Marshall Monitor III ANC in test

With the Monitor III ANC, Marshall aims to keep up with the best over-ear headphones – and achieves an excellent figure. We tested it.

Marshall is a brand with a long tradition of providing stages with amplifiers and speakers. However, the manufacturer is less well-known when it comes to headphones.

We’ve already tested the Marshall Emberton III Portable Bluetooth Box (test report), which was really good. Now we’re going to add the Marshall Monitor III ANC over-ear headphones and see if they can keep up with the big players in the industry.

The Marshall Monitor III ANC has the typical Marshall look: black synthetic leather, matte metal and a gold logo give it a sleek charm. The flat headband and barely raised ear pieces ensure that it fits snugly on the head. A nice detail is the clearly visible spiral cable between the ear pieces and the headband. We celebrate the pithy rocker look!

The processing is at a high level. Despite all the metal, the Monitor III ANC is pleasantly light at 246 grams. There is no pressure or pain even after wearing them for hours, which is also due to the soft and comfortable ear cushions. However, these cannot be changed easily.

The headphones adapt flexibly to small and large heads. It is also practical that the ear pieces can be rotated and folded. This means the Monitor III gets narrower folding dimensions.

The included case is very compact and round/oval. The inside is decorated with red velvet – it is supposed to be reminiscent of guitar cases, but certainly not to everyone’s taste. The case also has space for a charging cable and an audio cable.

In terms of sound, the Marshall Monitor III ANC impresses across the board. It sounds very warm and slightly harsh – perfect for guitar-heavy music. The singing is always clear and understandable. Bass is present but not overpowering. Heights can be reproduced extremely clearly if desired.

The fine resolution with which various instruments in a song are displayed is impressive. Even at high volume, the headphones barely distort. However, high-res codecs such as LDAC or aptX Adaptive are not supported. Only SBC, AAC and LC3 are on board.

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When we talked on the phone, we always understood the other person very well. However, one’s own voice was not fully expressed in all situations.

Marshall has given the Monitor III ANC a comprehensive app with many useful options. It includes an equalizer with various presets and the option to adjust the sound yourself with five bands.

The Soundstage option has a subtle but noticeable effect on ambient sound. The sound doesn’t come from one direction, but the stage has become bigger – a nice effect.

The maximum charge in the app can be reduced by up to 90 percent to save battery life. Charging speed and temperature are also taken into account. The adaptive volume option is practical.

The app can also be used to independently assign the M button on the headphones, for example with Spotify Tap, Equalizer, Soundstage or the Voice Assistant.

We find it impeccable that Marshall has completely eliminated touch controls on the Monitor III ANC. Instead, the most important functions are controlled using a golden joystick and two additional buttons.

The joystick controls volume, skips to the next or previous song, and starts or stops playback. It works excellent and accurately.

Two additional buttons are responsible for ANC control and the independently assignable M button. They are very easy to reach, even if they are a little hidden at first. The pressure point is great. Overall, we really liked the operation of the Marshall Monitor III ANC.

The active noise cancellation of the Monitor III ANC is really good. Although it doesn’t quite reach the level of top dogs like Sony or Bose, it filters out ambient noise reliably and effectively.

Transparency mode also works well, although a slight background noise can always be heard here.

Marshall Monitor III ANC shines with record battery life. It lasts for up to 70 hours with ANC on, even up to 100 hours with ANC off. This is significantly more than its predecessor with 40 hours. Actual running time depends largely on volume.

This time each earpiece has a separate battery. It’s amazing that the headphones still remain so light and compact.

The Marshall Monitor III ANC has an RRP of 350 Euros. It is currently available on Amazon 260 euros Available.

The Marshall Monitor III ANC is a true all-rounder due to its extensive features. It gives an excellent figure both on the go and at home. The rocky, guitar-friendly sound is particularly impressive. But the effective noise cancellation, numerous app functions and extremely long battery life are also reassuring.

The workmanship and wearing comfort are also at a high level. Operation via joystick and buttons is exemplary.

Points of criticism include the lack of Hi-Res Bluetooth codecs and slight noise in aware mode. We would also like the ear pads to be easier to change. Otherwise there is nothing wrong with the Marshall Monitor III ANC. They are an all-round great pair of over-ear headphones for demanding music lovers.