The Mpow M30 in-ear Bluetooth headphones are very versatile and perform quite well. They have a fairly well-balanced sound profile with a bit of extra bass, which should please some. They're also quite comfortable and have a design similar to that of the popular Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless headphones. They come with many tips and stability fins to help you find the most comfortable and secure fit. Unfortunately, some might be disappointed by their short 4-hour battery life, but this should still be good enough if you're looking for workout headphones. Nevertheless, these headphones are well-built and offer great overall value.
Our Verdict
The Mpow M30 are quite decent headphones for mixed usage. They're great for sports thanks to their stable, comfortable fit, and they're even rated IPX8 for water resistance, although we don't test this. They offer a well-balanced sound profile with a bit extra bass, which can be great for keeping you pumped during workouts. Their Bluetooth connection isn't designed for gaming, but the wireless design and small form factor make them well-suited for your commute.
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Well-balanced and fairly accurate sound profile.
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Comfortable in-ear fit; multiple tip options.
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Solid and well-made design.
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Only 4 hours of battery life.
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Bluetooth latency can be too high for some uses.
The Mpow M30 are decent for neutral sound. Their sound profile is well-balanced but has a bit of extra punch in the bass. They deliver a consistent audio reproduction, but also have a very small soundstage, which is expected for closed-back in-ears.
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Well-balanced and fairly accurate sound profile.
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Comfortable in-ear fit; multiple tip options.
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Only 4 hours of battery life.
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Poor soundstage.
The Mpow M30 are good headphones to use when commuting and traveling. Their in-ear fit is comfortable and they provide an accurate and well-balanced audio reproduction. Unfortunately, they don't block out much of the deep noise coming from bus or plane engines, but they reduce ambient chatter and higher frequencies well. Also, while their 4-hour battery life should be enough for your daily commute, it isn't long enough for long flights.
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Well-balanced and fairly accurate sound profile.
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Comfortable in-ear fit; multiple tip options.
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Decent noise isolation.
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Portable design.
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Only 4 hours of battery life.
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Bluetooth latency can be too high for some uses.
The Mpow M30 are great sports headphones. Their small wireless design is comfortable and easy to bring to the gym. They also come with multiple tips and stability fins for you to find the most stable fit. They're also well-built and rated IPX8 for water resistance. Their 4-hour battery life isn't ideal but should still be enough for most workouts.
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Well-balanced and fairly accurate sound profile.
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Comfortable in-ear fit; multiple tip options.
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Solid and well-made design.
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Very stable fit, multiple stability fin options.
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Portable design.
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Only 4 hours of battery life.
The Mpow M30 are passable headphones to use in an office. Their in-ear fit is comfortable and can be worn for long periods, especially since they come with multiple tip sizes to help you find the best possible fit. They also do a good job of reducing ambient chatter and higher frequency noises like an A/C system. Unfortunately, their 4-hour battery life won't be long enough for a full work day, so you'll need to charge them during your breaks. On the upside, they offer a well-balanced and accurate audio reproduction.
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Well-balanced and fairly accurate sound profile.
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Comfortable in-ear fit; multiple tip options.
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Only 4 hours of battery life.
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Bluetooth latency can be too high for some uses.
The Mpow M30 are Bluetooth-only headphones and their latency is too high to be recommended for gaming.
The Mpow M30 are truly wireless Bluetooth headphones that can't be used wired.
The Mpow M30 are just okay for phone calls. Like most Bluetooth in-ear headphones, your voice doesn't sound full-bodied and the microphone struggles to separate your voice from background noise. On the upside, if you're in a quiet environment, the person on the line shouldn't have any issues understanding you, although the recording quality might not be the best.
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Well-balanced and fairly accurate sound profile.
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Comfortable in-ear fit; multiple tip options.
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Okay microphone recording quality.
