Marshall revives ANC for smaller on-ear wireless headphones
▼ Summary
– Marshall launched the Milton A.N.C., its first on-ear headphones with active noise canceling since the 2018 Mid A.N.C., priced at $229.99.
– The Milton A.N.C. offers 80 hours of playtime with ANC off and over 50 hours with ANC on, compared to the Major V’s 100 hours.
– The headphones feature larger earpads, softer memory foam, six microphones, a transparency mode, and adaptive loudness for noisy environments.
– They include a new driver system, spatial audio, Bluetooth 6.0 with multiple codecs, a replaceable battery, and Apple/Google item tracking.
– On-ear ANC is typically less effective than over-ear, but Marshall claims updated design improves noise blocking and comfort.
Marshall has reintroduced active noise canceling to its compact on-ear headphone lineup with the launch of the Milton A.N.C., available now for $229.99. The company’s first ANC-enabled headphones, the Marshall Mid A.N.C., debuted back in 2018, but until now, noise canceling was only offered on the larger, over-ear Monitor III A.N.C. model. The Milton A.N.C. brings the feature back to a smaller, lighter form factor that folds up easily for portability. Starting May 27th, the headphones will also be sold through select retailers beyond Marshall’s own online store.
Priced $70 higher than the Marshall Major V, which shares a similar on-ear design, the Milton A. N. C. delivers up to 80 hours of wireless playback with ANC turned off. Activating noise cancellation reduces that figure to a still-impressive 50-plus hours. The Major V, by comparison, offers over 100 hours of playtime but lacks ANC entirely.
On-ear headphones generally can’t match the noise-blocking performance of over-ear models that fully enclose the ears. However, Marshall says the Milton A. N. C. features larger earpads and softer memory foam to improve passive isolation and comfort. A transparency mode uses six built-in microphones to amplify surrounding sounds when needed.
For noisy environments where ANC alone isn’t enough, the headphones include adaptive loudness functionality. Rather than forcing users to manually adjust the EQ or raise the volume, the Milton A. N. C. automatically tweaks “audio playback tonality” to preserve quieter details without losing clarity.
Additional features include an entirely new driver system tuned for better bass and treble extension, spatial audio compatibility, and Bluetooth 6.0 with support for LE Audio, SBC, AAC, LC3, and LDAC codecs. A replaceable battery extends the product’s lifespan, and the headphones can be tracked using both Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find My Device networks.
(Source: The Verge)
