Marshall’s Mode EQ in-ear headphones have been my favourite set of audio equipment for more than 5 years now, and I bought them three times already. After my first set was destroyed by wearing it during my Enduro MTB exercises, I brought a second one because I was amazed by the sound quality. Then, I brought a third set of the Marshall Mode EQ in-ear headphones, and I am still happy with my choice.
I’m very weird with my music choices, and while many professionals may disagree with my taste in music, I can say one thing and one thing only; I can’t use anything that doesn’t fit right into my ears, doesn’t provide noise-cancelation, the sound is too flat, and it’s specifically created for non-extreme situations. No, I want it all; Good quality, a good and strong bass, a Jack 3.5mm connector, a beautiful design, and most importantly an in-ear set of headphones, as most of the earbuds tend to fall out of my ears.
And Marshall’s Mode EQ is the only ones I found that provide that, but there’s more to that.
Searching for the perfect in-ear headphones and discovering the Marshall Mode EQ
Here’s the thing; If you’re a music lover like me, working for many hours straight as a freelancer, you need something that provides quality and it’s pretty comfortable to wear all day, every day. Sometimes, I even like wearing my in-ear headphones without listening to music, just cancelling all the background noise from people walking and talking on the street to cars and motorcycles passing by.
During my search to discover the best in-ear headphones, I spoke with lots of people that I used to meet in our band’s studio when we were rehearsing. Those were the ultimate music lovers, playing many different instruments and mostly using high-quality audio equipment, so they knew a lot more than I did. Most people suggested going with Sennheiser’s headphones, a company that provides various headphones for both the average and professional individuals. But after reading people’s reviews, something didn’t feel quite well, so I kept searching until I stumbled upon Marshall’s headphones.
Now as a band member, I knew Marshall pretty well; We were using their strong and heavy equipment in our studio, and many other bands did too, so there was no wonder why people trusted them, as they’re known for providing high-quality products in the music industry. So I immediately went with the Marshal EQ Mode, spending the most money I had ever spent on in-ear headphones.
Marshall Mode EQ: Basic Specifications
| Product information | |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 7.28 x 3.82 x 2.05 inches |
| Item Weight | 0.04 Pounds |
| Release Date | October 31, 2014 |
| Type | In-Ear |
| Connection Type | 3.5mm plug |
| Sound Principle | 40mm Dynamic Drivers |
| Impedance | 39Ω |
| Frequency Range | 20Hz-20kHz |
| Sensitivity | 99dB |
The first impressions of unboxing the Marshall Mode EQ
From unboxing the case to holding the Marshall Mode EQ on your hands, everything feels right. Starting with the box, you can feel that you just got a premium set of headphones; It just looks professional, modern, and a bit different from the other headphone boxes I had the pleasure of unboxing.
Opening the box, there is of course the manual that you can read for more information about the Marshall Mode EQ, and just below it, the smartphones have been placed in a very protective way. At first glance, the Mode EQ are very beautiful and premium-looking in-ear headphones that have nothing to envy from their competitors, even the ones that come with a higher price.
You can clearly see Marshall’s golden logo on both sides and the “R” and “L” symbols that let you know in which ear you should place every headphone. Marshall has also added a golden finish at the end of the cable, making the Jack 3.5mm L-Plug connection look more beautiful than ever before, having an extra layer that acts as a protective cover.
Sound quality, bass, and noise-cancellation
There are two ways you can enjoy your favourite songs, and that’s by selecting the preferred mode using the EQ switcher, but I’ll cover those in the next section of my review. What’s important is the sound quality itself, which is more than enough for most people, and even for professionals looking for a budget-friendly set of in-ear headphones.
The sound is clear, and you can choose between more warm and bass-heavy sounds or brighter, mid and high-focused sounds. Even having the sound volume increased, you won’t hear any noise that is not part of the song; And that’s an important quality feature that I always seek at any product. The bass is strong and clean, and you can increase it even more with the EQ setting that is provided, but if you really want to boost it even further, you’ll have to use the Marshall Mode EQ with a good audio card.
While the noise cancellation is good enough for handling the most annoying noises, you can’t hear anything else than the music that it’s playing while wearing them, even if people are screaming at you; Which I hope you’ll never have to experience. With all that in mind, the secret behind the Marshall Mode EQ in-ear headphones is behind one simple yet amazingly good feature; The Mode EQ switcher.
4 different size sleeves
Marshall Mode EQ has a unique in-ear design anchors to your ear, and there are four different size sleeves you can try out, including S, M, L and XL to ensure a great fit. I had to replace the medium size sleeves with the large size, and they fit perfectly in my ears. Two of my friends who tried the Marshall Mode EQ found the medium size the best option for them.
