Marshall Major IV Vs Marshall Major V Review | 93 Data compared

The Marshall Major IV is a lightweight, retro-styled on-ear headphone featuring an exceptional 80-hour battery life, wireless charging, and an intuitive brass control knob for navigation. Known for its high portability, foldable design, and effective passive isolation, it offers a distinct aesthetic combined with robust power capabilities. However, the review notes significant drawbacks, including a lack of high-resolution codec support, no companion app for EQ, and limited comfort due to high clamping force and sweaty earpads. Furthermore, the absence of active noise cancellation (ANC) and an uninspiring sound signature make it hard to recommend at full retail price, according to the analysis.

The Marshall Major IV on-ear wireless headphones ($149.99) deliver a highly sculpted, bass-forward audio performance with exceptionally bright highs, making them a compelling and reasonably priced option for rock, pop, and modern music fans rather than audio purists. The retro design mimics the iconic Marshall guitar amp aesthetic and features a heavily cushioned, comfortable headband and earcups. A standout design choice is the single physical control knob, which provides intuitive control over playback, volume adjustments, track navigation, calls, and voice assistants. Internally, the headphones utilize 40mm dynamic drivers, support Bluetooth 5.0, feature a highly intelligible microphone for clear calls, and offer a massive, industry-leading battery life estimated at 80 hours. Key Pros and Cons Pros:Powerful, bass-heavy audio depth paired with crisp, detailed highs. An incredibly simple, intuitive multi-directional physical control knob. Exceptional battery performance lasting roughly 80 hours. Includes a semi-coiled 3.5mm audio cable for passive wired listening. Cons:Difficult to properly align and balance flush against Qi wireless charging pads due to the swivel angle of the earcups. The heavily boosted, unnatural sound signature lacks clinical accuracy, which will unnerve...

The Marshall Major IV on-ear wireless headphones offer a comfortable, user-friendly design featuring a retro rock-amplifier aesthetic with cushioned earcups and a faux grain leather headband. A standout feature is its singular control knob, which intuitively manages playback, calls, volume, and digital assistants. Internally, they pack 40mm dynamic drivers that support Bluetooth 5.0 and provide an exceptionally strong battery life estimated at around 80 hours. The package also includes a USB-C cable and a semi-coiled audio cable for passive wired listening, alongside wireless charging capabilities. Performance-wise, the headphones deliver a highly sculpted, bass-forward sound signature paired with bright, crisp highs. While this intense sub-bass depth doesn't distort at high volumes and satisfies bass lovers, it lacks the neutral accuracy that audio purists seek. Key pros include their robust bass depth, intuitive controls, versatile wired listening option, and exceptionally long battery performance. Conversely, the main cons are the physical difficulty of balancing the swivelling earcups properly on standard wireless Qi charging pads, the lack of a companion app or advanced features, and a sound profile that sounds unnatural on orchestral tracks.

The $149.99 Marshall Major IV on-ear wireless headphonesGo offer a distinct retro aesthetic, featuring exceptional 80-hour battery life, comfortable design, and convenient Qi wireless charging. Key benefits include easy-to-use physical controls and a semi-coiled cable for passive listening. However, the sound profile is heavily bass-forward and sculpted rather than accurate, limiting appeal for audiophiles. Other drawbacks include difficulty balancing the headphones on some wireless chargers and the lack of an included carrying case.

The Marshall Major V wireless on-ear headphones deliver engaging, sculpted audio with rich bass depth, crisp highs, and an iconic retro-rock aesthetic featuring a grainy faux leather finish and a signature brass multifunction control joystick. A standout upgrade is its integration with the Marshall companion app, which allows users to customize sound profiles through a five-band equalizer and assign a dedicated "M" button to launch Spotify Tap or activate voice assistants. On top of its classic looks and seamless navigation, the device boasts an unparalleled, class-leading battery life estimated at over 100 hours per charge, alongside convenient features like wireless charging capabilities and support for both passive and active wired listening. However, the headphones fall short when it comes to extra features and overall value for their £129 ($149.99) price tag. The most significant drawback is the complete omission of active noise cancellation (ANC), meaning the on-ear design naturally lets in ambient environmental noise. Furthermore, Marshall does not include a protective carrying pouch or case in the box, and the provided semi-coiled audio cable tends to tangle easily. In terms...

The Marshall Major V on-ear wireless headphones offer a lightweight, highly compact, and iconic retro aesthetic reminiscent of the brand’s classic music amplifiers. Priced at $150, they serve as an affordable alternative to the premium market, standing out with two major "wow" features: a staggering 100+ hours of playtime per charge and convenient wireless charging capabilities via the right earcup. Users will enjoy an intuitive, multidirectional control knob for easy navigation, alongside negligible sound bleed at standard office volumes and comfortable extended wear when compared to bulkier over-ear sets. However, the headphones come with notable compromises, most significantly the complete lack of active noise cancellation (ANC), making them a poor choice for noisy commutes, planes, or subways. While the Marshall smartphone app offers crisp, customized EQ presets, these custom sound profiles are entirely lost when pairing the headset directly to a laptop, restricting users to basic volume controls. Additionally, despite their lighter on-ear form factor, the earcups still tend to feel warm and sweaty after about an hour of continuous use.

