As a guitar player, I’ve been aware of the quality of Marshall products for most of my life. The fact that they are not just a guitar amp company, but they also make speakers and headphones is great. I recently received the $199 Marshall Mid Bluetooth headphones to review. The styling is cool as heck, but what about the sound?
The Marshall Mids are premium, over the ear Bluetooth headphones with the ability to answer calls. With 30 hours of play time on a full charge and 40mm dynamic drivers, they promise great sound while being wireless for a long period of time. They styling is classic Marshall with the company name in script on each side with black vinyl and brass details. As someone who has always dreamed of owning a Marshall stack guitar amp, this thing is pretty rock and roll.
The build quality of the Mid is second to none. These things just feel well made. Marshall took care of every detail to make a comfortable and attractive headphone. I love the simplicity of the look even though they were able to include a ton of features. They fold up for easy storage and carry as you can see in the second photo. I would have liked some sort of case or carry bag to have been included. The headband is padded and comfortable, and the earphones fit nicely without any ear fatigue. At first glance, I thought the earphones looked rather small, but they cover my ears nicely and block out ambient noises while listening.
I connected the Bluetooth easily to my tablet, and I immediately began listening to music. When I look at headphones, I listen to a variety of music and spoken word to listen for any weaknesses.
Here is my playlist for this review:
- Chris Pierce, Will You Be My Army
- Metallica, Call Of Ktulu
- Drake, Legend
- Prophets and Outlaws, Soul Shop
The sound honestly blew me away. I did not know music could be this clear over Bluetooth. Of course with the over the ear design, there is much more to work with, but at any rate, the Mid sounds amazing. The highs are crisp and clean, the mids and vocals are super clear and have just the right amount of drive, and the bass is deep and full. There were no problems with distortion, and every instrument could be picked out just as the artist intended. I do not usually use headphones for super long periods of time, but I have been listening to these all day. Not only do they sound fantastic, the battery just keeps going.
The package includes a micro-USB charging cable as well as a 3.5mm cord that allows for them to be used plugged in if you run out of battery. I found the sound to be the same either way. I also love that the aux cord looks like a guitar cord. Of course, I am a guitar player, so that kind of detail brings more cool factor. Another great feature is the ability to plug in another pair of headphones into the same plug to share your music. I can see my athletes loving this option on long bus trips to games.
All of the controls are adjusted with the brass button on the left earphone. While listening to music, press the button to pause and play. Push the button up for volume up and down for volume down. Forward and back advances the tracks accordingly. To answer and end a call, simply press the button. The controls are intuitive, and I experienced no lag. I love that all features are available with a simple brass button.
With cool styling and great sound, the Marshall Mid are for sure a winner. There is something special about well designed devices where the company takes care of every detail. The build quality is awesome, and I can see these headphones lasting a long time. No matter the genre of music, it will sound like you are in a room with a fancy speaker system. Check out more at the Marshall Website.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Attractive design with absolutely fantastic audio quality no matter the music genre.
What Needs Improvement: For the price, I would like to see a case or carry bag included.