Marshall Milton ANC review: Making the rare case for premium on-ear headphones
Key takeaways
- It’s like the Major and the Monitor had a baby.
- The original model launched the same year as the first i Pad, and sixteen years later they're still going strong — with one notable omission: active noise cancellation (ANC).
- The Milton enters an interesting space: premium on-ear ANC headphones.
It’s like the Major and the Monitor had a baby.
James Trew for Engadget RATING : 8 / 10 Pros Impressive ANC Long battery life Very comfortable Replaceable battery Cons No apt X support Wired mode still requires power Marshall's Major headphones are now in their fifth iteration, an unusually long lifespan for the often-overlooked on-ear category. The original model launched the same year as the first i Pad, and sixteen years later they're still going strong — with one notable omission: active noise cancellation (ANC). That's where the new Milton comes in. If the design looks familiar, that's because it started life as an ANC version of the Major. Over time, it evolved beyond a simple update, becoming a distinct third pillar in Marshall's headphone lineup, sitting between the Major and Monitor ranges.
The Milton enters an interesting space: premium on-ear ANC headphones. It's a category that rarely gets much attention, but Marshall has over a decade of experience refining on-ears, and the user data that comes with it, I presume. The $230 headset comes with all the expected elements Marshall is known for — solid battery life, iconic Marshall design and a feature-rich companion app. The result is something that's definitely category defining, just maybe not in the way you'd expect.