This is a review of Master & Dynamic ME03 in-ear headphones. http://www.masterdynamic.com/products/me03 , available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Master-Dynamic...dp/B00R58WMUG/
Master & Dynamic definitely knows how to build products that turn heads. Either if it’s a pair of full size MH40 headphones or just a headphone Stand, they put a lot of effort into every single design detail. I know some of you might find it strange how I'm gushing about their appearance, but here I'm with another pair of headphones from M&D, and once again I can't get enough of its unique looks. I still care a lot about the sound, but can’t wait to wear these outside just to show off lol!!! Let's take a closer look at the new pair of M&D ME03 in-ear headphones to see what I found.
Starting with packaging and accessories, after having a pleasure to review MH40, I was looking forward to see how ME03 will stack up to their big brother in comparison. As expected, there was no disappointment! With a similar presentation theme, ME03 packaging greets you with a high resolution image, and once again I was deceived by a mesh vent port on the back which is ONLY for decorative purposes. The back of the packaging box had a nice display setting with an up-close view of the aluminum pieces and also a nice write up about company philosophy. There was also a list of accessories and on the bottom of the box a brief spec about the type/size of the driver and the impedance, though no further info about FR or sensitivity. Perhaps a more detailed spec wasn’t their highest priority since these headphones are intended for non-audiophile crowd. Also, the insert box was really easy to slide out from the packaging sleeve just by pulling the side tab – always a plus to preserve the packaging for future use.
Unboxing.
Inside of the box in a foam cutout with an easy to access opening I was greeted with a familiar view of their leather storage round box. It looks like the same leather “jewelry” box used in MH40 for cables – top class workmanship! In addition to that I also found a cloth “canvas” storage pouch with a spring-loaded opening, 4 sets of silicone eartips (XS, S, M, L), and a nice manual. Though not necessary the biggest selection of accessories, it was still high quality with every piece being custom made, even eartips were not your typical cheap generic stuff.
Accessories.
When it comes to a design, even so I consider them to fall into a category of “fashionable” IEMs, ME03 were still built VERY TOUGH. As a matter of fact I carried them wrapped around in my pocket a few times already, and I can confirm they can take some beating! There is no flimsy plastic in their build, and instead you will find a machined anodized aluminum used for all the key components. Starting with a right angled gold plated 3.5mm connector, the straight part of it is metal while the angled piece is rubberized and molded into an excellent strain relief. OFC cable is flat, rubbery, flexible, and tangle free. Going into y-splitter, you will find an inline remote which built into the splitter. With a molded rubbery strain relief on each side, the inline remote itself has a very unique design. With a rather compact footprint, it has two rubbery sealed +/- buttons on the top for iOS volume control (Apple only, not for Android). On a side there is an easy to access button that looks like a crown of the watch – this is a multifunction control button to use for Play/Pause/Call with a single click, skip next with a double click, and skip prev with a triple click. This button had a very nice tactile response.
Looking at the remote on the back I quickly realized there was no mic – the microphone was actually located in a separate partitioned aluminum piece closer to the right earpiece, and also will strain relief on each side. The ergonomics of such partitioning is very effective. You want mic to be closer to your mouth for an improved noise free voice pickup, while it’s also more practical to have control further down for easy access without pulling on the wire connected to your earpiece. To balance out the look, they also attached a little aluminum hex-shaped pin to the left side of earpiece cable. The shell itself is cylindrical, lightweight, with a great strain relief at the cable connection, and bi-color theme with gunmetal outer finish and silver/mesh back finish. It does look like an open back design, which I wouldn’t mind for an enhanced soundstage, but it’s being used only for decorative purposes. There is an air vent at the base of the nozzle, and the nozzle itself looks to be well sealed to keep the wax away from its 8mm neodymium driver. Due to its lightweight and compact size, fitment was very comfortable and I achieved a decent seal with large set of eartips. Isolation was just OK, though I can’t comment about subway/bus since I don’t use public transportation. Also, there was a little bit of microphonics due to flat cable rubbing against my shirt.
Design details.
With unboxing, accessories, and design details out of the way, here is what I found while analyzing ME03 audio performance after 60hrs of burn in. With dynamic drivers you don’t want to jump into an early conclusion after the initial listening, and with these headphones it’s actually a must to get a good 2 days of burn in. I personally prefer a free air burn in, just leaving it playing a track on repeat at high volume, and I can confirm that from first out-of-the-box impression to the sound sig after the burn in – there was a significant change. It started with a warm sound and some tilt toward low end, and ended up having a well defined mid-centric sound signature.
