Montblanc has announced its first wireless earbuds, the MTB 03. Like the recently announced Denon PerL Pro, it features personalized sound technology and is my most anticipated wireless earphone of the year.

The new Montblanc MTB 03 noise-canceling earphones are available directly from the Montblanc store for $395 / £345 / $640 AUD. It is the latest addition to Montblanc's wearable lineup, following last year's launch of the luxury Summit 3 smartwatch, along with the MTB 01 wireless noise-canceling over-ear headphones ($640 / £520 / AUD $960), which were launched in 2020.

The new wireless earbuds are said to meet expectations for the brand, and the eyebrow-raising price tag reflects the company's luxury orientation; the MTB 03 is said to be inspired by the iconic design of Montblanc writing instruments, with a black white emblem.

Featuring adaptive sound software that personalizes the listening experience according to the wearer's preferences, I expect the MTB 03 to employ a similar personalization process as the NuraTrue Pro earphones I reviewed last year. Pro ranked among my favorite wireless earbuds in 2022 (it was discontinued early in 2023), and I am curious to see how the MTB 03 will compare.

The MTB 03 is made of lightweight plastic and is said to provide an optimal ergonomic fit. It features active noise cancellation with transparency mode, and has a waterproof and sweatproof rating of IPX4.

According to Montblanc, the new MTB 03 wireless earphones support Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive codec support. This means that, like many good wireless earbuds, it can handle high-quality audio signals from compatible playback devices. They can also connect to proprietary smartwatches from high-end watchmakers and other smartwatches that use the Wear OS 3 platform.

The charging case can be charged either wirelessly or via USB-C, but battery life is inferior to the AirPods Pro 2, with 5-6 hours of playback time. The charging case only lasts a total of 18 hours, which is disappointing, and can be surpassed by some of the best inexpensive wireless earbuds at about a quarter of the price.

The MTB 03 also has touch functionality, making it easy to control audio play/pause, answer calls, etc.

To tune the sound of the MTB 03, Montblanc enlisted Axel Grell, a renowned audiophile sound engineer known for designing some of the best sounding headphones in the world. With his contributions, the company has perfected a balanced audio tuning that it calls the Montblanc Sound Signature.

"We wanted to create a high-performance solution that uses premium materials to express quality in a subtle and elegant way, in a design that is uniquely Montblanc," said Dr. Felix Ovchonka, Montblanc's director of new technologies. Just as everyone's handwriting is unique, so is their hearing, and they need a customization like the Montblanc Sound Signature to provide them with an optimal experience."

Montblanc's MTB 03 wireless earbuds are available now for $395 / £345 / $640 Australian. Stay tuned for my review of these earphones and insights into their personalized sound performance, coming soon.