Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Marshall debuts the $179 Mode II, its first true wireless earbuds

Simon Cohen
By
Marshall Mode II as worn by Iggy Pop
Marshall Headphones

Marshall, the iconic British guitar amplifier brand, has revealed its first set of true wireless earbuds, the $179 Mode II. The earbuds are available for pre-order today, with shipping starting March 18.

And just in case you’re not obsessively paying attention to tech publications like Digital Trends, Marshall intends to make everyone aware of these new earbuds (plus its $319 Monitor II ANC and $149 Major IV wireless headphones) via a “Never Stop Listening” ad campaign featuring none other than veteran punk rocker Iggy Pop.

Marshall Mode II
Marshall Headphones

We’re not quite sure what to make of the Marshall Mode II. Its price, at $179, suggests that it should be a premium product with premium features, and yet Marshall’s claimed specifications seem a little underwhelming:

  • IPX4 water resistance
  • Tunable EQ via a mobile app
  • Transparency (ambient) mode
  • Five hours of battery life per charge, 25 hours total with the charging case
  • Wireless or USB-C charging
  • Voice assistant compatible
Recommended Videos

There’s no active noise cancellation (ANC), and no mention of things like auto-pause, touch control customization, single earbud use, or Bluetooth Multipoint, all of which are features we’ve found on true wireless earbuds for the same price or less.

Marshall Mode II
Marshall Headphones

What these specs don’t tell us is how the Mode II will perform in terms of sound quality. If they live up to Marshall’s promise of “growling bass, natural-sounding mids, and crisp treble,” then it’s possible these earbuds will be more than the sum of their parts.

Related

What’s clear from looking at the press photos is that Marshall has found a way to bring its signature, amp-inspired aesthetics to the true wireless earbud category. The charging case uses the same textured finish and instantly recognizable Marshall logo as the company’s line of Bluetooth speakers, which helps to set them apart from the sea of black-encased earbuds you’ll find on Amazon.

In looking at Marshall’s specs for the Mode II, something else becomes immediately apparent: These earbuds and their case are really light — just 44.5 grams in total. That’s lighter than the Apple AirPods with wireless charging case (48 grams), which are some of the lightest true wireless earbuds you can buy.

Marshall was kind enough to pass along a sample of the Mode II, and our first impressions are very positive — these things sound great. Check back with us soon for our full review.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
Jabra’s latest wireless earbuds have Dolby spatial audio
Jabra Elite 10.

Jabra Elite 10. Jabra

Jabra has launched two new models of wireless earbuds -- it's new flagship, the Jabra Elite 10 ($249), and a new ultra-rugged model, the Elite 8 Active ($199) -- targeted at those with active lifestyles. Each is equipped active noise cancellation (ANC) and Dolby audio -- the Elite 8 Active get Dolby spatial sound, while the Elite 10 get Dolby Atmos with head tracking for an even more immersive listening experience.

Read more
Marshall updates its noise-canceling earbuds with better battery life
Marshall Motif II ANC in charging case.

Marshall's second-gen Motif ANC wireless earbuds -- appropriately called the Marshall Motif II ANC -- look exactly like the first-gen Motif, but under the hood are some welcome enhancements like better battery life, better active noise cancellation (ANC) performance, and support for Bluetooth LE Audio. The price, on the other hand, remains the same: you can buy them staring August 29 for $199 on Marshall's website. The company expects them to ship on September 12.

Marshall has a talent for understatement. Its press release for the Marshall Motif II ANC talks about the improved battery life twice -- the new earbuds now get six hours of ANC playtime on a charge and a total of 30 hours with the case (versus 4.5 and 20 on the first-gen) -- but never mentions that the new Motif now have Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting two devices simultaneously.

Read more
Beyerdynamic adds noise canceling to its Blue Byrd neckband earbuds
Man wearing Beyerdynamic Blue Byrd ANC neckband earbuds.

While most of the attention these days is on true wireless earbuds, it's easy to forget that some folks much prefer the older neckband style for its simple convenience and longer battery life. Beyerdynamic clearly hasn't forgotten. Despite launching its first true wireless earbuds in 2022 -- the Free Byrd -- the company is continuing to develop its original Blue Byrd neckband-style buds with the introduction of the second-gen Blue Byrd ANC ($149).

As the name suggests, the new earbuds have active noise cancellation (ANC), a feature that remains fairly rare in the neckband earbuds category. You can buy them now from Beyerdynamic or Amazon.

Read more