In more details, bass has a rather polite sub-bass rumble, balanced with a punchy mid-bass above neutral level. It’s well controlled with no spilling into lower mids or adding any bloat to the sound. As a matter of fact, lowers mids do lack some body which makes upper mids sound a bit thin, but they are still bright and clear, smooth but not super detailed. Treble is crisp and clear, not harsh or sibilant.
Soundstage is not super wide/deep, but slightly above the average. ME03 has a decent separation of instruments and vocals, though only an average imaging/position. As I mentioned before, right out of the box ME03 had a little more bass, but it settled down after about 50-60hrs of burn in. As a result I felt like sound became a bit thinner since it lost some of its body. Also, worth mentioning that ME03 are not as efficient and do require a little bit of volume boost, most likely due to lower sensitivity. But still, I didn’t find any need for amping, unless you want to use a portable amp with a bass boost.
In comparison to a few other IEMs, I found the following:
VSD3 has a stronger low end impact with more sub-bass and faster mid-bass, thicker lower mids, and mids in general not being as forward, upper mids/treble is harsher and more sibilant, and soundstage a little wider/deeper.
S5 has a lot more sub-bass with significantly higher mid-bass boost, thicker more bloated lower mids, less natural and harsher upper mids, crispier treble with more extension, and soundstage being wider/deeper.
KC06A has a stronger low end impact with more sub-bass and faster mid-bass, harsher upper mids/treble with some artificial peaks, the actual treble being more sibilant, and soundstage being wider but not as deep.
T1E has a deeper sub-bass with more mid-bass impact, mids are more recessed and not as clear, treble more rolled off, and soundstage being wider and deeper.
Overall, I believe ME03 is another hit for Master & Dynamic! In terms of a sound it’s not necessary an audiophile quality, but it has a rather well implemented mid-centric tuning to cover a diverse selection of different genres. Even without deep bass, it still performed well with modern pop/rock/EDM styles of music. Fans of mid-centric signature that prefer a smooth and clear sound will be very pleased with a tuning of ME03. But in my honest opinion, the strongest point of these headphones is their bold design, their tough build, selection of quality materials, and a comfortable fitment in addition to a rather well tuned sound!
Master & Dynamic definitely knows how to build products that turn heads. Either if it’s a pair of full size MH40 headphones or just a headphone Stand, they put a lot of effort into every single design detail. I know some of you might find it strange how I'm gushing about their appearance, but here I'm with another pair of headphones from M&D, and once again I can't get enough of its unique looks. I still care a lot about the sound, but can’t wait to wear these outside just to show off lol!!! Let's take a closer look at the new pair of M&D ME03 in-ear headphones to see what I found.
Starting with packaging and accessories, after having a pleasure to review MH40, I was looking forward to see how ME03 will stack up to their big brother in comparison. As expected, there was no disappointment! With a similar presentation theme, ME03 packaging greets you with a high resolution image, and once again I was deceived by a mesh vent port on the back which is ONLY for decorative purposes. The back of the packaging box had a nice display setting with an up-close view of the aluminum pieces and also a nice write up about company philosophy. There was also a list of accessories and on the bottom of the box a brief spec about the type/size of the driver and the impedance, though no further info about FR or sensitivity. Perhaps a more detailed spec wasn’t their highest priority since these headphones are intended for non-audiophile crowd. Also, the insert box was really easy to slide out from the packaging sleeve just by pulling the side tab – always a plus to preserve the packaging for future use.
Unboxing.
Inside of the box in a foam cutout with an easy to access opening I was greeted with a familiar view of their leather storage round box. It looks like the same leather “jewelry” box used in MH40 for cables – top class workmanship! In addition to that I also found a cloth “canvas” storage pouch with a spring-loaded opening, 4 sets of silicone eartips (XS, S, M, L), and a nice manual. Though not necessary the biggest selection of accessories, it was still high quality with every piece being custom made, even eartips were not your typical cheap generic stuff.
Accessories.