The Marshall Major V headphones offer an impressive, well-balanced sound profile powered by 40mm dynamic drivers that handle heavy bass and clear highs without distortion. Their defining feature is an exceptional battery life; during rigorous testing, they exceeded their 100-hour claim by lasting 106 hours and 48 minutes at 75% volume. They also support convenient physical features like passive playback via an included 3.5mm cable, a highly intuitive multidirectional gold control knob, a customizable M-button, and advanced Bluetooth LE compatibility for Auracast audio sharing. Despite these strengths, the headphones fall short of justifying their $149.99 retail price tag due to a lack of premium features. The most significant drawback is comfort; the tight on-ear design exerts excessive pressure, causing noticeable head and ear discomfort after just an hour or two of use. Additionally, they completely lack active noise cancellation (ANC)—a standard feature among competitors at this price point—and do not include a protective carrying case.

The Marshall Major V wireless headphones deliver an exciting, rock-oriented audio performance powered by dynamic 40mm drivers, creating a spacious and tight sound stage that particularly favors mid-range vocals and guitar riffs. Retaining Marshall's iconic rugged on-ear aesthetic, the headphones are lightweight at 186g and fold down easily for storage, though they notably lack a physical travel pouch. Usability features include a physical brass control knob and a customizable "M-button" for quick mapping to Spotify or EQ adjustment. Additionally, they are Bluetooth LE Audio enabled for improved streaming sync and come with a curly 3.5mm wired cable option. The biggest selling point of the Major V is its class-leading, massive 100-hour battery life, giving users weeks of casual playback alongside a rapid-charge capability that provides 15 hours of playtime from a 15-minute charge. However, the headphones do have a few notable downsides. They completely lack Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which might make them less ideal for standard commuters, and the thin padding on the headband can rest noticeably hard on bald or close-shaved pates. Furthermore, the companion Marshall headphone app...

The Marshall Major V is a mid-range pair of wireless on-ear headphones priced at £129 / $149 that subtlely refines its highly popular predecessor, the Major IV. Retaining Marshall’s distinct, classic design roots, the fifth-generation model introduces a premium faux-leather texture on the earcups and adds a customizable multi-purpose "M" button for EQ adjustments. Its standout pro feature is an exceptional 100-hour battery life—upgraded from 80 hours—paired with quick USB-C and wireless charging options. Additionally, users will appreciate its lightweight, foldable frame, excellent app integration, and a highly intuitive brass control knob that makes track navigation and volume adjustments incredibly simple. On the downside, the Major V offers very little differentiation in sound quality compared to the Major IV, utilizing the exact same 40mm drivers tuned to Marshall's signature sound. Because they are on-ear headphones rather than over-ears, they completely lack active noise cancellation (ANC) and fail to provide enough physical isolation to block out external sounds. Furthermore, Marshall does not include a carrying bag in the box, and placing the earcup perfectly flat for wireless charging can be a...

The Marshall Major V headphonesGo offer an exceptional 100-plus hour battery life, a stylish, collapsible design, and comfortable faux leather earpads. SoundGuys also notes the convenience of the companion app for EQ adjustments and dual wired/wireless connectivity. However, the review highlights that the stock sound profile requires significant EQ adjustments to sound good. Furthermore, the on-ear design lacks active noise cancellation, and the package omits a carrying case.

The Marshall Major IV wireless on-ear headphones are highlighted for exceptional battery life, a lightweight design with decent comfort, and an intuitive, multi-directional control button. They also offer functional wired listening via a 3.5mm input that supports audio sharing. Conversely, the review notes a lack of active noise cancellation (ANC) and poor environmental sound isolation. Furthermore, the sound profile is described as highly stylized rather than accurate, and the device relies solely on the basic SBC codec for wireless streaming.

The $149.99 Marshall Major V wireless on-ear headphones feature a classic, rock-and-roll design with exceptional battery life and robust audio performance driven by 40mm drivers, which deliver rich bass and sculpted highs. They also offer an intuitive joystick control, app-based EQ customization, and a 3.5mm cable for wired listening, appealing to users focused on style and longevity. However, the headphones lack active noise cancellation (ANC), relying only on passive isolation, and suffer from slightly compromised midrange frequencies due to heavy sound sculpting. Additionally, PCMag notes the package lacks a protective carrying case, leading to a recommendation aimed primarily at those prioritizing the Marshall brand aesthetic over competitors offering ANC at a similar price.