- 7.1 Mixed Usage
- 6.9 Neutral Sound
- 7.6 Commute/Travel
- 8.1 Sports/Fitness
- 6.8 Office
- 5.3 Wireless Gaming
- 5.2 Wired Gaming
- 6.5 Phone Calls
- Updated Jul 28, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Jul 21, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Jun 11, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jun 09, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated May 30, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
There's an Mpow M30 Plus variant that seem to be the same headphones, but with a bigger 2600mAh charging case that supports up to 19 additional charges, according to the manufacturer. We expect our review to be mostly valid for this variant for test results other than the total battery life, which is estimated by Mpow to be around 100 hours.
Compared To Other Headphones
The Mpow M30 are quite good truly wireless headphones and provide a good overall value. Their design seems somewhat similar to the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless, but their performance isn't quite as impressive. Also, the manufacturer allows you to buy either the left or right bud individually if one gets damaged or lost, which is quite rare. Their main downside is the fact that you only just over 4 hours of battery life, which can be frustrating if you need to charge them often. For more options, check out our recommendations for the best true wireless headphones, the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds, and if you're on a tight budget and want more affordable options, check out the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds under $50.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless are slightly more versatile than the Mpow MDots True Wireless. The M30 are more comfortable, better-built, offer superior overall mic performance, and last longer on a single charge. Conversely, the MDots block out a little more ambient noise and are slightly more compact.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless are slightly better than the TOZO T12 Truly Wireless for mixed usage. The Mpow have a more comfortable, stable fit, a better-balanced sound profile, and a microphone that isolates speech from background noise more effectively. However, the TOZO last longer on a single charge, block out more ambient noise, and have lower wireless latency.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless and the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 79 Truly Wireless are both very similar, but the TaoTronics have a small edge. They have a more accurate and better-balanced sound profile while offering more battery life per charge. They also have a noticeably lower latency on PCs as well as Android and iOS devices. On the other hand, the Mpow have a fit that blocks out a bit more ambient noise, are slightly more comfortable and their case is a bit better-built.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless and the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless are very similar performing headphones. they have a near-identical sound profile, but the Mpow are slightly more comfortable. On the other hand, the Anker have a good app that offers plenty of presets and a graphic EQ. They also last longer on a single charge but take considerably longer to fully charge.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless are a better option than the Mpow M30 Truly Wireless. The Samsung have a very accurate and well-balanced sound profile, on top of being customizable via EQ presets in their app. They also have a noticeably better battery performance with over 13 hours of continuous playback, against the Mpow's mere 4 hours. On the other hand, the Mpow have a better noise isolation performance and are noticeably cheaper, but other than that, the Samsung are simply better.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless and the Anker SoundCore Liberty Lite Truly Wireless are two decent pairs of headphones. If volume control is a must for you, go with the Mpow. They're also more comfortable and have a longer battery life, although they still only offer around 4 hours of continuous playback time. On the other side, the Anker have an impressively accurate sound profile and offer marginally better noise isolation performance.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless are better than the TOZO T6 Truly Wireless. The Mpow's fit is more comfortable, and they come with stability fins, which help get a more secure fit. The Mpow also have a more accurate sound profile, especially in the treble range, which some users may prefer. On the other hand, the TOZO's fit blocks out a bit more ambient noise, and the buds' battery lasts around an hour longer than the Mpow.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless and Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless are similarly performing truly wireless headphones. The Mpow have an easier-to-use control scheme, a more stable fit, and a higher IPX8 rating for water resistance, although we don’t test for that. Meanwhile, the Anker have a much longer battery life, a better-balanced sound profile, and reduce the volume of ambient noise more effectively.
The ENACFIRE E60 Truly Wireless and the Mpow M30 Truly Wireless are similarly-performing truly wireless headphones. They're both well-built and comfortable. However, the ENACFIRE E60 can isolate more noise, their continuous battery life is longer, and they have more charges in their case. Conversely, the Mpow have a better integrated mic and their fit is more stable.
