Marshall Major V review: The balanced battery champ

Marshall is a household name in the audio business, and the company’s latest Major V wireless headphones bring a great sound experience and a comfortable and classic rock-esque design to the table. While it might not be as feature-rich as some of the best wireless headphones we’ve tested in the past and lack Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), it makes up for it with its excellent build quality, great audio experience, and enough features to keep you hooked – quite literally.

The Major V supports both 3.5 mm jack input and output, wireless connectivity, and a battery life that promises up to 100 hours of listening experience. It competes against other midranger wireless headphones and sets it apart with its unique foldable design and ability to charge wirelessly using an optional accessory.

Price, availability, and specs

The Marshall Major V retails for $150 in the US and £130 in the UK. It’s available directly from Marshall’s website, as well as through Amazon and Best Buy.

The headphones have 40mm dynamic drivers that deliver a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. They can be connected with Bluetooth 5.3 and a 3.5mm jack, supporting both wired and wireless connectivity. The headphones also support AAC, SBC, and LC3 codecs.

There’s also support for Auracast and multipoint connectivity, making it ideal for those using it with a laptop or tablet and a smartphone. Moreover, Google’s Fast Pair technology is also supported, making it a breeze to connect and set up the Major V with multiple devices.

What’s good about Marshall Major V?

Retro design and focus on Marshall’s signature sound

The Marshall V sports a timeless design that doesn’t appear to age much, and given that we’re going back to the retro looks, it looks fantastic. It’s foldable and has two simple buttons: one that turns it on/off and puts it in pairing mode, and an M-feature button that can toggle sound profiles, enable Spotify Tap, or trigger the default voice assistant on your device. I used this to switch between Marshall’s and my custom EQ settings, making listening to my favorite tracks easier.

The Marshall V is also lightweight and highly portable, making it an ideal travel companion. While it doesn’t have ANC built-in, the earcups provide passive noise cancellation, isolating the outside world as much as possible and making audio more immersive and enjoyable — even in loud environments.

The sound quality is really good, but it won’t blow audiophiles away. It has custom-tuned 40mm dynamic drivers that reduce distortion and provide clarity. While I thought the latter was marketing jargon, I was quite surprised to find well-balanced settings using the Marshall signature sound profile.

The bass is punchy but not over the top, the highs are clear, and the mids are crisp. It’s not too bass-heavy, and the custom EQ profile can help enhance your overall experience by adding a bit more bass if you’re into that sort of thing. If you are, you might be better off with the Sony Ult Wear headphones.

Marshall’s app is quite basic, which can be both good and bad. I liked that the app was simple to use, easy to connect to, and it was very easy to understand exactly how the headphones work. It’s very straightforward, and if you have a smartphone that supports Google’s Fast Pairing, it’ll even enable you to ring the device and find it from the Bluetooth menu. It’s very handy.

Marshall promises up to 100 hours of wireless playtime, significantly more than the competition’s offerings, such as the headphones from Beats, Sony, and other brands. Competing devices often offer half as much battery life, if even that. I managed to drain the battery to half over a week, using it for a couple of hours with some breaks in between. It was simply impossible to kill the Major V, and the battery isn’t something you ever have to worry about. Whether it’s a road trip, office work, or simple entertainment on the side, the Major V will outlast most other wireless headphones by a mile.

The device also supports quick charging, but it’s worth noting that a full charge takes roughly 3 hours. While that’s quite a lot, the result is worth it, and if you frequently put it on charge at least once a week or every few days for an hour or so, it’ll easily last forever without disrupting your routine.

What’s bad about Marshall Major V?

Not a lot, but there’s one crucial flaw that made me use it less

Some might say that the $150 price tag is a bit steep for the Major V, but given that you’re paying a bit of premium for the brand, the classic looks, and great sound quality – I think it’s more than justifiable. What isn’t so great is that these on-ear headphones aren’t going to be for everyone, especially those wearing glasses.

I attempted multiple times, and for long hours, to wear them and use them as much as possible. However, the design of the earcups was not something I could get used to. Regardless of how I kept moving it around my ear, shifting it up and down, they were uncomfortable at around the 40-minute mark. The cups sit on the ears in a way that pushes the top of the helix down right onto the temples. If you wear glasses like I do, it will be uncomfortable to wear for long hours.

That said, this is a non-issue if you don’t wear glasses, and they were rather comfortable when I tested them. They’ll sit flush, providing an immersive sound experience regardless of the genre you’re listening to and whether you’re consuming content or playing games.

Sound leakage is prevalent at high volumes, above 60%. This is most noticeable in quiet environments, but if you use it on a bus or while commuting, the person next to you will almost certainly be able to hear what you’re listening to at high volumes. The cups provide passive noise cancelation, but they’re not leak-proof.

The other nitpick I have is that these headphones cost $150, and Marshall doesn’t include a travel case or a pouch, which would’ve made it a very easy recommendation. I don’t usually like to chuck my headphones in the bag, in case something spills or scratches my gear, so that would’ve been greatly appreciated if they were included. Fortunately, Marshall includes a 3.5mm audio cable in the box, but there’s nothing else besides the user guide and warranty card.

Should you buy it?

A great choice if you’re looking for stylish, foldable wireless headphones that work well right out of the box

With a retail price of $150, the Marshall Major V might be a bit steep for some, but I recommend it easily. It provides excellent value for the money, delivering crisp and well-balanced audio with comfortable earcups — as long as you don’t wear glasses.

The Marshall app lets you further customize the audio experience to your liking, trigger a voice assistant, or open Spotify Tap with a press of a button. It has multiple battery preservation modes that let you extend the battery life of the headphones. It has a multipoint connection, making pairing and connecting straightforward and painless. There are no audio delays when playing games or consuming content, and the overall audio sounds great and enjoyable at all volume levels.

If you want simple wireless headphones that provide all the essentials, a unique audio experience, and a great battery life, the Marshall Major V is an excellent choice. However, if you’re looking for noise cancellation, wear detection, and other premium features, you might want to check our recently reviewed Sony Ult Wear wireless headphones.