Reviews

Marshall Monitor Headphones Review

Marshall is a brand that’s known for guitar amplifiers.  It launched headphones in the past years and started with the Marshall Major and Marshall Minor headphones.  I had the chance to review both and although I found them to be generally good, they were not the best in their respective classes.   I was able to play around with the newest headphones from Marshall called Monitor.  This is a premium set of headphones considering its P8,950 price tag.  I did not have high expectations from the new headphones considering my reviews of the Major and Minor headphones.  But after using the Marshall Monitor for a few days, I can say I was surprised at how good this set of headphones is.

Marshall Monitor – Design

If you have seen the pitch black Marshall Major headphones, more or less find the design of the Marshall Monitor quite familiar.  You’ll see the same finish, the same selection of materials and the same accents.  But overall the Marshall Monitor is much better compared to the Marshall Major.

marshall-monitor-headphones-review-02

There’s so much to like about the design of the Marshall Monitor.  I like the leather finish on the head band, the metal that holds the band and earcups together, the soft leather cushion on the earcups and even the gold accents.

marshall-monitor-headphones-review-04

The Monitor is basically an all-black affair and apart from the gold accents, only the white Marshall logo deviates from the all-black theme.   The Monitor is one of the best looking headphones around and I actually prefer its design over the glossy plastic we have been seeing with Beats headphones.

Marshall Monitor – Features

The Monitor is an over-ear headphones, which means it covers your entire ear when you use it.  This is therefore much bigger than the Major.  The Monitor has a collapsible design so it’s very portable and very easy to carry around, especially since the package comes with a free carrying pouch.  The Monitor is actually a light set of headphones so this does not put too much strain on the ears even during long periods of use.

marshall-monitor-headphones-review-05

The Marshall Monitor’s partly coiled cord is removable and you have a choice of plugging it on either the right or left earcup depending on which side is comfortable for you.  The socket on the other earcup can be used to connect the Monitor to other headphones in case you want to share your music with other listeners.

marshall-monitor-headphones-review-08

One of the unique features of the Marshall Monitor is the F.T.F system.  It is simply an insert inside the removable ear cushion that changes the audio quality from “laidback and warm” to something more crisp and clear.  The ear cushion is magnetically attached to the earcups and can be easily removed to access the F.T.F. insert.

The Marshall Monitor also has a mic and remote that one can use to pick up calls when one comes in while the headphones is being used to listen to music.

Marshall Monitor – Performance

The Marshall Monitor is feature-packed and is easily one of the most versatile headphones around.  It has managed to cover almost all important features one looks for in a set of headphones.   But is it any good when it comes to audio performance?

The Marshall Monitor is not only one of the best –looking headphones around, it’s also one of the best-sounding.   The identity of this headphones is defined by its deep bass that noticeably resonates.  Songs come alive with its punchy and powerful bass that’s warm and bright at the same time.  Songs like Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines or Daft Punk’s Get Lucky bring out the best elements of the Marshall Monitor, although it’s really too versatile it also sounds great on other types of music.  The Marshall Monitor’s custom 40mm drivers manages to cover all range of frequencies, resulting in crisp and detailed highs and balanced mids.  Sound isolation is good on the Monitor.  Whenever music is playing, you hardly hear any external noise especially if you turn the volume up.  Soundstage is also admirable on the Monitor.

marshall-monitor-headphones-review-06

The F.T.F. system is something that offers users a real choice in terms of overall sound quality.  With the F.T.F. inserts on, the Monitor delivers a warm sound that at times appear muffled.  Personally I prefer the Monitor’s sound when the inserts are removed.   The details are richer and the sound is crisper.  But this really boils down to personal choice.  Whatever your choice is, rest assured that you will get the best sounding audio performance your money can get at this price range.

 Wrap-Up

The Marshall Monitor is easily one of the best-sounding and best-looking headphones in its price range.  It’s a premium set of headphones and if other brands have disappointed you in the past, the Marshall Monitor will definitely not.  Apart from offering good audio performance, it is versatile and feature-packed.  The Marshall Monitor is a good investment if you are a certified audiophile.

In the Philippines, you can buy the Marshall Monitor headphones from Astroplus, Astrovision, Automatic Center, Avid Surfer, Banana Telecom, Built by Sonic, Cebu Audiophile, Complink, E-Central, Egghead, Futureworld, iCenter, iStore, iStudio, Lazada Online,Listen Up, Listening Room, Mobile 1, Odyssey, PC Hub, Powerhub, Quicksound, Republik, Senco Link, SM Music & Video, Spectra, Switch, Technoholics, TechSavvy, Urban Athletics and Complink.

Rating: 9.2/10

Technobaboy.com is one of the most active tech sites in the Philippines. We enjoy sharing interesting and relevant stories about the latest trends in technology, developments in mobile phones and social media, and modern digital and geek culture.

9 Comments

Write A Comment