Business Traveller (Asia-Pacific)
Marshall Major V headphones
BACKGROUND British brand Marshall is well known for its audio products and rock ‘n’ roll legacy. The Bluetooth wireless Major V over-ear headphones, released in April 2024, are an upgrade on the Major IV.
THE PRODUCT The stylish vegan-leather headphones have a retro feel, with a fully black design apart from the familiar white Marshall logo on the textured ears and a striking gold control knob on the right ear. The shape of the well-cushioned pads are a lovely nod to the brand’s square amps.
They don’t come with a case, but are rugged, lightweight and collapse inwards – compact enough to fit snugly into a backpack. While wireless, there’s also a 3.5mm audio cord – though this is outdated for smartphones without a jack port.
The headphones have an impressive battery, promising more than 100 hours of
playtime. I used them on three consecutive train journeys, a short-haul flight and, finally, the train home. I then used them on commutes to work the following week, without needing to charge them. There’s a USB-C cable for charging or you can rest them on a wireless charging pad.
The headphones have two control buttons – the aforementioned gold button and a more discreet black M button. Click the gold one for powering on/off and to receive/reject calls, or toggle it up/down like a games controller to adjust the volume, and left/right to skip tracks back and forth.
The M button opens Spotify Tap – one click and it starts playing tracks based on your taste (a double tap skips the song).
It takes a bit of time to get used to the functions of each knob, but there’s a manual to help. The Marshall Bluetooth app also allows you to monitor the battery level and
customise the sound in the Equaliser tab – there are presets or you can create your own (I had full confidence in the default option). The M button can also be programmed within the app so that, instead of Spotify
Tap, it changes your equaliser preset, brings up voice assistant or simply does nothing.
So what about sound? They aren’t noisecancelling, but I found the sound crisp and clear. I immersed myself in every genre – from Taylor Swift’s latest lyric-packed album to Fleetwood Mac’s rocky tracks.
VERDICT A stylish and portable pair of headphones with great sound and long-lasting battery.
Hannah Brandler
FREQUENCY RANGE
20-20,000 Hz
WEIGHT
186g
PRICE
CONTACT marshall.com