This could have been a gamble, but here it works.
Alongside the eye-catching design and solid sound profile, the earbuds are also surprisingly comfortable.
They get close, but whether theyre right for you depends on which tradeoffs youre willing to make.
The earbuds retail for $200, but youll already see them on sale from time to time.
This not only helps keep you from dropping the case but also feels surprisingly close to the real thing.
Despite the metallic feel, the plastic build of the earbuds helps keep them light.
I forgot about them in my ears almost immediately.
I usually use medium-sized ear tips, and they made for a great fit here.
If your ears are larger or smaller, there are also small and large silicone tips included.
In my case, I was comfortable wearing the earbuds for hours.
Both the case and earbuds are water-resistant, but to varying degrees.
At first, they only supported the standard Bluetooth SBC codec and Apples AAC codec.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
They now also support the LC3 codec, part ofBluetooth LE Audio.
Marshall’s guitar amps are known for their prominent midrange, specifically the upper midrange.
I mention this because unlike many other earbuds, the Motif II ANC have a similar signature midrange sound.
The Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds keep the iconic style that the brand has used on other speakers and headphones, but improves on the sound and features of the original, making for the company’s best earbuds yet.
If it isn’t for you, lowering the treble via the Marshall apps EQ will fix it.
High notes and even the sibilance on vocals translated well, without being overbearing.
This was also on the default EQ.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
That signature midrange sound has one problem area: the spoken word.
The onboard microphone is about what youd expect from most wireless earbuds.
Theactive noise cancellationon the Motif II ANC works but isnt anything special.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
Plenty of noise gets through if you have nothing playing while listening to music will add extra cancellation.
TheTransparency modecan be quite effective, but also not very natural sounding.
you could hear everything around you, but it may almost sounds artificial.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
Without the app, it’s possible for you to still control quite a bit.
By default, a long press on either side cycles through ANC and Transparency modes.
you’re able to customize some of the controls in the app, but not all of them.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
If youre in a hurry, a 15-minute charge gets you an hour of play time.
Competition: How Do The Motif II ANC Stack Up?
Marshall is eyeing up some fairly big competition with the Motif II ANC.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
The closest competitor for iPhone users is likely thesecond-generation AirPods Pro.
If youre an Android user, theSamsung Galaxy Buds 2 Proare one of the main competitors.
Should You Buy the Marshall Motif II ANC?
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
There is plenty to like about theMarshall Motif II ANCearbuds, starting with the sound signature.
Both work well enough, but not as effectively as the other brands already mentioned.
