Marshall has been in the sound game for a long time – longer than most brands you’re familiar with. The recognizable Marshall logo is seen everywhere from concerts to garages. It’s only fitting that the iconic company decided to make its own branded headphones. The Marshall Major II wired headphones were a hit which paved the way for its wireless brother, Marshall Major II Bluetooth headphones.
Iconic Build
The package comes with Marshall Major II headphones, USB-charging cable, and a detachable coiled 3.5 mm cord.
The Marshall Major II Bluetooth design is very similar to its wired predecessor, the Major II, with a few added features. The headphones come in a variety of colors: black, brown, and white. Marshall went with a lightweight and portable design. The earpieces are connected by a flexible hinge that allow it to fold up in a compact package for portability.
The outside of the earpieces features Marshall’s trademark logo and textured design seen on its amplifiers. The earpieces feature a very comfortable padding that ensures a secure fit onto your ears. The left and right sides are labeled in big gold letters on the inside of the headphones to make sure you are wearing them the proper way.
The bottom right earpiece features a 3.5 mm jack, power and Bluetooth pairing button, and a micro-USB port to charge your headphones. Powering on the device is done by long-pressing the round black button, while double-tapping will execute the Bluetooth pairing. Charging is easily done by connecting the micro-USB into a USB power source.
Underneath the left earpiece features a familiar brass knob seen on many other Marshall equipment. The knob functions like a joystick to control in-line commands. Pushing it left or right will control skipping or repeating music. Up or down will control the volume levels. This is a welcome addition seeing as how it was omitted in the wired version of the Major II. Play and pause are controlled by pressing the knob.
Comfort
ComfortI have to confess, I am not a big fan of on-ear headphones. My ears will throb after wearing on-ear headphones for longer than 30 minutes. I found out about this right after I bought a pair of on-ear Bose headphones from my friend. Needless to say, he wouldn’t give me my money back. I need new friends.
Anyways, I was really surprised at how comfortable the padding is on the earpieces. I used them all day, walking around the lab and sitting at my desk. The secure fit ensured that no noise leaked out of the headphones, which is great because I’ve been binge listening to Nickelback. I hate headphones that leak music because I listen to embarrassing music constantly.
Sound
Sound
The Major II headphones comes with aptX technology which uses a unique, compression algorithm to produce CD-like quality audio over Bluetooth. This is huge for Bluetooth devices which have been known for lower sound quality due to its limited bandwidth.
The bass absolutely slaps coming from the 40 mm dynamic drivers. The full-sounding lows create a warm sound experience, perfect for listeners who need that extra oomph from the bass. I love Pound Cake by Drake and listening to this song on the Major II’s did not disappoint. I found the vocals and highs to be clear giving it a detailed sound.
These headphones can get loud. I turned the volume up to 100% and did not hear any sound distortion. However, the bass can get a bit overwhelming but that could be because I prefer a balanced sound rather than a bass-focused one.
Usage
I work in a research lab so Bluetooth headphones are a staple in my life. I stopped using wired headphones because I would always get it caught on something and either knock it over or get minor whiplash. I replaced my usual Bose Bluetooth headphones with these for the past couple of weeks and I got to say it hasn’t been a difficult transition.
The battery on the Major II’s is absolutely absurd. It claims you can get around 30 hours of playtime. I stopped keeping track after 30 hours, but I think I was getting in the ballpark of around 40-45 hours. I used these headphones at 60-70% volume and they lasted a week and a half of frequent use before I had to charge it.
My favorite part of the headphones was the brass knob to control music. It’s such a simple function that’s neglected from many other headphone makers. The unique in-line controls are intuitive and have an array of functions for only one button. Answering and ending phone calls are also done through the brass knob simply by pressing it down.
Another great feature is the use of the 3.5mm jack on the left earpiece. You can plug in your audio cable if you run out of battery. or let a friend plug in their 3.5 mm cable and listen to music with you. Not a bad excuse to get your crush to sit close to you, wink wink.
I would recommend getting a case for these headphones. The lightweight design makes these headphones less durable than others.
Conclusion
Marshall changed the sound game with its well-known guitar amplifiers. Its technology allowed music to be loud enough to be heard and enjoyed by huge crowds. You can’t go to a rock concert without seeing Marshall everywhere.
Marshall’s Major II Bluetooth headphones retain the same caliber high performance that the company has always been known for. The 40mm dynamic drivers will produce huge bass, with clear mids and highs. You can be comforted knowing that these headphones will rarely die on you with a battery life of over 30 hours. If you do forget to charge it, you can always listen via audio cable. The addition of a unique brass knob to control music will allow you to change music effortlessly or pick up a call.
Marshall’s Major II Bluetooth headphones can be found on the Marshall site for $149. However, Amazon has the headphones on sale for only $114.98 with free shipping. This is an absolute steal for overall quality of these Bluetooth headphones. The extra functionality of being wireless and having in-line music controls makes this a considerable upgrade from its wired predecessor.
