The name is legendary, and indelibly linked to the worlds of hard rock and metal, but Marshall has also carved itself a niche with a rugged range of Marshall speakers and raucous Marshall headphones. Reason enough to get excited when a new pair of cans drop.
This latest iteration of the Marshall Major line retain the brand’s classic on-ear design, complete with iconic brand logo, but significantly upgrade battery performance and wearability.
Marshall Major V: Design
Ostensibly, the Major V look much like what Marshall has offered before. All the familiar Marshall design traits are there: The right-hand ear cup has the that distinct manual brass control knob, for power, phone calls and volume control, while the left side has the M-button. Marshall has tweaked usability, customising this M-button so it can control Spotify, EQ adjustment and voice assistant control.
There’s only moderate clamping force, with the squared-off ear cups easily adjusted using the sliding rails. The headphones are also Bluetooth LE Audio enabled, offering a number of user benefits, including improved audio sync when watching videos on your smartphone or tablet, and a wider streaming range.
The headband itself is thinly padded so if you have lustrous locks this won’t be an issue, but those adopting a sleeker look (ahem) will feel the band resting on their pate.
A snug fit helps with acoustic isolation but unlike many wireless headphone rivals, there’s no Active Noise Cancellation offered here - a key reason why the battery life on the Marshall Major V is so generous.
While most of us will use the Marshall Major V wirelessly, they do come with a (curly) wired option. You can lace them up to your smartphone (if you still have a smartphone with a 3.5mm jack), or use them with an aeroplane’s entertainment system.
Marshall Major V: Features
The Major V headphones last longer than the Marshall Major IV, adding 20 hours more playtime to take the total to a massive 100 hours of battery life from a full charge. This effectively removes the need to fret over recharge schedules. I easily got through several days of casual use, before returning them to the wall.
It's also worth noting that there's also a quick charge feature that'll grant you 15 hours of play time from just 15 minutes on a wall socket.
Helpfully, the headphones also fold down, making them very easy to store in a pocket or bag. They’re light at just 186g, but feel rugged enough, which probably explains why they don't ship with a travel pouch.
Charging is via USB C and the Marshall Major V also support wireless charging. Just pop your headphones on a wireless charging pad to re-juice.
The Marshall Major V also utilise the Marshall app, where you can access EQ presets or your smartphone’s default voice assistant. The EQ comes preloaded with Original Marshall Sound, and a host of modes, including bass boost, mid boost, treble reduction, mid reduction and a custom option.
For what it’s worth, I think the app could use some attention. It’s not particularly responsive, tends to drop its connection and rather gets in the way. The headphones don’t utilise any spoken voice interaction. Instead we get chunky guitar riffs as acknowledgment.
Marshall Major V: Sound
Audio performance is excellent for the price. The Marshall Major V sound as good as they look with guitar-orientated rock. The headphones utilise dynamic 40mm drivers and can rock hard at volume.
Stereo imaging is wide and spacious and listening to AC/DC's Hells Bells via Spotify placed Brian Johnson front and centre, riffs duelled left and right before Angus Young moved centre in the mix. The drivers exhibit excellent spatial balance, albeit with an edge that’s always exciting to listen to.
Tuning favours the mid-range and there’s a welcome fullness to lead vocals and speech. Cleopatra by Nova Twins is a swaggering wave of distortion, but the headphones keep the vocals nice clean. The bass is prominent, and has weight, but it’s not over-wrought. The Marshall Major V headphones sound tight and mighty.
I wouldn’t class these headphones as audiophile as they lack the clinical precision and sweetness you’ll find higher up the price scale. However, those big drivers have energy to spare and sounded awesome with pretty much everything I threw at them.
Marshall Major V: The alternatives
For much the same money, you could opt for a pair of Sennheiser Accentum over-ear headphones. They lack the Marshall’s rock'n'roll aesthetic, favouring a rather more refined design - and the drivers are slightly smalle, at 37mm, but they do have the benefit of Active Noise Cancellation. This makes them perhaps more suitable for those with a regular commute. Battery life is half as impressive, at 50 hours.
Another solid alternative are the Sony Ult Wear headphones. They also have 40mm drivers, but unashamedly favour a deep clubbing bass. Active Noise Cancellation is also available on this model but battery life is relatively poor in comparison at 30 hours.
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