Now, removing the sleeves from the headphones is pretty easy and straightforward, but replacing them with another size is a different story. I had to invest in three different sets of in-ear headphones to finally be able to insert the new sleeves within seconds, but if this is your first time, it may take a bit of time as they are hard to insert in the first time.
Using the Mode EQ switch for different music moods
The Marshall Mode EQ in-ear headphones are unique because they come with their own EQ switcher, which is basically an option that provides two different music modes; The first EQ setting is for a more warm, bass-heavy sounds, while the second EQ setting is for brighter, mid an high-focused sounds.
So if you’re listening to hip-hop or pop music and you want more bass, you got it with a simple switch. If you’re listening to classic music, the brighter, mid, and high-focused EQ setting will be enough to keep everything at bay. With the first EQ setting, there’s also a small increase in volume, making it even more exciting.
While I keep the EQ setting set to a more bass-heavy mode, I do sometimes find myself switching between modes depending on my current music taste, so it’s a nice feature to have. At almost on the same spot, you can find the button that pauses and resumes the songs, which you can also use to answer or close phone calls. Unfortunately, there’s no way to increase or decrease the volume from the in-ear headphones, so you’ll have to use your smartphone or PC instead.
All the cons of using the Marshall EQ Mode in-ear headphones
Not everything’s perfect, and the Marshall EQ Mode in-ear headphones are not an exception. During the first set, they almost reached three years of life. The second set of the Marshall EQ Mode only lasted for 1 year and 2 months, and I know this because I immediately looked if their warranty was expired. It did. The right headphone was dead, and I had to buy a new set of in-ear headphones fast if I wanted to work as I normally would.
After searching and searching, I still thought that the Marshall Mode EQ was the best option for my money, so I went and purchased a third set of in-ear headphones from Marshall. Now the third set of the Marshall EQ Mode has a tiny issue; You can hear the button that pauses and resumes the music jingling every time you take them on your hands, like it hasn’t been placed right while was manufacturing. Although that’s a tiny issue that doesn’t really matter to me, I just want to point out every little aspect of those headphones, either bad or good.
The biggest problem is the low-quality glue that they’ve used to stack together every headphone’s body. On the hot summer days, both my two first sets saw the one headphone getting unglued from the heat, and I could see the inside of it, including the cable it was using to work. Here’s an example:
A similar issue also happened with my first set, and one day I saw one of Marshall’s logo missing from the right headphone. Both two times I had to glue them together using a cheap glue that lasted until they both died, except Marshall’s logo which I never found.
Now buying glue and sticking together the parts they came off because of the heat is pretty straightforward and easy for everyone, but it’s still a big drawback for many people, and for all the good reasons; No one wants a set of in-ears that their design won’t last more than a few months because of the heat, or anything else really.
How to make the Marshall Mode EQ to last even longer
Apart from the glue issue thingy that happens on summer days, and which you can resolve by just buying a cheap glue, what I found out by using these three sets over the years was their weakest point; The cable going inside every headphone. Now I know that’s not a big secret as cables tend to break or get loose, but there’s more to it when it comes to the Marshall Mode EQ.
You can make your set of in-ear headphones last even longer by just investing a bit of time “dressing” them. I’ve used the “hack” provided in the following video, and it seems to provide better protection for the cables:
Thank me later! And you can use the same “hack” for all your headphones, or even for your speakers, and it works great. And yes, for some weird reason, I kept grabbing the headphones by their cable and not by their “heads”, I don’t know if that’s because of the Marshall’s design or whatever, but I’ve never done that with another pair of headphones in the past.
Marshall Mode EQ Review: Should you buy them?
Marshall Mode EQ
If you're looking for a set of in-ear headphones that provide high-quality sound, a beautiful-looking design, and have two different EQ modes based on your music preferences, then the Marshall Mode EQ may be one of the best options out there.
Product Brand: Marshall
4.6
Pros
- Great sound quality.
- Strong bass Without distortion or drowning out of other frequencies.
- Mode EQ Switch: EQ I for warm, bass-heavy sounds and EQ II for brighter with an emphasis on the mids and highs sounds.
- Four different size sleeves (S, M, L, and XL).
- Modern and beautiful design.
Cons
- Marshall's logos may fall apart just a few days after purchase.
- On some smartphones, the sound volume can be very low.
Are you still here reading the review? Awesome, I like you! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in the comments section below. If you grab a pair of the Marshall Mode EQ, feel free to share your experience and what you liked and hated the most. I’d love to hear all about your personal preferences, taste in music, and what is your favourite in-ear headphones.
