Review: Marshall Mode II True Wireless Earbuds

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Rating
8

Look cool, sound great, Marshall have delivered a sweet little set of earbuds to back up their iconic name.

These really are a nifty little set of true wireless ear buds that deliver great sound across a variety of genres. Plus, the customisable EQ adds life to whatever you’re listening to if you need.

They sit at the expensive end of the ratio, and without being able to check out the offered extra ear tips I can’t say they were the best fit.

In true Marshall tradition, the new Mode II earbuds dial their swing into the personal sound market up to 11. The iconic brand’s first true wireless in-ear head phones, the sound they push out is very nice.

While they can be a little sensitive when it comes to switching off when they sense they have come out of your ear, they deliver on their name. Also, the review pair didn’t come with the four extra ear tips of different size (S, M, L, XL) to customise to yourself, so I’m sure that is all strictly a me problem.

I’ve admitted before, when reviewing the Minor IIIs, that I’m a Marshall nerd, so I was pretty much always going to like these. The same way I drink Coke not Pepsi, and prefer Converse shoes.

But that made me truly put the Mode IIs through their paces, and the range of tracks they delivered the goods on was impressive.

With a frequency response of from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, 6mm dynamic drivers with an impedance of 16 ohm, and driver sensitivity of 100.5 db SPL (179 mV @ 1 kHz), the standard Marshall EQ they come with is cool. But get into it via the Marshall Bluetooth app and things start to really get fun.

While the preset EQs are pretty obvious – hip-hop, rock, spoken, pop, electronic, jazz – the custom option lets you tweak levels at 160 Hz, 400 Hz, 1kHz, 2.5 kHz and 6.25 kHz, so you can bump up any aspect for any style you’re pushing.

Also good, from my point of view, is the ability to change the noise control level to how much of your surroundings you want to either block or let in.

Not being a huge fan of blocking stuff out, I like to keep it at 0 so I don’t miss announcements on the train or get hit by a car if I’m getting into a song. But I do also like the ability to turn it right up if there’s something going on that’s impacting on my listening experience.

marshall mode ii release 1 1024x576 Review: Marshall Mode II True Wireless Earbuds

As for that listening experience, the Mode II came to the party across anything I threw at them, which was a lot.

They certainly aren’t wallflowers when it comes to mellower action, adding life to jazz classics, soul standards and gentle acoustic and blues numbers, then bringing the active mayhem needed to enjoy punk and metal workouts.

Classic rock is well catered for, as is anything with a Marshall amp providing the backbone.

One song I like to run through when testing audio gear is 5:15 by The Who, as it veers from a plaintive opening with soft guitars and keys, through to slamming drums, punchy horns and demanding vocals, and the Mode II was on point across all of it.

What I really enjoyed with them was the sense of separation they gave more modern songs, with heavy bass tones impacting in the back of your head while higher tinkles played around various spots.

There is a definite soundscape going on. So yeah, there’s a lot to recommend about these buds. With 25 hours of playtime, but at $249 that’s at the higher end of the spectrum. Still, you are paying for the brand, and the charging case looks pretty ace, with its Marshall logo and the faux leather feel the amps rock. Plus, they have the M on the side of the bud to impress other guitar fans when you wear them.

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Rating
8

Look cool, sound great, Marshall have delivered a sweet little set of earbuds to back up their iconic name.

These really are a nifty little set of true wireless ear buds that deliver great sound across a variety of genres. Plus, the customisable EQ adds life to whatever you’re listening to if you need.

They sit at the expensive end of the ratio, and without being able to check out the offered extra ear tips I can’t say they were the best fit.