When you think of Marshall headphones, the Major is probably the first thing that comes to mind. They’ve been one of the brand’s signature headphones since the first model was introduced back in 2010.
This year, Marshall has released the latest version of their popular headphones – the Major V. In terms of design, it still looks very much like the first one with only slight visual changes, keeping its signature retro styling. But Marshall did make some improvements to the sound quality over the previous Major IV.
The problem is though, they’re also a bit more expensive than before. This makes it a tough choice for headphone users who might be on a tight budget. Considering how competitive the headphone market is today, does the Marshall V still stand out? Well, I suggest you read on to find out.
Let’s start with the design. As I mentioned earlier, there’s barely any change to the style of the Major V from its predecessor. You still get the retro look with a textured finish on the squarish ear cups and the signature Marshall script.
The ear cups are mostly finished in faux leather, but the portion near the logo now adopts the classic textured leather look. It’s one of the telltale differences between the smooth design found on the Major IV. No doubt the new design change helps enhance the look of the headphones even more.
These headphones are quite light too, making them easy to carry around even on your neck. If you want to put them in your bag, they fold at the hinges, making it quite compact. Unfortunately, there’s no provided pouch or even a case with the headphones.
This then makes it quite difficult to bring the headphones, especially if you brought the 3.5mm audio cable and USB-C cable that comes with the headphones. It also makes it difficult to hide when the weather suddenly takes a turn for the worse.
These headphones are not IP rated unlike the Minor IV. It’s a shame really considering that these do have a very rugged form factor. So if you plan on bringing these out to the beach or a pool party, better be very careful with them.
Like before, it’s still an on-ear design, not over-ear, and because of that, it doesn’t fully cover your ears. The thick padding does help with passive isolation though. However, they’re not particularly comfortable to wear over long periods of time.
It’s always the issue I’ve had with the Marshall Major series. Even after just wearing them for 30 minutes, I already feel some discomfort, making me take them off. I suspect it has something to do with the materials used on the earpiece.
On the Marshall Major V, it features a small joystick that is used to control all the functions of the headphones. It’s a very simple design that makes it easy to use, and I do hope other brands adopt a similar system instead of having to push various buttons. There’s also a mappable M button, which you can set to whatever you like such as various EQ settings.
All-in-all, the Marshall Major V looks very cool, especially if you’re into the retro-inspired rock styling. It can easily match your outfit, meaning you can wear it on your neck or just hang it around your bag if you want to show it off. I mean it doesn’t come with a pouch or case anyway.
But what good is a nice looking headphone if it doesn’t sound good right? Thankfully, the Marshall Major V sounds a lot better than the Minor IV we also tried out at the same time since it does have larger 40mm dynamic drivers. For reference, the EQ settings in this review were kept in the default settings, and I’ll explain why later on.
Out of the box, there’s a dynamic soundstage, which is great if you’re someone who meticulously listens to the depth and detail of each song. If you play Africa by Toto, you’ll be able to hear all of the individual instruments quite clearly, with none being drowned out.
But as with most Marshall models, the strong suit of the Major V is the bass, which is amazing especially when you’re listening to the likes of The Weeknd’s Starboy or Kendrick Lamar’s Loyalty.
While the bass is strong and powerful, it doesn’t overpower the mids and vocals. As a result, you get a nice blend of lows and mids. There’s no muddied sound, and the artist doesn’t sound like they’re underwater, which is typically the case for headphones that have a strong bass. This makes it nice to listen to songs that have an acoustic vibe or even covers.
With the stock settings, it’s far from perfect though. Some songs, especially acoustic ones may sound shallow or the bass might be a bit too much. But then again, I do wish Marshall offered their app on Windows, since there are some users who mainly use these headphones while using their laptops.
One thing I did like is the range of the Bluetooth connectivity. Even though I was already in the room next door at the HQ, the headphones were still connected to my laptop. The song didn’t start skipping either.
Still, there’s one big issue I have with the Major V – the lack of noise cancellation. Most headphones and earphones today already come with noise canceling of some form. Even the ones that cost under PHP 5,000 already come with it, and there’s no reason why the Major V shouldn’t have it.
It also doesn’t help that the Major V isn’t an over-ear headphone too, since there is still some passive noise that comes in. One way I found to get over the passive noise is to simply turn up the volume. The thick padding does help in some form, but still, at this price point, I do wish Marshall added ANC.
While the Major V doesn’t come with active noise cancellation, it does make up for it with a very long battery life. When we received our review unit, I fully charged it, and it survived for an entire week.
I’m certain I won’t need to recharge it either for the next week of use. Marshall’s claim of 100+ hours of battery life on the Major V certainly lives up to it. Interestingly, it even supports wireless charging if you don’t want to use the wired USB-C cable. Well, that’s assuming I ever remember to charge it again in the next two to three weeks.
Overall, the Marshall Major V lived up to the expectations I had for it. It is a Marshall after all, and more importantly, it is a bit more expensive than most headphones out there. The Marshall Major V currently retails for PHP 8,690, making it a big investment for users who want to buy one.
On one hand, you get lush audio quality and signature Marshall sound with the Major V. You probably won’t be disappointed with it should you choose to buy one. If you’re also an aesthetics guy, it looks cool, and you can get it to match most of your outfits.
However, it’s far from perfect. For starters, they’re still not comfortable on your ears for long periods of time. There’s also no noise cancellation or even an IP rating, which are now standard on almost all headphones in this price range today.
But if you had the budget, would you go for the Marshall Major V or would you pick something else? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
What we liked:
* Nice aesthetics
* Very long battery life
* Good audio quality
What we didn’t like
* No IP rating
* No noise cancelation
* Not that comfortable to wear
