The Marshall Motif II ANC are premium TWS earphones that aim to offer ‘a huge sound in a tiny package.’ I have been using the Marshall Motif II ANC for a while now, and the earbuds have been my constant companion in almost every situation, including gym, home, office, and trips. The earbuds have been priced in India for under Rs 20,000, which is not an easy buy. Read on to find out if the TWS justify their worth in this Marshall Motif II ANC review.
Table of Contents
Design and fit
Featuring a conventional shape similar to the Apple AirPods Pro, the Marshall Motif II ANC boasts a leather-like skin covering that provides a pleasing in-hand feel and a rugged finish. This design choice also makes the audio product less susceptible to scratches, ensuring peace of mind wherever you use or store the earphones. However, Marshall could have done better with its branding on the case which has started to wear off after use. This can be slightly off-putting for some, considering the premium value of the brand.
Besides that, if compared to AirPods Pro, the Motiff II ANC is a bit bulkier. Nevertheless, the case remains quite pocketable, and the earbuds themselves don’t protrude from the ears much. Speaking of the earbuds, they sit nicely in your ears with an in-ear stem-shaped design and silicone tips. Despite their familiar appearance, the buds distinguish themselves with distinctive crosshatched stems and gold-plated end caps. The outer shell of the earbuds features a matte finish adorned with Marshall’s iconic ‘M’ etched onto it.
As for the fit, it’s ideal for regular use. I’ve used the Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds during workouts, but they do require continual attention and adjustments to prevent them from slipping off. As long as you’re not involved in any strenuous activities, the TWS should offer a comfortable and secure fit. The company provides replaceable ear tips in three different sizes—small, medium, and large—to accommodate a diverse range of ear canal sizes.
The earbuds, as well as the case, are splash-resistant certified. The case is IPX4-rated, whereas the buds are IPX5-rated.
Features
Marshall has kept the Motiff II TWS earphones feature list to the minimum. The buds support Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), as is evident from the name, for an immersive listening experience. They also boast Transparency mode to keep you aware of your surroundings and touch controls to effortlessly control music, receive/ end calls, and enable/ disable ANC. The touch controls are fairly accurate, but a bit too sensitive I would say. The buds would pause the music even with the lightest of touch, often while adjusting them.
Sadly, there is no way to control the intensity of the touch. You do have the option to disable the touch controls via the companion app, but this action would result in the forfeiture of some functionality. While you can tweak the touch controls a bit, aside from the long press, you can’t customise them for any other functionality.
The earbuds support Bluetooth v5.2 to pair with your smartphone and other compatible devices. The Bluetooth version provides a decent range of up to 10m. I did run into a few connectivity issues, but it was fixed after a quick reset. Moving on, in terms of codecs, you have access to the basic SBC and AAC. Unfortunately, the Motiff II doesn’t support high-end LDAC and aptX codecs. Other features include Multipoint pairing, built-in microphones, and wear detection.
Companion app
The Marshall Motif II ANC has a companion app called Marshall Bluetooth for Android and iOS devices. I had version 3.1.1 of the app installed on my Pixel 8, and everything worked seamlessly. There were no hiccups when pairing the earphones with the app, and it allowed me to effortlessly manage EQ settings, noise cancellation and transparency mode intensity, auto-play/ pause, battery preservation, and of course, the limited touch controls.
Sound quality and ANC
The Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds boast 6mm dynamic drivers with a 108db driver sensitivity. Now, coming from the more expensive Sony WF-1000 XM5, the Marshall TWS feels a step down both in terms of audio quality and ANC. The latter doesn’t block out the outside world as efficiently as you would expect from the premium TWS pair. Regardless of the level set in the app, the background noise was quite noticeable with ANC turned on, which could be a dealbreaker for many. That being said, the transparency mode works remarkably on the Marshall Motif II ANC. It effortlessly lets you hear your surroundings with respectable clarity.
As for the audio quality, the Marshall Motif II ANC does not disappoint. The earbuds soundstage is not exceptionally wide, but they offer an enjoyable listening experience across genres. The buds really bring forth the lows while keeping the mids and highs nicely balanced. This is evident in tracks like Arjan Valley where the vocals and different musical instruments remain easily discernible amid the heavy bass throughout the song. Similarly, O Maahi and less bass-heavy songs like Afterglow are handled with utmost precision, not skipping a note or a beat.
The signature audio profile did the job for me, but you have the option to tweak their profile from the companion app using the preset options or customise it. That said, the Marshall Motif II earphones might leave you wanting more if you have a profound liking for bass. Even after tweaking the settings, the earphones don’t reproduce the deep thump expected from songs like Human, Sweet Child O Mine, and Loyalty.
Battery life and call quality
The Marshall Motif II ANC offers a playback time ranging from six to nine hours on a single charge, with or without ANC. Actual results may vary based on your usage and volume preferences. Be that as it may, I found the battery life closely aligned with the claimed duration. The case holds an additional 20-26 hours of battery life, ensuring ample playtime before requiring a recharge. The Motif II ANC offers both wired and wireless charging options, with the wired approach being notably faster. In just 15 minutes of charging, the earbuds provide an additional hour of playback. For a complete recharge from 0 to 100 percent for both case and earbuds, it takes approximately 3-4 hours.
Moving on, the Marshall Motif II ANC also comes across as a reliable choice for handling voice calls. The microphones on the stem picked up voices relatively well, particularly in quieter surroundings.
Verdict
The Marshall Motif II ANC is a perfectly capable pair of TWS earphones. Despite some concerns over wear and tear, initial hiccups with connectivity, and the slightly bulky design compared to competitors, the earbuds remain a comfortable fit for various light-hearted activities. Features like ANC and touch controls enhance the overall user experience. However, I wish the touch controls were more adjustable, and the ANC a bit more effective. The Marshall Motif II may not match the top-tier competitors when it comes to cancelling out background noise; for instance, the Sony WF-1000 XM5 (review), which I consider the best ANC TWS earphones to date, albeit at a higher price point of roughly Rs 5,000 more than the Marshall TWS.
Overall, the Marshall Motif II ANC offer impressive audio quality, with well-balanced lows, mids, and highs. Additionally, the app connectivity, call quality, and battery life align with expectations as well.
Editor’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Pros
- Rich sound
- Comfortable fit
- Good battery life
Cons
- ANC could have been better
- Non-customisable touch controls
