BeatsX and Marshall Monitor and battle it out in our wireless bluetooth headphones showdown
We got our hands on two of the pricier wireless headphones on the market and put them to the test
I WAS sceptical of wireless headphones when they first started appearing on friends' heads some years ago.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" I would smugly chime, sniggering at their sheepish following of trends as I unpick the knots in my earphones.
But I've come round.
Many of us are sick of grubby looking wires, USBs, cables (and even floppy disk drives) which sit tangled in the bottom of our drawers and bags.
They'll never be chucked out in fear that they will be needed to connect to a forgotten gadget in the near future.
But now, big name brands are determined that we shall ever have to untangle a cable again.
Marshall, the world famous British guitar amplifier brand, recently launched their top-of-the-range pair, the Marshall Monitor Bluetooth.
With an RRP of £209, you can currently buy them online for between £100-£150.
Rival Beats by Dre also launched a new bluetooth set called Beats X, which comes in at around £129.95 (again, depending on where you buy).
The gadgets are both targeting music fans who are willing to spend a fair whack and live an active life, so we decided to pit them against each other.
Sound
In first place here is Marshall.
Hipster wannabes will feel at home with the classic over ear style.
The enclosed feel gives gives the sensation of being distanced from the rest of the world, providing a beautiful chamber of sound.
But it won't please those who want it at top volumes.
It's most likely a good thing for your own safety, but the volume doesn't go as high as you might be used to.
Ease of use
That's unless I was getting the controls wrong, which is likely, because the Marshall headset gets a bit of getting used to.
Far from intuitive, it's difficult to fiddle with the volume and switching controls found underneath the earpiece.
In comparison, Beats' dangling connector cable (which sort of bops on the part where your torso meets your neck) is easy to manoeuvre.
It’s a better choice for those looking for top volumes.
Because the buds are inner ear, you don't get the same distancing sensation, but you can play your tunes pretty loud.
Are wireless headphones going to fly off my head?
A run test (with actual running involved) found that Marshall headphones can sustain intense movement and feel as though they are glued on throughout.
BeatsX has a few different buds and over ear hooks to mould to your size and should be pretty durable.
That said, one ear did keep flying out while jogging, but I'd be more inclined to blame my sweaty ear cavity than Beats' design team.
Of course, there’s the charging.
Battery power
If, like me, you've grown tired of having to charge things, bluetooth headsets might not be for you.
Life is becoming a constant battery balancing act between laptops, tablets, phones, and things that you use to charge your laptops and phones.
Adding earphones into the mix feels like a step too far.
But if you live your life by the wall (plug) it shouldn’t be a problem for you.
Marshall headphones give a solid 30 hours playback time, which is pretty impressive.
Beats has about 8 hours, but has a super charge feature which means you get two hours playback after five minutes charging, Apple claimed.
Portability
Marshall's headphones can be folded up but aren't quite small enough to fit in your pocket.
BeatsX use magnets to stick together, dangling comfortably from your neck. It also has a small pod which can easily fit in your jeans.
Winner
The promo material says it all. These two headphones offer similar technology but are targeting two different types of people.
Marshall holds the fort for battery power and style.
But BeatsX are easier to use and can be easily carried around.
It's a tough one to call, so maybe the promotional material says it all.
You like the sound of a guitar strum and have a penchant for rose tattoos? Go with Marshall.
If you like Apple (the headset syncs with iPhone calls), then go with BeatsX.
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