Opinion
Marshall Minor III is a thing with its own character. Headphones will not adapt to the top of the charts, where rap is held in high esteem. They love rock in all its forms, and if you like that kind of music, then you'll like these headphones. If not, then look at something else.
Personally, I didn’t really like the headphones due to the lack of any noise insulation, typical for models of this format. In addition, they have a peculiar fit in the ears - not everyone will fit them tightly.
Marshall Minor III headphones went on sale for 11,990 rubles, and there is enough choice among in-ear headphones of a similar format.
Noise insulation and control
The fit in the ears is good, but provided that in-ear headphones suit you in principle. For example, I prefer “plugs” that fit securely and certainly won’t fall out under any circumstances.
I can’t say the same about the Marshall Minor III, it’s a compromise: they don’t fit as tightly as I would like, I wouldn’t do active sports in them or turn my head so as not to accidentally drop them. On the other hand, how many tens of millions of people walk around with regular AirPods without experiencing any problems? That’s how it is with Marshall, you have to try it on and try it for yourself.
The controls are quite simple: headphones with touch areas near the letter M, so you can switch tracks or answer calls. In addition, you can pause songs and start them again if you remove or insert the earbuds into your ear. Double-tapping skips to the next song, while triple-tapping plays the previous song.
It remains to add that there is no support for voice assistants - for some this may be an important point. Also, I was unable to connect headphones through the Marshall app. Hopefully this will be resolved with future updates.
#6 – Marshall Minor II Bluetooth
Price: 6,490 rubles
If full-size headphones are not your thing, pay attention to the Marshall Minor II Bluetooth. The sound quality here, of course, is worse than that of the previous model (the lack of bass due to the form factor is noticeable), but for the average user it will be enough. Compared to many multi-channel competitors, the relatively inexpensive model benefits from the fact that it does not put so much pressure on the ear canal, so it is suitable even for sensitive users.
Another trump card of the solution is support for aptX, which is famous for the highest sound quality among all wireless codecs. As for autonomy, the headphones last 12 hours on a single charge, and a 20-minute pit stop is enough for two hours of work. In general, these are extremely good value for money headphones from a famous brand.
Marshall Minor II Bluetooth
Appearance and ease of use
The Marshall Major retains its signature design with plenty of faux leather trim. True, the appearance is still different from the 2016 model. The stylish golden inscription on the back of the headband was replaced with boring stamping. By the way, in the first models the cover on the back side was made of “turned leather” and due to the significant difference in texture, the headphones are very pleasant to hold in your hands. The light inscriptions on the sides of the 3 were made less contrasting, and the rotary mechanism lost some shiny details and began to look more severe. The design has become less flashy, but still has not lost its rock charisma. This is especially noticeable on the cables that come in the kit: charging (mini-USB) and an analog mini-jack - mini-jack cable. Previous models had chic metal connectors that seemed like they had just been pulled out of a guitar amplifier, but now there is a strict plastic connector housing. Yes, it is made in color, from soft plastic, stylish and strict, but the impression is not the same. Thank you for at least keeping the spring on the analog cable.
Headphones are traditionally available in two finishes: black and brown. When there was more gold glitter in the headphones, the brown model looked better, now, for my taste, there is parity.
From a constructive point of view, I liked Major III much more than its predecessors. The company clearly paid attention to the bottlenecks of the II version and made the design of the headphones more durable. The folding mechanism works conveniently, and when folded, the headphones really take up little space.
The ear pads became a little higher and, at the same time, retained their elastic softness. On first impression, the fit is quite comfortable but moderately hard. With prolonged use, there is still pressure on the ears. The optimal time of use, for me personally, is no more than two hours. The question is subjective, so you may have different impressions.
The noise insulation also corresponds to the class of the device: it is enough for the street, but not enough in the metro. The Major III does not have an active noise reduction system, but if good “noise” is important to you, pay attention to the Marshall MID ANC
I would also like to note the battery life. I had enough headphones for almost a work week. The stated battery life is 30 hours!
