Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Marshall Monitor III ANC review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT in 2025. I’ll also be comparing the Marshall Monitor III ANC vs Apple AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM6, Sennheiser Momentum 4, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these headphones are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I bought these headphones with my own money, and was NOT sponsored, paid, or received a free copy for review. All thoughts are my own.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Marshall Monitor III ANC review in short
The Marshall Monitor III ANC headphone is a very solid contender due to its supreme comfort, class-leading battery life, solid build quality, and fun sound profile for Rock music especially. Noise cancelling could be improved, but is probably “good enough”. Competes very well against Apple AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.
Watch this Full Review on YouTube!
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Marshall Monitor III ANC Pros and Cons
- Great sound quality (after EQ)
- Up to 100 hours battery life
- Amazing comfort
- Solid build quality
- Stock sound isn’t best for electronic music
- Noise cancelling could be better
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Marshall Monitor III ANC Sound Quality
Stock sound first impressions…
True to Marshall’s legacy and history as a guitar amp company, these headphones excel for Rock music right out of the box.
My overall first impression is quite positive for the Monitor III, and I think Marshall tuned these very tastefully for their target audience, again, focusing primarily on the Rock music genre above all else.
Due to this, the midrange stands out nicely for male vocals and instruments, specifically guitar.
These are fairly versatile for other genres, too, but not 100% optimized for more electronic music such as Pop and Hip Hop.
The fundamentals are solid regarding the soundstage, separation, and layering, but there’s a hint of sibilance for the treble.
Also, the bass is present but not as much quantity or impact as some other bass cannons in this class.
Luckily, there is a nice 5-band EQ built right into the Marshall app that is quite responsive and allows us to shape these a little better for more electronic genres, making them a bit more consumer-friendly as a whole.
So, I’ll be sharing my best EQ settings below, and conduct the rest of this review using these settings…
Best Equalizer (EQ) Settings for Marshall Monitor III ANC
V1 – Mainly for Hip Hop and Pop
Result: More engaging, exciting, and consumer-friendly sound as a whole. Both male and female vocals are pushed forward instead of boxy/muffled at times. Bass is more present. Less sibilance in the treble, resulting in a smoother top end.
Sound Quality after EQ…
Tweaking the EQ is where I started to hear a bit of the Monitor III’s hardware limitations.
I think these are tuned nearly-perfect for Rock from the factory, but messing with the EQ seemed to expose that the drivers are probably not the most elite in the class.
Still, these are priced a bit cheaper than some of its competition and is very satisfactory.
Honestly, the EQ simply made these more consumer-friendly and fit for modern genres like Pop and Hip Hop.
They are enjoyable enough for these genres, but I can’t help but think they simply sound at home with Rock music, along with perhaps Classical and Jazz, and other more “organic” genres with real instruments.
Let’s do some sound comparisons versus its competitors and wrap up final thoughts below…
vs Apple AirPods Max
I would say these are on-par as far as sound quality goes, with the AirPods Max being the more consumer-friendly and exciting headphone from the factory.
While the Marshalls have richer and fuller mids, the APM has more bass and treble detail being pushed forward.
I prefer the warmer Marshalls for Rock, Classical, Jazz, and similar genres.
The APM is at home with more modern genres like Pop, Hip Hop, and EDM.
vs Sony WH-1000XM6
I think the XM6 has slightly more fidelity and detail as a whole compared to the Monitor III.
Also, the EQ is more flexible on the XM6, making it slightly more versatile for all genres.
I think hardware-wise, the XM6 also has a slight edge, but it’s closer than the price difference suggests.
I probably still slightly prefer the Marshalls for Rock music exclusively.
vs Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3
The Px7 S3 is a clear step-up in sound quality and overall fidelity to the Monitor III ANC.
Also, the V-shaped sound profile of the Px7 S3 is somewhat opposite to the warmer midrange-focused Monitor III, excelling for modern genres.
The Px7 S3 simply has much more sub-bass and treble detail, at the cost of recessed mids, which is where the Marshalls shine.
With the help of EQ, the Px7 S3 can fill out its mids for more balance, and become more enjoyable for Rock and Metal than even the Marshalls.
vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra (with V2 EQ)
The Monitor III competes very well with the Bose QC Ultra, especially after EQ’ing both.
I prefer the stock sound of the Monitor III over the QC Ultra.
After EQ’ing both, I slightly prefer the QC Ultra overall for all genres.
Neither is a bass cannon, but they both have rich mids.
The QC Ultra’s treble is the difference-maker for me, being more detailed yet smoother and less sibilant than the Monitor III.
vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 (with V2 EQ)
The Momentum 4 certainly gives the Monitor III a run for its money, and is typically even cheaper on average.
Stock for stock, it’s close. The Momentum 4 is more consumer-friendly and bass-heavy out of the box.
After applying EQ, I find the Momentum 4 to be the more audiophile and capable headphone as a whole.
Still, these are still in the same tier of sound quality for me, just different flavors.
vs Cambridge Audio Melomania P100
Similar to the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, I think the P100 is clearly in a tier above for sound quality.
There is simply much more detail across the frequency spectrum, but specifically reaches much lower in sub-bass, with more clarity in the treble.
Also, the P100 responds to EQ much better, a sign of superior drivers and hardware under the hood.
Overall, the Monitor III still has its merits, and I would say it is more musical out of the box, despite having less technical sound quality.
The P100’s factory sound can be a bit sterile, depending who you ask.