When it comes to a design, even so I consider them to fall into a category of “fashionable” IEMs, ME03 were still built VERY TOUGH. As a matter of fact I carried them wrapped around in my pocket a few times already, and I can confirm they can take some beating! There is no flimsy plastic in their build, and instead you will find a machined anodized aluminum used for all the key components. Starting with a right angled gold plated 3.5mm connector, the straight part of it is metal while the angled piece is rubberized and molded into an excellent strain relief. OFC cable is flat, rubbery, flexible, and tangle free. Going into y-splitter, you will find an inline remote which built into the splitter. With a molded rubbery strain relief on each side, the inline remote itself has a very unique design. With a rather compact footprint, it has two rubbery sealed +/- buttons on the top for iOS volume control (Apple only, not for Android). On a side there is an easy to access button that looks like a crown of the watch – this is a multifunction control button to use for Play/Pause/Call with a single click, skip next with a double click, and skip prev with a triple click. This button had a very nice tactile response.
Looking at the remote on the back I quickly realized there was no mic – the microphone was actually located in a separate partitioned aluminum piece closer to the right earpiece, and also will strain relief on each side. The ergonomics of such partitioning is very effective. You want mic to be closer to your mouth for an improved noise free voice pickup, while it’s also more practical to have control further down for easy access without pulling on the wire connected to your earpiece. To balance out the look, they also attached a little aluminum hex-shaped pin to the left side of earpiece cable. The shell itself is cylindrical, lightweight, with a great strain relief at the cable connection, and bi-color theme with gunmetal outer finish and silver/mesh back finish. It does look like an open back design, which I wouldn’t mind for an enhanced soundstage, but it’s being used only for decorative purposes. There is an air vent at the base of the nozzle, and the nozzle itself looks to be well sealed to keep the wax away from its 8mm neodymium driver. Due to its lightweight and compact size, fitment was very comfortable and I achieved a decent seal with large set of eartips. Isolation was just OK, though I can’t comment about subway/bus since I don’t use public transportation. Also, there was a little bit of microphonics due to flat cable rubbing against my shirt.
Design details.
With unboxing, accessories, and design details out of the way, here is what I found while analyzing ME03 audio performance after 60hrs of burn in. With dynamic drivers you don’t want to jump into an early conclusion after the initial listening, and with these headphones it’s actually a must to get a good 2 days of burn in. I personally prefer a free air burn in, just leaving it playing a track on repeat at high volume, and I can confirm that from first out-of-the-box impression to the sound sig after the burn in – there was a significant change. It started with a warm sound and some tilt toward low end, and ended up having a well defined mid-centric sound signature.
In more details, bass has a rather polite sub-bass rumble, balanced with a punchy mid-bass above neutral level. It’s well controlled with no spilling into lower mids or adding any bloat to the sound. As a matter of fact, lowers mids do lack some body which makes upper mids sound a bit thin, but they are still bright and clear, smooth but not super detailed. Treble is crisp and clear, not harsh or sibilant.
Soundstage is not super wide/deep, but slightly above the average. ME03 has a decent separation of instruments and vocals, though only an average imaging/position. As I mentioned before, right out of the box ME03 had a little more bass, but it settled down after about 50-60hrs of burn in. As a result I felt like sound became a bit thinner since it lost some of its body. Also, worth mentioning that ME03 are not as efficient and do require a little bit of volume boost, most likely due to lower sensitivity. But still, I didn’t find any need for amping, unless you want to use a portable amp with a bass boost.
In comparison to a few other IEMs, I found the following:
VSD3 has a stronger low end impact with more sub-bass and faster mid-bass, thicker lower mids, and mids in general not being as forward, upper mids/treble is harsher and more sibilant, and soundstage a little wider/deeper.
S5 has a lot more sub-bass with significantly higher mid-bass boost, thicker more bloated lower mids, less natural and harsher upper mids, crispier treble with more extension, and soundstage being wider/deeper.
KC06A has a stronger low end impact with more sub-bass and faster mid-bass, harsher upper mids/treble with some artificial peaks, the actual treble being more sibilant, and soundstage being wider but not as deep.
T1E has a deeper sub-bass with more mid-bass impact, mids are more recessed and not as clear, treble more rolled off, and soundstage being wider and deeper.
Overall, I believe ME03 is another hit for Master & Dynamic! In terms of a sound it’s not necessary an audiophile quality, but it has a rather well implemented mid-centric tuning to cover a diverse selection of different genres. Even without deep bass, it still performed well with modern pop/rock/EDM styles of music. Fans of mid-centric signature that prefer a smooth and clear sound will be very pleased with a tuning of ME03. But in my honest opinion, the strongest point of these headphones is their bold design, their tough build, selection of quality materials, and a comfortable fitment in addition to a rather well tuned sound!
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