#4 – Marshall Mid Bluetooth
Price: 13,390 rubles
Another decent full-size wireless headphones from Marshall. As you can guess from the name, the emphasis here is on a balanced frequency range. There really are no problems with this - customer reviews confirm this. The device has proven itself well in terms of reliability - the ear pads are made of high-quality eco-leather, which does not peel off over time, and the headband will not crack at the first fall.
Another advantage of the solution is ergonomics. Compared to Major 3, mids have far fewer complaints about discomfort during use. All this together allowed the model to become one of the most popular in its price segment.
Marshall Mid Bluetooth
How to connect Marshall headphones via Bluetooth
Connecting wired headphones to wireless ones, support for the aptX codec, foldable design, 30 (!) hours of battery life, recognizable design - all this is Marshall Major II Bluetooth...
Content
Contents of delivery
- Headphones
- Audio cable
- USB cable
- Documentation
Design, construction
When dealing with Marshall products, always expect surprises, from packaging to some aspects related to functionality, there may be some kind of twist everywhere. The company doesn’t let you down - headphones that have been familiar for a hundred years have not just become wireless, they have become hybrid. Battery low? Keep the included audio cable at hand - oh yes, there are a lot of highlights: gold-plated plugs, a spring, a remote control with one button and a microphone, this is rare, connect and immediately listen to music again. The button works with different devices, both iPhone and Samsung. One press, and the music immediately starts or pauses, and you can answer the call. As soon as you connect the cable, Bluetooth turns off, a completely logical behavior - expected, but unexpectedly timely.
And here it is. Want to reconnect your headphones and put them into pairing mode? Just press the power button next to the 3.5 mm jack twice, the indicator somehow smoothly lights up blue, you can connect a second phone. There are not a bunch of buttons on the left cup - just one joystick! Pressing works like Play/Pause or answering a call, moving the joystick in different directions, easily adjust the volume and switch between tracks. Everything is intuitive, clear and simple. The pad of the thumb rests right on the joystick, and look how nicely they fit the button into the corner of the cup - in fact, it’s still the same old dog, trained in completely new tricks.
The headphones are foldable, but this doesn’t make them any less massive; it’s hard to stuff them into your pocket. The channel designations are in the company's style, not R and L, but Right and Left, the headband is lined with eco-leather, the cups are made of the same material, instead of fabric the speakers are covered with mesh, large weaving, another interesting detail. And the Marshall-style microUSB cable, and the interestingly made fastenings of the cups to the headband, the parts made of thick wire move moderately tightly, moderately smoothly. The cups have “vinyl” linings with the company logo, it looks great, the Marshall inscription is made of white plastic and is raised.
Everything described above creates a very pleasant impression. What about the headphones themselves! Look at the packaging, the main unit is secured with two round pieces of tape, and there are labels on the tape, so you don’t need to desperately grab the material with your fingernail or cut it with a knife. We unpacked it, took it out, and immediately started using it.
And, of course, the company created a wonderful photo shoot dedicated to the model.
A few words about convenience, the cups do not completely cover the ears, the ears are hot in the summer, however, this applies to any overhead models. The wide and soft headband does not press, making it easy to adjust the headphones for yourself. I prefer “monitors”, but you can live with Major too. It is uncomfortable to wear headphones on your neck; the cups put pressure on your throat.
Another noticeable feature is that since there is only one joystick and it is not very susceptible to accidental presses, it is almost impossible to press something here when you take off or put on Major II. Can't compare with Parrot Zik, where you press touch buttons every time.
Peculiarities
The company's main advantages include design, joystick control button, operating time and a couple of other important things. Firstly, this is support for the aptX codec - if your smartphone or player also has aptX (like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge), then the sound will be better, you can experiment with FLAC and other files. This is, of course, good. Secondly, when you listen to sound via Bluetooth, you can connect another device using a cable - for example, you are watching a TV series and connect another headphone directly to the Marshall Major II Bluetooth, watch together and not disturb anyone. Sound is transmitted there too. I have never seen such a function anywhere. I tried it with the Bose QC-25, it worked. Thirdly, there is a quite sensitive microphone, you can answer a call using a wonderful button and communicate without problems in a relatively quiet place. On the street, unfortunately, talking is not so comfortable.
