Many people associate the iconic Marshall brand primarily with guitar amplifiers and festival lineups, but the manufacturer also managed to enter the headphone market in 2010, thus entering the awareness of users in this segment as well, and it certainly did not betray its good reputation. As the name suggests, in the case of True Wireless earplugs with microphoneonem MOTIF II ANC is the second generation, which raises the bar again compared to its predecessor, improving the active noise cancellation function and the quality of the call experience, allowing for touch control customization and making the Spotify tap function available to users using the streaming giant's services. In this context, Bluetooth LE cannot be overlooked audio ready along with an increase in battery life, which has increased from the original 20 to 30 hours with the ANCThe product bears the characteristic Marshall design signature, but at the same time does not lack a number of modern functions, which are further enhanced by the successful application for iOS i Android labeled Marshall Bluetooth.
What you will find in the package
You open the small black box by sliding it down, after which a case with a visually appealing texture wrapped in paper tape appears in front of you, which you only need to pull slightly to remove the MOTIF II ANC from the package. In a similar way, you can access the 20cm USB-A to USB-C charging cable and documentation, located one layer below, while at the bottom there is a complementary set of various sized tips to ensure that the headphones actually fit in your ear. Then all that's left is to start pairing and get ready for a unique sound experience.
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Physical properties
Proportionally, the case is not too different from the pro Apple AirPods, takes up a width of 6,3 by a height of 4,5 and a depth of only 2,5 cm, while it weighs only 47 g alone and 56 g in tandem with the headphones. The mentioned texture on its surface looks very effective and durable, as does the mechanism for closing and opening, so you definitely don't have to worry about scratches or any other damage during normal use. On the front, a white logo on a black background attracts attention, under which there is a button with an LED indicator showing the charging status and pairing, if the earbuds are inside. Below is then located USB-C port for charging, which is also available wirelessly via a charging pad.
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The in-ear headphones, each equipped with two microphones inside, one pointing inward and one pointing outward, have a classic oval shape, decorated with a large "M" on the outside and a gold finish at the end of the stem, which corresponds to the typical visual concept of the brand.
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Control
The external surface is used for control, while the gestures can be customized in the already mentioned application. By default, one short touch starts or pauses playback, double-tapping skips to the next track, and at the same time it is possible to answer or end a call, while triple-tapping returns to the previous track. A longer hold will reject calls, and it's also a way to switch between active noise cancellation and throughput mode. Finally, a combination of two short and one long press is offered, under which you will come across the Spotify tap function.
Pairing
For pairing with a smartphoneonem, tablet or computer, open the case and long press the button on the front until it starts flashing blue. Go to the device you want to connect the headphones to and select MOFIT II ACN from the list
Marshall Bluetooth app
As mentioned earlier, the application greatly expands the settings options. At the bottom of the interface you will find 3 icons – Home, Explore and More. The key issues are concentrated under the first of them, where a prominent “Add New Device” button will be used to add it, which will guide you through the entire process and immediately provide important information about the product’s capabilities, the procedure for selecting attachments and charging. At the same time, the availability of new firmware will be checked, which you can update with a single click on “Firmware update is available”. Once it is completed, you can start exploring everything the software has to offer.
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First, there are essential data on the charge status of the right and left earphones and the case. The first section is then focused on noise cancellation and throughput, and in both cases you can choose the intensity in 3 levels or turn the function off completely. Furthermore, the user has a 5-band equalizer with 5 pre-prepared presets and varia"Custom" for individual customization, so everyone can find "their own sound". Below you can customize the touch controls, read about how Spotify tap works, and access other items, including using the "Battery Preservation", where you can again choose from 3 levels of energy saving measures. If you are interested in the MOTIF II ANC so much that you are considering finding out what else Marshall has to offer, there is a "Explore", while under "More" you will find help, newsletter subscription and several links to website companies.
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Important technical data
A little technical data certainly won't hurt and can help you get the idea. The closed-back Marshshall MOTIF II ANC headphones use the Bluetooth 5.3 standard for wireless transmission with SBC codec support and a range of 10 m. The frequency range specified by the manufacturer is 20 Hz to 20 kHz and is made up of 6mm dynamic drivers with impedanceancí 16 Ω. As for the degree of protection, they can boast of IPX5 and IPX4 case, so there is nothing to prevent the owner from getting into their company without any reason to worry about any disruption of functionality. Charging is possible via the aforementioned USB-C and wirelessly, and in 1,5 hours both components are fully charged.oneable to achieve maximal capacities.
Then the earbuds can provide 6 hours of playback with the power on ANC and 9 without it. In combination with the case, you get 30 and 43 hours of playback, respectively, which is definitely not bad and the same applies to the promise of an hour of listening after just 15 minutes of charging. The manufacturer also strives to take into account the ecological aspect, both through measures to extend the battery life and the level of incorporation of recycled materials, which, excluding the headphones themselves, make up 70% of the product.
Personal experience and evaluation
In addition to electric and acoustic guitar amps, I had the opportunity to try out the Marshall Major II years ago, which sounded very balanced, and I expected something similar from the MOTIF II ANC. I got a full sound with solid bass and I didn't notice anything undesirable even when playing music. maxminimal boost of the lower frequencies on the equalizer, thanks to which I am able toonec tuned the sound exactly to my liking. The default setting in the app, labeled “The original Marshall sound,” was a bit unnecessarily high in my opinion, but I understand that some people prefer that sound. While it’s great for acoustic music, for example, I preferred the “U” shaped EQ adjustment when listening to classic rock or dance music. If you give the equalizer the green light in an attempt to customize it, I recommend checking whether you’re already using it in Spotify or another player. The combination may not bring the expected results.
The active noise cancellation works surprisingly well. I tested it with a recording of a jackhammer, which I gave the room to really stand out on my audio system and the result was only a distant hint, which I attribute to some extent to the use of medium-sized tips, as I personally don't like headphones that are too tight in the ear. The permeability mode could be a little more sophisticated, but both indoors and especially outdoors it does its job well.
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As far as the frequency range is concerned, I can confirm the figure of 20 Hz using the tone generator, so the MOTIF II ANC clearly has no problem in asserting the bass component, while in the upper part of the spectrum I got the same impression up to 18 Hz.
The stated charging and battery life parameters are not exaggerating. The first interruption in my case occurred after 9,5 hours of continuous playback without the power on. ANC with the bandwidth set to mid. After I managed to reach a full discharge, I put the headphones on charge for 15 minutes and then started playback with the highest level of active noise cancellation, which continued even after the promised hour with 30%. The same applies to the 1,5 hour to reach figure maximal energy levels.
The connection stability is really above average. With my iPhoneIndoors, there was no dropout across the floor or various obstacles, and in an open space I moved at a distance of 43,5 m without any sign of loss. So there is no point in worrying about an interruption if you start a podcast in the study and then run to the door or to the kitchen.
Also, the handling of calls goes smoothly on both sides, the called person even praised that they could be understood better than usual, while during the almost half-hour dialogue neither of us needed to repeat anything and the headphones worked reliably.
Price
The Marshshall MOTIF II ANC can be purchased for 4 CZK, which, given the sound characteristics, quality of processing and available technologies, is definitely worth considering, especially if you are looking for a product that, in addition to quality listening, can also offer a distinctive design.
