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1 / 11MASTER & DYNAMIC
MASTER & DYNAMIC MH40 Gen II
Master & Dynamic MH40 Generation II wireless
Noise Isolation / ANC & sound
6.7/ 10
6.7
0.010.0
A 6.7 puts its noise isolation / ANC in the top half of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 86 of the 240 we've cataloged.
4.5/ 5
SoundMDAQS Overall4.5
1.05.0
A 4.5 puts its audio quality in the top quarter of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 44 of the 240 we've cataloged.
Key specs
Battery Life Wireless
30 hBelow average30 h
11 h100 h
below average for over-ear headphones — based on 150 of 240 we've cataloged.
Charging Method
USB-CMost commonUsb-c87%Micro usb10%Others3%
Usb-c is the most common — on 87% of the 135 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Bluetooth Version
5.25.326%520%5.218%5.411%
5.2 appears on 18% of the 145 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Connection Type
Wired-3.5mm48%Bluetooth44%Wired-usb-c7%Others1%
Bluetooth appears on 44% of the 215 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Battery
- Battery Life Wireless
- 30 h
- Charging Method
- USB-C
- Full Charge Minutes
- 15 min
- Battery
- Yes
- Fast Charging
- Yes
Connectivity
- Bluetooth Version
- 5.2
- Connection Type
- Bluetooth, wired-usb-c
- Bluetooth Codec
- AAC, SBC, aptX Adaptive
- Multipoint Devices
- 2 devices
- USB Charging
- Yes
Design
- Weight
- 280 g
- Color Options
- Black, brown, gray, gunmetal, navy, silver
- Foldable
- No
Build
- Material Chassis Primary
- Aluminum, coated canvas, lambskin leather
- Material Ear Cups
- Lambskin leather
- Material Headband
- Lambskin leather
Features
- Companion App
- IOS + Android
- Eq Customization
- Presets only
Microphone
- Count
- 2
- Microphone
- Yes
- Wind Noise Reduction
- Yes
- Type
- Dual microphone
Sound
- Acoustic Design
- Closed-back
- Driver Size
- 40 mm
- Driver Type
- Dynamic driver
- Frequency Response Signature
- Warm
- Impedance
- 32 Ω
Release
- Msrp Usd
- 399 USD
SoundGuys review
Read the full review ›SOUNDGUYS rating
Reviewed byChase BernathBrand & Partnerships ManagerReviewed February 2024
7.7/ 10
RecommendedIsolation6.7
Battery life9.5
Comfort & fit7.0
Connectivity9.5
Design9.0
Portability7.0
The verdict
The Master & Dynamic MH40 should be viewed as a luxury item. They are built from premium materials, but are expensive considering the limited feature set.
✓What we like
✓Premium materials
✓Great sound quality
✓Bluetooth multipoint and aptX
✓Listen wired or wirelessly
✓Many accessories included
✕What could be better
✕Price
✕No ANC
✕No custom EQ
✕No integrated spatial audio
✕No wear detection sensor
Lab data
How we test ›Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
MASTER & DYNAMIC MH40 Gen IISoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve
Measured frequency response (dB) against the SoundGuys house target — the dashed curve. The closer the measured line tracks the target, the more neutral the tuning; peaks ride above the target, dips fall below it.
Frequency response — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 4.1 |
| 25 | 4.5 |
| 32 | 4.8 |
| 40 | 4.9 |
| 50 | 4.5 |
| 63 | 2.9 |
| 80 | 1.7 |
| 100 | 2.9 |
| 125 | 2.2 |
| 160 | -0.5 |
| 200 | -1.9 |
| 250 | -1.9 |
| 315 | -2.1 |
| 400 | -3.0 |
| 500 | -3.4 |
| 630 | -3.1 |
| 800 | -0.6 |
| 1000 | 0.0 |
| 1250 | 0.7 |
| 1600 | 2.3 |
| 2000 | 5.1 |
| 2500 | 8.1 |
| 3150 | 8.2 |
| 4000 | 3.0 |
| 5000 | 2.3 |
| 6300 | 4.5 |
| 8000 | 4.8 |
| 10000 | 1.1 |
| 12500 | -3.0 |
| 16000 | -3.9 |
| 20000 | -17.0 |
MASTER & DYNAMIC MH40 Gen II
Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
Passive isolation — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -1.5 |
| 26 | 3.6 |
| 33 | 1.4 |
| 41 | 1.2 |
| 52 | 0.4 |
| 65 | 3.7 |
| 82 | 0.6 |
| 103 | 0.2 |
| 130 | 2.1 |
| 163 | 3.9 |
| 205 | 4.8 |
| 259 | 5.5 |
| 325 | 6.6 |
| 410 | 7.0 |
| 516 | 8.3 |
| 613 | 8.5 |
| 772 | 12.1 |
| 972 | 15.3 |
| 1220 | 15.9 |
| 1540 | 17.2 |
| 1940 | 21.5 |
| 2440 | 21.3 |
| 3070 | 34.2 |
| 3870 | 40.0 |
| 4870 | 39.9 |
| 6130 | 34.5 |
| 7720 | 45.1 |
| 9720 | 43.9 |
| 12200 | 34.8 |
| 15400 | 42.1 |
| 19400 | 27.5 |
MASTER & DYNAMIC MH40 Gen II
4.8
3.4
3.9
4.5
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (1–5), modeled from the measured response. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
Features & Opinions
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Tom TriggsContributor
Christian ThomasEditor-at-large5 ways headphones are going to change in 2027Here's where things are headed.Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeWired vs wireless headphones: Which should you buy?Wired headphones do not automatically sound better.Tom TriggsContributorMore Over-Ear Headphones
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