Wear a Marshall amp on your head

Marshall Major compact on-ear headphones are so inexpensive that you might wonder if the sound quality is going to be all that great, but in fact it’s terrific.

Sporting a classic black exterior, this is another item that takes inspiration from those vintage Marshall amplifiers that every rock star in the world once used onstage (and which many still do). 

On the headphones, the band holding them to your head is made of the same vinyl used on Marshall amps. On the back of the ear cups is the readily recognised Marshall logo, while inventor Jim Marshall’s autograph is printed inside the headband. 

To complete the look, there’s a brass plate at either end of the headband where the sliding ear cups are attached, an echo of the control panel on the amps.

These are truly portable headphones, collapsible and durable and with super-soft ear cushions so you can wear them for long hours even while on the move.

You get a 6.3mm adapter for plugging into an amplifier or CD player, and a 120cm cord with a microphone and remote control. Hook up to an Android-based smartphone and you can use the remote to play music and take calls. Used with an iPad or iPhone, the remote lets you easily skip to the next music track (double-click) or the previous one (click three times).

The excellent sound quality comes from 40mm moving-coil dynamic drivers with high sensitivity – up to 121dB at 1kHz. You can pull in frequency responses from 20Hz to 20kHz at impedance of 32 ohms.

I tested the headphones with my Motorola Razr Maxx and iPad and got some impressively deep bass without losing any of the delicate details in the other, higher-pitched instruments. 

Hard rock like AC/DC comes across like an elephant stampede, the shrieks of the singer just as piercing as an angry tusker’s trumpeting. Roger Waters took me “Hitch Hiking” and every tiny nuance along the road was there for the enjoying. 

In lighter pop, especially with orchestration, nothing is missed, from the warm trills of the voices to the glistening of the timpani in the background. The sound of a cello can deeply disturb, just as the swoop of a soprano can lift the spirits with it.

Marshall Major headphones are available at http://th-th.ashop.asia for Bt4,390.

 

KEY SPECS

 

Transducer: 40mm moving coil dynamic speaker

Sensitivity: 121 +/- 3dB AT 1kHz 1mW

Rated input power: 15mW

Frequency respond: 20 to 20kHz

Impedance: 32 ohms

Maximum input power: 20mW

Cord length: 120cm

Warranty: One year