Marshall is a brand with history mainly due to their music amps but recently they have been focusing on portable audio products such as the Marshall Major IV or the Emberton II we recently reviewed. In this review, we cover their attempt to provide an alternative to the Apple AirPods introducing you to the Marshall Motif II.

First Impressions

 

The Marshall Motif II keep to that style that you come to expect from this brand the style is iconic. Pair that with 30 hours of battery life with ANC switched on or increase that to 43 hours when ANC is switched off. 

 

Price-wise they will cost you £171 which is still lower than Apple AirPods Pro 2 but Marshall gives you something here that will stand out from the crowd. Your first time listening to these you will notice they offer less bass but you do get more detailed mids and treble making it an experience that will stand out. Want more bass there is an app offering that allows you to adjust the EQ if you wish.  

 

The key features of the Marshall Motif II are they weigh in at 4.31g each and come with 6mm drivers. Connectivity-wise you get Bluetooth 5.3 and they also give you an IPX5 rating when it comes to battling the elements when outside.

Design

First up is the design Marshall has made the changing case look just like a Marshall amp, making it stand out from the crowd. 

The case has a nice tactile feeling when in your hands and is fairly lightweight even in the charging case. The charging case also allows you to charge them up wireless but also comes with a USB-C port to the bottom, giving you two options to charge these. 

Moving to the earbuds they have a long stem with the Marshall logo and continue with that tactile surface on the bud. Put them in your ears and they are snug even in small ears. 

When it comes to controls this is just a matter of learning the tapping on either earbud. We found them to be very responsive without being overly sensitive especially when you are on the move. 

Features

The Marshall Motif II are very simple to use as most of the features can be found via the Marshall app.  When you access the app you can adjust the transparency levels for ANC. In addition to that you can customize the touch controls and even adjust audio prompts. 

 

The app also has adjustable EQ settings with several sliders for you to customise or you can select several presets as well. In addition to this, you will also notice the Marshall Motif II comes with wear detection and Bluetooth 5.3 and it works very well ideal if you need to take the buds out but do not want to lose the track you are listening to. Also ideal when listening to a Podcast. 

Battery Life

One of the stars of the show has to be the battery life you now get up to 30 hours with ANC on and this increases to 43 with ANC off. Also worth noting the buds alone offer 9 hours so pair this with case and I found this to be very impressive.

When it’s time to charge you can do this via the provided USB-C cable or charge them wirelessly so you have the best of both worlds.

Sound Quality

The Marshall Motif II ANC still struggles when it comes to reducing all of the unwanted environmental sounds. For example, I took a walk into my town centre and you can still hear the cars go past which is a little annoying. I did find an increase in the volume a little and this did seem to fix the issue of unwanted noise getting through. 

In terms of how they sound they work very well on both Podcasts and Music. I like to listen to the Footballers Football Podcast. I found using the Marshall Motif II offers a crisp and very clear podcast experience. 

We have been listening to a wide range of music on the Marshall Motif II ANC and with tracks that off deep bass these buts can handle that but they are not as good as others on the market. What you will find is they are quite balanced meaning more pop and classic tracks would be perfect in these buds.

You might notice when you get these out for the first time they might feel a little quieter than you might think. Give it time and the sound quality becomes comfortable and offers a unique sound. Still want more bass the app offers you a Bass Boost via the EQ and that will make your tracks more bass-heavy if that is your preference.  

Verdict 

The Marshall Motif II ANC in terms of design will stand out from the crowd so if you want something that does not look like the typical Apple Airpod this is for you.  The Marshall Motif II ANC does offer a unique sound profile compared to its rivals and the inclusion of the companion app means you can adjust that EQ or select a preset to make these sound exactly how you want them to.

Are they perfect? Not quite the ANC is decent but they won’t block every unwanted sound out. You will also notice they are not 100% responsive and can be a little buggy but with the inclusion of a software update am sure this issue will disappear. 

So overall, If you are looking for a standout pair of buds that will perform well when listening to either podcasts or music then even at the price of £171 you are getting an excellent pair of earbuds but with room for a little improvement. 

Product Rating    

 Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Features: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars

Sound: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars

Value for Money: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars

 

Overall ranking: 4.2 out of 5.0 stars – 4.25 stars

The Marshall Motif II is available for £171 via Amazon.

 

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