This morning, audio company Master & Dynamic announced that it has partnered with Leica to release a new series of headphones. Yes, that Leica. So how did one of Europe’s most popular camera makers end up partnering on a line of headphones? Master & Dynamic thought Leica’s unique look would translate well to a pair of cans. And we have to say, we think they were right.
Released under the brand 0.95, these headphones pay homage to the Leica Noctilux-M 50mm. That camera has the world’s fastest aperture aspherical lens at f/0.95. The familiar retro-inspired styling of vintage photography has translated pretty well to Master & Dynamic’s over-ear and in-ear headphones.
Each pair of 0.95 headphones comes with a special branded logo, as well as the “Designed with Leica Camera AG” engraving on the side. There are three different models in the lineup for now, which includes the MW60, MH40, and ME05. From a function standpoint, these are each essentially identical in features to the already available Master & Dynamic lineup. Today’s announcement is purely a cosmetic change.
What we love about the 0.95 line is how well the black and red Leica design cues have translated to these new headphones. The outside of each pair gets the familiar black coloring, while the inside of the ear pads receive a pop of the infamous Leica red.
Mark Shipard, Head of Design at Leica Camera AG, explains further the decision to partner with Master & Dynamic:
“At Leica we believe that ‘form follows function’ in all its consequences. This also means that all our products have to be of the highest standards in manufacturing and quality. Only if the product is close to perfection in its function can it develop these special aesthetics. This same standard we ask of our cooperation partners, too. In Master & Dynamic we found a partner which believes in these values equally. It was therefore an intuitive process to design this beautiful, high-quality series of headphones.”
The great thing about today’s news is that Master & Dynamic will not be raising the prices on its recently-released Leica headphones. Its entire 0.95 line will remain at the same pricing, as follows:
Each model is available today directly from Master & Dynamic.
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