Marshall Major IV On-Ear Bluetooth Headphones – First Do No Harm
My $40-on-Ebay Jabra 45H are nobody’s idea of a great sounding headphone, but they’re supremely comfortable and reliable, so I probably pick them up more frequently than anything in my embarrassingly large collection. The Marshall Major IV (nominally $149, but also widely available used for <$50) promised many of the same virtues, with the added bonus of an 80-hour battery, so I popped for a pair and put it through its paces.
With its prominent logo and retro-metal flourishes the Major IV look a bit garish, and comfort is so-so—they’re lightweight and stable, but there’s a bit of clamping force and the heavily-cushioned faux leather earpads get sweaty. Unlike the tiny, hard-to-finger buttons on the Jabra, the Major IV utilizes a single multi-directional control knob, which is intuitive but not very responsive. There’s no ANC, but passive isolation is better than expected (the earpads do provide good seal) and these’ll do for a workout or bus ride. Curiosly at this pricepoint, there’s no app or hirez Codecs.
Sound quality is, to use a highly technical term, pretty good—L-shaped, with a thick note texture and an enhanced (some would say overly boosted) but controlled low end. Tonality is warmish and quite natural-sounding—there’s no sharpness or digital sheen—but high end rolls off quickly and some treble detail and shimmer is missing. Soundstage, however, is expansive (more width than depth) and instrument placement and stereo separation is precise. In spite of, or perhaps because of, the lack of high-end extension, these do remain non-fatiguing and remain very pleasant for extended listening.
I’ve learned that Marshall (which in addition to its venerable guitar amps makes excellent Bluetooth speakers) merely licenses its name and doesn’t actually manufacture the Major IV; those expecting the brand’s characteristic tubey balanced sound will be disappointed. At or near the SRP you’d be much better served with Sennheiser or 1More, both of which offer ANC and more features. That said, the Major IV sound better than expected; add in the unmatched battery life and they’re a good addition to your next sojourn into the widerness.
Specifications Marshall Major IV On-Ear Bluetooth Headphones
| PRODUCT TYPE: Headphones – Bluetooth – wireless, wired – 3.5 mm jack WEIGHT: 165 g MAX OPERATING DISTANCE: 10 m FORM FACTOR: On-ear FOLDABLE: Yes CONNECTIVITY: Wireless, wired BLUETOOTH VERSION: Bluetooth 5.0 FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20 – 20000 Hz SENSITIVITY: 99 dB IMPEDANCE: 32 Ohm DIAPHRAGM: 40 mm CONTROLS: Volume, answer/end, play/pause, reject call, skip track CONNECTOR TYPE: Audio line-out / headphones (mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm) DETACHABLE CABLE: Yes INCLUDED ACCESSORIES: USB-C charging cable BATTERY: Continuous playback: up to 80 hours RECHARGE TIME: 3 hour(s) |
