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The Marshall Mid ANCs ($269) are the company’s first active noise-canceling headphones and look and feel like Marshall’s other wireless, non-ANC headphones, the Mid Bluetooth ($80). Announced in March 2018, the Mid ANCs are on-ear headphones, so they won’t have quite the same passive noise-canceling abilities as more popular over-ear ANC headphones. They have a 20-hour battery life when ANC and Bluetooth are both turned on, and a 30-hour battery life when just Bluetooth is used. Additionally, they support Bluetooth aptX and have a collapsible design.
The Good: Marshall’s Mid ANCs have taken everything good about the Mid Bluetooth and added active noise-cancellation. They have the same 40mm custom dynamic drivers and pretty much the same sound quality, plus the same all-black design with brass details like the brand’s iconic rock ‘n’ roll amplifiers. Also, there’s a multi-directional control knob on the side of the left ear cup, which is your button for play/pause, volume control and to accept calls.
Who They’re For: Those looking for on-ear rather than over-ear headphones, and dig the black and brass design that Marshall is known for. From a sound perspective, these headphones are best for listening to music with heavy bass, such as R&B or Pop.
Watch Out For: My ears are more sensitive than most, admittedly, but I found the Mid ANCs difficult to wear longer than 45 minutes. The headband really squeezes the earcups tight to your head, which is great for noise isolation but not so great for comfort. Sound quality isn’t quite at the level that you’d expect from a fairly expensive pair of headphones; the midrange-tweeter separation can get muddled, especially when playing R&B, Pop and Rock tracks. I found it difficult to tell if the headphones were on or off, as there’s really nothing on them to indicate this; there’s an LED light on the bottom of the right earcup, but this only lights up when the headphones are charging or in pairing mode. Also, there isn’t a voice or beep when turning ANC on/off, so it can be difficult to tell what mode you’re currently in.
Alternatives: If you like the aesthetic, rather than the active noise-canceling abilities, you can buy the Mid Bluetooth, which are pretty much the same headphones, sans ANC, for just $80. For superior audio quality at a more affordable price, I’d recommend the AKG N60NC headphones ($150). The B&O Play Beoplay H8i ($399) are also another option, albeit at a much more premium price.
