Marshall is again with one other new launch, and this time it is bought noise-cancelling tech on board.

If you possibly can’t fairly afford a Marshall amplifier stack, then these wi-fi over-ear cans may simply be the following smartest thing. Styled to resemble the guitar amps beloved by rock legends across the globe, the Marshall Monitor II ANC have lots of swagger however there’s additionally lots occurring underneath the rock star facade.

With each Bluetooth 5.Zero and Active Noise Cancelling in-built, they’re Marshall’s fanciest headphones but and include with a price ticket of £269. They’re on pre-order now and are on account of hit the outlets on St Patrick’s Day (17 March). Let’s have a hear, lets?

DESIGN AND BUILD: ROCK SOLID

As with Marshall’s different fashions, the brand new Monitor II ANC characteristic the model’s distinctive styling together with the fake leather-based look of the corporate’s amps and its acquainted cursive emblem bearing Jim Marshall’s identify.

The textured ear cups have a pleasing rubbery really feel whereas the identical faux-leather look extends to the scarf which is abundantly cushioned beneath. The padding contained in the ear cups has had an improve and now feels tremendous smooth and squishy, making the headphones actually comfortable to put on.

Tipping the scales at 320g, the cans aren’t too heavy and the collapsible design means they are often folded up simply and dropped into your hipster tote bag. The steel swivel hinges allow the cans to adapt to any form of head, they usually additionally really feel extremely sturdy.To maintain your new headphones clear and scratch-free, they arrive with a neat little Marshall-branded carry pouch crafted from the rock star’s textile of alternative – denim.

FEATURES: CUSTOMISE YOUR SOUND

The headline act right here is the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) operate. Using the ANC button on the left earcup, you possibly can toggle between this and the Monitoring Mode which helps you to alter the quantity of audio transparency and the way a lot outdoors noise to let in.

Using the Marshall Bluetooth app, you possibly can select the extent of noise cancelling you need from from a sliding scale that goes from Zero to 100% in increments of 10%. This means if you wish to utterly shut block out the surface world, go for 100%, however should you’d slightly hear that lorry that is coming your means as you cockily stride throughout the road in your new cans, then go for a decrease share.

It’s a neat characteristic and one thing that is genuinely helpful. On the suitable earcup, the M button can be utilized in two other ways – you possibly can select which utilizing the app. You can swap between three of the app’s equaliser presets which embrace every part from rock and hip-hop to spoken phrase and the unique Marshall sound. This is sensible should you take heed to numerous completely different genres.

Alternatively, you possibly can press and maintain the M button to summon your Google Assistant or Siri AI minions to get instructions, learn out your texts or no matter else you possibly can’t be arsed to do for your self. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, our cans paired instantly with a robust, dependable sign that by no means faltered as soon as throughout testing.

In energy (ballad) phrases, you will get a formidable 30 hours of playback with ANC turned on or 45 hours with out.

What’s extra, should you’re in a rush and you’ve got forgotten to cost your cans, you possibly can rating your self as much as 5 hours of wi-fi of playtime with simply 15 minutes of charging. The headphones are equipped with a USB charging cable plus a removable 3.5mm coiled result in maintain the cable fans glad.

INTERFACE: BRILLIANT BUTTONS

There aren’t any sketchy contact controls on these headphones. Both the ANC and M buttons that we talked about earlier are cleverly camouflaged to appear like rivets on the again of the ear cups. But as soon as you understand the place to search out them, they’re very simple to find whereas sporting the headphones.

In preserving with the sightly classic design vibe, there’s additionally Marshall’s acquainted gold button on the suitable ear cup for turning the cans on and off. You’ll hear just a little guitar riff to let you understand the facility is on, and a barely completely different one when powering down. It’s a novelty that does not put on off.

The gold button additionally doubles up as a joystick, or Multi-Direction Control Knob, to present it its official identify. This is a brilliantly responsive management that feels solely intuitive and allows you to management quantity by transferring up and down. You also can skip tracks again or ahead by transferring it left or proper. There’s no annoying double-tap to grasp to skip again a observe. Pressing the button/joystick in takes care of play and pause.

The Marshall Bluetooth app, initially created for the model’s audio system, has been up to date for headphones and it could not be simpler to make use of. Along with the customisation choices talked about earlier, the app additionally enables you to set a timer to show off your headphones after a set time interval, which is nice should you’re utilizing them that will help you go to sleep.

PERFORMANCE: GENRE GENIE

Marshall’s newest headphones may look the half, however how do they sound? Pretty rattling good, really.

A whole lot of rival headphones are solely rather well suited to a handful of genres, however these cans span the genres. A style spanner, if you’ll. The reality that you may swap between equaliser presets, or create your personal, for various types of music is good news for everybody.

Featuring custom-tuned 40mm dynamic drivers, the headphones have a robust, crisp audio with Marshall’s signature crunchy sound. Bass is punchy however not overdone, vocals are clear, and there is a particular warmness to acoustic tracks.

The cans sound simply pretty much as good on electro as they do on classical, with an expansive soundscape that is pleasingly effectively balanced. Audiophiles may argue that the sound could be a little missing within the excessive vary, however that is being notably pernickety. The noise cancelling works a deal with, and the truth that you possibly can customise it to the extent you need makes it even higher.

Marshall Monitor II ANC verdict

Marshall’s cool guitar amp-inspired design is the large promote right here and for many people, it is as shut as we’ll ever get to a backstage go. But there’s much more to love concerning the newest mannequin than its attractiveness. A sturdy foldable design, wonderful controls, a snug match, customisable noise cancelling and nice all-round sound efficiency are certain to make these cans an enormous hit.

At £270, they are not precisely low-cost however not loopy costly both. And as Marshall’s most superior headphones but, you get a considerable quantity of bang on your buck. If you just like the Marshall look, and should you’re studying this then we assume you most likely do, then these headphones ought to go proper to the highest of your record.