Marshall Monitor II ANC

Marshall’s traditional headphones gain up-to-date noise cancellation features

- Cliff Joseph

The original wired-only Marshall Monitors proved popular for indoor listening, then the Bluetooth version came out in 2017, and now the Marshall Monitor II ANC adds active noise-cancellation (ANC) to the mix.

The Monitor II sticks with the distinctive Marshall design – albeit at a higher price of £279.99 – with sturdy metal hinges, the textured finish on the black earpieces, and the distinctive handwritten Marshall logo. The Monitor II is a little larger and heavier than its predecessors, though, now weighing in at 320g. The extra weight is noticeable at first, but the earpieces and headband are both thickly padded and comfortable to wear for long listening sessions.

The extra size also means that there’s room for a larger battery; this now lasts for 30 hours when using Bluetooth and noise cancellation together, and a full 45 hours with Bluetooth only. A USB-C cable is provided for charging, with a ‘quick charge’ feature that provides five hours of listening time after just 15 minutes of charging. If you do find yourself with a flat battery, you can still use the Monitor II with the 3.5mm audio cable that is included in the box.

The Marshall app includes some useful features for adjusting noise cancellation and equaliser settings. There’s also an ANC button on the left earpiece and two more control buttons on the right earpiece so that you can control music and noise settings without having to take your phone out of your pocket when you’re on the move.