Marshall Motif II Review: Conditional Buy (7.9/10)
“These earbuds sound absolutely amazing. Beautiful treble, mids and crisp bass,” Best Buy reviewer rt28 wrote—and that single line captures why the Marshall Motif II True Wireless Earbuds, Black keep winning people over even when the details get messy. Verdict: Conditional buy — 7.9/10. The sound, style, and battery life land for a lot of owners, but multiple reviewers also describe touch-control quirks, comfort issues, and ANC/transparency that range from “impressive” to “underwhelming,” depending on the ear fit and expectations.
Quick Verdict
Conditional. Buy if you prioritize sound, design, and long battery life; be cautious if you’re shopping specifically for class-leading ANC, rock-solid controls, or guaranteed all-day comfort.
| What you get | Evidence from user feedback | Who it’s best for | Risk to consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big, detailed sound | Best Buy user rt28: “sound absolutely amazing… crisp bass” | Music-first listeners | Bass quantity is debated |
| Strong battery life | Best Buy user dacal 8: “great battery life” | Commuters, long workdays | A few mention standby/charging issues |
| Premium, grippy design | Best Buy user bh turnow: “case is well made… very rugged” | Style-focused buyers | Some call it “heft” or divisive |
| Multipoint convenience (for some) | Best Buy user venkat: “connect to multiple devices at once” | Laptop + phone users | Others say switching isn’t seamless |
| ANC varies by person/fit | Best Buy user bh turnow: “anc is superior” vs. “A real disappointment” review: “noise cancellation is just not that good” | Moderate-noise environments | Not consistently “top tier” vs Bose/Sony |
Claims vs Reality
Marshall’s marketing leans hard on Marshall Motif II True Wireless Earbuds, Black being “concert-worthy,” “improved active noise cancelling,” and “comfortable… the tenth hour is as comfortable as the first” (Marshall product pages). Digging deeper into user reports, the sound claim lands far more consistently than the comfort claim—and the ANC claim depends heavily on what you compare it to and how good of a seal you get.
Claim 1: “Marshall signature sound… clear, balanced sound”
Across Best Buy, the most vivid user language shows up around sound quality. Best Buy reviewer rt28 called out “beautiful treble, mids and crisp bass,” while dacal 8 praised the “sound signature for string instruments.” For listeners who want a warm-but-detailed tuning, multiple reviews describe a “balanced” presentation that feels “premium,” especially once they use the Marshall app EQ.
Still, not everyone hears the same bass response. One Best Buy reviewer (“all about tech,” rated 3/5) complained: “I really can’t get much bass from these earbuds. Bass boost does not noticeably increase base level.” Another negative Best Buy review (rated 2/5) said there was “significant lack of bass, even in the bass boost mode… there’s just little to no bass.” The through-line: plenty of people love the tuning, but bassheads (or anyone coming from bass-forward buds) may walk away unimpressed.
Claim 2: “Improved ANC & transparency mode”
Marshall positions ANC and transparency as a headline feature. In user feedback, ANC is one of the most polarizing areas. Best Buy reviewer bh turnow wrote: “The anc is superior. It is on par with other top tier brands.” Another reviewer (curmudgeon 1) called the “automatic noise cancellation… excellent,” even describing loud-fan and A/C tests as meaningfully reduced.
Yet multiple other reviewers describe the opposite. A Best Buy review titled “great and disapointing at same time” says bluntly: “the noise cancellation is just not that good,” after trying it around hair dryers, vacuums, and yard equipment. Another negative reviewer (rated 2/5) compared airport and in-flight use against “fruit products” and concluded noise reduction was “very poor.” Transparency also divides: one “nice option for keeping connected to your music” review called it “weird” because it “picked up all the ambient noise and my music got drowned away.”
Claim 3: “Comfortable fit for long sessions”
Marshall’s product copy suggests long-wear comfort, and many buyers back that up—especially people who usually struggle with earbuds staying put. Best Buy reviewer blah nika wrote: “I tend to have problems with ear buds… they all fall out… these actually stayed in!” Another review (“my new go-to earbuds”) described the seal as secure and the buds “very comfortable and pretty secure.”
But comfort is not universal. Tom’s Guide (expert review) flagged “poor comfort levels,” describing the buds as “a painful wear” with stems that can cause irritation. Some Best Buy users echo discomfort after ~30 minutes (“all about tech”: “not super comfortable… after about 30 min”). The pattern looks anatomical: if the housing shape matches your ear, you’ll likely call them snug; if it doesn’t, you may call them fatiguing.
