Marshall Mode II Heaphones Review: A wireless headphone that packs a punch
MANY of us may recognise Marshall from their huge amps at gigs, but the well known brand also make speakers and headphones.
Their home speakers and headphones have been a hit with music fans, but do their latest wireless earbuds, the Mode II measure up?
- Marshall Mode II, £159.99, Marshall -
Pros
- Compact Size
- Stylish Design
- Strong Sound
Cons
- Battery life could be longer
- Discounts when out of charge
The Mode II is Marshall's latest headphone launch, their "first true wireless in-ear Bluetooth headphones".
Firstly, they look cool. Following the design of Marshall's rock and roll over ear headphones, with a speckled leather design, and a white embossed 'Marshall' on the case.
However, they're not all style and no substance, as the Mode II's carry 25 hours of wireless playtime, delivering five hours of playtime on the earbuds on a single charge, and four additional charges from the case.
Available from , they're priced at £159.99, making them similarly priced to Beats Powerbeats and Apple's Airpod Pro's.
Interested? We've put them through their paces to see if they deliver?
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Sound
The sound quality on Marshall's Mode II's is impressive and we'd argue it lives up to their promise of being 'built for loud'.
The sound is crisp, and bass heavy, making it perfect for rock music; but what else would you expect from Marshall?
Music fans can change their preferences on the accompanying Marshall app, with to help tweak the sound depending on the genre you're listening to - or even your own custom mix.
It's a feature we enjoyed, but not sure how often we'd use in real life.
Battery Life
The battery life on the Mode II gives users up to 25 hours of wireless playtime.
The headphones deliver five hours of use on a single charge from the case, but when fully charged the case can charge the headphones up to four times.
Whilst we found five hours was suitable for short trips, or commuting but it isn't great for longer use such as travelling or at your desk.
Shoppers looking for a longer battery use may find Marshall's over ear headphones; which deliver a longer battery life the better choice.
Performance
We were impressed with the Mode II's which delivered a premium look and feel, whilst also a great, crisp sound.
The headphone 'buds' sit comfortably in your ear without fear of falling out, (but it also comes with four extra ear tips if you want to change the fit).
The ear buds controls were simple to understand and to use; with the left bud turning on and off Transparency mode for increased noise cancellation, EQ settings and native voice assistant, and the right earbud to control playback settings - and either ear bud to receive and end phone calls.
The rich sound would start to dip as the headphones ran out of battery, but this is to be expected with wireless headphones.
We also found that as the battery life was nearing the end one headphone would stop working; a sign that the case and headphones needing charging again, and whilst not unusual in wireless headphones we found it to be irritating none the less.
Our Verdict
Marshall's Mode II's are priced £159.99, which put's them in line with Apple's Airpod Prod's Beats Powerbeats.
For that you get a great quality, clear crisp sound, great designed headphones, which are perfect for busy life; allowing the user to charge in between uses.
Whilst they might not be perfect for those looking for long battery life, they are a great choice for everyday use, and their size and design means they are portable, functional, and easy to use.
The impressive case not only looks smart and ties in to Marshall's rock and roll roots, but charges up to four times delivering up to 25 hours of use.
Marshall's Mode II aren't top of the range headphones, but for the everyday headphone user they're an excellent piece of kit.
Marshall's Mode II are available from , and are priced at £159.99.
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