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1 / 7Marshall
Marshall Major IV
Lightweight and fun, but a little too simple
Overall Rating & value for money
7.3/ 10
7.3
0.010.0
A 7.3 puts its overall rating in the top third of on-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 15 of the 62 we've cataloged.
6.2/ 10
6.2
0.010.0
A 6.2 puts its value for money in the bottom quarter of on-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 15 of the 62 we've cataloged.
See the lab data ↓Frequency response · Isolation
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Key specs
Battery Life Wireless
80 hAbove average80 h
12 h100 h
above average for on-ear headphones — based on 41 of 62 we've cataloged.
Full Charge Minutes
15 minBelow average15 min
2 min240 min
below average for on-ear headphones — based on 34 of 62 we've cataloged.
Weight
165 gAbove average165 g
57 g285 g
above average for on-ear headphones — based on 50 of 62 we've cataloged.
Battery
- Battery Life Wireless
- 80 h
- Full Charge Minutes
- 15 min
- Charging Method
- Wireless charging
- Battery
- Yes
- Fast Charging
- Yes
Design
- Weight
- 165 g
- Color Options
- Black, brown
- Foldable
- Yes
- Headband Type
- Adjustable over-head
Connectivity
- Connection Type
- Bluetooth, wired-3.5mm
- Headphone Jack
- Yes
- Bluetooth Codec
- SBC
- Bluetooth Version
- 5
- Cable Type
- 3.5mm single-ended
- USB Charging
- Yes
- Multipoint Devices
- 2 devices
Microphone
- Microphone
- Yes
- Noise Reduction Type
- Passive noise isolation
- Type
- Single microphone
Sound
- Acoustic Design
- Closed-back
- Driver Count
- 1
- Driver Size
- 40 mm
- Driver Type
- Dynamic driver
- Frequency Response
- 20-20000 Hz
- Frequency Response High Hz
- 20000 Hz
- Frequency Response Low Hz
- 20 Hz
- Frequency Response Signature
- V-shaped
- Impedance
- 32 Ω
- Max Spl
- 99 dB SPL
- Passive Isolation
- 3.3 dB
- Sensitivity
- 99 dB/mW
Build
- Water Resistance
- No
- Material Cable
- Coiled rubber
Features
- Control Type
- Physical buttons
- Auto Pause
- No
- Inline Controls
- No
- Touch Controls
- No
Identity
- Model Number
- Major IV
Release
- Date
- 2020
- Year
- 2020
Lab data
How we test ›Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Marshall Major IV Frequency Response (measured on a B&K 5128)
Click a line or a legend entry to highlight it. Click again to clear.Tap a legend entry to highlight its line. Tap again to clear.
Measured frequency response (dB relative) against the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve. When the measurement goes above the dashed line, that frequency is louder than our preference curve, and when it goes below: it's quieter. Use the curve for comparison purposes only, as your taste may vary.
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 1.6 |
| 25 | 3.7 |
| 32 | 5.0 |
| 40 | 5.5 |
| 50 | 6.3 |
| 63 | 6.0 |
| 80 | 5.5 |
| 100 | 2.7 |
| 125 | 1.5 |
| 160 | 0.4 |
| 200 | -0.7 |
| 250 | -3.1 |
| 315 | -6.6 |
| 400 | -8.7 |
| 500 | -7.8 |
| 630 | -5.5 |
| 800 | -3.5 |
| 1000 | -1.0 |
| 1250 | 0.1 |
| 1600 | 1.5 |
| 2000 | 4.4 |
| 2500 | 9.8 |
| 3150 | 14.5 |
| 4000 | 14.5 |
| 5000 | 10.4 |
| 6300 | 10.2 |
| 8000 | 10.5 |
| 10000 | 6.4 |
| 12500 | -4.8 |
| 16000 | -4.5 |
| 20000 | -18.0 |
Marshall Major IV Attenuation (measured on a B&K 5128)
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Solid lines: passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -3.0 |
| 26 | -1.0 |
| 33 | -0.6 |
| 41 | -0.4 |
| 52 | -0.5 |
| 65 | -0.6 |
| 82 | -0.8 |
| 103 | -0.9 |
| 130 | 0.2 |
| 163 | -0.2 |
| 205 | -0.6 |
| 259 | 1.6 |
| 325 | 3.3 |
| 410 | 3.3 |
| 516 | 2.4 |
| 613 | 3.7 |
| 772 | 4.1 |
| 972 | 6.6 |
| 1220 | 7.1 |
| 1540 | 8.5 |
| 1940 | 9.6 |
| 2440 | 15.4 |
| 3070 | 21.9 |
| 3870 | 26.7 |
| 4870 | 34.0 |
| 6130 | 35.4 |
| 7720 | 31.8 |
| 9720 | 29.9 |
| 12200 | 17.1 |
| 15400 | 20.4 |
| 19400 | 19.3 |
SoundGuys review
Isolation3.3
Comfort & fit7.5
Connectivity7.5
Design6.5
Portability7.3
Features6.9
The verdict
The Marshall Major IV is a rare example of decent comfort from a set of on-ear headphones. It's lightweight, portable, and has a long playback time. The brass colored button is fun to use too. While it does not isolate noise particularly well, and the sound is rather hyped, it's silly simple to use. Offering wired listening can offset the lone SBC codec somewhat.
✓Liked: Lightweight, Battery life, Wireless charging, Wired or Bluetooth connectivity
✕Could be better: SBC Bluetooth codec only, Too much treble and bass, On-ears do not isolate very well
Owners
How we verify ownersNobody who owns the Marshall Major IV has written in yet.
Owner reviews are not paid for, not solicited from specific owners, and not rewritten by us: at most we proofread typos, which is shown on the review’s own page and which the author can undo. The commission SoundGuys may earn on this page comes from retail links, never from owner reviews.
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Questions from readers
What readers ask about the Marshall Major IV, answered by the people who own it.
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Ask the first question →Features & Opinions
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