Marshall Minor IV test: our full opinion –

The Marshall Minor IV marks a significant departure in the brand’s line of headphones. If the design changes little, the sound is undergoing a real overhaul. Gone is the harshness and sometimes questionable balance of previous models, this time Marshall has ticked all the boxes and the Minor IV is playing in the big leagues. The AirPods 3 have some concerns…

Marshall Minor IV Technical sheet

This test was carried out with headphones loaned by Marshall.

Marshall Minor IV Black and brass

The Marshall Minor IV could be classified in the category of headphones directly inspired by Apple AirPods. Their shape is very similar, with a shell shaped to simply sit in the pinna of the ear, but without a silicone tip; They thus do not engage the ear canal. Their design is, however, very specific and we find colors and materials dear to Marshall. The Minor IV is made of semi-gloss black plastic, with significant graining on the upper which makes it easier to grip. The acoustic outlet duct is protected by a fine brass-colored grille, a color also used at the base of each rod. Finally, each earphone is stamped with Marshall’s white M.

The fact that the headphones do not engage in the ear canal gives them exquisite comfort, as they do not move one iota, even when walking quickly or shaking your head. If you are looking for headphones for very long listening sessions, these will be completely satisfactory. The only drawback is the fact that the ear canal is not sealed: surrounding noises are included in the music listened to. Additionally, no active noise reduction system is available. The Minor IVs are IPX4 certified and therefore resistant to perspiration and splashing water.

The Minor IV storage case is made from recycled PVC and has a finish that imitates cracked leather. Thanks to this structured surface and the grippy silicone Marshall logo, the case does not slip from your fingers. It is also very compact. The Bluetooth pairing button and USB-C charging port are located at the base of the case.

Marshall Minor IV Programmable touch controls

The Marshall Minor IV headphones feature optical sensors to automatically pause playback when removed, as well as a touch control area. The commands are as follows:

• One contact (left or right shell): pause or resume reading
• Two contacts (left or right shell): next track / call answer or end of call
• Three contacts (left or right shell): previous track
• Prolonged contact (left shell): volume decrease
• Prolonged contact (right shell): increase in volume

These commands can be partially customized in the Marshall app. Prolonged contact with the touch area that controls volume by default can be attributed to invoking the smartphone’s voice assistant or activating a custom equalization profile. The application also offers to limit the operation of the touch zones to call management and even to deactivate them completely.

In addition, the Marshall app offers to optimize battery operation by reducing its charge level to 90% to extend its lifespan, or to manage port detection and sound equalization. The equalizer offers 5 adjustment keys, but on too narrow a frequency range. We cannot therefore adjust the bass below 160 Hz, nor the treble beyond 6 kHz. In absolute terms, there is at least one key missing around 60 Hz for low frequencies and another around 10-12 kHz to adjust the treble. Luckily, the Marshall Minor IVs don’t need any correction and sound remarkably good.

The onboard Bluetooth 5.3 controller is compatible with Bluetooth LE audio transmission, which should allow compatible smartphones to use the LC3 codec. For others, SBC and AAC codecs are available, with in both cases excellent audio quality during my tests with different iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones and even MacBooks. The Bluetooth connection supports quick and multipoint pairing protocols, which allows you to switch from one source to another without the need to disconnect manually. The radio link is solid up to 10 meters, even through a thin wall or floor. Bluetooth latency (sound delay) is noticeable during video games, without fundamentally hindering the experience. No such problem when watching video, where sound and image are perfectly synchronized.

Marshall Minor IV Only pleasure for the ears

Launched at the same time as the Major V headphones, the Marshall Minor IV headphones have a completely different sound signature. No harshness or coloring with them, but, on the contrary, a clean and homogeneous sound, with just enough reinforcement in the bass and treble to flatter the ear. Beyond this soft and pleasant balance, these headphones have exemplary dynamic behavior, accompanied by very good staging of the sound planes. All this jumps out at you and from the first moment you know that you are going to spend time with them. A lot. Throughout this test, I haven’t found a title that goes poorly with Minor IV, and yet I searched.

Our curve should be taken with a grain of salt, because the format of the earphones complicates their placement in the measuring head, whose ears are quite small and made of very grippy silicone. In short, it gets stuck and the transducer is directly oriented towards the microphone, resulting in too much mid-range and high-pitched sounds being picked up. In ” real ear », the Minor IVs are oriented differently and these registers are much better placed. Thus, the bass is much more generous than what the curve shows and the volume peak in the treble, if it does indeed exist, is not as caricatured and very beneficial, since it provides additional fluidity listening.

Dynamic behavior and soundstage of the Marshall Minor IV

The Marshall Minor IV headphones make you want to tap your feet and nod your head. Their dynamic capabilities are astonishing: the peaceful titles are played with gentleness and the more muscular ones with plenty of punch – and always accuracy. On Lose Yourself to Dance by Daft Punk, which we happily listen to very very loudly, we are surprised by the differences in volume (claps of hands, robotic voices that impose themselves in space, cymbals that explode, etc.), as well as by the overall ventilation . There is space between the sound planes, a lot and not to spoil anything the scene is very wide and very deep. Same observations with an ultra-dense title like Heavy Cross from Gossip.

At the asking price, such a sound is unusual, even rare. On Sultan of Swing from Dire Straits, the various guitars play distinctly, supported by a solid bass line and convincing percussion; the whole thing breathes from start to finish and we let ourselves be carried away. Another example, Toda Medina Baiana, a big hit by Gilberto Gil, mixed with a lot of treble and compression, is brilliantly articulated and can be listened to with pleasure. In another style, Blue All’Alba by Giorgio Gaslini, a jazz classic played in the film La Notte, is an ambient treat despite its dry sound recording and its almost mono mixing. The Marshall Minor IVs are also completely suitable for watching films or series and you never feel cramped in the sound environment. In short, it’s flawless.

Marshall Minor IV Good quality calls

You can count on the Marshall Minor IV to make phone calls in good conditions. On the one hand the voice of the interlocutor is reproduced precisely and on the other hand the microphones capture that of the user well. The filtering of parasitic noise is effective, although they remain a little audible when speaking.

Marshall Minor IV Comfortable autonomy

Marshall announces up to 7 hours of autonomy for the Minor IV and the contract seems fulfilled. At 50% volume on my iPhone, the headphones didn’t give up until about 6:45.

The storage case allows you to recharge the headphones approximately 3 times and it takes a little over an hour to do so. Recharging the case requires a couple of hours.

Marshall Minor IV Price and release date

The Marshall Minor IV headphones are priced at 129 euros. An attractive price compared to the 199 euros of the third generation AirPods, acoustically surpassed by the Marshalls.