Working hours
The stated operating time is about 30 hours, which is a kind of record among similar models, just think about it, 30 hours! This is almost three flights Moscow - Los Angeles, you can fly to London several times, in the end, if you listen for three hours a day, you will have enough charge for a week. In this case, the headphones charge for about three hours, that is, there is nothing supernatural here. Battery capacity is 680 mAh. If there is no outlet or external battery nearby, you can use the included audio cable.
The speakers (40 mm) are designed specifically for headphones, the official description (40mm dynamic drivers are custom tuned for excellent bass response, smooth mids and screaming highs) does not deceive - the bass is convex, the middle is interesting, the high frequencies are a problem for all wireless models, here are not circumcised. You can listen to music! And you will notice the difference between MP3 and FLAC without the slightest effort. Moreover, even on SoundCloud the difference in the quality of recordings is clearly visible.
Thanks to aptX, the headphones are very pleasant to use with different devices. I connected the Marshall Major II via Bluetooth to the iPhone 6S Plus, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, iPad Air, MacBook Pro - I was just wondering what would happen and how different devices would behave, they performed well. I liked it most with the SGS7 Edge, powerful, clean, interesting, huge volume reserve. If only they could make wireless “monitors” - there is practically no passive noise reduction, which affects the quality.
conclusions
Delight, that’s what I can say about the headphones – and we also need to announce the price, it’s 10,690 rubles. The price is excellent, recognizable design, excellent sound quality, aptX, you can connect another wired headphones - I’ve never seen such a feature anywhere - 30 hours of battery life, a wonderful package. Phew, that's a long list. From the packaging to the sound, everything about the Marshall Major II Bluetooth is amazing. Well, at least there’s a button, it seems like a small thing, but it’s so convenient! Why other manufacturers don't do this, I don't know.
Well done at Marshall, they do very interesting things, and people are ready to play this game - vinyl, rock and roll, recognizable design, very interesting. I'm looking forward to new gadgets. Well, I advise you to pay special attention to Marshall Major II Bluetooth; for this money it’s difficult to find something more charismatic.
The author expresses gratitude to the SoundProLab store for providing the headphones for testing.
Connecting wired headphones to wireless ones, support for the aptX codec, foldable design, 30 (!) hours of battery life, recognizable design - all this is Marshall Major II Bluetooth...
Content
Contents of delivery
- Headphones
- Audio cable
- USB cable
- Documentation
Design, construction
When dealing with Marshall products, always expect surprises, from packaging to some aspects related to functionality, there may be some kind of twist everywhere. The company doesn’t let you down - headphones that have been familiar for a hundred years have not just become wireless, they have become hybrid. Battery low? Keep the included audio cable at hand - oh yes, there are a lot of highlights: gold-plated plugs, a spring, a remote control with one button and a microphone, this is rare, connect and immediately listen to music again. The button works with different devices, both iPhone and Samsung. One press, and the music immediately starts or pauses, and you can answer the call. As soon as you connect the cable, Bluetooth turns off, a completely logical behavior - expected, but unexpectedly timely.
And here it is. Want to reconnect your headphones and put them into pairing mode? Just press the power button next to the 3.5 mm jack twice, the indicator somehow smoothly lights up blue, you can connect a second phone. There are not a bunch of buttons on the left cup - just one joystick! Pressing works like Play/Pause or answering a call, moving the joystick in different directions, easily adjust the volume and switch between tracks. Everything is intuitive, clear and simple. The pad of the thumb rests right on the joystick, and look how nicely they fit the button into the corner of the cup - in fact, it’s still the same old dog, trained in completely new tricks.
