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Marshall Monitor III ANC versus Bose QC Ultra: overwhelmingly outmatched - a hard truth to swallow...

High-end audio headphones from Marshall and Bose go head-to-head in price, with the Monitor III ANC and QuietComfort Ultra models respectively. Discover which one delivers the superior audio experience in this comparison.

High-end headphones battle it out: Marshall's ANC Monitor III versus Bose's QuietComfort Ultra,...
High-end headphones battle it out: Marshall's ANC Monitor III versus Bose's QuietComfort Ultra, both priced identically. Discover which delivers the superior audio experience in this head-to-head comparison.

Marshall Monitor III ANC versus Bose QC Ultra: overwhelmingly outmatched - a hard truth to swallow...

This comparison is a detailed look at the Marshall Monitor III ANC and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra high-end headphones, both priced equally and designed to compete in the premium Bluetooth market. Here's a breakdown of the essential criteria to help you decide which headphone suits your needs best.

Build Quality: Two High-End Headphones

  • Marshall showcases its signature rock style with black tolex-like covering, brass accents, and a prominent logo. It boasts robust construction, adjustable headband, and foldable earcups for traveling convenience.
  • Bose also presents a sleek, well-executed design with dense plastics, metal parts, and simulated leather components. Weighing just 256g, the QC Ultra is lightweight and foldable, making it portable for on-the-go use.
  • Tie: Both headphones impress with top-quality construction and materials.

Comfort: Bose’s Perfect Score

  • Marshall offers good comfort, although some minor issues persist, such as heat retention in the earpads and an imperfect hold. The Monitor III ANC still weighs a reasonable 244g and offers generous earcup orientation and a wide headband, making it suitable for most heads.
  • Bose excels with exceptional comfort, as it offers a nearly ideal weight distribution, an adequately wide space in the circum-aural ear pads for ear comfort, and a wide deployment of the headband to cater to all head shapes and sizes. The QC Ultra is an excellent choice for all-day use.
  • Bose wins this round with its longstanding expertise in comfort.

Handling & Features: Marshall Stands Out

  • Marshall equips the Monitor III ANC with an intuitive multifunctional joystick, programmable buttons, and a user-friendly app with customization options like active noise reduction management, transparency mode, Soundstage, and more. The joystick provides straightforward control over the headphones' functions.
  • The QC Ultra features Bluetooth connectivity, buttons for play, pause, and volume control, and a Bose Music app for customization. However, the buttons are not optimally placed, require some finger dexterity, and are noisy upon press. The Bose Music app is robust but could still improve its equalizer function.
  • Marshall takes this round with a more mastered and user-friendly design.

Connectivity: Marshall’s Headphone Better Equipped... Or Not

  • The Monitor III ANC supports Bluetooth LE Audio, LC3 codec, and Auracast function (although these features have yet to be released with a pending update). Its Microsoft Swift Pair and Google Fast Pair compatibility make connecting to devices easy.
  • Bose offers Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive codecs, multipoint function, and wired use via mini-jack. Its main drawback is that it doesn't support USB connection, which is less modern than Marshall's offering.
  • This point is up for interpretation, as Marshall offers more connectivity features, but the QC Ultra gets a slightly more reliable connection due to the lack of an update for the Monitor III ANC's advanced features.

Sound Performance: Bose’s Advantage

  • Marshall stays true to its signature sound, delivering an energetic, dynamic but occasionally unbalanced sound that can result in long-term listening fatigue. Bass is strong, lower-mids and mids are scooped, and there's harshness in the upper-mids.
  • The QC Ultra provides a lively, clear, and energetic sound with better body and warmth, reduced scooping in the lower-mids and mids, and boosted presence (2kHz) to enhance clarity and proximity. While both headphones can be fatiguing with prolonged use, the QC Ultra's sound quality overall is superior.
  • Bose edges out in this category with a more balanced sound.

Isolation / Active Noise Cancellation: Bose’s Uncontested Mastery

  • Marshall offers good passive attenuation with active noise cancellation but doesn't match Bose's efficiency. Ambient noise reductions range from 46 dB in the upper-mids/highs and around 20 dB in the lower half.
  • The QC Ultra excels in noise isolation, achieving excellent attenuation of both human voices and noisy environments like transportation or open spaces. It also boasts remarkable performance against rolling noise, with reductions of 30 to 40 dB across most of the spectrum. Only the upper-mids are reduced less. The ambient listening mode is also quite effective.
  • Bose clearly outperforms Marshall with its noise cancellation expertise.

Call Quality: Bose Keeps Pulling Ahead

  • Marshall offers generally clear and understandable conversations, although sound artifacts may occasionally alter vocal reproduction in noisy environments.
  • The QC Ultra delivers exemplary voice capture, maintaining voice intelligibility in challenging conditions and providing particularly effective background noise reduction.
  • Bose is the clear winner in call quality.

Battery Life: Marshall Takes Its Revenge

  • Marshall is renowned for its excellent battery life, with the Monitor III ANC offering an impressive 70 hours of continuous use with active noise cancellation, potentially stretching up to 90 hours with the feature turned off. Charging sessions take approximately two hours (0 to 100%).
  • Bose reaches around 30 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation and recharges in 2 hours and 20 minutes.
  • In this area, Marshall outperforms Bose with its impressive endurance.

Repairability: Even Match for the Two Rivals

  • Both Marshall and Bose allow for easy replacement of ear cushions, but neither manufacturer makes it easy to replace internal components or the battery.
  • Tie: Both brands offer room for improvement in repairability.

Verdict: Bose Masters Its Subject Better

  • The Bose QC Ultra takes the lead in this duel with exceptional features, noise cancellation, and sound quality. It may be more expensive than some other options on the market, but its undeniable quality makes it an excellent choice for those seeking a premium listening experience.
  • If the rock look of Marshall’s Monitor III ANC and its outstanding battery life are crucially important or you plan to use it mostly in quiet environments, the Marshall might be the more suitable choice.
  • For overall performance, comfort, and advanced features, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra triumphs in the competition.
  • In terms of technology, both the Marshall Monitor III ANC and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra high-end headphones are equipped with advanced features like Bluetooth connectivity, active noise cancellation, and customizable apps for personalization.
  • However, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, with its superior noise cancellation technology, Bose Music app, and Bluetooth 5.3 connection, stands out as the more technologically advanced option in this comparison.

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