unique but removable silicone fit wing that provides extra secure in-ear fit. You can go exercising with these headphones.

Three fit wings and five ear tips of different sizes are provided. So, you are bound to find the right fit. The headphones have a water resistance rating of IPX5, meaning they are sweat resistant.

In terms of audio quality, the MW07 Plus is one of the best true wireless in-ear headphones I have tested. It offers a very well-rounded audio output with clear mids and distinct highs. The bass is not over-powering, but has a pleasing degree of oomph. There was no distortion even when I cranked up the volume to maximum.

Perhaps, the only quirk is the lack of a companion app for changing equaliser settings or presets.

In terms of ANC quality, the MW07 Plus can't quite match up to the Apple AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM3. I can pretty much make out my colleagues' conversations when ANC is turned on.

Still, it is better than no ANC. Especially when the MW07 Plus has a battery life of 10 hours, which is great for those long-haul flights. In fact, its battery life easily beats the Apple AirPods Pro (4.5 hours) and even the Sony WF-1000XM3 (8 hours).

Not to mention, the charging case allows for three full charges, thus extending the battery life by 30 hours. On the downside, the charging case does not support wireless charging. Not a deal breaker. But for its price, you would expect it to have the feature.

The pricing of the MW07 Plus is probably its biggest downer. At $469, it is more expensive than its two closest competitors, the AirPods Pro ($379) and WF-1000XM3 ($349).

FOR

- Beautiful design

- Superb sound quality

- Great fit and workout-ready

- Easy-to-use physical buttons

AGAINST

- Expensive

- No companion app

- Charging case does not support wireless charging

TECH SPECS

PRICE: $469

DRIVERS: 10mm Beryllium

CONNECTIVITY: Bluetooth 5.0

WEIGHT: 9g (each earbud), 84g (charging case)

RATING

FEATURES: 4/5

DESIGN: 4/5

PERFORMANCE: 4/5

BATTERY LIFE: 5/5

VALUE FOR MONEY: 3.5/5

OVERALL: 4/5