The $117 Headphones That Can’t Be Beat

SHOP $117, amazon.com

Welcome to the Esquire Endorsement. Heavily researched. Thoroughly vetted. These picks are the best way to spend your hard-earned cash.

I haven’t stuck with anything for as long as I’ve stuck with my Marshall headphones—no piece of clothing, no lifestyle tool, not even my phone. In December 2021, I was gifted a pair of the brand’s Major IV headphones for Christmas; I’d been wanting a pair of over-ear headphones for aesthetic purposes, but I was picky about things like looks, comfort, and, of course, having to keep the Bluetooth headphones charged. (I’m historically a wired-headphones loyalist because they’ll never die on you.)

In fact, I was gifted three pairs of over-ear Bluetooth headphones that Christmas, with the intention of keeping only the pair that I liked best. So I tested out each one for a few days, and Marshall’s won by a landslide. The Major IVs became my new go-to, an infallible, practical accessory I wouldn’t be caught dead leaving the house without. They were the best headphones on the market, in my opinion, and they still would be, if not for Marshall’s upgrade in the form of Major V headphones.

Since Marshall debuted the Major Vs last spring, I haven’t wavered from using them exclusively. I truly, completely, from the bottom of my heart encourage everybody to get these headphones. I don’t think I’ve used anything in my life for as long as I’ve used these, and until Marshall comes out with a Major VI pair (not that there’s anything I can think of for them to improve on, but still), they’ll be the only pair of headphones I ever wear.

SHOP $117, amazon.com

Here’s what initially convinced me that Marshall made the best headphones on the market: In summer 2022, I took a two-week trip to Europe with my Major IVs. I didn’t charge them for a few weeks beforehand, so they weren’t at 100 percent charge when I departed—probably closer to 80 percent instead. I used them for the entire 12-hour leg to Europe, all of the smaller flights and trains I took in between, and my 12-hour journey back. Not only did these headphones never die in that time, but they didn’t even come close. When I got back to New York, they were still 60 percent charged.

Those Marshall Major IV headphones had 80 hours of play time, and the upgraded Major Vs have 100-plus hours of play time—I probably charge mine, what, once every few months? If that, even? For comparison, Apple’s AirPod Max headphones have only 20 hours of playback and are nearly four times as expensive—good luck being glued to your charger. The Major Vs are probably the most low-maintenance Bluetooth headphones out there, and I’d know; the reason I stopped using AirPods back in 2019 was because I was sick of them dying on me in the middle of a workout or a commute. The Major Vs have never even come close to dying, and I use them for a minimum of an hour every day.

These headphones are charged via USB-C (or you can charge wirelessly), and if they’re completely dead, the time for a full recharge back to 100 percent battery life is three hours. Personally, I’ve never had my headphones on the charger for three hours at once; these are quick-charge compatible, with a 15-minute charge offering 15 hours of play time. The Marshall app also offers battery preservation, with which you can prolong the battery life and reduce aging in the long run. With the way things are going, I think these headphones will still be functional by the time I’m ready to pass ’em down to my future grandchildren.

SHOP $117, amazon.com

When I first ventured into the world of over-ear headphones, my biggest concern was comfort. I wouldn’t tolerate a style that had bulky on-ear cups that pressed down on my ears or fit too snugly, and the Apple AirPod Maxes aren’t for me, because the oversize ear cushions are heavy and prone to dirtying easily (not to mention they’re so damn pricey and still offer only a fraction of the play time that the Major Vs have).

Somehow, masterfully, Marshall offers the solution to all my woes and worries. The design is lightweight (these headphones weigh less than half a pound, half as much as AirPod Maxes do), with plush ear cushions that don’t press too hard on the sides of my head but still sit securely and comfortably enough all day. Obviously, we all have differently sized ears, and you can adjust the length of the headphones, too, but for me these are the perfect size—not too small, not too big.

And honestly, over-ear headphones are retro by nature. I don’t believe in these new, ultra-sleek, ultra-futuristic designs that brands are coming out with; I want something that makes me feel like I can clip a Walkman onto my belt and carry on with my day. The Major V headphones have a delightfully retro design, with a pebbled leather-effect headpiece and the brand’s cursive logo on each ear. Plus, in addition to classic black, the Major Vs come in two new colorways, too: chocolate brown and chic cream. They even collapse in on themselves, seamlessly folding up for easy packability, storage, and travel. They’re as rock ’n’ roll as Bluetooth headphones can get, from a brand that’s been supporting rock ’n’ roll since its heyday.

SHOP $117, amazon.com

All right, let’s address the part that all of you audiophiles are really concerned about: the sound quality. Spoiler alert—like everything else about these headphones, it’s pretty damn great.

If you’re looking for the technical audio specs, these are packed with dynamic, 40mm drivers, a frequency range of 20-20,000 hertz, and customizable sound. If you don’t really know or care what any of that means and just want someone to break down how these sound in layman’s terms, I’ve got you covered.

The sound is crisp, clear, and smooth, with emphasis on the bass—Marshall is, after all, known for its amps. Because of the over-ear structure, you’re definitely going to get more sound delivered out of these than you are from in-ear headphones; they really transport you when you wear ’em and block out the chatter of the outside world. (To be clear, though, these headphones don’t offer noise canceling. Marshall has a pair of noise-canceling over-ear headphones here that I’ve tried and tested, and in my opinion the Major Vs offer better sound, comfort, style, and the right amount of muffling.) Buyers refer to the sound quality as “precise” and “great,” with an “EQ [that] is very suitable for rock,” too.

SHOP $117, amazon.com

Photographs by Florence Sullivan.