Very few audio companies have the brand recollect of a Marshall. So much so that even my 13-year-old son, who is never enthused by gadgets, asked if the headphones I was testing were from Marshall. No wonder the Marshall Major V displays the brand name so proudly along with its distinct design.
The Marshall Major V is a pair of black headphones with square ear cups which are rare these days and stand out in a crowd. The headband is comfortable on the top of the head. Towards the ear cups, there is just the wireframe that makes the unit quite light for its size. The ear cups are made of comfortable leather with the brand logo embossed on both sides in white. There is a standout gold button for power on the right and another, somewhat muted, customisable button on the right earcup for Spotify Tap. The headphones can be folded into themselves, making them ideal to be stashed away in small bags.
The headphones can be folded into themselves. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
The Marshall app lets you customise this button to call your virtual assistant, or even the equaliser. It is rare to get a full equaliser option in the app for headphones in this price range. But the fact is that Marshall’s signature sound is most often better than what you can set using the equaliser. The app offers some other good features like setting the time at which the headphones switch off when on standby. There is also a battery preservation section that lets you control how it is charged and at what speed.
The moment you switch on the Marshall Major V, the signature tune lets you know the headphones are ready to play. I started with Spotify Tap and immediately it was playing a song from Kumbalangi Nights, one of my all-time favourites.
Another tap led to another Malayalam song, based on what I usually listen to on Spotify, especially in the car. The guitar interlude from Nenjakame (Ambili) underlined how this headphone was no-pushover as the playback was at the same time rich, mellow, and sharp.
The Marshall Major V are perfect for wearing for long hours. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Playing Alexandre Desplat’s Birth from my headphones testing playlist, I was amazed by the clarity the Marshall Major V offered. The perfect balance between the cello and piano with space for the high bass to move in when needed, not overwhelming the incumbent medley.
With Take the Power Back, again the bass could be felt on the ears, though I felt the need to increase the volume a bit more. Remember, there are no volume buttons on the headphones and some might find it limiting. I felt at times there should have been more volume here, but that could just be my old ears expressing their displeasure after years of headphone testing.
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The call quality on the Marshall Major V is pretty good and given that these are perfect for wearing for long hours, you will enjoy slipping into calls from your playlist. Another factor that makes it ideal for long usage is the battery life which can last up to 100 hours on a full charge. Plus, you can just throw these on any charging pad for a wireless juice-up.
I was amazed by the clarity the Marshall Major V offered. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
At Rs 14,999, the Marshall Major V is trendy, practical, and stylish headphones that offer Marshall signature sound with enough customisations to keep all types of users happy. The headphones stand out also for their extra-long battery life and durability.
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