ANC earbuds Marshall MOTIF II A.N.C. hands-on review: Gritty Marshall sound and a hot design?

The trebles are also present on the 6-mm buds, but overall we found them lacking in some detail, and especially lacking that final punch. The relatively present bass makes the sound seem punchy but is not sufficiently supported toward the highs. Especially for a rock-oriented Marshall sound, the Motif II A.N.C. buds seem a bit too muffled. If you switch off ANC, the sound feels a bit more open, but you have to do without a lot of bass. We get the feeling that the ANC also filters out some details.

Marshall has done quite a bit of work on its Active Noise Cancellation. Some noise may still be able to pierce through, but at least only a small amount. Even so, stepping noises and rubbing noises are transmitted much too clearly, for example when you are wearing a hat in the colder weather. If you aren’t playing any sound, then you can hear weak to medium levels of ambient noise when ANC mode is activated. Of course, the sound is much louder with Transparency Mode activated. Outside noise then sounds a bit artificial.

Compared to other in-ear headphones, the Motif II earbuds hold up well — however, their sound simply cannot compete with over-ear headphones like the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro. This may not be a benchmark, but it is what the author of this review is used to in everyday headphone use. The Motif IIs sound a bit muffled and less high-res in comparison. In addition, the Marshall buds are relatively quiet, so you have to turn up the volume quite a bit.