Master & Dynamic ME05 earbuds review

Master & Dynamic makes some great wireless headphones and earbuds, including the excellent – but rather expensive – over-ear MW75 (included in our round up of over-ear headphones) which includes both wired and wireless options. However, it recently released the new ME05 earbuds, which are completely wired and quite a bit more affordable than the MW75.

Somewhat oddly, the price varies depending on where you’re based. In the U.S., the ME05 is available in four different colours, which all have the same price at $199. However, prices vary in the U.K. and other regions, starting at £169 for the gunmetal (grey) and palladium (silver) models, while the gold and white models cost £196. That’s still relatively expensive for a set of wired earbuds, but M&D’s classy design shines through, as well as providing excellent sound quality for people who prefer a traditional wired design over the compromises of Bluetooth and wireless audio. And, as M&D states on its website, the wired design also means that it’s “one less thing to charge”.

See how the Master & Dynamic ME05 compares to other wired earphones we have tested.

The ME05 was originally launched way back in 2015, but M&D decided that it needed a bit of a revamp in order to bring it up to date with the latest audio technologies, such as the use of USB-C for wired audio. The external design hasn’t changed much, with the main body of each earpiece still made out of brass, which is both smart and sturdy, and also helps to reduce distortion that might affect the sound quality. Inside the earbuds are 8mm drivers made out of ‘bio-cellulose’ – a thin and light material that is similar to paper, but is produced as a by-product of growing bacteria in a lab (which sounds slightly gross, but the lightweight material is widely used in headphones and earbuds as it provides very good sound quality at both high and low frequencies).

I’ve always preferred wired earbuds, but one disadvantage is that the cables can turn into an irritating spaghetti mess at times. Thankfully, though, the cable on the ME05 is made out of thick ‘tangle-free’ rubber that lets you just pick up the earbuds and quickly plug them in without spending 10 minutes unravelling the cable first.

The original ME05 from 2015 just had a standard 3.5mm headphone connector, but Apple killed off the 3.5mm connector with the iPhone 7 in 2016, so the cable provided with this new model includes both a 3.5mm connector and a USB-C adaptor for the latest iPhones and iPads and other mobile devices. There’s a good set of accessories included too, with a canvas carrying pouch, five sets of silicone rubber ear-tips in different sizes, and two sets of memory foam ear-tips as well. There’s no Lightning adaptor, though, so owners of older iPhones and iPads will need to provide their own adaptor (Apple’s own Lightning adaptor has been discontinued in the U.S., unfortunately, although it still seems to be on sale in the U.K. and some other regions).

Sound quality is excellent, as I stream the hi-res version of Sing Along by Sturgill Simpson from Apple Music. The track is a riotous mash-up of rock guitars, EDM keyboards and Simpson’s country twang, but the ME05 balances the dense sound perfectly even at full volume. Wired headphones often seem to have a little more power than Bluetooth, and there’s a real head-banging energy to the grinding guitar, while the dance keyboards fly through the air like fireworks. The ME05 still manages to pick out lighter details though, including the precise, ticking percussion that drives the song forward, and the bass drop towards the end lands like a punch in the gut. That beefy bass works well for dance tracks too, and the deep, electronic bass on Bad Guy by Billie Eilish has a taut, firm rhythm that’s hard to resist.

The ME05 is equally at home with classical sounds. It shows the lightest of touches for delicate harp that opens Max Richter’s Sarajevo, but the entrance of soprano Sarah Leonard cuts through with piercing clarity and emotional power. The martial blast of horns brings an ominous mood to the piece, like an oncoming storm, and then the ME05 unleashes the storm as the full BBC Philharmonic erupts in a powerful swirl of strings. The only thing missing is support for active noise-cancellation (ANC), which could be a problem for some users.

Should You Buy The Master & Dynamic ME05?

If you prefer the convenience of wireless headphones then the old-school wired design of the ME05 probably won’t suit you. And, of course, the lack of noise-cancellation may be a deal-breaker for travellers who need good ANC. But people that prefer wired headphones or earbuds for listening to hi-res music will find that the ME05 provides high-quality sound at a competitive price.