(Credit: Marshall)
Marshall has a new set of headphones on deck just in time to provide the soundtrack for your summer adventures.
The Milton ANC on-ear headphones are a follow-up to the Major V, which have been available for a few years. The Milton ANC builds on Major V's foundation with a host of improvements, including noise cancellation, improved comfort, and more advanced Bluetooth codecs.
The Milton headphones employ a supra-aural design, meaning they rest on your ears rather than enclose them like over-ear headphones (circumaural). This makes them smaller, lighter, and easier to travel with. Marshall says the folding design holds its shape no matter how they are twisted in your bag. Of course, the Miltons wouldn't be Marshall headphones if they didn't sport a black tolex covering, leather earcups, and brass accents—like its iconic amps.
(Credit: Marshall)The addition of active noise cancellation (ANC) is the most significant upgrade for this style of cans. What Major V lacks, Milton has in (ace of) spades. Marshall claims the headphones have "next-generation, adaptive ANC" that can listen to your surroundings and adjust to environmental sound accordingly. The transparency setting, aided by six microphones, lets you hear your favorite tracks and your surroundings when needed. The earcups are larger than those of Major V, which not only makes them more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time, but also provides a bit more coverage to assist the ANC technology.
Do they sound good? Marshall says that wholly redesigned drivers should deliver better bass and treble, and notes that the headphones meet Hi-Res Audio criteria, which means a broad frequency response. The Soundstage feature mimics spatial audio, creating a deeper, wider soundstage when listening.
On the tech front, the Milton ANC connects via Bluetooth 6.0 with support for LE Audio and the AAC, LC3, LDAC, and SBC codecs. The addition of LDAC means Milton owners can enjoy near-lossless streaming, and the headphones will sound great for both Android and iPhone users. The headphones last about 50 hours with ANC on and about 80 hours with ANC off. Marshall says the battery is replaceable, so you can extend the headphones' lifespan if needed. Last, they are compatible with both Apple and Google's Find My networks for easy locating should you misplace them.
The Marshall Milton ANC headphones go on sale May 19 for $229—a hefty $80 price increase over the $149 Major V. We expect to review the Milton ANC in the weeks ahead, so be sure to check back.