Marshall is one of the few brands that is close to the audio community. The company is well-known for its audio lineup in consumer electronics with its variety of products, including Bluetooth speakers, earbuds, and over-ear headphones. The company is relatively new to this field but has already rolled out third-generation products, including the all-new Marshall Monitor III ANC. The headphones are touted to be one of the best headsets with an Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature. The headphones come with a price tag of Rs 29,999. This, coupled with a premium design and some interesting set of features, makes these headphones all set to challenge the throne of established players like Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, and more. But are the headphones really that good? Let’s find out in this review.
Marshall Monitor III ANC Design and Features: Comfortable and Lightweight
- Size – 206 x 145 x 74 mm
- Weight – 250 grams
- Water and dust resistance – NA
- Colours – Black
Marshall has paid special attention to designing its products. Throughout the product lineup, you will get some reminiscence of those stage-based amps and cab stacks, which are unique in the audio market. The brand has managed to create a sense of identity through this, and the latest Monitor III ANC continues to take this legacy forward.
The headphones bring a premium leather-like finish with a rubberised coating that makes it feel like an old amp. The gold logo on each earcup adds some distinct elements for the users. Although the headphones look similar to the Monitor II, the brand has surely made some changes to make it more comfortable. To start with, the headband is covered by a leatherette and features a silicon band underneath to help relieve the pressure on the top of the hand and to help keep the headphones firmly. The headphones are certainly one of the lightest headphones available in the market, with 250 grams, making them comfortable to wear over a long period of time.
The earcups also come with some comfortable and plushy cushions. The moment you wear these headphones, you will feel two layers of foam. The first is a super soft layer that helps to create a comfortable seal, while the second is a bit firmer so that you don’t feel the internals of the earcups. This combination works best to provide a comfortable wearing experience.
The headphones’ folding mechanism is also good, letting you fold the headphones in a compact way. Moreover, the case is also compact, which makes it easier to carry around without much hassle. Coming to the ports and placement, you get a joystick on the right earcup, while the left earcup comes with a USB Type-C port and LED indicator at the bottom. Interestingly, at both the hinges of the earcups.
You have the M button on the right and the ANC button on the left. That said, Marshall Monitor III ANC brings a solid build quality and offers high-end fabrics, plastics, and metal to make it look premium from all angles. On the downside, the headphones do not offer a dedicated 3.5mm audio port, which could have been a better deal for the audiophiles. Moreover, the headphones do not come with any IP rating, which is pretty odd considering the price point.
Marshall Monitor III ANC App and Specifications: Easy-to-Use Interface
- Driver – 32mm
- Companion App – Marshall Bluetooth
The Marshall Monitor III ANC comes with a companion app through which you can control multiple functions. The Marshall Bluetooth app is available on Android and iOS, which is good. The interface is basic and easy to use. Once you connect the headphones, you will get a battery indicator along with ANC control, an Equaliser, the option to customise ANC and M buttons, a Soundstage, and more features.
The app lets you control the level of ANC, and you have the option to turn on Transparency mode and turn off control. The Equaliser option provides you with the option to customise the sound profile with its five-band Equaliser. The app also allows you to customise the M-button. You can use it to set Spotify Tap, change Equaliser, turn on or off Soundstage, access voice assistant, or do nothing. Then, there is an option to turn on or off auto-play/pause, enable or disable audio prompts, adjust standby timeout, and update the firmware.
Coming to the specifications, the Marshall Monitor III ANC offers some interesting features. The headset has a 32mm dynamic driver and active noise cancellation. The headset offers 35Ω impedance and has a frequency range of 20-20,000 Hz. It also comes with a driver sensitivity of 117 DB. The headphones support SBC and MPEG-2 AAC codecs. It also features Bluetooth 5.3.
Marshall Monitor III ANC Performance and Battery Life: High on Bass, Dependable Battery
- ANC – Yes
- Battery – Up to 70 hours (with ANC), 100 hours (without ANC)
- Charging – Wired (USB Type-C)
- Bluetooth – 5.3
Now, let’s dive deep into the performance of these headphones. To start with the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), the Marshall Monitor III ANC surely scores high. The ANC works well in both outdoor and indoor environments to block the ambience noise. So, even if you are walking down a road or sitting in a cafe, the headphones eliminate most of the background sound quite effectively. The Transparency Mode works well. However, the only thing missing here is adaptive noise cancellation, which is offered by some of its rivals. Also, there is no option for auto-pause when you are talking with Transparency Mode, another feature that could have made it a complete package.
Coming to performance, the Marshall Monitor III ANC are surely one of the best-sounding over-ear headphones available on the market. Although the company has reduced the driver from 40mm to 32mm, you will not notice much difference. The sound profile is similar to the previous model, which brings a neutral sound profile.
The headphones bring powerful low-frequency sound, and you can easily feel the drumbeats in the Hotel California song. The mids and highs are also well-defined and provide a good separation. This means while listening to Mama, I’m Coming Home by Ozzy Osbourne, you can easily hear the vocals and other instruments. I must say these are meant for those who love to listen to rock and metal and still want to explore other genres like pop, R&B, or even some techno occasionally. Songs like Bad Guy by Billie Eilish feel solid with all the low-end bass, which is not overpowering the mids and highs.
The headphones also come with a Soundstage feature, which is Marshall’s take on spatial audio. The feature works well in most of the cases to provide a more roomier and airey audio experience, though it may not be the widest in the segment.
One of the major highlights of the Marshall Monitor III ANC is its battery life. The company claims that the headphones can last up to 70 hours with ANC turned on and up to 100 hours with the ANC off. During the testing period, I found out that the claim was up to the mark as I comfortably got more than a week of battery on a single charge. I took this for a 3-day trip and never needed them to charge. Moreover, the headphones can be fully charged in around two and a half hours, which is good. Moreover, with a mere 12-minute charge,
Marshall Monitor III ANC Verdict
To conclude, the Marshall Monitor III ANC keeps up with the company’s legacy. The headset offers a premium, though it is not much different from the previous models. The earcups provide better cushioning, making them easier to wear for long flights. The active noise cancellation gives stiff competition to Sony and Bose, though features like adaptive ANC could have further sweetened the deal. Moreover, the audio performance is solid, and you will enjoy listening to music or watching movies with these headsets. The battery life is one of the strongest suits of Marshall Monitor III ANC, and you don’t need to charge the headsets frequently. That said, if you are looking for reliable headphones that offer a good sound profile, are easy to carry, and offer a premium design, then you should definitely consider these.
