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Jun 09, 2023

Marshall’s latest wireless earbuds are ready for the LE Audio future

By Chris Welch, a reviewer specializing in personal audio and home theater. Since 2011, he has published nearly 6,000 articles, from breaking news and reviews to useful how-tos. Marshall earbuds seem

By Chris Welch, a reviewer specializing in personal audio and home theater. Since 2011, he has published nearly 6,000 articles, from breaking news and reviews to useful how-tos.

Marshall earbuds seem to be aimed at people who want a little more edge and to stand out from Apple’s ubiquitous AirPods. The guitar amp company has already released several generations of buds, and today, it’s announcing its latest pair. The $199 Motif II ANC will be available on September 12th, and they’re said to offer improved noise cancellation and 10 additional hours of total battery life compared to the prior model. Marshall says you can expect six hours of continuous playback or a total of 30 hours including the charging case.

The Motif II ANC are also Marshall’s first buds to be LE Audio-ready. “This future-proof technology delivers higher quality audio, while increasing the streaming range and improving audio sync, for a better connection when watching video,” the company said in a press release. But LE Audio requires support both on the source device (like your phone) in addition to your earbuds or headphones — and we’re still in the very early phase of that rollout.

These earbuds stick to Marshall’s signature style, with knurled stems and a texture that makes them feel right at home atop any of the company’s amp stacks. The company has apparently been mindful about their overall longevity and environmental impact, claiming that they offer “improved battery preservation,” and both buds and case are made from 70 percent postconsumer recycled plastic.

Marshall confirmed to me that the Motif II ANC buds include wireless charging and support for multipoint connectivity, meaning you can pair them with two devices at once. As for codecs, they support SBC and AAC and will add LC3 once the LE Audio update is available. It would’ve been nice to see AptX or another higher-fidelity codec considering the $200 asking price, but at least the earbuds otherwise cram in most features you’d want for the money. You’re ultimately paying a bit extra for their unique design, though.

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