If you are about to rock it out on the big stage you better have some Marshall amps lined up. Now that famous brand has taken the leap into everyday life with two new headphones: Major and Minor. The Minor is based upon the brilliant Urbanears Medis that I gave a clear five star rating, and that might have been the most innovative design for headphones in 2010.
There are some slight differences between the Urbanears Medis, and the Minor. For one the EarClick system that holds the headphones in place has been moved slightly forward. Another change that has been made has made the sound more direct due to moving the speaker part further down the ear. In many ways the Minor is an improved product, but it also lets the simple design down by adding oversized components.
Starting with the sound the Minor is excellent with a great sound reproduction. The bass is not as strong as that found in headphones by Bose or Monster Cable, but definitely the best you can find in headphones not inserted into the ear canal. Compared to the Medis the power has been increased dramatically to reflect the Marshall brand. Crank it up loud, all the way to eleven. Noise isolation is also improved, and almost comparable to in-ear headphones.
The microphone works really well, and is placed almost perfectly next to the mouth on the left cord. There is only one button available, and I think that volume controls should be standard in 2011. The cord is of a shoestring type that doesn’t transfer noise or tangle easily. The connector is your standard 3.5 mm, but oversized to about twice what you would usually expect. I am not a fan of this large size because it tends to get stuck in pockets, and I am afraid that I will break it or the socket of the iPhone.
The Marshall branding has been ingeniously injected into the Minor. The black and gold color scheme is a classic, and the attention to details is spot on. The side facing outward has the look of a Marshall amplifier knob. The packaging is worth noting as well, as it comes packaged in a old-school square cardboard box.
Inside the box you get the headphones, three pair of extra ear pads in three different sizes and neutral stereo plug adapter. On the cable you also get a Marshall cable clip. This is quite strong at keeping hold of clothing with the clip teeth. It is however not that strong when it comes to clinging onto the cord, and tends to move up and down on its own. I am afraid that it will come loose, and be forever lost. This is the only part of the package where attention to detail can be called in question.
No matter if you are a fan of Marshall amplifiers or not this is an impressive product. Powerful audio in an earphone not intruding the ear canal is a huge plus in my book. Comfortable even after long hours of usage. In my experience only the Bose Mie2i is more comfortable. The only thing holding the Minor back is the unnecessary use of oversized components, and especially the headphone socket connector annoys me. Branding is important, but not at the cost of convenience.
The Minor is an affordable, comfortable great sounding piece of hardware for the rocker in you. It can be used as a primary communication solution, with good noise isolation and microphone. The fact that it looks cool no matter if you are rocking it out or just taking a call is not a bad thing at all. The Minor comes highly recommended.
Final Rating
Marshall Minor at Marshallheadphones.com SEK 599 / $90
