The Marshall Mode is the latest earphones of the company that packs a 9 mm driver in a half in ear monitor shell. It is said to have that classic Marshall full bodied heavy sound that's perfect for rock music without compromising much of the other frequencies. This is actually, the first Marshall earphones that I actually find great sounding for its asking price.
A little bit of information, there are two types of the Marshall Mode. The EQ and the Non-EQ version. The Marshall Mode EQ is basically the same IEM but as the name suggest it has an equalizer feature. It has 3 settings in general, the first option can give you a bass heavier sound that tends to be warmer, the second option gives more a brighter sound that gives more details on the mids and highs. Lastly, the 3rd option is the flat option that can be accessed by not turning the setting into EQ1 and EQ2. We'll talk more about this later.
Without further delay, here's our full review...
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| Meet the Marshall Mode! |
Without further delay, here's our full review...
Unboxing
The Marshall Mode, comes in a simple yet classy looking packaging. It's also fairly easy to open and was nicely packaged for those who like to collect boxes.
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| The box |
Specifications
- Type:Earbuds
- Driver size: 9 mm
- Driver Type: Dynamic
- Frequency response 20 - 20000 Hz
- Sensitivity:98 dB
- Connection type: 3.5 mm
- Microphone: Yes
- Color: Black
Accessories
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| Glasses and glass not included :) |
Accessory-wise, this might be the weak point of this package. I was expecting more eartips and even just a pouch for protection. It just includes 3 sizes of soft eartips, manual and warranty.
Build Quality / Style
This is a minimalist yet stylish looking Half-IEM that shows the classic "M" Marshall logo very well. I'm sure that most people will like the way this set looks. Build quality wise, this IEM is on a decent level. The cables were fairly thick, I liked the rubberized feel of the shells and has flexible strain reliefs. My only complaint is they did not use a gold plated 3.5 mm jack like the one with the Mode EQ, but overall the entire set is made out great materials. Overall, this should last for quite some time even with moderate abuse. :)
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| The body |
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| The button with shirt clip |
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| The 3.5 mm jack |
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| The mic |
Comfort / Isolation / Microphonics
Comfort-wise, the Mode EQ did a good job. It's lightweight and feels like I'm not wearing anything at all. I'm used the smallest eartips and surprisingly it is made out of good quality, in result I had a very comfortable shallow fit. Isolation-wise, as expected it didn't isolate too much due to the Half-IEM design. Fortunately, it is still good enough to block some noise. It's lack of super isolation also have some positive traits, you'll still be aware on what's happening to your surroundings which makes this safer to use. When it comes to microphonics, this IEM passed my test with flying colors. I didn't have to wear it over-ear to lessen it as it has very little cable noise.
Comfort-wise, the Mode EQ did a good job. It's lightweight and feels like I'm not wearing anything at all. I'm used the smallest eartips and surprisingly it is made out of good quality, in result I had a very comfortable shallow fit. Isolation-wise, as expected it didn't isolate too much due to the Half-IEM design. Fortunately, it is still good enough to block some noise. It's lack of super isolation also have some positive traits, you'll still be aware on what's happening to your surroundings which makes this safer to use. When it comes to microphonics, this IEM passed my test with flying colors. I didn't have to wear it over-ear to lessen it as it has very little cable noise.
Sound Quality
Man this little IEM sounds great for the asking price! It may not be as good sounding as some Chinese bang per buck audiophile grade IEMS like Havi B3 Pro 1 and Ostry KC06a, but this one is clearly one of the best buys in the lifestyle and celebrity endorsed earphones. The sound signature as expected is warm and dark which actually reminds me of the RHA MA450i with the Mode being a little bit darker. While I liked IEMS with more balance, this one isn't the regular bass heavy u-shaped set as it doesn't overwhelm the other frequencies that much. It may be bass boosted, but the mids sounded sweet and clear. The highs sounded okay too as it is not fatiguing and doesn't have that annoying piercing sound. As an earphone with half in ear design, I expected this to be a bit more wider sounding. Fortunately, I was correct as this has decent soundstage that can provide a mini hall experience.
