Forget Bose — Marshall's new headphones boast 80 hours of battery life

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By Roland Moore-Colyer
published

The Marshall Major IV has very long battery life and comes with wireless charging

Marshall Major IV
(Image credit: Marshall)

Amplifier and audio brand Marshall has revealed the Major IV, which touts a massive 80 hours of battery life, as well as wireless charging. 

Whereas the headphones’ predecessor offered up to 30 hours of juice, the new Major IV more than doubles that. The Major IV also offers more battery life than the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose 700, which are rated for 30 hours and 20 hours respectively, both of which are on our best headphones list. 

With a design that is pretty much identical to the Major III, the Major IV sports an aesthetic derived from the famed Marshall guitar amplifiers. There’s a mix of textured black surfaces and gold accents, as well as the iconic Marshall script on the headphone’s ear cups. And like Marshall amps, controlling the headphones is done through the twisting of a multi-directional knob. 

Marshall said the Major IV has made the cushioning on the ear cups a bit softer than on the previous headphones. And the shape of the cups has changed slightly to allow for a more comfortable on-ear fit. 

Marshall Major IV

(Image credit: Marshall)

Aside from having a long battery life, the Major IV now comes with wireless charging, so you can simply pop the outside of the one of the headphones’ ear cups on a wireless charging pad and it will fill up. People in a hurry will benefit from the addition of quick charging, which will charge the battery to 15 hours worth of listening time in just 15 minutes. 

It's important to note that the Marshall Major IV does not feature active noise cancelling. It also appears that there have not been any audio upgrades made this time around. The previous model delivered a solid aural performance, with the exception of being a little lacking in the base department.

But for $150, the Major IV could offer a strong pair of mid-range wireless headphones with a lengthy battery life and easy charging. 

The headphones go on sale October 14. But you can pre-order a pair right now, if you’re keen on a pair of wireless headphones that come swaddled in rock and roll nostalgia. 

Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.