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Marshall Minor In Ear Headphones

KaareKanin

Ok, so first off, I don't see a lot of people using these, in fact, o far I've actually only encountered one other person who used them, which is a shame, because I like them a lot. Secondly, this review might be a little incoherent, I apologize for that in advance, and consider yourself warned :P

 

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The first thing most people are going to notice is the unfamiliar shape. Instead of wedging to the sides of your ear canal the bit where the speaker grille is rests behind your tragus at the entry of the ear canal and the lower parts of the ear. This is where most of the weight is carried. The other, mushroom like bit goes underneath your upper anti helix. This bit comes in different sizes to fit most ears, and it's main task is to keep the headphone from falling out. The result of this is a very light feel  of the headphone in your ear and a very secure fit. Of all the headphones I've used, these, for better or for worse, were the ones which was hardest to accidentally pull out of your ear. It also breathes fairly well, so you won't get that moist closed in feeling you get form a lot of other in ear models. This also means that the headphone doesn't block out (or in) a lot of noise. Wether this is a good or a bad thing is up to the individual. One of the situations where I use them is when I go for a run, and they stay exactly were they are supposed to, and they give me enough audible info from my surroundings to feel confident I'm not doing anything stupid

 

The total length of the headphones from minijack to earpieces are about 1.2 meters (measured without any tools), which for me (186 high) is just fine for having the cable running down my back and down to my pocket (which a lot of times is the superior way of routing the cable). About 40 cm down from the ear pieces, theres a y-split, so it's a symmetrical thing. About midway on the left chord, there's a inline microphone and remote for your phone (which in most cases can be configured to answer/hag up calls, play, pause, skip etc). The cables are braided and has a very nice feel to them. They feel solid and very wear resistant. My only negative remark is that the minijack plug is quite long. There's no doubt these are built very well! The drivers has stood up to about a year of abuse and doesn't seem to care. I even managed to leave them in the pocket of my pants before washing them, all is still fine! Oh, and on the standard model, the ear pieces looks a little bit like the volume knob on Marshall guitar amps. So lets see what happens when we crank it up to 11! :P

 

For an in ear thing like this, they have managed to squeeze a surprisingly big pair of drivers in them, at bigger than 15mm(!), and it shows. I'm not the most travelled guy when it comes to audio, but to me these are a very good pair of headphones (at least for that price). Comparing them to things that I know are high-end, I would say they lack the resolution, the clarity and the response of the enthusiast grade headphones that are the Grado RS2i. Things sound a bit more muffled  and lazy with these. Separation of instruments aren't quite as good. When listening to cellos you won't get the feeling that there actually is a stroked string right by your ear, and you won't hear the picking sound of every pick in the intro to Iron Maidens Brave New World. But then again, it's not like these headphones should stand up to the same scrutiny as the Grados. They give less of a roomy feel to the sound and more of an intimate feel. I also want to add that there's (to my mind) a slight mismatch in the levels of mid range and low range sound. This all sounds like a lot of negative comments, but think of it like this: compared to expensive headphones I personally can't find much more to complain about. This might be a stupid way to say that they're good, but since ditching my last in ears well over a year ago, I have only used these and very expensive headphones, so these weren't realistically going to be better in any aspects. 

 

So, summary. They are comfortable, have good sound and takes a lot of punishment. I would recommend.

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i dont like the whole gold scheme but the headphones seem really cool. one of my friends has some and he recommended them to me but i didnt believe him.

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i dont like the whole gold scheme but the headphones seem really cool. one of my friends has some and he recommended them to me but i didnt believe him.

 

Then I can add that they come in a all black color scheme as well! (plus white and gold, if anyone is interested in that)

 

Have a look at their web sites if you are curious about these

http://www.marshallheadphones.com/headphones/minor

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Then I can add that they come in a all black color scheme as well! (plus white and gold, if anyone is interested in that)

 

Have a look at their web sites if you are curious about these

http://www.marshallheadphones.com/headphones/minor

sweet thanks

i5 3570 | MSI GD-65 Gaming | OCZ Vertex 60gb ssd | WD Green 1TB HDD | NZXT Phantom | TP-Link Wifi card | H100 | 5850


“I snort instant coffee because it’s easier on my nose than cocaine"


 

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I'd give them a try if I were in the market for new earbuds right now. I mean, they have my approval just for not having those round silicone tips that are so popular these days, and with that price including iPod compatible controls it's half the price of the only other alternative from Bose. Definitely my first choice if I need a replacement.

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Might pick a pair up sometime soon - looks interesting. Thanks for the review :)

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It seems like everytime I get an in-ear that doesn't seal well I don't get much bass out of it.  I guess this one seals a LITTLE better.

"Pardon my French but this is just about the most ignorant blanket statement I've ever read. And though this is the internet, I'm not even exaggerating."

 

 

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Cheers for the review

Love the color scheme on these. Very different in design. Would love to test them out personally but shops tend to not have these types for testing because of hygiene, plus i doubt anyone in Australia would sell these.

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