Marshall releases Mode II true wireless earbuds as AirPods refresh looms

Marshall Mode II earbuds

Legendary audio company Marshall has released its latest accessory, the new Mode II true wireless earbuds — the first for the rock-n-roll brand.

The new Mode II true wireless earbuds feature an instantly-recognizable design paying homage to the brand's rich history. Each earbud has a recessed script "M" on its matte black rubberized exterior. Marshall's full wordmark is emblazoned across the top of the charging case.

Mode II earbuds are protected with IPX4 water and sweat resistance. Each earbud has swappable tips to fit a variety of ear sizes and the outside of the earbuds are touch-sensitive to control playback and phone calls.

On a single charge, users can expect five hours of listening time on the earbuds with an additional four charges in the case. That is a total of 25 hours total listening time. The case powers up via USB-C but it can also be charged on any Qi charger.

Audio is produced by powerful custom 6mm drivers for what Marshall describes as "thunderous audio" with "growling bass and crisp highs." Users also have the ability to manually tune the EQ to their liking, as is true with other Marshall Bluetooth audio devices.

They are available to preorder now from Marshall for $179 and begin shipping on March 18.

Follow AppleInsider on Google News

5 Comments

MacPro

said about 3 years ago

So, coming from a company focused on musicians, not audiophiles, I assume they have close to zero latency?

As a side note, focusing on 'thunderously loud' might not be a wise marketing strategy with the damaged hearing lawsuits that are inevitable.

Flytrap

said about 3 years ago

MacPro said:

So, coming from a company focused on musicians, not audiophiles, I assume they have close to zero latency?

As a side note, focusing on 'thunderously loud' might not be a wise marketing strategy with the damaged hearing lawsuits that are inevitable.

I don't think that you can fix bluetooth latency at the earbud level alone... That is why choosing AirPods is an unbeatable no brainer if latency really matters to you on iPhone, Apple TV, Mac, iPad, etc. Bluetooth 5.0 is typically 200-300 ms latency and there is nothing that any earbud manufacture can do about that by fiddling with the bluetooth track on the earbud alone.

Where it gets interesting is with Qualcomm's aptX audio coding and Apple's H1 chip, which are both supposed to bring latency down towards 100 ms. The reality is that in real world conditions both tend to under deliver, Qualcomm's aptX a bit more than Apple's H1.

Wired:
Bose QC35 II (wired) = 0 - 40ms
Bose OE2 (wired) = 0 - 40ms

PC (aptX):
Bose QC35 II (Bluetooth) = 220 - 240ms
Sony WH-CH700N (Bluetooth) = 250 ms
Sony WI-1000X (Bluetooth) = 206 ms
AUKEY Latitude (Bluetooth) = 162 ms

iPad Pro 10.5:
BeatsX (Bluetooth) = 40 - 80ms
AirPods Pro (Bluetooth) = 144 ms

MacPro

said about 3 years ago

Flytrap said:

MacPro said:

So, coming from a company focused on musicians, not audiophiles, I assume they have close to zero latency?

As a side note, focusing on 'thunderously loud' might not be a wise marketing strategy with the damaged hearing lawsuits that are inevitable.

I don't think that you can fix bluetooth latency at the earbud level alone... That is why choosing AirPods is an unbeatable no brainer if latency really matters to you on iPhone, Apple TV, Mac, iPad, etc. Bluetooth 5.0 is typically 200-300 ms latency and there is nothing that any earbud manufacture can do about that by fiddling with the bluetooth track on the earbud alone.

Where it gets interesting is with Qualcomm's aptX audio coding and Apple's H1 chip, which are both supposed to bring latency down towards 100 ms. The reality is that in real world conditions both tend to under deliver, Qualcomm's aptX a bit more than Apple's H1.

Wired:
Bose QC35 II (wired) = 0 - 40ms
Bose OE2 (wired) = 0 - 40ms

PC (aptX):
Bose QC35 II (Bluetooth) = 220 - 240ms
Sony WH-CH700N (Bluetooth) = 250 ms
Sony WI-1000X (Bluetooth) = 206 ms
AUKEY Latitude (Bluetooth) = 162 ms

iPad Pro 10.5:
BeatsX (Bluetooth) = 40 - 80ms
AirPods Pro (Bluetooth) = 144 ms

I was being a wee bit sarcastic to be honest.

MrBunside

said about 3 years ago

MacPro said:

As a side note, focusing on 'thunderously loud' might not be a wise marketing strategy with the damaged hearing lawsuits that are inevitable.

Marshall and hearing loss go hand in hand.

Ofer

said about 3 years ago

I bought a pair of Marshall FX wired earbuds a few years ago (before everyone started transitioning to Bluetooth). I really liked the sound on them, but one of the wires came loose internally and the wired remote stopped working as well as one of the earpieces started being erratic in its performance. I asked Marshall how I could get them repaired and they told me my only option was to purchase a new set. I was gladly willing to pay for the repair, but was told that they don’t repair these. Stopped purchasing any of their products at that point. Why would I want to purchase from a company that isn’t willing to stand behind their products and repair them when they stop work properly.

Share Your Thoughts on our Forums