Review: Montblanc MTB 03 Wireless Earphones

So the question is, has Montblanc done enough to keep its core audience interested, while tempting new fans away from the likes of Bang & Olufsen, Bowers & Wilkins, and Sony?

When it launched the MTB 01, Montblanc called in Audeze’s founder, Alex Rosson, to help with the sound profile. This time around, the company has sought the expertise of audio legend Axel Grell, the man behind the development of many of Sennheiser’s most celebrated headphones. Hats off to the Swiss for knowing when to ask for help.

Before we get to the review proper, we need to flag something WIRED identified during our early access (though, importantly, not preproduction) testing. After a week or so using the MTB 03, the left earbud suddenly stopped connecting, despite being visible on the Montblanc Sound App. We contacted the brand’s PR agency, who, after suggesting various reboot methods, sent us a second unit.

Within two days, the same fault occurred. Dodgy early production batch? Bad luck? Coincidence? We asked Montblanc whether there was a problem with their new headphones, and after a few weeks, we received the following statement:

We recently identified an issue affecting firmware code from a chip supplier. Our clients’ satisfaction is of utmost importance to us and we will be providing a software patch to those affected in order to resolve the issue. The patch is currently undergoing rigorous testing and will be made available in the coming weeks.

Hopefully Montblanc has caught the chip fault early enough in the rollout of these headphones that a firmware patch will solve the issues and minimize any inconvenience. It would be a real shame if there were any permanent glitches, because up until the point our MTB 03 failed (twice), they were shaping up to be superb headphones.

In a chat over Zoom, Felix Obschonka, Montblanc’s director of new technologies, tells me: “We know how to design things. We know how to go into the smallest details that elevate the experience when the user is wearing something.” He’s not wrong. The MTB 03 is beautiful. A little safe maybe, but unquestionably beautiful.

The aluminum charging case (85.45 grams) is flawless, and understated in its premium appeal. It’s hard to inject subtle “luxury” into something as restricted as true wireless earbud design, but they’ve done a fine job here, with tasteful use of the Montblanc snowcap emblem on the case and the earbuds. The tiny port where the silicon eartips attach also has the mountain-peak star shape. Almost nobody will notice this touch, but it shows an attention to detail so often neglected when luxury brands go tech.

The earbuds (6 grams) are made from the same black resin used to make the Montblanc Meisterstück pen, and in addition to that snowcap emblem, a tiny Montblanc engraved chrome ring finishes the look. The case feels good in the hand, and should appeal to the existing customer base, with the snowcap detailing standing the wearer out in a knowing, appreciative crowd (OK, if you typically turn left getting on a plane).

As a final flourish, Montblanc offers free charging case engraving. You can have as many as 13 characters on there, in your choice of three fonts.

While not as all-encompassing as something like the 360-reality-audio-toting Sony WX1000XM5, Montblanc has been generous with the features here. There’s wireless charging, active noise cancellation (ANC), and IPX4 water resistance, plus touch controls on each emblem for music playback and answering calls. There are proximity sensors that automatically play and pause when you put the earbuds in, which is always appreciated.

Battery life runs to a respectable (but not class-leading) 12 hours of charge, with the buds themselves able to last up to six hours depending on whether you are using ANC or not. That’s a total of up to 18 hours of playtime, with USB-C fast charging able to add 100 minutes of charge in 15 minutes.

In use, the earbuds are simple and unobtrusive. They are as comfortable as any we’ve tried recently. The touch controls are a little trigger-happy, and it’s easy to accidentally play/pause if you ever need to readjust them, but this is by no means unique with true wireless designs. There’s no volume control, though, which is a little perplexing. For me, Apple’s AirPods Pro remain the best when it comes to onboard controls.

Connectivity is Bluetooth 5.2 wireless, with a reliable 10-meter range, and audio codecs include SBS, AAC, and adaptive aptX, if your smartphone or audio player is compatible. Active noise cancellation is now a must-have feature, of course, and here Montblanc has included the essentials. You can toggle ANC on and off, and choose from three settings: Travel, Sport, and Office. There’s a Live mode (transparency) to let a little of the outside in, and you can choose between Attention, Environment, and Voice Focus options.