Cross-Platform Consensus
A recurring pattern emerged across Best Buy reviews and the expert write-up: Marshall Motif II True Wireless Earbuds, Black are easiest to love when you treat them as “sound-first” earbuds with strong style, solid battery life, and “good enough” noise features—rather than as a feature-maximized AirPods Pro/Bose/Sony competitor. Digging deeper into the stories, the differences often come down to ear fit, expectations for ANC, and tolerance for touch controls and app quirks.
Universally Praised
The most consistent praise is the sound. Best Buy reviewer rt28 described “beautiful treble, mids and crisp bass,” and another reviewer (bh turnow) said the sound is “bold and clear.” For music listeners—especially rock, strings, and vocal-forward tracks—this matters because “fun” tuning and clarity show up even at higher volumes. Jimc (Best Buy) framed it as “richer sound!” and built a long narrative around it being a “rock star” of a sequel.
Design and build also get repeated approval, often with tactile details. bh turnow called the case “very rugged and sturdy,” and multiple reviews highlighted the “textured” feel that’s easier to grip. A reviewer (“beuge”) wrote the case is “exceedingly attractive,” and emphasized the “knurled metal stem with brass colored cap.” For commuters and gym users, the practical benefit is that the case feels less slippery and the buds feel like they can take daily handling.
Battery life is another common win. dacal 8 said “great battery life,” and beuge reported “approximately 6 hours with… ANC enabled,” aligning with the official 6-hour ANC-on claim. Jimc even said they “tested the claimed battery life… and can confirm that it is accurate.” For travel and long days, these stories show the real-world value: people aren’t constantly hunting for a charger, and the case provides multiple top-ups.
- Repeated praise: “sound absolutely amazing” (Best Buy user rt28)
- Repeated praise: “great battery life” (Best Buy user dacal 8)
- Repeated praise: “very rugged and sturdy” (Best Buy user bh turnow)
Common Complaints
Touch controls show up as a frequent friction point. Best Buy’s own summary notes “concerns about the sensitivity of the touch controls,” and Tom’s Guide labeled them “inconsistent touch controls.” Several long reviews describe accidental activations while adjusting fit, or gestures not registering reliably—problems that hit hardest for runners, commuters, or anyone constantly re-seating earbuds.
App and software behavior also gets called out. Tom’s Guide described “buggy performance” and companion-app recognition problems. A Best Buy reviewer (mk light) said their “first impressions were low,” then improved after updates and downloading the app—implying that setup and software state can make or break early experience. Another long Best Buy review (curmudgeon 1) mentioned needing “persistence” to get the app communicating properly on one phone.
ANC/transparency complaints appear in two forms: either the noise reduction feels weaker than expected, or transparency sounds unnatural/overamplified. One reviewer said ANC “could be better” (nelson), while another called it “very poor” in airport and flight comparisons (2/5 review). Transparency, meanwhile, was described as acting like microphones that “pick up all the ambient noise” and can drown out music (“nice option for keeping connected to your music”).
- Frequent pain point: “misinterpret triple taps… or not register” (Tom’s Guide)
- Frequent pain point: “the noise cancelling could be better” (Best Buy user nelson)
- Frequent pain point: “transparency mode is weird… picked up all the ambient noise” (Best Buy review)
Divisive Features
ANC is the biggest split. For some, it’s a major selling point—bh turnow said “The anc is superior… on par with other top tier brands,” while rt28 called it “great noise cancellation.” For others, it’s the weak link: “the noise cancellation is just not that good,” wrote the “great and disapointing at same time” reviewer, who compared it across loud household tools.
Bass is similarly debated. Some describe “crisp bass” and “full rich sound” (rt28; veritech 13), while others say bass is noticeably lacking even in bass boost (“all about tech”; 2/5 “real disappointment”). That suggests the perceived low-end may depend on ear seal, preferred tuning, or what earbuds someone is used to.
Comfort also splits by ear anatomy. Some call them “comfortable… zero discomfort after hours” (bh turnow), while Tom’s Guide described the materials as making them “a painful wear.” For buyers, this matters because comfort is not just preference—it determines whether touch controls become more annoying (because you adjust them often) and whether ANC works well (because seal quality changes).
Trust & Reliability
On reliability, the data is mixed but worth watching. One Best Buy review (“good for the price,” rated 3/5) reported: “they stopped charging after a week and a half.” That’s a classic red-flag failure mode for true wireless earbuds, though it appears as an isolated story within the provided excerpts rather than a dominant trend.