The FIIL T1X True Wireless are slightly better in-ears than the Mpow M30 Truly Wireless. The FIIL have a more neutral sound profile, their continuous battery life is longer, and they charge in less time. They also have an app that gives you access to 15 EQ presets. However, the Mpow have a better-performing integrated mic, they can isolate slightly more noise, and they leak less sound.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless and the Mpow X3 Truly Wireless are in-ears with different strengths. While both headphones are comfortable and well-built, the X3 have a more neutral sound profile. Their continuous battery life is longer, they have a standby mode to help length the time between recharges, and their integrated microphone has a better recording quality too. However, they aren't any better at blocking out ambient noise, even though they have an ANC feature. Some users may also prefer the M30's stemless design as well as their slightly more bass-heavy sound profile.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless are better headphones than the Tranya T10 Truly Wireless. The Mpow are more comfortable and have a more stable fit. They isolate against more background noise, and they have a more neutral sound compared to the Tranya's excited, V-shaped sound profile. That said, the Tranya have a longer continuous battery life, which some listeners may prefer.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless are better overall than the SoundPeats TrueFree 2 Wireless. The Mpow have a more comfortable fit, more consistent audio delivery, superior noise isolation capability, and their mic has a better noise handling performance. They also last a little longer off of a single charge. Meanwhile, the SoundPeats have lower wireless latency on mobile devices and are equipped with a standby mode to prolong their battery life when not in use.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless and Mpow X5 Truly Wireless are fairly evenly-matched, though one may suit you better than the other depending on your needs. The M30 deliver audio more consistently, have a more stable fit, leak less audio, and have a mic that deals with ambient noise more effectively. Conversely, the X5 have a superior control scheme, last longer on a single charge, and are fitted with an active noise cancellation feature that enables them to block out a lot more ambient audio.
The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless are better for most uses than the Mpow X6 Truly Wireless. The M30 have a more stable fit, superior passive noise isolation capability, and a slightly longer continuous battery life. They also have a less bass-heavy sound profile, which some listeners may prefer.
Test Results
The Mpow M30 look quite a bit like the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless. They're small and compact and don't stand out too much.
These truly wireless headphones are quite comfortable as they're light and don't put too much pressure in the ear. The tips don't enter the ear canal too deeply, and they come with multiple tip and sleeve options to help you find the best fit.
These headphones have an alright control scheme that's easy to use. A single tap plays and pauses music, two taps on the right earbud skips tracks, and two taps on the left one goes backward. A triple tap triggers your phone's voice assistant. You can also control the volume with hold-commands. Use the left to lower the volume and the right to raise it. Unfortunately, pairing these headphones can be a pain if you have more than a single device as they don't enter pairing mode unless you disconnect them from their last connected device.
Like most truly wireless headphones, the Mpow M30 are very portable and should fit in pockets or a bag. They also have a fairly weak magnet to hold the buds together.
The charging case of the Mpow M30 is good. It's very similar to the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless' case, but a tad bigger. The lid feels a bit cheap, but shouldn't cause any issues.
These headphones are quite well-built and feel solid enough to survive a few drops without too much damage. The buds are also advertised to be IPX8-rated for water resistance, although Mpow says they withstand sweat, light rain, and accident splashes, which doesn't quite match the description of an IPX8 rating since there's no mention of complete submersion. However, we don't test this so can't confirm their actual water-resistance rating. Overall, the headphones feel dense and the case also feels durable, although the lid hinge feels like the weakest link of the build.
The Mpow M30 are very stable headphones that are great for sports. They come with multiple ear tip sizing options and, unlike the Mpow X5 Truly Wireless come with stability fins, which makes it easier for the user to find a stable fit.
- Mpow M30 headphones
- Charging case
- 4x tip options
- 3x fin sleeve options
- USB-C charging cable
- Manuals
The Mpow M30 have a rather well-balanced sound profile, but it's slightly dark due to a small overemphasis in their bass range and a small lack of detail is some higher frequencies. Unfortunately, they don't have access to an EQ or even presets as they don't have an app.
These headphones have excellent frequency response consistency. If you can achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the assortment of tips that come with the headphones, then you should be able to get a consistent bass and treble delivery every time you use the headphones.
