Marshall adds the in-ear Minor II to its line of wireless headphones
For those who prefer their wireless earbuds tethered to each other.
When you examine Marshall's line of wireless headphones, there's a glaring omission: an in-ear model. The company has certainly offered in-ear options, but the current lineup only includes fully wired units. Marshall aims to change that today with the addition of the Minor II: a pair of wireless earbuds that are connected with a cable for behind-the-neck (or down in front) wear like the BeatsX.
With the Minor II, Marshall not only adds Bluetooth to a familiar design, but tacks on a few other enhancements as well. As the name implies, the Minor II is the follow up to the wired Minor earbuds that debuted 2011. While you can see the resemblance, there are some obvious cosmetic changes. Marshall added an adjustable fin-like "ear-fit system" to keep things securely in place. There are also in-line controls accessed via a single multi-directional knob. With this, you can play/pause, adjust the volume and take calls. And yes, there's microphone inside that tiny control box, too. Like much of Marshall's audio gear, the same gold trim and iconic script lettering made famous by the guitar amps is here.
The earbuds themselves are magnetic, and when you connect them, the music will automatically pause. Once connected, the Minor II goes into a low-energy mode to conserve battery. After six hours of idle time, the wireless earbuds will shut off completely. Speaking of battery life, Marshall says you can expect up to 12 hours of play time on a charge. Like almost all new headphones these days, there's also a quick charge function that will give you two hours of playback in 20 minutes. The Minor II uses Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX for connectivity, so you should get all of the perks the standard affords -- including increased range.
The Minor II is available now in black, white and brown color options via the company's website for $179 (€129/£120).
