With the Marshall Monitor III ANC, the manufacturer is relaunching its top model in the over-ear headphones segment. While the design remains true to the manufacturer’s line, the headphones are technically much more advanced and achieve a record-breaking battery life of 70 hours – with active noise cancellation. Our test reveals more.
Technical data
| The product | Monitor III ANC |
| Headphone type | Over-ear (closed) |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 LE |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Maximum operating range | 12m (without obstacle) |
| Battery life | Up to 100 hours (without ANC); Up to 70 hours (with ANC) |
| Driver | 32 mm |
| Weight | 248 grams (without cable) |
| Connections | USB Type-C |
| Color variants | Black, |
| Special features | Wearer detection |
| price | € 357.51 * |
Marshall Monitor III ANC review: The iconic Marshall look
- classy, iconic Marshall look
- somewhat weak plastic workmanship
- convincing wearing comfort; low weight
Marshall products are always something special. Something with an iconic look and absolute recognition value. This also applies to the Marshall Monitor III ANC, which comes in the typical leather cowl style.
The design is incredibly chic and elegant. The ear cups can also be folded and folded back to save space when transporting the headphones. If desired, they can also be supplied in a handy hard case, in which the Monitor III can rest gently in a red velvet bed.
Once again, the golden Marshall logo and the golden joystick on the right ear cup, which is responsible for operation, are striking. External twisted-in cables lead from the ear cups to the headband. This already looks very good, we can only hope that this will not be a weak point in the long term.
However, the build quality was not entirely convincing for the price. The headphones feel a little wobbly and fragile due to the design and plastic construction. Many competitors, even in the entry-level class, are noticeably more robust here.
The imitation leather ear pads are pleasantly soft – much softer than those of most competitors. This, combined with the relatively low contact pressure, makes them very comfortable to wear. Although the space inside is only average at 6.5 cm x 4 cm (height x width).
The ear pads are also easily removable and replaceable. The weight of the headphones is quite low at 248 grams, which supports the convincing wearing comfort. Competitors such as the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 or soundcore Space One Pro are noticeably heavier.
Battery life record and features
- Up to 70 hours runtime with ANC / 100 hours without ANC
- Bluetooth 5.3… but no high-resolution codecs
- ANC and transparency mode
The aforementioned Melomania P100 set a new record for battery life in the test: 100 hours without ANC and 60 hours with ANC. Well, this record shouldn’t last long, because the Marshall Monitor III ANC has even more endurance.
While the battery life without active noise cancellation is also 100 hours, the Marshall model with ANC lasts another 10 hours longer and achieves a record-breaking 70 hours of battery life. That’s pretty damn impressive: almost 3 days of battery life without having to recharge. Wow.
With one exception, the equipment also has no significant weaknesses. The headphones use the Bluetooth 5.3 standard, which enables a convincing range and efficient connection. However, it is a pity that the Monitor III ANC does not support high-resolution audio codecs, so you are only limited to SBC and AAC.
There is a wear detection function that automatically pauses playback when the headphones are removed. Unfortunately, this does not work as well in practice as with most competitors, as the Marshall Monitor III ANC sometimes simply continue to play or pause with a noticeable delay.
As the name suggests, the headphones offer active noise cancellation, the intensity of which can be adjusted in three stages in the Marshall Bluetooth app. Of course, there is also a counterpart in the form of a transparency mode.
What is missing, however, is an analog 3.5 mm jack connection. However, this is not a big deal, as the scope of delivery includes a USB-C to 3.5 mm jack cable (which I have never seen before), which you can use to operate the Marshall Monitor III ANC wired.
Operation of the Marshall Monitor III ANC
I have high praise for the Marshall Monitor III ANC for its sophisticated operating concept. Control is largely via the golden joystick, which is also used to switch the headphones on and off.
If you move the joystick up or down, you can adjust the playback volume. If you move it to the left or right, you can skip to the previous or next song. That’s how it should be, it couldn’t be more intuitive. If you keep the joystick pressed to the left or right, you can fast-forward or rewind within a song. The joystick is also used to control calls.
There are also two additional buttons, which the manufacturer has conveniently placed on the inside of the headband, where they are easy to reach. So no fiddling around on the underside where you have to remember the positioning of the buttons.
On the left is the ANC button, which you can use to switch between noise cancellation, transparency mode and normal mode. On the right is the “M” button, the function of which you can freely customize in the companion app.
In addition to Spotify Tap, you can switch between equalizers, activate Soundstage mode or the voice assistant at the touch of a button. If desired, the M button can also be deactivated completely.
App connection and Soundstage
Within the companion app, you can also make various adjustments or find out about the headphones’ battery status. You can also use the equalizer to influence the sound. In addition to the classic Marshall mix, there are four presets to choose from. You can also make your own adjustments with a 5-band EQ.
