I’ve been using these over-ear headphones for a year and they look cooler than Sony, Bose and JBL: their 100-hour battery life has everyone beat too

Marshall Monitor III ANC headphones — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

A year or so ago, my doctor banned me from in-ear earbuds as excessively using them had resulted in me getting an ear infection. I was then advised to get myself a set of over-ear headphones, and so I did, and the pair I settled for was the Marshall Monitor III.

Truth be told, it's the best decision I've ever made.

The Monitor III, in my opinion, look far cooler than headphones from the likes of Sony, JBL and Bose. All of these brands are fantastic in their own right, but I'm partial towards a rockstar-esque look, and Marshall has designed the Monitor III with that thought in mind. After all, Green Day's frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong, modelled the headphones on launch, and who doesn't want to feel as cool as him?

I've been using the Monitor III for a year now, and they're the most comfortable cans I've ever used. Their plush leather ear cushions sit snugly around my ears, and I'll often wear them for up to eight hours at a time, and they never hurt my ears or make them too hot. The leatherette and silicon headband also helps to relieve pressure on the top of my head, contributing towards the overall comfort.

As someone who often forgets to charge her headphones until it's too late, the Monitor III's battery life is nothing short of a blessing. On a single charge, you get 100 hours with ANC off and 70 hours with ANC on. That's phenomenal, and the battery life has remained reliable since I started using the headphones. They also feature fast charging, so charging them for 15 minutes yields up to 12 hours of playback time.

Marshall Monitor III over-ear headphones — (Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom's Guide)

The Monitor III sound just as good (if not better) as they look. You can check out our in-depth Marshall Monitor III review for the full deets, but in a nutshell, they sound gorgeous. They boast a wide soundstage and make nearly every genre I listen to sound highly detailed. The bass is powerful but not booming; the treble is bright and crisp but not overzealous; and the transition between low hums to high screams is always smooth.

Whether I'm head-banging to Linkin Park or I'm deep in my thoughts while listening to the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 soundtrack, the Monitor III ensure I hear every note and feel fully immersed. I really can't recommend another pair of headphones if you want top-notch comfort, best-in-class sound quality, and long battery life.

For Presidents' Day, Amazon has introduced a 26% price cut on the Monitor III, bringing them down to $279 from their retail price of $379. I'd grab them now if I were you.

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Nikita is a Senior Writer on the Reviews team at Tom's Guide. She's a lifelong gaming and photography enthusiast, always on the lookout for the latest tech. Having worked as a Sub Editor and Writer for Canon EMEA, she has interviewed photographers from all over the world and working in different genres. When she’s not working, Nikita can usually be found sinking hours into RPGs on her PS5, flying a drone (she's a licensed drone pilot), at a concert, or watching F1. Her work has appeared in several publications including Motor Sport Magazine, NME, Marriott Bonvoy, The Independent, and Metro. You can follow her photography account on Instagram here.

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