The Marshall Motif II ANC true wireless earbuds, sequel to the original Marshall Motif. Marshall has upgraded several aspects, including noise cancellation, boosted battery life, improved audio clarity, and made these buds even nice looking than before.
The Marshall Motif 2 ENC earbuds are priced at $199, significantly less than Sony or Beats, for instance.
Design and Comfort
Marshall’s compact Motif II ANC carry case is small enough to fit almost anywhere, and you might even manage to squeeze it into skinny jeans. The case has a lovely rubbery tactile feel, which is a departure from most true wireless earbuds cases that are super smooth for easy pocketing.
However, the downside is that the smooth cases make it tricky to maintain a grip, often resulting in earbuds flying out and hitting the floor or disappearing behind furniture. Not so with these Marshalls; even my greasy fingers can keep a good grip on them.
The Motif II ANC buds peeking out, Pluck them free, and the first thing you’ll notice is their compact size. They are pleasingly small yet highly detailed, featuring the distinctive Marshall brand and a textured stem.
Similar to the case, the textured stem enhances grip when inserting or removing the Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds from your ears. The bottom end of the stems also boasts a slick brass detail, adding a premium touch.
Moreover, the plastic components are constructed from 70% recycled materials, making these earbuds super light, comfortable to wear, and environmentally friendly.
As mentioned earlier, you get three sizes of silicon ear tips, allowing you to find the perfect fit for your ears. I personally find the medium ones to be the ideal choice, providing a secure fit.
Setup and Marshall App
Setting up the Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds is easy, Just open the lid near your Android smartphone, and a message will pop up asking if you want to connect. Confirm, and you’ll be prompted to download the Marshall app. The whole process takes about a minute. The Motif II ANC are also compatible with iPhones, catering to Apple users.
It’s worth exploring the Marshall app because it’s packed with great features. For instance, you can quickly check the remaining battery life of both buds and the charging case.
You can switch between different Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) modes, including transparency mode, and adjust the level of ENC. If you’re a Spotify user and bored with your current collection, the Motif II ANC support Spotify tap. A couple of taps, and it starts playing recommended music.
Also you have toggle features like auto-play-pause and interaction sounds. Overall, the customization is highly respectable. Inside the Marshall app, you can get the full details on the Motif 2 ENC touch controls.
Touch Controls
You have a few different touch controls options, the standard touch controls are fairly comprehensive, including a mix of single, double, and triple taps, as well as long presses. The area you’re tapping is the top of the bud, where the prominent Marshall “M” is. A single tap pauses your music, another tap resumes it, a double tap skips forward a track, and a triple tap skips back one. This functionality works on either bud.
You can customize what a long press on both the left and right earbuds will do. By default, it’s set to noise control, allowing you to cycle between transparency mode and off. This is fully customizable too. Alternatively, you can set it to adjust equalizer settings, change the volume, call up the voice assistant, or do something else entirely.
If you prefer fewer touch controls, you can switch to mini mode or turn them off altogether. Additionally, you can answer, end, or reject calls if someone happens to be calling you although I honestly can’t remember the last time that happened.
Noise Cancelling
Now, as the name heavily hints, the Motif II ANC earbuds feature active noise cancellation, which has been upgraded compared to the previous pair. It’s even better at blocking out the surrounding noise, creating a peaceful bubble for you amidst the chaos of the world. Additionally, it has the transparency mode, allowing you to stay aware of your surroundings if someone starts talking to you or if you need to be attentive for any reason.
Audio and Mic Quality
For audio, the Motif II ANC earbuds are equipped with 6mm drivers that deliver the distinctive Marshall signature sound directly into your ears. If we revisit the Marshall app on our smartphone, it features an upgraded custom equalizer.
This includes presets such as Bass Boost mode, Trouble Boost, Mid Boost, and the option to create your own custom EQ. This way, you can tailor your music to your liking, personalizing it to your hearing preferences. If you find the highs lacking, give them a boost, and for those who appreciate a bit of bass, it’s all there for customization.
Marshall have improved the microphone performance for calls. Recently, I sat in a quiet studio, not exactly a rigorous test. However, if we introduce obnoxiously loud background noise, you’ll notice that the Motif 2 ENCs can capture your voice clearly, maintaining loudness and clarity.
Battery life
In addition to the improvements in the Motif II ANC earbuds, Marshall has enhanced the battery life. Now, you can expect approximately 6 full hours of playback before the buds need recharging. Once depleted, simply place them back into the conveniently compact case. With a fully recharged case, you can anticipate about 4 full recharges of the buds before the case itself requires powering up.
You can get a remarkable 30 hours of use from these ENC earbuds before necessitating a case recharge. This endurance is particularly impressive given the earbuds size.
It’s worth noting that Marshall has included a battery preservation feature in its app. This feature provides useful tools to help maintain your battery’s health over time, such as setting a maximum charge limit and adjusting the charging speed.
The case itself can be charged using a Type-C USB connection, and for added convenience, it supports wireless charging. If your smartphone supports reverse wireless charging, simply place your case on the back of the phone, and it will start powering up.
The Marshall Motif II ANC true wireless earbuds, priced at $199, offer an impressive blend of features with clear and loud audio quality and good battery life performance but I would only say that it not that one to buy at this high price point.
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Design8.5
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App Supports8.5
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Touch controls7.5
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ANC8
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Audio Quality8.5
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Mic7
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Battery Life7.5
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Price / Value7
