But for my own use, the Marshall Monitor II ANC is the perfect headset and I don’t see myself moving away soon. As for its connectivity, Marshall, in its infinite wisdom, has given users the option to use both wireless headphone functionality with Bluetooth 5.

The feature full headphones sport spatial audio, which is absent from the Monitor II ANC, and AAC and LDAC Bluetooth codecs. com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Marshall is one of the most prominent manufacturers of audio equipment in the world, so thankfully just because it made a pair of Bluetooth headphones doesn’t mean it got rid of the headphone jack.Black vinyl, brass accents and the embossed Marshall script give Monitor Bluetooth that iconic look, while the foldable design, heavy-duty cast metal hinges and a canvas carrying case provide extra protection for wherever the road takes you. There’s no noise cancelling or multi-device connecting here, but you do get solid Bluetooth technology, a built-in microphone and neat built-in controls to enjoy. Though there haven't been any massive overhauls in terms of design here, the addition of Bluetooth is more than welcome. On each side of the headband there are nice brass left and right labels to let you know which way to put the headphones on, something which is particularly important as it will affect how you use the built-in control knob on the left earcup.

In keeping with the design-led ethos of the product, most of the controls are not simply shiny black buttons. It uses the microphones built into the headphones to pick up and slightly amplify your environment, which is helpful if you need to hear announcements while on planes or public transportation. A convenient additional function of the cable is that when you’re listening to music via Bluetooth, someone else can plug their headphone into your the Monitor’s 3. The headphones don’t clamp particularly strongly to the sides of your head, however, which can make it tricky to adjust them so they completely block out external noise. It’s actually a little brass-finished joystick/pushbutton, and it controls the functions that many Bluetooth headphones have relegated to swipe-style controls: volume up/down, track skip forward/reverse, and play/pause/answer, in addition to on/off.

I was surprised to find that the same Custom preset I used for the James Taylor recording worked beautifully for a string quartet. Following the re-release of the on-ear Marshall Major II and Marshall MID models, the Marshall Monitor is the first over-ear model to have its wires cut and finally brings Marshall's top of the line 'phones into the Bluetooth fold. Marshall enthusiasts were thankfully treated to a spectacular Black Diamond Jubilee collection - consisting of an all-black set of Marshall's Motif A. I don't know about competitors, but I do like knowing that if I spend a lot of money on some hardware like this, the company will stick around for years with free replacements when you need it. We didn’t experience any annoying dropouts, though we did struggle to connect to our laptop in a very high traffic area – that’s not an issue unique to Marshall’s headphones, though.