Master & Dynamic
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Audio equipment |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Jonathan Levine, Vicki Gross |
| Headquarters | New York , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jonathan Levine (Founder), Thomas Wilson (Director of Product Design) |
| Products | Headphones, earphones, speakers, audio accessories |
| Owner | Thirty Five Ventures (equity stake since 2019) |
Master & Dynamic is a New York-based American audio company established in 2013 by Jonathan Levine and Vicki Gross. The firm specializes in the design and production of high-end headphones, earphones, speakers, and various audio accessories.
Focusing on the creative sector, Master & Dynamic collaborates with partners such as Kevin Durant's Thirty Five Ventures, Leica Camera, and Louis Vuitton. Additionally, the company supports arts education initiatives at Harlem Village Academies, a public charter school network located in Harlem.
History
Jonathan Levine, who had previous experience launching consumer product ventures, founded Master & Dynamic after identifying a lack of stylish and durable headphones in the market. Drawing inspiration from 1940s headphones crafted from leather and metal, Levine teamed up with Swedish industrial designer Mårten Wallby to develop products made from robust materials like stainless steel, premium grain leather, anodized aluminum, and braided copper cables. Thomas Wilson holds the position of Director of Product Design.
The company debuted in May 2014 with two headphone and two earphone models. Initial assessments from outlets such as CNET and Wired commended the products for their design quality, sound performance, and build integrity.
In 2014, Master & Dynamic collaborated with NeueHouse coworking spaces to create a noise-isolating boom microphone tailored for open-plan offices, which launched in January 2015. Other partnerships include an audio toolkit developed with Zero Halliburton and exclusive headphone editions created with New York fashion label Proenza Schouler. In November 2015, they launched headphones featuring vegan Alcantara materials.
Since its inception in 2013, Master & Dynamic has contributed financially to the arts programs at Harlem Village Academies and supplied headphones for music education. The company also supports The Center for Arts Education in New York City.
In 2017, a partnership with Leica resulted in the "Master & Dynamic for 0.95" headphone series showcasing Leica-inspired designs. Louis Vuitton joined forces with the brand in January 2019 to release wireless Horizon Earphones adorned with the luxury brand’s monogram.
In May 2019, Thirty Five Ventures—owned by basketball star Kevin Durant and sports executive Rich Kleiman—acquired an equity stake in Master & Dynamic.
Headphones and earphones
Released in November 2015, the ME05 earphones feature solid brass housing combined with titanium-coated custom drivers. The initial production sold out within three days and was followed by a second batch after receiving favorable reviews.
Master & Dynamic’s first wireless headphones, the MW60, launched in December 2015 and were lauded by Wired as “the best wireless headphone.” The MW50 model—a wireless adaptation of the original MH30 on-ear headphones—was introduced in November 2016. In May 2018, the MW50+ was released, offering a convertible design that allows switching between on-ear and over-ear styles.
The MW07 True Wireless Earphones debuted in September 2018, earning both a Red Dot Design Award in 2019 and a CES Innovation Award that same year. The product line expanded in 2019 with the MW07 Plus featuring longer battery life and the water-resistant MW07 Go variant.
In May 2019, Master & Dynamic unveiled the MW65 wireless headphones equipped with active noise-cancellation technology. This model received a CES Innovation Award in 2020 for preserving signature sound quality alongside effective noise reduction.
To mark its fifth anniversary in November 2019, the company launched a wireless version of its original MH40 headphones. Robb Report described this as an evolutionary enhancement notable for significant weight reduction.
In March 2023, an upgraded MH40 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones model was introduced featuring 40mm titanium drivers and extended battery performance. Founder Jon Levine emphasized the ongoing demand and lasting appeal of the original MH40 design.
Speakers
In April 2017, Master & Dynamic introduced the MA770 wireless speaker, constructed using a unique concrete composite material. Developed in partnership with architect Sir David Adjaye, the MA770 merges cutting-edge materials with superior sound quality, aimed at the luxury audio segment.