The bass accuracy of these headphones is decent. The overall response is very well-balanced and flat but is slightly overemphasized. This results in a slightly more thumpy and present bass, which some may prefer.
The mid-range accuracy of the Mpow M30 is very good. Vocals and lead instruments are very well reproduced and sound clear and balanced.
The treble accuracy of these headphones is good. It's fairly well-balanced although there's a small dip that could dull out some frequencies, while the peak in the mid-treble might make some higher-frequency sounds a bit bright and piercing.
The peaks and dips performance of the Mpow M30 is quite good. Most of the range is fairly well-balanced, although there's a bit of variation in the treble range. Peaks and dips in that range result in uneven higher frequencies where some lack detail while others are overly sharp, especially on already bright tracks.
The stereo imaging of these headphones is amazing. The group delay is under the audibility threshold which results in a tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. Both L/R drivers are also well-balanced, which is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects and instruments in the stereo image. However, these results are only valid for our unit and yours may perform differently.
Like most in-ears, these headphones have a very bad soundstage. Pinna interaction is one of the big factors in giving the sense of a large and out-of-head soundstage, therefore, the soundstage of these headphones is perceived to be small and located inside your head as opposed to in front due to their in-ear design.
These headphones don't have any virtual soundstage features.
The weighted harmonic distortion of these headphones is within good limits. There's a small bump in the treble range, but this shouldn't be noticeable to most listeners.
These are the settings we used to these headphones. The test results are only valid for these settings.
The in-ear fit of the Mpow M30 blocks out a decent amount of ambient noise. Since it doesn't have any active noise canceling feature, it doesn't reduce the deep rumble coming from bus or plane engines. On the upside, they do a great job of reducing ambient chatter or higher frequencies like the hum of an A/C unit. Still, if you're looking for a similar pair of budget-friendly truly wireless headphones that do a better job of blocking out ambient noise, consider the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless.
Like most in-ear headphones, these don't leak much audio. Even at very loud volumes, people around you shouldn't be disturbed by your music.
These headphones have integrated microphones inside each bud.
The recording quality of the integrated microphone is passable and typical of most Bluetooth headphones. Voices sound muffled and lack a bit of detail, but the person on the other end of the line can still understand you clearly.
The noise handling of the Mpow M30's microphone is mediocre. It struggles to separate voices from background noise, which isn't ideal for making phone calls in moderately noisy environments.
The Mpow M30 have a sub-par battery performance. We only measured just over 4 hours of battery life, while Mpow advertises for 5 hours. This won't be enough for most work shifts but should be fine for workouts. The charging case holds four additional charges, and since there's no master bud, you can place any bud in the case while still using the other. Unfortunately, unlike the Mpow X3 Truly Wireless, they don't have a standby mode to help conserve battery life. Still, if you're in a hurry to get out the door and out on a run, you may want to take a look at the sports-oriented Skullcandy Push Ultra Truly Wireless, which charge much faster and provide a longer continuous runtime.
These headphones don't have a companion app. If you're looking for a pair of truly wireless headphones that have a companion app with EQ presets, check out the FIIL T1X True Wireless.
The Mpow M30 are Bluetooth 5.0-compatible truly wireless headphones. Unfortunately, they don't support NFC and can't be connected to multiple devices at the same time, which can be a hassle if you often need to change between your computer and phone. Also, the wireless latency of these headphones is more noticeable on mobile devices than alternatives like the SoundPeats TrueFree 2 Wireless, although some apps seem to compensate for this, so your experience may vary.
These headphones are Bluetooth-only and don't have any other wireless connection.
These truly wireless headphones don't have any type of wired connection.
These headphones are only compatible with Bluetooth-enabled PCs and can't be used on PS4. Due to their high latency, they aren't recommended for gaming.
The Mpow M30 are Bluetooth-only and therefore aren't compatible with the Xbox One.
These headphones come with a small charging case that should give you around four additional charges. It charges via USB-C, but doesn't have any other inputs and doesn't support wireless charging.