Zound Industries 1006861

The Marshall Monitor III A.N.C. nails battery life with a crazy 70 hours and delivers that classic rock-inspired sound. ANC is solid, but the microphone quality ruins it for calls. If you rarely take calls, you'll love these, especially at the lower end of the price spectrum.

Our testing backs up the numbers: with a battery ranking in the 93rd percentile, these things just refuse to die. We got over 65 hours with ANC on, which crushes most rivals. The sound is lively, with a bass-forward tuning that makes rock and electronic music feel energetic. The noise canceling sits in the 88th percentile — good, but not class-leading — and the soundstage spatial audio adds some width, though it can sound artificial. Where it stumbles is the microphone. Call quality scored a low 48.6 in our database, and in real use, our voice sounded thin and background noise crept in easily. It's a weak spot you'll notice quickly.

Next to the Sony WH-1000XM6, the Marshall can't touch its call clarity or multipoint smarts, but it easily wins on battery endurance. The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 offers a richer, more detailed soundstage and better comfort, though its ANC isn't as effective. The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 brings a more refined, spacious sound and premium materials, but it costs significantly more. If you want solid ANC on a budget, the JBL Live 770NC is a strong alternative that undercuts the Marshall's price. And for an absolute steal, the TOZO HT3 delivers shockingly good noise canceling for under $50, just don't expect the same build quality or style. For marathon listening with a rock-and-roll vibe, Marshall holds its own.

Pricing for these headphones is a wild ride. We've seen them listed as low as $219, which is an absolute steal for the feature set, but also at a baffling $49,980 from certain retailers (seriously, don't fall for that). If you can snag them around $250-300, you're getting fantastic battery life and distinctive sound for the money. At MSRP, though, the call quality and comfort issues make them harder to recommend over more polished competitors.

The Monitor III A.N.C. is Marshall's latest over-ear noise-canceling headphone, and it's basically a leather jacket for your ears: stylish, rugged, and built to last. You get a foldable design, 70 hours of battery with ANC on, and that signature rock-tuned sound that fans have come to expect. It's clearly aimed at listeners who want their headphones to look as good as they sound, and for the most part, it delivers.

But not everything is cranked to eleven. While the sound and battery are awesome, the call quality is a letdown, and the comfort is just average. If you're someone who takes a lot of calls or wears headphones all day, this might not be your encore.

If call quality is critical for your daily routine, skip these entirely. The microphone performance is one of the weakest we've seen, and you'll constantly frustrate people on the other end. Also, if you need multipoint Bluetooth or the most neutral, accurate sound, Sony or Sennheiser are far better picks. Comfort seekers who wear headphones all day should look elsewhere too, because the average padding might become irritating.

If you love the Marshall aesthetic and prioritize battery life above all, the Monitor III A.N.C. is a solid buy — especially if you can find it at a good price. They're perfect for music lovers who want headphones that look cool and last for days. But if you take a lot of calls, need multipoint, or crave all-day comfort, there are better options out there.