Rather surprisingly for a pair of earbuds specifically targeted at the premium business traveler, the ANC is good, but not outstanding. It works well, but lacks the calm, cocooning effect we’ve come to rely on from Apple, Bose, and Sony’s best. There were moments, admittedly in a quiet office, when we mistakenly thought the ANC was turned off.

Given the price point, the market, and the experts involved, it would be a travesty if the MTB 03 didn’t sound great. Thankfully, they’re a terrific listen, and one of the most enjoyable true wireless headphones this reviewer has tested.

The 7-mm Beryllium drivers do a standup job here (frequency 20 Hz to 20 kHz), and Alex Grell has tuned them just the right side of neutral. There’s something of the Goldilocks about them, with just the right amount (and by that we mean a fair and appreciated wallop of bass) of low end, and enough in the upper registers to make all digital recordings shine. There are no shocks in store for the listener, just a richly rewarding delivery that’s indulgent and enjoyable.

Some of you might well be thinking, “$400 for some good headphones … I expect nothing short of brilliant for that kind of money.” This is a fair point. Indeed, there are better headphones for a lot less money, but Obschonka counters that headphones are a lifestyle item as much as a tech item these days. In other words, buy a Biro if you need a pen, choose a Montblanc if you’re making a statement.

Quite surprisingly again, given the high price point and typical hyperbole surrounding audio product launches, Alex Grell does not consider the MTB 03 to be audiophile. “It’s a great sounding profile,” he tells WIRED, “but it is not made for the audiophiles. It’s made for people who want to have something to make them feel good.”

He goes on to clarify that “not everyone’s listening to the exact same music, and you cannot produce headphones that everyone enjoys the same way. So we built headphones that we believe our target group will enjoy.”

He’s right, of course, and those of us in the audio game are often far too quick to apply that audiophile tag to all manner of products. The MTB 03 are a very fine pair of headphones, though, and sound gorgeous regardless of whether you’re blasting the Beastie Boys or binging on Bach—and they will almost certainly put a smile on your face while you listen.

I dislike companion headphone apps. They’re often bloated, brand-recognition, price-tag-justifying, data-collection exercises with little merit beyond offering firmware updates. That, or maybe I just don’t like having to get my phone out to change the settings on my headphones.

That said, the Montblanc Sound App is pretty, easy to navigate, and loaded with options, including a comprehensive EQ with sound profiles for most genres, plus audiobooks and podcasts. Each profile can also be tweaked to suit your tastes, and you can also create your own custom profile.

Rumor has it that Montblanc may be offering personalized sound profiles via an app-based hearing test soon through another firmware update (hopefully after the one that will make ours work again), but we’re unable to confirm this right now.

The app is comprehensive and user-friendly, but we can’t help feeling that tweaking Axel Grell’s sound profile choices is like telling 19-time Michelin Star–winning chef Alain Ducasse which end of the knife to hold. Yes, it’s nice to add a little extra hertz here and there for that personal touch, but having tried all the presets with their respective genres, the default just sounds better. Be aware, however, the “audiobook/podcast” option should be ignored.

The Montblanc MTB 03 are high-class, premium-quality headphones. They’re unashamedly expensive, and have been designed ground-up to appeal to executive business-class traveler types and the core Montblanc customer base. In this, the company has succeeded.

They’re comfortable to wear for long periods of time, they telegraph their exclusivity in a stylish, understated way, and, most important of all, they make music sound fantastic.

Yet despite that premium price, they’re not the best. The ANC lacks the real-world muffling of the best in class, and it would be handy if our sample weren’t dogged by dodgy chipsets. The WIRED score here would likely have been an 8, if the MTB 03 hadn’t broken—twice.

However, once teething problems have been sorted, if you’re a loyal fan of the brand and appreciate the exclusivity that the tiny white snowcap emblem represents, you won’t be disappointed.