Marshall just unveiled its newest pair of headphones, and it's taken what's either a surprising approach or a very logical one, depending on how much you know about its market share. While the brand is a pretty iconic one in audio circles, it's not the biggest name in the headphones world, and its fancier headphones, the Monitor III ANC, aren't the biggest sellers in its lineup.
That honour goes to the Major, its latest version being the Major V, which sells in droves thanks to a way more approachable price point and punky stylings that make it perfect for younger folks. So, Marshall's chosen to build on the Major by upgrading it in some important ways and creating the Milton ANC, its newest launch.
These headphones are, crucially, still on-ear – meaning they sit on your ear rather than encapsulating it like a bigger earcup would. Compared to the Major, though, they have softer and deeper cushioning to theoretically make them more comfortable to wear for longer periods.
They also, as the name suggests, bring ANC to the table, a big upgrade. In a first for Marshall, the "A" stands for adaptive, rather than just active noise-cancelling, meaning the amount of cancelling will vary according to the ambient noise around you at any given time.
The Milton ANC have a slightly sturdier design overall, too, with the folding arms that attach the earcups to the headband being made out of more solid metal rather than a frame.
They actually have slightly less battery life than the Major V, likely because of the inclusion of ANC: you'll get around 50 hours with it activated, but 80 hours if you turn it off. The headphones also bring LDAC and hi-res certification when you're listening using the USB-C to 3.5mm cable.
That cable's needed because the headphones only have a single port, and it's a USB-C one for combined charging or audio. Beyond that, the only controls are a customisable black Marshall button and then the stunningly superb brassy control knob that has graced so many of Marshall's headphones so far.
The all-important question, of course, is what the Milton ANC costs. It comes in at £179.99 in the UK, $229.99 in the US and €199 in the EU, which makes for a pretty interesting price – premium enough to be a little more off-putting to some, but also one of the few higher-end on-ear options out there right now.
The headphones should be available to order directly from Marshall today, and they'll hit other retailers a bit later, on 27 May.
