104 MACWORLD AUGUST 2019
PLAYLIST REVIEW: PSB M4U 8 HEADPHONESFE ATU R E S
The M4U 8 is a circumaural (over-ear)
headphone with an adjustable,
leatherette-clad headband and
“gyro-suspended” earpads that
conform to a wide variety of head
sizes and form a nice seal around
the ears. In fact, the inner sides
of each earpad angle away from
the opening to provide extra
room for the pinna (outer ear). A
total weight of 12.8 ounces is a bit
heavier than other direct
competitors, but I didn’t find it
unduly weighty in any way. In fact, it
bespeaks a high level of build
quality, which I greatly appreciate.
The backs of the earcups are closed,
and the dynamic mylar diaphragm measures
40 mm in diameter. Frequency response is
specified from 20Hz to 20kHz (±1.5 dB).
Like many headphones these days, the
M4U 8 is wireless, using Bluetooth 4.2 as
the primary input. It supports the aptX HD
profile, which provides up to 24-bit digital
audio, and NFC (Near-Field
Communication) pairing lets you pair the
headphones with a compatible source
device simply by touching them together.
You can also connect a source to the M4U
8 with an analog cable—which can be
plugged into the 3.5mm jack on either
earcup—or a USB cable that also charges
the internal batteries if the source device
The M4U 8 can
operate as passive
headphones when their
batteries run out.provides USB power. The M4U 8 comes
with both types of cables that PSB claims
are “tangle free.”
Speaking of the batteries, they consist
of two rechargeable AAAs in the left
earcup. You can easily replace them; you
can even use non-rechargeable AAA
batteries in a pinch. They take about four
hours to fully charge using a wall-outlet
USB adaptor, and they provide an average
of 15 hours of operation.
Aside from powering the Bluetooth
functionality, the batteries also power the