These Office-Friendly Headphones Go Up to 11 Without Leaking Sound
Maybe you already own a few pairs of headphones. A pair of open-backed Grados for listening at home, where a little sound leak is fine; a pair of sweat-resistant earbuds for the gym; And for the subway or bus, maybe you even have some noise-canceling cans.
But the office? That’s a weird tweener zone. You might use your commuting headphones there, as the same sound-leakage rules apply. But it’d be nice to have a professional-looking pair you can actually keep at your desk. A new company called Master & Dynamic is trying to make the ultimate pair of work-friendly headphones: ones that perform well, don’t leak sound, look professional, and are built to last.
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The over-ear MH40s are the company’s first flagship model, and unlike similarly priced headphones, you’ll find no plastic here. To decrease the chances of breakage, its hinges and high-stress areas are made of stainless steel. The steel and forged-aluminum parts that would otherwise come in contact with your head are all covered in a high-grade leather that complements the MH40’s steampunk aesthetic. Just in case the headphones themselves outlast the cables, the latter are completely detachable at both ends and can be easily replaced.
The grilles on the back of each earcup make it seem like the MH40s are open-back headphones, but they’re just for looks. These things are actually tightly insulated on both ends. Thanks to nearly airtight lambskin ear pads that fit comfortably around the ears, the headphones really lock in sound and keep ambient noise out. Even at high volumes, my co-workers couldn’t hear anything coming out of them — and even at low volumes, I couldn’t hear anything they were saying when I had them on.
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In terms of audio quality, the MH40s have a distinct sound profile that works well with the right kind of music. If you want airy, sparkling highs, look elsewhere. The MH40s are built around 45 mm neodymium drivers and are tuned for the mid-range and low end, with bass that sounds nice and punchy without distortion.
There’s a lot of presence, but the music doesn’t have that large soundstage and great separation that open-backed headphones impart. If you listen to a lot of rap, rock, and electronic music, however, you should like these a lot. If you’re into classical, acoustic, tenors, sopranos, or Mariah Carey, you’ll probably want sharper highs than these headphones deliver.
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They’re pricey, but they’ll probably get a ton of mileage. The Master & Dynamic MH40s are available for $400 in black and brown through the company’s site.
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