In the midst of the onslaught of giant technology brands that released TWS products, Marshall is one of the brands with a reputation in the audio field that is not inferior and continues to follow the times.
The brand that we first heard of from guitar amps also has a fairly complete line-up of other audio products including True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphones.
One of the products we are trying is the flagship, namely Motif ANC, which from the name clearly emphasizes the noise cancellation feature and of course the rock n roll design.
But what about other aspects of these earphones such as sound quality and features?
Super Unique Design
Marshall Motif ANC brings a quite unique design concept with leather-style finishing like the guitar amp product and looks very rock n roll.
Actually, this design has become a Marshall product signature which feels unique when applied to TWS earphones.
The case from Marshall Motif ANC also has one button for pairing, an indicator LED, and a USB C port for charging.
Although the design of the Marshall ANC motif has some notes, such as the build quality of the lid and the Marshall design, which is quite disturbing the way in and out of the earpiece.
Marshall's writing closes the words "since 1962" which is also a detail when the case cover is opened.
However, this may not be a problem if the TWS can be fully opened even though there is no spring system that helps the user to access the earpiece.
Marshall Motif ANC uses an in-ear type earpiece that has relatively better passive noise cancellation and sticks firmly to the ear.
The touch of Marshall-style leather can still be found on the earpiece stem.
Although the matte finish of the earpiece does not give the impression of being an earphone for millions of rupiah.
These Eartips from Marshall ANC Motif in 3 different sizes available in the box along with a USB-C cable and essential papers.
Despite all the records, the Marshall Motif ANC earphone is the most uniquely designed
Sound Quality Undoubted
One of the reasons why a TWS can be expensive is the quality of the audio that is offered to the user's ear.
Marshall is of course not a foreign name for audio quality, including in a number of TWS products on this one.
Marshall Motif ANC has a dominant sound character in the lower frequencies or the right bass and a comfortable high sound with a sound stage that is not too wide.
It is a pleasure to listen to instrument songs from Depapepe because the sound of guitar strumming is very clear and the separation is clear.
Meanwhile, for listening to Japanese pop songs such as Ano Yume Wo Nazotte from Yoasobi, the bass boom sounds more comfortable and the high sound is quite crisp and clear.
Even though Lilas Ikuta's voice sounded more submerged than the accompanying voice.
Even for watching movies like Midway, the sound of aircraft engines and the thumping of anti-air guns sounds very immersive and satisfying.
With the right tools, this Marshall Motif ANC offers an immersive audio experience whether watching movies or listening to music.
In our opinion, Marshall Motif ANC is designed for music and movies only because of the high latency when playing games.
So for those of you who like to play games like COD Mobile or Apex Legends, there will be a noticeable delay between the visuals on the screen and the sound of gunshots coming out of the earpiece.
ANC & Ambient Mode
Regarding features, Marshall Motif ANC still offers some of the standard features of a TWS for 3 million rupiah, such as actine noise cancellation and ambient mode.
We use the Ambient feature quite often when we are riding the KRL or MRT to be able to hear announcements even though we are listening to music.
However earphones are not as sophisticated as a number of TWS which can be selective in entering sound from outside.
The Active Noise Cancellation or ANC feature of the Marshall anc is quite rarely used because the noise or sound that is muffled is not so much.
When riding the KRL, the ANC feature is only able to muffle a little rumbling sound from outside, while the sound of people chatting or the roar of the wind can still be heard.
When we tried to take the MRT, the noise reduction from the subway was not that significant when ANC was active or not.
Although for some occasions like the sound of rain can be muffled quite well.
The positive side when the ANC feature in Marshall Motif ANC is active is the sound quality is not much different, which is often not the case in other TWS that have this feature.
The ANC or ambient mode feature can be adjusted via the Marshall Bluetooth application either on iOS or the Play Store.
Although this setting is quite rarely we change in daily use.
Other Basic Features
Like TWS in general, Marshall Motif ANC uses capacitive buttons on your side with quite complete settings such as skip and repeat songs, pause & play.
Touch once to pause, twice to skip songs, and three times to repeat songs on either the right or left earpiece.
While the 3 times touch gesture will make the earpiece switch between ANC, ambient, and normal modes.
This setting can also be set in the Marshall bluetooth application as desired.
But unfortunately this earpiece does not have a function to adjust the volume or call the google assistant which is commonly found on TWS from well-known gadget brands.
Maybe the calling feature of the google assistant is not very commonly used, but the volume changer feature can be very useful in certain situations.
Then on the inside of the earpiece there is a sensor for auto pause and play functions when the earpiece is removed from the ear which is very typical of TWS for millions of rupiah.
Battery
Marshall The ANC motif is said to last up to 20 hours more according to Marshall's claims.
However, in our opinion, this TWS can be better than that with the earpiece resistance alone can reach 5-6 hours in normal mode and about 3-4 hours when ANC mode is active.
The case itself can be used to charge up to 4 times if the earpiece is always used until the battery runs out.
So that in continuous use, Marshall Motif ANC has up to 20 hours more,
However, in normal use, such as listening to music every time we go to work and during breaks, we only need to charge the case once every 1 to 2 weeks.
Conclusion
Marshall Motif ANC is a TWS which is designed for casual users who like to listen to music, especially for those who need high bass and treble sounds.
By utilizing the equalizer preset in the application, you can also maximize the bass or treble as needed.
Then a very unique and different design will make these earphones stand out more in public places and it is very difficult to find people who think that this is a cheap item.
The features provided are indeed sufficient for the essential needs of a TWS earphone, ranging from capacitive buttons, ANC, ambient mode, and the equalizer preset feature.
However, it must be realized that these earphones are designed for enthusiasts or casual users who like to listen to music because of the high latency when playing games.
Then the ANC feature can also be a note because the difference is not so significant from the normal mode, although it is still able to muffle a little sound from outside.
For us, the Marshall Motif ANC is perfect for listening to music while accompanying daily activities, from lying down, on the train, to working.