The headphones are foldable, but this doesn’t make them any less massive; it’s hard to stuff them into your pocket. The channel designations are in the company's style, not R and L, but Right and Left, the headband is lined with eco-leather, the cups are made of the same material, instead of fabric the speakers are covered with mesh, large weaving, another interesting detail. And the Marshall-style microUSB cable, and the interestingly made fastenings of the cups to the headband, the parts made of thick wire move moderately tightly, moderately smoothly. The cups have “vinyl” linings with the company logo, it looks great, the Marshall inscription is made of white plastic and is raised.
Everything described above creates a very pleasant impression. What about the headphones themselves! Look at the packaging, the main unit is secured with two round pieces of tape, and there are labels on the tape, so you don’t need to desperately grab the material with your fingernail or cut it with a knife. We unpacked it, took it out, and immediately started using it.
And, of course, the company created a wonderful photo shoot dedicated to the model.
A few words about convenience, the cups do not completely cover the ears, the ears are hot in the summer, however, this applies to any overhead models. The wide and soft headband does not press, making it easy to adjust the headphones for yourself. I prefer “monitors”, but you can live with Major too. It is uncomfortable to wear headphones on your neck; the cups put pressure on your throat.
Another noticeable feature is that since there is only one joystick and it is not very susceptible to accidental presses, it is almost impossible to press something here when you take off or put on Major II. Can't compare with Parrot Zik, where you press touch buttons every time.
Peculiarities
The company's main advantages include design, joystick control button, operating time and a couple of other important things. Firstly, this is support for the aptX codec - if your smartphone or player also has aptX (like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge), then the sound will be better, you can experiment with FLAC and other files. This is, of course, good. Secondly, when you listen to sound via Bluetooth, you can connect another device using a cable - for example, you are watching a TV series and connect another headphone directly to the Marshall Major II Bluetooth, watch together and not disturb anyone. Sound is transmitted there too. I have never seen such a function anywhere. I tried it with the Bose QC-25, it worked. Thirdly, there is a quite sensitive microphone, you can answer a call using a wonderful button and communicate without problems in a relatively quiet place. On the street, unfortunately, talking is not so comfortable.
Working hours
The stated operating time is about 30 hours, which is a kind of record among similar models, just think about it, 30 hours! This is almost three flights Moscow - Los Angeles, you can fly to London several times, in the end, if you listen for three hours a day, you will have enough charge for a week. In this case, the headphones charge for about three hours, that is, there is nothing supernatural here. Battery capacity is 680 mAh. If there is no outlet or external battery nearby, you can use the included audio cable.
The speakers (40 mm) are designed specifically for headphones, the official description (40mm dynamic drivers are custom tuned for excellent bass response, smooth mids and screaming highs) does not deceive - the bass is convex, the middle is interesting, the high frequencies are a problem for all wireless models, here are not circumcised. You can listen to music! And you will notice the difference between MP3 and FLAC without the slightest effort. Moreover, even on SoundCloud the difference in the quality of recordings is clearly visible.
Thanks to aptX, the headphones are very pleasant to use with different devices. I connected the Marshall Major II via Bluetooth to the iPhone 6S Plus, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, iPad Air, MacBook Pro - I was just wondering what would happen and how different devices would behave, they performed well. I liked it most with the SGS7 Edge, powerful, clean, interesting, huge volume reserve. If only they could make wireless “monitors” - there is practically no passive noise reduction, which affects the quality.
conclusions
Delight, that’s what I can say about the headphones – and we also need to announce the price, it’s 10,690 rubles. The price is excellent, recognizable design, excellent sound quality, aptX, you can connect another wired headphones - I’ve never seen such a feature anywhere - 30 hours of battery life, a wonderful package. Phew, that's a long list. From the packaging to the sound, everything about the Marshall Major II Bluetooth is amazing. Well, at least there’s a button, it seems like a small thing, but it’s so convenient! Why other manufacturers don't do this, I don't know.
Well done at Marshall, they do very interesting things, and people are ready to play this game - vinyl, rock and roll, recognizable design, very interesting. I'm looking forward to new gadgets. Well, I advise you to pay special attention to Marshall Major II Bluetooth; for this money it’s difficult to find something more charismatic.
