Master and Dynamic for The Rake : The Camouflage MH40 Headphones
The luxury headphone industry has exploded in recent years, with a certain rapper kicking off a trend of fashionable yet largely inelegant designs that now saturate the market. Sifting through the mass is a time consuming process, and only a few brands stand out for all the right reasons. Master & Dynamic is one of the newer headphone brands out there, yet what they lack in heritage they more than make up for in beautiful design, outstanding sound and lasting build quality. In short, they stand out.
M&D founder, Jonathan Levine tips his proverbial hat to the competition whilst acknowledging the need to be separate from them, “I definitely think that Beats created headphones as a lifestyle accessory, and if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be in this industry. They really reinvigorated the category and clearly we’re not trying to become the next Beats, our approach is very different and our designs are very different”. Where Master & Dynamic has succeeded is in creating a series of products like their flagship model, the MH40 Over Ear Headphone, which are quite simply the ultimate rakish headphones for the modern man on the move. Attention to detail is a priority and only the finest materials are utilised, including, “forged aluminium and stainless steel in key components. The outside of the headband is cowhide, the inside is lambskin for comfort; it’s a little bit softer. Both the ear pads and ear cup are lambskin”.
It was only natural then that The Rake should choose to partner with Master & Dynamic for our first foray into world of rakish technological headwear. The MH40 model is in many ways the standard bearer for contemporary, luxury headphones; a design icon that represents the zenith of modern audial technology. Quite apart from its phenomenal construction and contemporary design, it is high performing too. It militates against the cheapness of plastic with its aircraft grade aluminium composition and beneath each butter-soft ear cup are 45mm Neodymium high-performance drivers for truly epic sound quality, as evinced by glowing reviews from websites like Engadget, Cnet and T3. It’s one thing to look good but to sound the part is another matter, and if these rave reviews are anything to go by, Master & Dynamic have truly succeeded. Neodymium magnets are a precious rare earth metal that have the ability to hold an exceptionally high magnetic charge, meaning they give a much larger magnetic flux density and can therefore generate more suppleness and higher reaction times in the voice coil. This essentially means that the drivers can attain a far greater richness and a more complex sound than brands who commonly use inferior magnets.
"The MH40 model is in many ways the standard bearer for contemporary, luxury headphones, a modern technological icon."
Headphones today are essential tools for those on the move, particularly within an urban environment where personal space is somewhat of a commodity. In such a place, rakish designs like the MH40 headphones offer an escape; a means to conquer and overcome the boredom of urban sprawl. In physically placing them over your head you are transported. Levine understands this perfectly, “you create your own personal space, I think you have to. As people live in cities and work in open workspaces, I think people instinctively know they need their time to decompress on their own, and have their own personal music. Now, memories are often defined by the music we are listening to at that given time. I think it’s how people tune into themselves, or rejuvenate themselves, or get themselves ready - it’s how you get yourself ready for work in the morning when you come in on the tube”.
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