Amplification legend Marshall has announced upgrades to two of its headphone lines: the Marshall Major IV over-ears and the Marshall Minor AirPods-style earbuds. They've been created "for music lovers who want to go harder and faster for longer," apparently, and they offer better Bluetooth, improved sound quality and excellent battery life.
The new headphones and buds are called the Marshall Major V and the Marshall Minor IV, and – as before – they take their styling cues from Marshall's famous amps: the ear cups of the Major V are reminiscent of Marshall amplifiers' grilles, with the logo centre stage, while the case of the Minor IV looks like the same textured material that covers Marshall's amps and cabinets.
But of course looks isn't the most important thing here, and Marshall wants you to know that both the headphones and earbuds are significantly improved. Could this mean that they'll rival the best over-ear headphones and best wireless earbuds we've ever tested? We'll have to test them first before making any conclusive recommendations, but the spec list sounds promising.
Do Marshall's new headphones deliver a Major lift?
Let's start with the Marshall Major Vs. The new headphones deliver a very impressive 100-plus hours of playtime, and Marshall says they've been made more comfortable for protracted listening sessions. There's wireless charging for extra convenience, and the M-button is more customizable this time around with the ability to connect to in-app features such as Spotify Tap, EQ switching and voice assistance.
The Minor IV earbuds, on the other hand, aren't big enough for quite so big batteries, but they still deliver a useful 30-plus hours via the charging case. The earbuds and stems have been redesigned to deliver a better fit, and they're water resistant to make them more suitable for rainy days and trips to the gym. The improved fit also improves their acoustic performance – Marshall says they're good for all-day wear now – and again there's plenty of customization in the Marshall amp.
Both products are Bluetooth LE ready, which is significant becase it delivers much better sound quality, more stable and reliable Bluetooth connections, and better range too. It also offers better audio sync, which is useful when you're watching video, ensuring that the sounds you hear are properly synchronised with the on-screen action.
The new Marshall Major V and Marshall Minor IV will be available for pre-order from today, April 16, and they'll start shipping on April 23. Expect to pay £129 (roughly $160 and AU$250) for the Major V and £119 (about $148 and AU$231) for the Minor IV.