The author expresses gratitude to the SoundProLab store for providing the headphones for testing.
I have already reviewed very inexpensive (about 5 thousand rubles) full-formats with support for the aptX codec - Avantree Audition. I also reviewed the absolutely gorgeous, but expensive full-format Sony WH-1000X M3, which supports all the most advanced codecs - in Russia they can now be found for 21 thousand, and recently they cost 26-30 thousand rubles.
And I wanted to find some kind of middle option: so that the headphones were sufficiently advanced and high-quality, so that they supported aptX and at the same time cost no more than 10 thousand rubles - just the golden mean.
I once read an article about all sorts of codecs, and in it the author wrote that, in his opinion, one of the best options for such headphones in terms of price and quality is the Marshall Major II Bluetooth. And I know Marshall, I had a couple of wired models, and the headphones turned out to be very decent.
Well, no question, I said, Marshall is Marshall, let’s test it. I ordered it from the Spanish Amazon for €125, it arrived.
Connected wirelessly. What the hell? There is no aptX codec. SBC only. Moreover, this SBC is also poorly built: the sound is real - just no! There is no volume, the detail is poor, the bass is booming, it’s just some kind of disgrace. I tried this and that - the sound is lousy. And there is no aptX, although Yandex.Market says that it is supported, and the specialist in the article specifically mentioned that aptX is available.
I connected it via wire - it also, you know, sounds very so-so. This is not at all what I expected from Marshall. I decided not to write a review; why waste time if I can’t recommend it? I returned it to the store, fortunately it’s easy here.
I went to the Marshall website to look for information, but this model is no longer there, there is already a Marshall Major III Bluetooth
. And it clearly says that aptX is supported. At the same time, the price on Amazon for the third model is already a third lower than for the second. Well, I think I'll give Marshall a chance, I ordered it for €90.
We arrived and studied. A completely different matter, the sound is excellent! Well, since these headphones, in my opinion, are very worthy of attention, let's get to know them.
Type:
on-ear, dynamic
Driver:
40 mm
Wireless communication:
Bluetooth V4.2
Profiles:
A2DP, AVRCP, Hands free, Headset
Audio codecs:
SBC, AAC, aptX
Impedance:
32 Ohm for wired connection
Waterproof:
no
Noise reduction:
no
Microphone:
yes
Control:
yes (joystick)
Frequency range:
20 ÷ 20,000 Hz
Sensitivity:
97 dB
Range:
up to 10 meters
Autonomy:
up to 30 hours
Charging time:
3 hours
Headset functions:
yes
Compactness:
foldable
Color options:
black, brown, white
Weight:
178 g
Price:
5.5-11 thousand on Yandex.Market
Three color options - black, white and brown. In my opinion, brown is the most impressive, white is also good, but black is boring.
The packaging is very similar to the Major II model.
In this version, everything was packaged somehow more decently, without numerous fastening delays. Headphones on top, bottom - two cables and user instructions.
Contents: headphones, instructions, charging cable, twisted wire cable.
Appearance and features
On-ear headphones (not full-format). Soft headband, thick soft eco-leather ear pads, adjustable cup stands extending three centimeters.
On the left cup there is a control multifunction joystick (in the previous version there was a separate power button, which was clearly superfluous), on the right there is a microUSB port for charging, an input for a wired connection.
When the headphones are charging, the LED lights up: it shows charging, pairing mode and operating mode. (Well, let me remind you about this universal charging cable (MicroUSB, Type-C, Lightning - they are all different colors), which is in the picture: it is really very convenient, I have already bought five of these.)
In the second version, I even had to go through the instructions to figure out how to pair it - it was so non-trivial. It turned out that you first had to turn on the headphones with a separate button, and then press this button twice so that they entered pairing mode.
Here everything is much simpler. Everything is controlled via a joystick. Long press - turns on and goes into pairing mode (if the headphones have not been paired with anything before).
