Marshall today is refreshing its flagship pair of true wireless earbuds. The vinyl-wrapped Motif first hit the scene back in 2021, and now two years later are being refreshed with the same iconic stylings in tow. Pairing with the company’s signature design, Marshall is now releasing the new Motif II with notably improved ANC, extra battery life, and a case made of recycled plastics. Not to mention, my favorite sound on the market.
Marshall Motif II debut
The new Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds are hitting the scene today, nearly two years after their predecessor was first revealed. Back when I checked out that original pair, I walked away so impressed that I even went on to name them my favorite earbuds of the year back in 2021. Now that we’re back for round two with the same form-factor, I think I am getting a little déjà vu. At least in all of the right ways.
At first glance, the new Marshall Motif II hardly stand apart from the original model. But this time around, it really is what’s on the inside that counts versus any kind of drastic redesign on the outside; but that doesn’t mean Marshall isn’t altering anything about the form-factor. The new iteration makes a significant step forward in taking a more sustainable approach by including 70% post-consumer plastics in the final build. Turning used electronics and even water bottles into the casing for these buds is definitely something we like to see, especially when it still comes covered in the bands iconic vinyl finish.
Eco-friendly build aside, Marshall is putting all of the emphasis on new features. Improved ANC seems to be the focus this week after we just saw Anker step up the noise isolation with its latest headphones. Marshall seems to following the same consumer consensus, delivering a more intimate listening experience thanks to being able to block out ambient noise far better than before. And let me tell you, the company is very serious about that claim.
As someone who has used both the original pair of earbuds and the new Marshall Motif II, I can really tell that the company is putting its money where its mouth is with today’s release. The ANC was already pretty solid before, and now it is drastically better.
I don’t use this terminology lightly, but Marshall is really hitting some Apple-levels of ANC. Even at some of the lower volumes, these can easily block out both ambient noises on subways trains, the hum of an AC unit, and conversations happening in an adjacent room. Then the second you start actually playing music, you’ll be hard pressed to be bothered by really anything around you.
For those times when you need to actually engage with reality, there’s also a companion transparency mode to complement the ANC. Marshall isn’t going to win any awards for the inclusion, but I will say that it’s actually worth using. A lot of earbuds include the feature but do such a bad job at implementing it that I’d rather just take the earbuds out to hear what the subway announcement was saying. But the Motif II actually get pretty close to not sounding like you have earbuds in in the first place.
Battery is also getting some love. The new Marshall Motif II earbuds may not have much of a change as far as the exterior goes, but on the inside the company has taken the last two years as a chance to make noticeable improvements to the battery life. These new buds arrive with 30 hours of total listening with the charging case – with each each of the Motif II earbuds themselves clocking in at six hours. That’s an extra 10 hours of listening compared to the original pair, with both metrics accounting for the active noise cancellation tech. So if you turn that off, you’ll enjoy even longer battery life.
Of course, there’s all the aspects of the earbuds that haven’t really changed from the first time around. We already called out the vinyl exterior, but I really do have to mention again just how refreshing it is compared to the hard plastic finishes found on just about every other pair of buds out there.
But easily the best part about the Marshal Motif II that hasn’t changed from the original pair of earbuds is the company’s signature sound. The new versions keep on carrying the torch of delivering some of the richest audio on the market. These might not have the widest soundstage that I have ever heard from a pair of true wireless offerings, but Marshall made sure that every decibel of sound that comes out of its new releases is as crisp and harmonizing as possible. Bass is booming in all the right ways, while still allowing for vocals to shine and higher-end tones to graciously pop in.
If you’re buying the Marshal Motif II for one reason and one reason only, it’s just how good they sound. But at least this time around, you’re also getting some other very compelling features.
All of the new and old combines to deliver far more than just an incremental upgrade. On paper, each of those new adjustments might not seem like the biggest improvements, but everything combines to ultimately deliver a package that makes one of the best pairs of earbuds on the market even better.
The Marshall Motif II Earbuds are now available for pre-order direct from Marshall for $199. They will be officially shipping on September 12, alongside the rollout of availability at other retailers.
9to5toys’ Take
I got to meet with Marshall the other week to talk about the new Motif II ANC earbuds, and I have been using them ever since. In the past week and a half, I’ve been daily driving the new releases and have remembered exactly why I wrote so positively about the original pair. I was really onto something back in 2021 when I deemed the first Motif release my favorite pair of earbuds,
But a lot has changed in the past two years. The ANC earbuds market is far more competitive, with some new releases from Sony really stealing the spotlight. I’ve been loving the new XM5s over the past few months for a lot of reasons, and ultimately do think they’re the best earbuds on the market right now for most people. There’s just a big difference between the best earbuds and my favorite.
And oh, are the new Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds my favorite. Sony may still be sitting on the throne of Best right now, but its cold and calculated approach to flagship earbuds really just can’t match the warm audio of Marshall’s latest. At the $199 price tag, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a pair of earbuds that sound as good as Marshall’s latest while still sporting the same reliable ANC and other compelling features.
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