I also expected that this is only good for rock music, pop and hip-hop tracks, but I was wrong. This is a pretty good all rounder. I even tried to use it with some acoustic songs and it still sounded okay. The microphone was also clear enough for calls and didn't have too much noise.
Lastly, it is very easy to drive and compatible with most 3.5mm devices. I just needed 40-50% volume on my smartphone / the iPod Touch 4th Gen and just 25 - 30% with my FiiO X1.
Man this little IEM sounds great for the asking price! It may not be as good sounding as some Chinese bang per buck audiophile grade IEMS like Havi B3 Pro 1 and Ostry KC06a, but this one is clearly one of the best buys in the lifestyle and celebrity endorsed earphones. The sound signature as expected is warm and dark which actually reminds me of the RHA MA450i with the Mode being a little bit darker. While I liked IEMS with more balance, this one isn't the regular bass heavy u-shaped set as it doesn't overwhelm the other frequencies that much. It may be bass boosted, but the mids sounded sweet and clear. The highs sounded okay too as it is not fatiguing and doesn't have that annoying piercing sound. As an earphone with half in ear design, I expected this to be a bit more wider sounding. Fortunately, I was correct as this has decent soundstage that can provide a mini hall experience.
I also expected that this is only good for rock music, pop and hip-hop tracks, but I was wrong. This is a pretty good all rounder. I even tried to use it with some acoustic songs and it still sounded okay. The microphone was also clear enough for calls and didn't have too much noise.
Lastly, it is very easy to drive and compatible with most 3.5mm devices. I just needed 40-50% volume on my smartphone / the iPod Touch 4th Gen and just 25 - 30% with my FiiO X1.
Lossless Tracks Used:
1. Beautiful Diversion - Franco
2. Royals - Lorde
3. Holiday - Green Day
4. Shatter Me - Lindsey Stirling
5. Bad Blood - Taylor Swift
DAP's Used:
iPod Touch 4th Gen
MyPhone Rio 2
FiiO X1
Verdict
At just PHP 3.1K, the Marshall Mode is a great buy! It may not be on a Hi-Fi level yet, but those similarly priced Hi-Fi earphones at this price range is very hard to find and the Mode is readily available in most music stores. I also find this a better buy than 99% of the celebrity endorsed earphones as it has a good mixture of great style, comfort, decent build quality and above average sonic reproduction without shelling out too much funds. Honestly, I even liked this better than its pricier brother, the Marshall Mode EQ as they are similarly tuned and I tend to not to use EQ's as I find it better sounding at the Non-EQ mode. For casual listener, it's also fairly easy to drive and pair with your favorite smartphones.
DAP's Used:
iPod Touch 4th Gen
MyPhone Rio 2
FiiO X1
Verdict
At just PHP 3.1K, the Marshall Mode is a great buy! It may not be on a Hi-Fi level yet, but those similarly priced Hi-Fi earphones at this price range is very hard to find and the Mode is readily available in most music stores. I also find this a better buy than 99% of the celebrity endorsed earphones as it has a good mixture of great style, comfort, decent build quality and above average sonic reproduction without shelling out too much funds. Honestly, I even liked this better than its pricier brother, the Marshall Mode EQ as they are similarly tuned and I tend to not to use EQ's as I find it better sounding at the Non-EQ mode. For casual listener, it's also fairly easy to drive and pair with your favorite smartphones.
Marshall Re-sellers...
Astroplus, Avid Surfer, Beyond the Box, BZB Gadget Hive, Cebu Audiophile, Complink, Digital Arena, Digital Hub, Digital Walker, E-Central, Egghead, Heima, iCenter, iCon, iStore, iStudio, Lazada (online), Listen Up, Listening Room, Mobile 1, Odyssey, PC Hub, PowerHub, Quicksound, Republik, Senco Link, SM Music & Video, Spectra, Stored Inc, Switch, Sync, Technoholics, TechSavvy, TechShop, and Technopop.
Photography by: Myself and http://whatneilwritesabout.com/
Photography by: Myself and http://whatneilwritesabout.com/
