It’s hard to convince someone to try a new pair of headphones or earbuds once they have their beloved dedicated pair. It’s like Cinderella’s glass shoe; once you have your preferred fit and sound, you usually aren’t as willing to try a new design. I have tested headphones for over five years and I still hesitate to give up on dedicated pairs. But occasionally, a good pair of headphones like the Marshall V will leave you pleasantly surprised. The on-ear design, superb battery life and analog controls meant I had to give them a test run.
Below, I describe my experience using the Marshall V on-ear headphones for over a month, including how well they sound, their ability to block out noise in loud environments and how long the battery truly lasts.
SKIP AHEAD What is the Marshall V headphones | How I tried the Marshall V headphones | My experience with the Marshall V headphones | Who are the Marshall V headphones best for? | Why trust NBC Select?
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What is the Marshall V headphones
- Battery life
- Lightweight
- Analog controls
- Lack of active noise-canceling
Marshall is a world-renowned audio equipment brand that has built guitar amps and speakers for decades. The Marshall V Bluetooth headphones are crafted from that same lineage, with a classic rock-inspired design that is both minimalistic and sleek. Unlike more popular headphones on the market, these are not over-ear headphones, they sit on top of your ears, often referred to as on-ear headphones. They don’t seal out noise like a Bose headphone or a Sony ANC (active noise-canceling) headphone might but they still fit securely around your head and provide a wonderful audio experience.
Even though you might be hesitant to try an on-ear headphone design, Marshall makes up for that detail with an incredible 100-hour battery life. To put that into context you could watch “Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring” almost 33 times before the battery lost power. The headphones also lack touch controls but instead have tactile analog knobs and buttons. This means that instead of fiddling with a wonky touch control button you can simply flick the knob up or down to manipulate the volume or hit it left or right to skip or go to previous tracks.
The Marshall V comes in three color options: black, brown and cream. It also retails for $149, far below some of the premium prices you might see for more robust active noise-canceling models.
Weight: 6.6 ounces | Colorways: 3 | Bluetooth? yes | Battery life? 100 hours | Wireless charging: yes | Noise-canceling: no | Water-resistance: IP rating N/A
How I tried the Marshall V headphones
Over the last month and a half, I have tested the Marshall V headphones on my daily commute to the NBC Select offices at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. I have also used them while working in the office to see how they block out passive noise, whether it was the rattling of subway cars in the morning or water cooler chatter about the latest TV show. I have tested both earbuds and headphones in the past, including models from Bose, Apple, Sony and more.
When Marshall sent a pair for testing, I was excited to put them through their paces.
I was most curious about the following:
- The battery life
- Button and knob responsiveness
- The impact of the design on audio quality
During my testing, I needed to know if the headphones felt comfortable to wear after long hours and if they fit easily in my bag while still making room for my laptop and other items.
My experience with the Marshall V headphones
I found the setup process to be easy — it took less than five minutes to connect to my iPhone. The button controls were also intuitive during my daily usage tests. I didn’t think I would be a fan of Marshall’s on-ear headphones design, but I was pleasantly surprised. Below, I go into more detail about some of my favorite features and minor drawbacks.
What I liked
Battery life
The Marshall V has the longest battery life of headphones that I’ve ever tested. According to the brand, a fully topped-up pair of the Marshall V has about 100 hours of listening time. It’s important to note that premium models like the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort have 24 and 40 hours of listening time, which is great but still pales compared to Marshall’s offering. The headphones also have quick-charging capabilities; a full charge can be achieved in about three hours. If you prefer to leave your headphones sitting on a charging pad that’s also an option because it is compatible with Qi-enabled wireless charging devices. I used my pair of headphones for about four or five hours daily and only had to charge them a few times, they barely ever got to 30%. You can also access Battery Preservation mode, which extends the life of your battery by regulating the charging speed. For a small fee, Marshall also allows you to replace the headphone’s battery if they ever end up completely drained.
Lightweight and compact
The first thing I noticed after unboxing the Marshall V was the headphone’s weight. It only weighs about 6.6 ounces, according to the brand, which is less than an iPhone 16 Pro. When I placed the headphones on my head I felt a noticeable difference compared to the more cumbersome ANC headphones I’ve tried in the past. The plush rounded ear cups are also padded and comfortable. I also took advantage of the collapsable design, which pushes the ear cups inwards making it easier to store in a bag.
Analog Controls
One of my favorite details about Marshall products is the tactile analog buttons. Some brands try to make touch controls work, but you won’t want to use them unless they feel intuitive and work seamlessly. Marshall’s knob-style controller enables various functions based on the direction that you hit the knob. Upwards for example will raise the volume while a flick to the right will skip a song. I liked how easy it was to manipulate my music or swap between podcasts. I was also able to test the customizable “M” button, which can be used to access your personal voice assistant or you choose to make the button open Spotify.
Audio
I thought the Marshall headphones had a clean sound that was able to balance loud electronic music with heavy bass as well as more mid range tunes across different genres such as jazz and reggae. I found that the Marshall headphones had very little sound leakage, during a quiet commute I asked a friend to test whether or not sound was emitting from the speakers but there was never an issue, even when raising the volume significantly. I was able to hear some chatter and loud sounds with the headphones on but it was a minor drawback that never took away from the overall listening experience, in my opinion.
Potential drawbacks to keep in mind
Noise reduction
It’s hard to knock a pair of headphones that don’t have noise-canceling and expect them to block out every sound, but there were times when a loud train would completely engulf the track I was listening to. I would have to pause the track or increase the volume. This was a rare occurrence but could still be an issue for someone expecting the sound to be completely reduced while wearing the Marshall V’s.
Comfort
I found the Marshall headphones to be comfortable, but after four hours, the clamps can feel slightly irksome. I only had this issue initially, but once I found my ideal fit, the problem was not as noticeable.
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Who are the Marshall V headphones best for?
The Marshall V headphones offer a wonderful listening experience at a great price for all its features. The compact design, 100-hour battery life, superb audio quality and analog buttons all come together for a relatively affordable headphone price of $149. These headphones will easily win you over if you’re also not a fan of an over-ear design. I found the Marshall V great for commutes or traveling with their collapsible design. I could still hear around my environment in a way that wasn’t detrimental to my listening experience. These have earned a spot in my bag and I’ll probably end up reaching for them over some of my other headphones.
Why trust NBC Select?
I am an editor at NBC Select who writes and edits stories on various tech topics including smartwatches, headphones, Bluetooth speakers and projectors. I have covered major shopping holidays and other events for over five years. I also frequently test new tech products including headphones, speakers and computers.
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