Review / The Montblanc MB01 Smart Headphones look sexy and sound full in the mid- and low-ranges – but are they worth US$630?
Their pens are iconic but, as the brand moves into more lifestyle products, has its latest offering caught your eye and ear?
Montblanc is not a brand you would associate with the audio market, having made their fortunes through elegant writing instruments, high quality leather and adventurous timepieces. But with the brand recently foraying into the more general lifestyle market with luggage and a collaboration with Samsung for the Summit smartwatch, it seemed only a matter of time before they completed the active lifestyle circle with headphones.
High net worth high-flyers will no doubt have been searching for a pair of headphones that looks as good as they sound, with ultra-comfort and active noise cancellation thrown in: a combination not easy to find even if you pay more than US$1,300 for them. Is this where the Montblanc MB01 – or simply known as the Montblanc Smart Headphones – comes in?
Form and factor
What can I say? The MB01 is truly gorgeous from the soft leather padding to the polished metal finishes. The headphones come in three colours: grey white with silver, black and silver, and brown and gold. Our review set came in the latter and we only had photos to compare with the other two colours.
At first glance, the brown-and-gold combination seems be the one that stands out most. The white pair will stand out but might be a bit too high maintenance, while the black-and-silver is too conventional. I like that Montblanc has chosen a more muted gold – more like a golden bronze – for the finish. The combination gives the aesthetics a very elegant boost and makes the wearer feel right at home sliding into a first class seat.
Despite the lush finishing, the headphones are remarkably light at only 280 grams and the large size of the earcups allow for great comfort. I found I could wear it for long periods of time without any strain or making the headphones unwieldy. The silicone earcups, however, easily collects dust that is difficult to remove.
The whole headset sits securely on the head better than any other brands I have tried in recent years, not budging through jerky, abrupt movements. By comparison, the popular Bose QuietComfort and the Sony over-ear noise cancelling headphones often slide forward or backward with head movement and tend to pinch after a few hours.
The MB01 comes with a cloth carry case which I prefer because it’s easier to slip into a backpack or a tote than the hard cases such as with Bose. The headphones build is hardy enough to take some knocking about, which the hard cases protect against.
In the box are also the charging cable and the 3.5mm auxiliary adaptor to plug into in-flight systems. Both cables also come in the same brown and gold metal finish, completing the chic and elegant package.