Design and features:The headphones work with or without the noise canceling feature being turned on. You can use the noise-canceling feature without listening to music. These headphones can be used wirelessly with Bluetooth devices or can be cord connected. When cord connected they have medium-high sensitivity regardless of whether the noise canceling feature is turned on or off, so they can provide satisfying volume levels when used with home audio equipment and even lower-powered portable audio devices. The Monitor II A.N.C. has built-in microphones and integrated volume and music player function, call connect/disconnect, and ambient sound monitoring controls. Additional features include support for Google Assistant and Apple Siri digital assistant voice commands when used with Bluetooth capable devices that have those features, removable earcup pads, and earcups that fold for ease of storage and transport. This model comes with a detachable coiled 48-inch long standard audio cable, a USB charging cable, and a carrying bag. The free Marshall Bluetooth app download for Apple and Android mobile devices can be used to check earphone battery level, change between preset and custom EQ settings, adjust the noise cancelation level, and has other settings and functions.
Sound quality:We found the Monitor II A.N.C. delivers sound quality that falls in the very good range - it reproduces music and voice very well although it does have some noticeable sonic quirks and excellent active noise reduction. In Bluetooth mode with the noise cancelling feature engaged and with the Marshall Bluetooth app set at the Original Marshall Sound setting (as received state of the headphone) the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but is somewhat prominent and a bit boomy. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is somewhat grainy, and a bit hazy and etched, and some users may find it somewhat harsh at higher volume levels. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is somewhat smeared and the upper treble is somewhat subdued. The sound also has a good sense of liveliness and is somewhat open--sound-wise it almost seems like you don't have anything plugging up your ears and does a good job of recovering room ambience (the sense of the acoustic space in which the audio program that's being listened to was recorded). Mixed character - warmish bass with a slightly neutral midrange. The overall sound can be summarized as somewhat bassy and grainy, and lacking in detail. The tone settings of the app do have a noticeable effect on the sound of these headphones. Noise Canceling: Excellent noise reduction across the entire frequency range with the low frequencies reduced the most. A faint rushing noise can be heard when there is no audio program to drown it out.
Comfort and Fit:We found that these headphones produce a sense of medium pressure around the ears.
As typical of on-ear models the ear pads might feel hot and/or sticky after prolonged use.
Small
Users with smaller heads may find they can't get a good earpad seal and that the bass becomes a bit subdued (earpads gap at the top).
Large
Users with larger heads might find that the headband does not have enough adjustment range to allow the earcups rest properly over the ears and/or that the headband presses uncomfortably on the top of the head.
Users with larger ears might find that the over-the-ear fit of the ear pads feel cramped, or that the ear pads sit on, rather than around their ears.
Some users may find that when they lean far forward the headphones feel unstable and shift forward, but not to the point of falling off.
But smaller heads may feel they become unstable to the point of falling off.
When wearing this model while walking the vibrations from each foot step may be heard through the headphones.
When shifting the head around the sound of the earpads rubbing on the head may be heard when their is no audio playing; but is less noticeable when an audio program is playing.
When the audio cable is connected the sound of it rubbing on clothing it may be faintly heard through the headphones.