Connected immediately via aptX.
I checked the supported codecs - there is also AAC, that is, it is also suitable for iPhones.
Well, now let's listen to how the headphones play audio wirelessly.
Turned it on - well, that’s a completely different matter! I don’t know what I had with the previous model: a manufacturing defect or it was just so unsuccessful. This model has excellent, powerful and dense sound with good detail and volume, I really really liked the quality.
The lower bass is dense, effective and velvety, the midbass is bright and confident, while being neat and detailed.
The middle is smooth, not protruding, quite neat. The stage is not very wide and deep - apparently, this is a feature of the headphone form factor. There is separation of instruments, but orchestral music here is not heard as well as we would like. However, this only applies to compositions with a large number of instruments.
Highs are dense and confident, very detailed, clearly raised above other frequencies (the frequency response fully confirms this).
Amazingly cool sound, simply amazing, especially against the backdrop of complete disappointment with the previous model, which I didn’t even write about.
Moreover, the features of these headphones were clearly demonstrated on very high-quality tracks in lossless formats. For standard MP3s the sound was very good, but nothing special. But in terms of quality, these headphones showed real class. I would even say that in comparison with the Sony WH-1000X M3, the sound is clearly not worse. It has slightly different shades, but is still very, very good. However, unlike the Sony WH-1000X M3, there is no noise reduction here. (Marshal has the Marshall MID ANC model with noise reduction - I’ll have to test it, but it’s more expensive - around 15 thousand rubles.)
There was definitely no such sound in cheap wireless ones with aptX; the quality can be compared with the top-end Sony WH-1000X M3, and absolutely no fools. Also, the maximum sound level is quite sufficient to enjoy the immersive effect from a smartphone without any amplifiers.
Here is the frequency response of these headphones.
I listened to them over a wired connection. What’s interesting is that wired sound is almost identical in character to wireless. I don't hear much difference. What does this show? That they have achieved excellent sound quality over a wireless connection or that the sound over a wired connection is so-so? In my opinion, this is an indicator that the wireless sound quality is excellent.
The joystick control is original and convenient, I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else. It seems like one button, but it does everything that is required: down-up - volume adjustment, left-right - previous or next track, pressing - stop/pause, and in conversation mode the corresponding control: answering a call, ending the conversation. Also, double-clicking will call the voice assistant.
In headset mode, audibility is not bad, but when talking on a noisy street, they could hardly hear me.
These headphones (like other wireless Marshalls) have a funny feature: you can plug other wired headphones into the wired connection jack and listen to the sound in two simultaneously. It’s convenient, for example, for traveling - two people can watch something from one tablet.
Observations during operation and conclusions
The headphones can turn off themselves when not in use - this is convenient. I didn’t track exactly how much time should pass: it seems that after about fifteen minutes of inactivity they turn off on their own.
They fit quite tightly on the ears, providing good sound insulation. However, the peculiarity of on-ear headphones is that for certain people, after some time of use - an hour or two - their heads begin to get tired. This is not observed in everyone, but in many.
When you first connect to the device, the headphones set the volume level to about 65% - keep this in mind. In the future, it remembers for the device the volume level that you set yourself.
I haven't checked the exact battery life, but it looks very close to 30 hours, judging by the battery consumption for a couple of hours of playback.
What is the result? Excellent headphones, really liked them. They're totally worth the money, so if you want really good sound over wireless communication, I highly recommend them.
#3 – Marshall Monitor Bluetooth
Price: 7,990 rubles
Top bronze medalists produce high-quality sound at the level of professional solutions on all fronts. There is a solid volume reserve, rich low frequencies and highs that do not rattle at all. In addition, the sound playing in the headphones is heard only by the user, and not by everyone around him. Due to this, you can use the monitors anywhere, even in the library.
Reviews note that the headphones need to warm up for several days and only then will they reach their peak sound. So, if they don’t impress you when you first turn them on, don’t rush to run to the store and demand a refund.
Marshall Monitor Bluetooth
