Owners keep the MTW5 for sound that several rate above Sony and Samsung rivals and for effective noise cancelling, accepting a warmer tuning that not everyone likes.
Read from 51 owner accountsUpdated October 4, 2026Owner rating: none yetAdd yoursCompare it
What keeps coming up
Sound quality is the main draw, and owners lean positive on it. One owner upgrading from the MTW4 rates it above the Sony XM6 and Samsung Buds 4 Pro, and another found a song sounded better on it, with strong bass, sub-bass and voice separation.
Sound signature is the clearest complaint: most owners who raised it were negative. One who likes punchy bass and sharp treble finds the MTW5 flatter than the MTW4, while others describe a warm, smooth tuning with extra bass.
What keeps standing out is the sound and the noise cancelling. One owner says the ANC is nearly level with their Bose QC Ultra and better than the Sony XM6. Another found wind handling the closest they have used to the AirPods Pro 3, and says it worked well while cycling. Fit and comfort drew only positive comments, including from an owner who was otherwise unimpressed.
The tuning is the thing to get used to. Owners describe it as warmer than a neutral reference, with more bass, and the app gives you ways to change it: one owner praises the sound flexibility, and says Bass Boost and EQ help. Owners are divided on customization overall, and one says the Sony XM6 has more physical bass impact. Transparency mode drew only negative comments, though from just a few owners.
Reliability & repairs
There is little long-term evidence yet. The MTW5 is new, and the accounts we have come from owners a few days in, so nothing here shows how it holds up after a year.
A few owners raised connection stability and durability, all as problems, but the comments we have give no detail on what went wrong or what owners did about it. Battery life is split among a few owners. The replaceable battery got mostly positive comments: one owner cited it as a reason for confidence after seeing earbud batteries from other brands wear down within months. That is a design point, not a record of how long the battery lasts in practice.
More detail What owners praise, where they are split, and the
follow-up timeline
What owners praise
sound quality6 of 10who raised it
noise cancellation5 of 8who raised it
eq customization3 of 5who raised it
Where owners have concerns
build quality7 of 7who raised it
sound signature3 of 4who raised it
Where owners are split
bass quality4 for · 2 against · 2 mixedof 8 who raised it
comfort4 for · 3 against · 0 mixedof 7 who raised it
Counted from the owners who raised each subject, not from everyone. A subject is judged once at least 4 owners raise it.
17 more subjects came up from fewer than 4 owners each, which is not enough for a fair reading. To see how it stacks up, compare it with another machine.
Does it still kick?
The same owner, asked again at each point. Fills in as owners answer.
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Still good used? What a used buyer should know, from owners a year or more in
Among the 0 owner accounts here that gave a duration, 0 described a failure.
Before you buy one used, ask the seller: how old it is, whether it was ever repaired and by whom, and whether any of the parts above have been replaced. Ask to see it run. A receipt tells you the warranty start date; most makers honour the term only for the first owner.
Where this came from
Where this came from
Public discussions we read and summarised in our own
words. Nothing here was submitted to Still Kicks.
Counted from public accounts by people who said they own it, and summarised by Still Kicks in its own words. Not a manufacturer claim, a lab test or an estimate.
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