The Marshall MID ANC are great looking on-ear headphones with a good sound. They have the iconic Marshall design, with a well-padded and premium looking headband, faux-leather coated earcups and subtle gold accents, that make the whole build quality feel a bit more luxurious. They can be used wired or wireless and they have a great battery life that should easily last throughout the day for most people. They also have active noise cancelling, which makes them a decent option for commuting but their isolation is a bit weak compared to similar models.
Pros
+ Good audio reproduction
+ Lightweight with decent durability
+ Efficient, easy-to-use controls
Cons
- Mediocre noise cancelling
- A bit bright on treble-heavy tracks
Design
Type: Wireless On-ear
Enclosure: Closed-Back
The Marshall MID ANC are great looking on-ear headphones with the iconic Marshall design language. They have a good, decently durable build quality, they’re comfortable and don’t clamp your head as tightly as some of the other on-ears we’ve tested. However, this means that they won’t be the most stable option for jogging or working out and may slip off your ears during more intense exercises. On the upside, they have a unique and efficient control scheme that’s very easy to use and provides great feedback. The included soft travel case is also luxurious-looking and well made, which is great. However, since it is a soft case, it doesn’t offer the best protection against drops, impacts or water damage.
Sound
The Marshall MID ANC are good sounding closed-back on-ear headphones. Their bass is well-balanced and consistent, which is great for bass-heavy genres like rap, EDM and dub/drum step. Their mid-range is also flat and well balanced, which caters well to instruments and vocals. Unfortunately, their treble is also noticeably bright and some songs could sound a bit sharp piercing, especially on S and T sounds. Also, like most closed-back headphones, they have a sub-par soundstage which won’t be ideal for more critical listeners. Overall though, they will sound good enough for most and should do well with most music genres, podcasts and audiobooks.
Isolation
Noise cancelling: Yes
There is an active noise cancellation feature on the MID A.N.C, but Marshall’s implementation this time is not perfect. Bass reduction is mediocre, so they can’t fully block the rumble of a bus or airplane engine. Thankfully, they are better at reducing mid-range noise, which is important for blocking speech and should suitable for cutting the ambient chatter while commuting, especially if you’re playing a little music. They also have a decent leakage performance for most use cases and won’t be too distracting to your colleagues in a typical office environment.
Microphone
Mic type: Integrated
The integrated microphone of the MID ANC is mediocre. In quiet conditions, the mic will capture most speech without issue and will be easy to understand. However, the recorded speech will lack a little detail and may be noticeably muffled. In noisier environments such as a busy street or in the subway, these headphones will have more difficulty separating your voice from the surrounding ambient noise. The mic is good enough to answer the occasional call when on the go, but it won’t be the best option for serious conference calls, long continuous voice chats outdoors or for gaming.
Active Features
Battery Life: 17 Hrs
Charge time: 2.4 Hrs
App support: No
Passive Playback: Yes
The Marshall MID ANC have a good battery life that will easily last you the whole day, especially if active noise cancelling is disabled. Unfortunately, they do not automatically turn off when inactive and they’re a bit slow to recharge, so don’t forget to manually turn them off or the battery will continue to drain. They also do not have any app support for added customization options and EQs, which is a little disappointing and makes these headphones feel a bit bland.
Connectivity
Bluetooth: Yes
Wired: Yes
Wireless range: 42 ft
Latency: 165 ms
These headphones support Bluetooth 4.0 and can also be used wired. The included audio cable also has a microphone, so you can connect it to your consoles’ controller and use them with an Xbox One or PS4 when wired. They have a great wireless range even when obstructed by walls and other obstacles. In an open office space, you can easily walk around the office without losing connectivity. Unfortunately, like most Bluetooth headphones, they have a bit too much latency for watching videos, even when using the aptX codec. This means the audio will be out slightly of sync when watching movies or gaming but may be okay for some listeners.
Who should buy them?
If you want a great-looking and compact headphone that is decent enough for most use cases, then the Marshall MID ANC are a good choice. They’re one of the better sounding on-ear headphones that we’ve tested so far. They’re also a suitable option for commute and travel although their mediocre noise cancellation may not be worth the price difference when compared to the regular Marshall MID. On the upside, they’re a lightweight, decently portable and well-designed headset with easy-to-use controls and a great battery life. However, they are a little pricey for what they have to offer and they are not as customizable as some of the other wireless noise cancelling headphones in their price range.
Shop Now: $279
To see all our measurements and our test results of the Marshall MID ANC, please go here.
