Mpow MDots True Wireless Headphone [Review]

The Mpow MDots True Wireless are a pair of basic truly wireless headphones from Mpow. They’re pretty robust, comfy, and have a bass-heavy sound profile that’s well-suited to EDM and hip-hop genres. They’re also good at filtering out background noise. Unfortunately, they don’t have any sound modification options, have a short battery life, and have mediocre microphone performance overall.

Style

The Mpow MDots don’t have a very unique appearance. They have a similar design to the Mpow X5 Truly Wireless, but with slightly squared-off buds. They should blend in with any surroundings because to its monochrome colour scheme, matte-finish enclosure, and unobtrusive company branding.

Comfort

These in-ears have a good amount of comfort. They come with a variety of ear tip and stability fin sizes, so you should be able to find a good fit. They’re also small and lightweight. Unfortunately, pressing their controls may push them deeper into your ears, which may be painful for certain people.

Controls

The control scheme on these in-ears is adequate. The control method is straightforward, and many functions are shared between the two buds, allowing you to use one while the other charges without losing access to all controls. Clicking either bud at the same time answers and ends calls, stops and plays music. Incoming calls are rejected with a click and hold, while a triple-click of either bud activates your phone’s voice assistant. A click and hold on the left bud decreases media volume, while a double click skips media backward. A click and hold on the right bud increases volume, while a double click skips media forward.

Breathability

The Mpow MDots, like other fully wireless in-ears, are extremely breathable. Because they retain extremely little heat, you should be able to wear them for longer periods of time without overheating.

Portability

The Mpow MDots are extremely transportable. They may easily be stuffed into a pocket or a pouch. Their charging case is also quite small, especially when compared to the Mpow M30 Truly Wireless.

Case

The charging case for the Mpow MDots is adequate. It’s not too huge and is totally composed of plastic, but it doesn’t seem particularly durable. For the buds to charge and the case’s top to latch shut, they must be precisely put in their cradles, which can be a tedious operation.

Build Quality

The Mpow MDots are solidly constructed. Their case has a fragile, plasticky feel about it. The buds themselves are constructed of moderately robust plastic, though not as sturdy as the Mpow M30 Truly Wireless’ structure. Water resistance is certified IPX6, but we don’t currently test for it. Their ear tips and stability come in a variety of sizes, but they appear to be prone to tearing.

Stability

The fit of these headphones is really secure. Even after the most strenuous workouts, they should not slip out of your ears.

Sound Profile

The sound characteristics of the Mpow MDots is bass-heavy. This should bring out the thump and rumble of EDM and hip-hop music, but it could be too much for aficionados of other, more sensitive genres. They also lack sound customising options such as built-in EQ presets.

Bass Accuracy

The bass accuracy on these headphones is adequate. The entire spectrum is overemphasised, giving genres like EDM and hip-hop an extra thump and rumble. Unfortunately, certain mixes may sound muddy as a result of this.

Mid Accuracy

The Mpow MDots offer very good mid-range accuracy. The bass response is slightly overemphasised in the low-mids, which can cause vocalists and lead instruments to sound a little muddy. They’re pushed to the rear of the mix by a tiny fall in the mid-mids, while the well-balanced high-mids provide good clarity and intensity.

Treble Accuracy

The treble accuracy of the Mpow MDots is average. The top harmonics of singers and lead instruments are dulled, and sibilants, such as cymbals, sound lispy.

Peaks/Dips

These headphones perform well in terms of peaks and dips. A boost in the high-bass range warms up some mixes but muffles vocals and lead instruments. A drop in the mid-mids sends those notes to the back of the mix, while a rise in the high-mids gives them a harsh, boxy quality. The upper harmonics of vocalists and lead instruments can be dulled by a dip and rise in the low and mid-treble, while sibilants like cymbals can seem piercing.

Imaging

The Mpow MDots feature excellent stereo imaging capabilities. Their weighted group delay is completely below audibility, producing in tight bass and transparent treble. Their L/R drivers are also well-matched in terms of amplitude, frequency, and phase response, ensuring that things such as voices and footfall are correctly placed within the stereo image with no gaps. However, because these results are only valid for our test unit, your results may differ.

Noise Isolation

Overall, the Mpow MDots offer a good noise isolation capabilities. While they don’t effectively block out low-frequency ambient noise, such as the rumbling of bus engines, they do effectively isolate you from ambient talk and high-pitched sounds, such as the hum of an air conditioner.

Leakage

The audio leaking performance of the Mpow MDots is good. You should be able to listen to information at a high volume without disturbing those around you.

Recording Quality

The recording quality of the built-in microphone is average. The recorded speech is faint and muffled, but at least it sounds natural.

Noise Handling

The microphone has a poor noise-handling capabilities. If you call from a noisy location, such as a subway train, people on the other end of the line are unlikely to hear you.

Battery

The battery life of the Mpow MDots is terrible. On a single charge, they last just under two and a half hours, which is much less than the stated four hours. Alternatives such as the Tranya T10 Truly Wireless, which provides around nine hours of continuous listening time, fall short. However, depending on how you use it, your experience may be very different. They also lack energy-saving features such as standby mode and an auto-off timer. Thankfully, one bud can be used to listen to music while the other charges.

Bluetooth

The Bluetooth connectivity of the Mpow MDots is adequate. They support Bluetooth 5.0, but you can’t pair them with more than one device at once. Their wireless range is also substantially shorter than the Mpow X5 Truly Wireless, so if you move too far away from your Bluetooth device, your audio may cut out. Their latency is also rather high on PCs, as well as mobile iOS and Android devices, which could be irritating if you plan on wearing them while streaming films. It’s worth mentioning, though, that different devices and apps compensate for latency in different ways, so this may not reflect your actual experience.

Verdict

The Mpow MDots are suitable for a variety of applications. They’re a fantastic overall option for on-the-go use because of their compact size, stable fit, good overall noise isolation capability, and decent build quality. Some users may find their bass-heavy sound profile dark and overbearing, and there are no sound customization options available to them. Overall, their microphone is subpar, and their limited battery life isn’t ideal for overnight travels or long days at the office.