Design & Construction

The Marshall Major III is Marshall's third iteration to the legacy of Marshall line of Major headphones. Encompassing Marshall rock-and-roll tradition, the Major III is wrapped in vinyl covering all around. Similar to the previous generations, the metallic hinges are still exposed but have improved in terms of fit and durability. The headphone isn't a fingerprint magnet and has a premium feel to it. Marshall is also trying their hand at targeting consumers of the mass population with 3 colours; black, brown and white. The headphones feel durable and do not creak when stretched and the cord is detachable when required. However, as with all on-ear headphones, Major III causes wearing fatigue after an hour of usage. The pressure is usually felt on the ears itself and sometimes even at the sides of my head where the hinges are. On the bright side, if you have someone you would like to share music with, you may use the spare 3.5mm port to do so. The left earcup has the multi-function knob which play/pause with a single press, skip forward with a double press, skip backwards with a triple press and press and hold to bring up Google Assistant or Siri. It also increases volume with a back push and lowers the volume with a front push. While on the right earcup, there is the 3.5mm input, Micro-USB port and Mic. The earcups pivot in all directions and fold upward for easy storage.

 

Sound Quality

Unfortunately, the 40mm drivers produce a sound signature that is rather disappointing. The highs are bright and clear. Mids are slightly recessed but still reasonable and the bass is basically too weak and underwhelming. The soundstage is a little narrow and instrument separation is weak in my opinion. Passive noise isolation is also pretty weak as ambient noises do leaking in considerably when used during commutes. Call quality was decent with the caller to manage to hear me on the other end.

 

Connectivity & Portability

The headphone operates both passively and wirelessly. The volume was similar in both wireless and wired mode. However, listening via the Micro-USB cable is not available. The good news is that you can share music with your other half via the 3.5mm port which daisy-chains out audio when used wirelessly. In wireless mode, the battery life peaks at a high of 30 hours. Recharging the Major III Bluetooth from a dead battery requires 3 hours. The Bluetooth range was similar to other headphones in the price point and there weren't any drop-outs from my usage so far. The high-quality streaming codec, AptX, is also supported the package comes with a 1.2 m 3.5 mm audio cable, USB-A to Micro-USB cable.  It does fold inwards for easy storage but does not comes with any case to protect it from unwanted scratches and drops.

 

PROS

• Durable Construction

• Iconic, Historic Design

• A Range Of Colours

• Music Sharing Capability

• Controls For Music Playback & Calls

• AptX Support

• Folds Flat Into A Smaller Profile

 

CONS​​

• Lack Of App Support

• No carrying Pouch/Case

• Mediocre Sound Quality

• Weak Noise Isolation

 

The Bottom Line

The Marshall Major III Bluetooth is a portable wireless on-ear headphone that is simply underwhelming in today's competitive audio market. The sound quality is not on par with its competitors and the noise isolation is weak. However, it has a range of colours that will allow you to express yourself. Wearing it during your daily commute will certainly stand out from the crowd.