Mackie MC-60BT

Mackie position their new MC series as universal consumer headphones with a multitude of possible uses typical of those offered by modern wireless headphones: from video and telephone conferencing, gaming, and travelling with the elimination of unpleasant background noise, to simple music listening. Effective noise cancelling has proven itself to many users, even without music, when it comes to finding a little peace and quiet in noisy environments. So it’s a good thing that Mackie is bringing their brand new “MIS” wideband noise cancellation system into play.

Technical specification of the Mackie MC-60BT

Mackie has also installed their new 40-millimetre drivers into the MC-60BT, and these are used in the entire wireless MC series. This gives the headphones a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz and a maximum sound pressure of 103 dB. The earpieces are certified to IPX4 and are, therefore, splash- and dust-proof. The integrated 850 mAh battery provides a comfortable 32 hours of continuous listening (30 with ANC activated) and can be charged via USB-C (3 hours charging time) or the included wireless charging pad (5 hours charging time). The Bluetooth 5.0 standard is used, and SBC, AAC, aptX or aptX HD are used as the codec. In contrast to the MC-50BT, the MC-60BT also support multipoint – i.e. a maximum of two devices can be connected to the headphones at the same time.

The appearance and handling of the Mackie MC-60BT

More so than the other two current models Mackie MC-40BT and Mackie MC50-BT, the MC-60BT’s appearance strives for a serious look: the anthracite-coloured, matt plastic mouldings look almost sterile. The only bit of “cheerfulness” is provided by the Mackie logo, and the model number is found at the transition between the headband and the carrying handle.

The physical controls on the left earpiece are two buttons that are flush with the housing. One switches the headphones on/off and initiates pairing, and the other switches between ambient sound and noise cancelling. Other operations are carried out via the capacitive touch surfaces, which are located on both sides of the rear panel of the housing. The assignment is currently fixed – but I don’t want to rule out the possibility that Mackie will add an app to allow you to make personal adjustments.

The following functions can be accessed by holding down, tapping and swiping:

• Pause / Play / Answer call
• Previous / Next track
• Call voice assistant
• Decrease / increase volume

For us, triggering the functions worked reliably for the most part. If you forget to charge them, there is still the option of connecting the music to the headphones via an integrated stereo mini jack. For transport, the headphone pods can be folded in at the hinges to the headband, whereupon the MC-60BT easily fit into the supplied case (footprint approx. 7 x 21 cm)

By the way, charging via the supplied charging pad is very practical. Operation is signalled by a smart green light on the outside when you have placed the left headphone on it, and the current is flowing.

I can also report good things about the wearing experience, as the MC-60BTs distribute their 264 grams very evenly on the skull.

How do the Mackie MC-60BTs sound?

The Mackie MC-60BT’s basic sound has a pleasantly unagitated quality – their positioning in the market as a universal headphone, which can be worn for hours at a time when gaming or at conferences, audibly manifests itself here. The high-frequency range is not too sharp – but this means that the music is not presented in a particularly sparkling way, which is a dilemma that is virtually unsolvable from a physical point of view. Here, too, I would have liked to see an app with equaliser functionality to allow adjustment of the sound characteristics of the MC-60BT to suit personal preferences. Things are much more solid in the bass range, where the Mackies lay a solid foundation that can definitely be described as cosy. The midrange has a slight emphasis around 700 and 3,000 Hz and a small valley between about 1 kHz and 2.5 kHz, giving the sound a characteristic signature that is audible but not unpleasant.

The Mackie MC-60BT’s Noise Cancellation

The noise cancelling is robustly effective, silencing a whole lot of audio spam from voice murmurs to traffic noise and background music. It’s great that the ANC and Ambience modes also work when you’re using the MC-60BT wired – something that is not a foregone conclusion, as many other headphones switch off the electronics as soon as a cable is plugged in.

Talking on the phone with the MC-60BT

I can also report positive things about the quality of phone calls, which was quite good on both the caller and called side, not least because of the two microphones installed in these headphones. Making calls was particularly pleasant when the ambient mode was activated so that your own voice could be heard in the room. During phone calls, you can sometimes forget that you have the headphones on your ears.