Overall thoughts on sound quality…
Overall, I’m a fan of the Monitor III for its sound.
As a guitarist myself, I think the Marshalls deliver “as advertised”, which is primarily focused on Rock music and similar genres.
With EQ, we can make these a bit more consumer-friendly for the electronic genres, and it’s enjoyable enough.
But these are most at home with Rock, so just be warned that there are better all-arounders when it comes to the other genres.
Sound Quality Score: 8.6 out of 10 (after EQ)
Marshall Monitor III ANC Comfort
The Marshall Monitor III ANC is one of the lightest in this class, as weighed on my scale:
- Bose QuietComfort – 236.1 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM5 – 245.9 grams
- Marshall Monitor III ANC – 247.3 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM4 – 251.6 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 252.8 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 254.4 grams
- Beats Studio Pro – 268.6 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 292.9 grams
- Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3 – 298.3 grams
- Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S2e – 305.2 grams
- Sonos Ace – 318.1 grams
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 – 320.1 grams
- Bang & Olufsen H95 – 323 grams
- Nothing Headphone 1 – 328.3 grams
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 – 329.9 grams
- Focal Bathys – 357.1 grams
- Apple AirPods Max – 387.8 grams
Marshall nailed the comfort on these.
Starting with its weight, these are simply one of the lightest over-ear headphones I’ve tested to date, and they certainly feel that way.
The earpad cushions feel soft like pillows, and I feel virtually zero pressure from the clamping force.
The headband doesn’t really have a cushion, instead there is this suspension band underneath, but the lightweight translates to zero top-of-head-pressure.
Overall, these receive (and deserve) one of our rare “perfect” comfort scores.
Comfort Score: 5 out of 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
The Marshall Monitor III ANC was released in September 2024 and has many modern wireless ANC headphone features:
- Multiple built-in microphones for taking calls
- Bluetooth 5.3 LE
- Multi-point connection
- Active Noise Cancelling
- Transparency Mode
- Spatial Audio
- Companion Smartphone app to customize EQ, settings, and update firmware
- 5-band EQ
- Includes a small-sized premium Hard Shell case
- Foldable and Collapsable design
- USB-C to USB-C charging and audio cable
- 3.5mm stereo cable
Marshall Monitor III ANC Build Quality
For its price range, the Marshall Monitor III is one of the more impressive when it comes to build quality and materials used.
Despite the light weight, the Monitor III features plenty of metal in the headband and hinges, along with leather in the earpad cushions.
Overall, the Monitor III feels quite rugged and sturdy, and I have confidence these headphones should last nicely in the long-term.
Marshall Monitor III ANC Battery Life
The Marshall Monitor III ANC is rated at 70 hours (ANC on) and 100 hours (ANC off) on a single charge, which is currently the class-leader overall:
- Marshall Monitor III ANC – 70 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 – 60 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 60 hours
- Nothing Headphone 1 – 35 hours (ANC on), 80 hours (ANC off)
- Focal Bathys – “Over 30 hours”
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 30 hours (ANC on), 40 hours (ANC off)
- Sony WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM4 – 30 hours
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Px8 – 30 hours
- Sonos Ace – 30 hours
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 24 hours
- AirPods Max – 20 hours
In my testing, I found this figure to be accurate.
There is also a fast-charging feature where 15 minutes of charging can create up to 12 hours of listening time.
Marshall Monitor III ANC Noise Cancelling Performance
I found the Marshall Monitor III ANC’s noise cancelling performance to be slightly above average as a whole.
The strength of the ANC didn’t stick out to me as anything special compared to the likes of Sony’s new WH-1000XM6, or the Bose QC Ultra and Sonos Ace, all of which I’d say are the best of the bunch currently.
But it’s pretty solid and should get the job done in most environments.
The Transparency mode is also fairly decent.
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling Performance Score: 4.5 out of 5
Value
The Marshall Monitor III ANC retails at $379.99, but can be found brand new for around $319 these days.
This is actually competitively-priced compared to many premium over-ear headphones reaching $450 or more, not to mention the AirPods Max which is closer to $500.
Overall, I find the Monitor III to be accurately priced, but there are some slightly better values like the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and newer Nothing Headphone 1, both of which can be found under $300 regularly.
You’re mostly getting exactly what you pay for with the Marshalls, no more, no less.
Value Score: 4.0 out of 5
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Sound Quality: 8.6 / 10 (after EQ)
Comfort: 5 / 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 / 5
Value: 4.0 / 5
Total: 22.1 / 25
Is the Marshall Monitor III ANC WORTH IT?
In conclusion, the Marshall Monitor III ANC is a very strong contender in the class of wireless, over-ear ANC headphones.
I would add a slight caveat that I really prefer these for those who listen to more “organic” genres of music like Rock, Metal, Classical, and Jazz.
Aside from that, these are one of the most comfortable headphones I’ve tested, along with class-leading 70 hours of battery life, and strong build quality for the money.
Price-wise, I think these are priced fairly, but wouldn’t mind seeing them dip down to the $250 range in the near future.
Personally, a couple alternatives for under $300 like the newer Nothing Headphone 1 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 may still call my name.
Some very Strong Alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Nothing Headphone 1
- Apple AirPods Max
- Sony WH-1000XM6
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e
- JBL Tour One M3
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model)
- Beats Studio Pro
Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Apple AirPods Max
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs AirPods Max
- Sonos Ace vs AirPods Max
I highly recommend you check those out next!
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Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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