Marshall Major III Foldable Headphones - White

Product Information

The Marshall Major III Bluetooth headphones are the latest in the much-loved British audio brand’s wireless headphone range, and while the changes are minor over the last pair they are still a winning combination of look, sound and battery life. The major 3 Bluetooth keeps the music going strong with over 30 hours of wireless playtime on a single charge. This bluetooth also features 40mm dynamic drivers that are custom tuned for enhanced bass, smooth mids and clear highs.

In terms of design, the Marshall Major III Voice headphones haven’t changed dramatically since their wireless predecessor was released in 2018. They sport the same compact on-ear design, which is fully collapsible so you can easily stow them away in your bag when not in use. If, somehow, you find yourself short of battery, then the Major IV support fast-charging (15 minutes for a mammoth 15 hours), while there’s wireless charging support, too – a feature I haven’t often seen in headphones that aren’t true wireless. A charging pad isn’t supplied with the Major IV, so there’s just a USB-C charging cable for charging purposes. One can play, pause, shuffle and adjust the volume of your device, as well as power your headphones on or off. Slimmer than their predecessors, they have a really stylish look, and the ability to fold them down means they are great for travelling.Pros: great sound, long battery life, great controls, fold up for travel, sturdy, great look, good connectivity

The Major IV deliver few surprises if you’ve ever listened to a pair of Marshall headphones before. Outputting through their 40mm dynamic drivers, the mid-range is fairly crisp in tone, high notes are well defined and sharp, while bass is surprisingly big for an on-ear pair. Where these headphones fall down is in the bass department, with slightly rolled-off frequencies which bassheads probably won’t appreciate. We tried out James Blake’s ‘If The Car Beside You Moves Ahead’ to put the bass frequencies to the test, and found the usually-body-thumping bass drum was pretty underwhelming. However, for general use, the sound is warm and balanced enough to give you a great listening experience. For one, the Major IV offer super stamina. Thirty hours is usually the benchmark, but the Major IV go beyond with a quoted 80+ hour figure, so there’s little reason to manage battery life with this set of headphones.A play of Patrice Rushen’s Forget Me Not, the bouncy beat is more vibrantly conveyed and engaging with the Marshalls – there’s a sense of fun here that can’t be heard as much on the Status. They fare better with Wild Beasts’ All The King’s Men, in which baritone vocals sound rich and sonorous, while meandering bass lines underpin complicated drum fills and undulating guitar riffs.

There’s a detachable wire included, so you can connect your headphones to your device when you run out of battery. This wire comes with a single button remote control that you can use to adapt the functionality of the headphones. It’s been ten years since Marshall released its first pair of headphones, the Marshall Major. Over the course of the decade, the Major series has dropped its 3.5mm cable in favour of a Bluetooth connection, but the basic premise remains unchanged: on-ear headphones created to reflect the renowned guitar amp manufacturer’s heritage.The headband produces enough pressure for the Major IV headphones to stay glued to the head. Once a good fit has been found, the Major IV’s natural noise isolation is decent enough to at least mask the footsteps of someone behind you while keeping the wearer aware of what’s around such as traffic. In environments where there’s lots of noise, there is a struggle to hear audio. That being said, that overall warm tone is very forgiving, and it does make for an enjoyable listening experience. In addition, the Major III aren’t as well built, or attractive, as the MID Bluetooth, currently available for just a little more. Slimmer and a little more stylish than 2016's Marshall Major II, their light build makes them ideal for long journeys, although the pinching sensation typical of on-ear headphones is an issue.