Another exciting feature is the soundstage function, which is designed to take the sound “out of your head and onto a virtual stage”. So it sounds promising. While many competitors use spatial audio to simulate a surround sound, Marshall concentrates more on expanding the sound stage.
And the result is absolutely impressive. The overall sound image is noticeably expanded and made more airy without the sound changing in an unpleasant way.
Just like the room size, you can set the intensity in the app: If you increase the values (for example to the maximum of “Extra large” and 100 percent), the acoustics become noticeably larger and also somewhat more reverberant so that you almost get the feeling of attending a live concert. This is particularly impressive with live tracks and Dolby Atmos pieces. But not all songs like this adjustment equally well.
Audio quality, ANC and microphones
- Comparatively small drivers,…
- … nevertheless an excellent, warm and detailed sound
- convincing bass reproduction and spatiality
If you look at the specifications of the Marshall Monitor III ANC, it doesn’t raise too many hopes for the sound. Only standard codecs, only a standard frequency response of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz and comparatively small drivers at 32 mm.
Fortunately, the headphones offer anything but standard fare in terms of sound. I would even go so far as to say that these are some of the best-sounding and most finely tuned over-ear headphones around. So, I’ve said it…
Of course, the Monitor III ANC isn’t aiming for a neutral, audiophile sound. But that’s not what Marshall is aiming for. Rather, the powerful sound stage of a big rock concert meets an amazingly clean, detailed mix across all frequencies.
Sharp highs? Nope. Over-present bass? Not the bean. Muddy mids? Also no. The headphones are great fun across all frequencies and score points with a pleasantly detailed, lively and spatial sound that inspires and captivates across all genres.
To confirm this, I listened intensively to my headphone playlist. The headphones had to prove themselves with Linkin Park’s “The Emptiness Machine”, “Yesterday” by The Beatles, Eminem’s “Houdini” and pop tracks by various artists and electro songs by Deadmau5, Pendulum and The Prodigy.
The Monitor III ANC felt equally at home in all genres and impressed with a detailed and captivating sound. Naturally, the headphones feel particularly at home with guitar music and impressed with an excellent level of detail in complex tracks.
In terms of sound quality, I would even rank the Marshall Monitor III ANC above top models such as the Apple AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM5 or Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4. However, the cheaper Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 sounds a little airier, livelier and more detailed in some respects, especially in the mids and highs.
ANC of the Marshall Monitor III ANC
- Good active noise cancellation, especially at low frequencies
- ANC, however, not at reference level
- Very good transparency mode
The active noise cancellation of the Marshall Monitor III ANC is also at a very good level, although the manufacturer’s top model cannot quite keep up with the noise cancellation of the best competitors.
Even at the highest level, bright sounds in particular, such as passing cars, typing on the keyboard or the vacuum robot passing behind me, come through noticeably reduced, but still more audibly than with some of the competition.
The ANC quality is at a very good level and is superior to the aforementioned Melomania P100, for example, but Sony and Bose in particular deliver even better isolation here.
On the other hand, I really like the counterpart in the form of the transparency mode. The detailed and natural reproduction (and amplification) of voices in particular ensures that you can hold conversations without any problems despite wearing headphones.
Microphone quality of the Marshall Monitor III ANC
Marshall naturally also equips its headphones with microphones, but does not reveal how many mics are installed. The microphone quality is decent, but by no means outstanding.
We are relatively easy to understand during phone calls, but unfortunately our own voice does not sound too detailed or natural. On the other hand, the suppression of ambient noise does a pretty good job.
Marshall Monitor III ANC microphone test recording:
Microphone test recording 1MORE SonoFlow Pro:
Microphone test recording Bose QuietComfort 45:
Microphone test recording Marshall Motif II ANC:
In our test, however, we noticed that the microphones occasionally suffer from short sound dropouts and some unpleasant noise.
Marshall Monitor III ANC Review: Conclusion
Admittedly: I’m a big fan of the design of Marshall devices. Whether it’s the manufacturer’s headphones or Bluetooth speakers. This leather look with golden details looks pretty damn classy. This also applies to the Marshall Monitor III ANC.
It’s just a shame that the build quality can’t quite keep up and, in my opinion, doesn’t do justice to the high price. The plastic is quite thin, especially on the headband, which makes the headphones seem a little fragile and wobbly. However, this cannot really be confirmed during the test.
But that’s pretty much the only point of criticism I can make, apart from the mixed microphone quality. In terms of sound and battery life in particular, the headphones are right up there with the best – 70 hours of battery life with active noise suppression also set a new benchmark.
Combined with the outstanding wearing comfort, this makes for an absolutely coherent overall package. With the Marshall Monitor III ANC, you get an outstanding, elegant and very good-sounding pair of over-ear headphones.
Marshall Monitor III ANC
Workmanship
Wearing comfort
Sound quality
Noise canceling
Features
Value For Money
90/100
Stylish over-ear headphones with great operation, impressive battery life and excellent sound. However, the workmanship could be better and the feature set more comprehensive for the price.
