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Winnie Chung

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.
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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.
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Connectivity and controls
Everything is controlled with the right earcup. Bluetooth connection is relatively simple, through physical buttons on the side of the right earcup. The power button doubles as the bluetooth connection if you hold down on it longer. Unlike the often more complicated true wireless connections, it was up and running in no time.
Above the power button are the volume controls, the active noise cancelling (ANC) button as well as a button for Google Assistant. The physical buttons work smoothly and there is no lag with the ANC; there is also an option for live mode which allows you to hear surrounding sounds.

There is no need to download another app for the headphone control; the advantage is that you don’t need another app cluttering up your phone, but the disadvantage is that there is no equaliser control – but more on the sounds later.
The Google Assistant function is similar to Apple’s Siri and is probably more useful to Android users than Apple-philes, as you need to fiddle around with the GA app. You need to have it running in the background all the time so that the headphones can connect quickly.
On the side of the earcup is also the barely visible play/pause and forward/rewind control. Here’s where the MB01 lets users down. The earcup is a bit squishy and you often have to tap quite hard before it registers. After a few failed attempts, I was attacking my right ear with such gusto that I must have looked like I was trying to dislodge some creepy-crawly from my ear canal!

Audio quality
For the sound tuning, Montblanc turned to sound guru Alexa Rosson, one of the co-founders of headphones brand Audeze and the audio quality is as expected above average. The warm tones of the brown and gold are a reflection of the sounds: rich, warm tones that envelope the ears. By comparison, the popular Bose QuietComfort suddenly begins to sound a little more tinny.
The Bose QC35 tends to hit the high notes more crisply while the MB01 does better with the mid- and low-range sounds. As said, this offers greater warmth in the audio but I personally prefer some crisper notes especially on vocals but it’s not a real deal-breaker.
Are the Powerbeats Pro better than the Apple AirPods?
I’ve used them for Google Hangouts meetings and phone calls and the audio has been quite clear with no complaints from my callers or colleagues.
The biggest disappointment has been the ANC. With the headphones on in a coffee shop, I could clearly hear what another customer – seated 1.5 metres away – was saying to her friend in between tracks or during softer music. Granted, the woman was louder than most, but certainly, even my true wireless Sony WF-1000MX3 or even my Airpods Pro earbuds did a better job of cutting the noise.

Battery life and charging 
The MB01 charges through a USB-C and Montblanc claims it offers about 20 hours’ playback on ANC, which is pretty decent and can last you through a long-haul flight. We haven’t yet been able to take them on a proper flight, given that most airlines have been grounded due to Covid-19. A full charge takes 2.5 hours.
Is it going to break the bank?
If you’re earning an average salary, yes, probably. The MB01 comes in at a whopping HK$4,900 (US$$630) which is way more expensive than its closest competitors, the QC35 and Sony WH-1000XM4, for relatively similar sound quality.
But are you going to look completely sexy strutting around with the MB01? For sure. If you’re looking purely for audio quality, you can probably get better for this money, but if you want to balance aesthetics and sounds, the MB01 is certainly worth considering. Somehow, we don’t think that money will be an issue for the client base Montblanc is aiming for.
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.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Their pens are iconic but, as the brand moves into more lifestyle products, has its latest offering caught your eye and ear?

Their pens are iconic but, as the brand moves into more lifestyle products, has its latest offering caught your eye and ear?