When I received my first payout back in 2017, I decided to gift myself something special. Marshall hadn’t really started a retail network in India back then, so I had to import the Major II (wired) headphones over eBay. After a long wait of nearly a month, I finally received them, and they stuck around for almost three glorious years. Metro rides, flights, post-breakup blues – they saw it all. Seven years later, I still want to relive that sense of nostalgia. So, when we were approached by the good folks at Marshall to review the Minor IV buds, I had to try them out.
Marshall Minor IV
Rs 11,999
What Is Good?
- Classy design
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Long battery life
- Functional companion app
- Good mids and high-frequency response
What Is Bad?
- Uninspiring plastic build
- Underwhelming bass
- Didn’t fit me well
- Pricey
The Minor IV’s pitch is simple – they are old-fashioned, open-ear buds that aim to take over the loyal AirPods audience, that too with a similar price tag. But does the formula work? Find out in my review.
Design and Build Quality
I have mixed feelings about the Minor IV’s design and build. The box and the overall unboxing experience are premium. The textured black case with brass accents looks great. But the moment I touched and felt it in my hands, I realised this hard plastic didn’t feel quite right, because my mind expected to touch faux leather.
I understand the choice, though. The hard plastic keeps the weight down and doesn’t scratch that easily, and given the fact that the Minor IV is positioned to compete against the AirPods 3, this is an important factor.
| Design | Specs |
| Build Material | Earbuds and case: Hard plastic with brass accents |
| Weight | Earbuds: 7.39g each |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 |
| Colour Options | Black |
I liked the tactile feedback of the button on the bottom of the case, which sits next to a Type-C charging port.
The earbuds have a unique design. Their shell is made of the same material as the charging case, but the texture is different. The brass finish on the earpiece and the bottom also adds to the luxurious vibe.
I’m going to be honest – I never found the open-ear style to be appealing. It has to do a lot with the shape of my ears. So, I wasn’t surprised that these kept falling off while eating or talking, although your mileage may vary. I wish they had a squeeze-style touch interface, because every time I would end up skipping or pausing the track whenever I repositioned them.
They are only water-resistant with an IPX4 rating, so you might want to take caution when stepping out on dusty roads.
Sound Quality
Simply put – the Minor IV sound shiny. Usually, audio makers stuff their open earbuds with a ton of bass to account for the sound leakage. This makes the experience sound fuller, but that’s not the case here. The shiny profile is awesome for genres like instrumental and classical music, but I found myself wanting more every time I put on some rock or metal music.
The Minor IV are the first buds in the series to have a companion app. You can use this to tweak the sound profile using the built-in EQ, which is a nice touch.
| Sound | Specs |
| Drivers | 12mm dynamic drivers |
| Microphones | 1 mic per bud |
| Bluetooth Codec | AAC/SBC |
| Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) | Not available |
The Minor IV feature 12 mm dynamic drivers with a typical lowish impedance of 32 Ω. I think because of how my ears are shaped, much of the sound would leak out more than an average listener. So, the perception of loudness (or the lack thereof) could very well be a ‘me problem’.
The codec support is also kind of conservative, with support for only AAC and SBC.
The microphone quality is nothing to write home about. The noise cancellation can be a little too aggressive, so if you speak too softly, the listener may not hear you all that well.
Battery Life
While Marshall claims seven hours of listening time, I was pleasantly surprised to see them outperform in the real world, averaging around seven and a half hours on 90% volume. That’s a respectable number, and it stayed steady for nearly two months of me daily driving it. The case adds nearly four more charges, so these can last for a week easily on a full charge. Oh, and charging them takes a couple of hours at most.
Verdict
With a spunky design, great battery life and multi-device connectivity, the Marshall Minor IV is ideal for those who work across different ecosystems. These will work reliably on Android, Windows, iOS, and Mac alike. I wish the bass could have been better and the buds had a grippier texture.
If you only have Apple products, I believe the AirPods will be better suited to you, because they can summon Siri directly, have spatial audio and better bass response. Moreover, if you are someone who tends to use earbuds for travelling in metros, the lack of ANC might ruin your music-listening sessions. So, if ANC is on your list, opt for the OnePlus Buds Pro 3.