Longer, detail-heavy reviews tend to emphasize build quality and stability rather than failures. Jimc described stable Bluetooth and said the buds “fit very securely,” while “nope” noted they could “drop them and the case… and they are fine.” Taken together, the feedback suggests most people trust the physical durability, but a small subset raises charging reliability concerns that could matter for risk-averse buyers.
Alternatives
Only competitors explicitly mentioned in the data are fair game here, and users repeatedly name-check AirPods Pro 2, Bose, Sony, Beats, and Galaxy Buds Pro. The comparison theme is consistent: Marshall Motif II True Wireless Earbuds, Black are often treated as a style-and-sound pick, while the “big three” win on polish and features.
Best Buy user rt28 went as far as saying they’re “definitely better than airpods pro 2 and beats powerbeats pro 2,” but other reviewers take the opposite view on feature value. “eric” wrote that if you’re “an ios user… these aren’t compelling enough” because you get platform perks elsewhere. Tom’s Guide also framed the competitive gap: “aren’t enough… to compete with the category’s top performers,” even while praising sound and ANC performance.
For Android users, multipoint and Google Fast Pair stories show up as a practical advantage. Bradrobster described pairing as immediate on Android—“my phone saw then and prompted”—and venkat highlighted the convenience of “connect to multiple devices at once.” If your daily life is phone + laptop, those anecdotes can outweigh a slightly weaker transparency mode.
Price & Value
Official pricing in the data ranges around $199.99 (Marshall site) with discounts sometimes shown (e.g., $169.99 on Marshall.com in the provided snippet). On resale/market pricing, eBay listings show new units around $120 + shipping (seller listing) and other listings at higher prices depending on model/condition—suggesting the street price can be meaningfully lower than MSRP if you shop around.
Value judgments in reviews hinge on what you care about. Sound-first buyers often sound satisfied at $199, especially when they describe the tuning as outperforming their existing earbuds. But reviewers who prioritize ANC parity with Bose/Sony or want feature-rich control schemes are more likely to call the price hard to justify. As one critical Best Buy reviewer put it: “if they were half the cost might be worth it but at this price point there are much better options available.”
- Buying tip implied by reviews: prioritize fit/seal testing early; multiple reviewers link seal quality to ANC/bass outcomes.
- Market tip from listings: check reputable sellers when discounts dip near $120–$170 vs MSRP ~$199.
FAQ
Q: How good is the battery life on the Marshall Motif II A.N.C.?
A: Most reports align with the official claim. Best Buy reviewer beuge said the earbuds lasted “approximately 6 hours with… ANC enabled,” and jimc wrote they “tested the claimed battery life… and can confirm that it is accurate.” The case is repeatedly described as extending use for days.
Q: Is the active noise cancellation actually strong?
A: It depends on expectations and fit. Best Buy reviewer bh turnow said “The anc is superior… on par with other top tier brands,” while another Best Buy reviewer wrote “the noise cancellation is just not that good,” especially in loud tool/yard tests. Several comments imply a tight ear-tip seal can change results.
Q: Do they stay in during workouts?
A: Many workout-oriented stories are positive. Best Buy reviewer blah nika wrote: “these actually stayed in!” and “all about tech” said they “stay in the ears really well… I recommend them for working out.” Some reviewers still mention needing occasional adjustment, especially with sweat.
Q: Are the touch controls reliable?
A: Not consistently. Best Buy’s summary mentions “concerns about the sensitivity of the touch controls,” and Tom’s Guide reported “inconsistent touch controls” and misread gestures. Some users praise responsiveness, but enough complaints exist that control reliability is a known gamble.
Q: Is bass strong enough for bass lovers?
A: Bass impressions vary sharply. Best Buy reviewer rt28 praised “crisp bass,” but other users said there’s “little to no bass” even in bass boost modes. This likely depends on ear seal and personal preference; several negative bass comments come from people who expected more low-end impact at this price.
Final Verdict
Buy if you’re a sound-first listener who wants a distinctive, amp-inspired design, strong battery life, and a secure fit for commuting or workouts—especially if you’ll use the Marshall app EQ. Best Buy user rt28 summed up the upside as “sound absolutely amazing,” and dacal 8 emphasized “great battery life.”
Avoid if your priority is class-leading ANC/transparency, flawless touch controls, or guaranteed long-session comfort. Multiple reviewers describe ANC as weaker than expected in tough environments, and Tom’s Guide flags “buggy performance” and “poor comfort levels.”
Pro tip from the community: experiment with ear tips early. As one response in the Best Buy thread suggested, “a seal of the ear tip in your ear will impact the anc quality and sound that you hear,” and several reviews implicitly back that up through wildly different ANC/bass outcomes.
