Marshall Monitor III ANC Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones

The Marshall Monitor III ANC is a sensible travel headphone for someone who values long battery life, a comfortable fit and a real wired option more than class-leading noise cancellation. Marshall rates it for up to 70 hours with ANC on and 100 hours with ANC off, and independent reviewers agree that endurance is the headline feature. The compromise is that its ANC is merely good enough for most travel rather than a reason to choose it over Bose or Sony. Buy it when the price is clearly below those flagships, not because the word “ANC” guarantees the same isolation.

Is the Marshall Monitor III ANC a comfortable long-haul headphone with ordinary ANC?

Best for	Frequent flights, long work sessions and listeners who want very long battery life
Strongest feature	70 hours rated with ANC on, 100 hours with ANC off, plus a compact hard case
Main compromise	Noise cancellation is useful but not as effective as the best Bose and Sony models
Sound character	Energetic, bass-and-treble-forward tuning with five-band app EQ
Buy when	The price is well below $349.99 and you value comfort, style and endurance

This review covers the Monitor III A.N.C. released in September 2024, not the older Monitor II ANC, the Major III, or the newer Monitor IV. Confirm the product name on a retailer page; “Monitor III” without “A.N.C.” is an avoidable source of confusion.

Which Monitor III ANC model is this, and what does it cost?

Marshall’s official support page identifies the product as an over-ear ANC headphone released in 2024, with Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint pairing, quick charging and support from the Marshall Bluetooth app. The same page links the exact user manual and documents a 15-minute charge for up to 12 hours of playtime.

SoundGuys lists the launch price as $349.99 and the model number as 1006861 in its February 2025 exact-model review. RecordingNOW reported a $379.99 retail price and around-$319 street pricing in its August 2025 review, while a September 7, 2026 X price discussion mentioned offers around $190 to $249.99. Those figures are snapshots from different countries, sellers and dates, not a stable price promise. Check the return policy and seller warranty before treating a deep discount as a bargain.

The feature list is broad but not audiophile-oriented: Bluetooth wireless playback uses SBC and AAC according to SoundGuys, with no aptX or LDAC. The app adds a five-band EQ, presets, adaptive loudness and a Soundstage effect. The headphones fold into a hard case, and the ear cushions are replaceable in principle; Marshall’s US support page showed the black and cream replacement cushions as sold out when checked on September 12, 2026.

Is the Monitor III ANC comfortable and easy to control when you travel?

At 250 grams, the Monitor III ANC is not unusually heavy for a closed-back wireless over-ear headphone. SoundGuys’ reviewer wore it on a three-hour flight and through an eight-hour workday without reporting pressure points, crediting the soft cushions. WiFiHiFi’s exact-model travel review, published January 29, 2025, also describes a 14-hour flight and praises the fit and the compact, guitar-case-inspired hard case. These are named reviewers’ experiences, not a guarantee for every head shape; people with glasses or a strong sensitivity to clamp should use a retailer with easy returns.

The controls are more tactile than a swipe panel. A gold control knob handles playback, pairing, volume and track changes. A separate ANC button switches between noise cancelling and transparency, while the customizable M-button can launch Spotify Tap, the EQ, Soundstage or a voice assistant. A wear sensor can pause playback when the headphones come off. The controls are convenient on a plane, but the unusual knob takes a few minutes to learn by touch.

There is no IP water-resistance rating. SoundGuys explicitly lists waterproofing as “No,” so this is not a gym or rainy-commute headphone. The case protects it in luggage, but the leather-like surfaces and exposed controls still deserve ordinary care. Marshall’s support materials include storage, cleaning and replaceable-part guides; follow those rather than improvising with household solvent.

How good are the Monitor III ANC noise cancelling and sound quality?

SoundGuys measured roughly 20dB of low- and mid-frequency noise reduction and an average external-noise reduction of 83% in its lab. Its 7.0 isolation score and 8.3 ANC score put the Monitor III in the competent middle of the premium market. It is useful against aircraft rumble and office HVAC, but SoundGuys’ comparison makes clear that AirPods Max reduced more noise in the same testing, and it does not present the Monitor III as a Bose or Sony replacement.

RecordingNOW reached a similar conclusion from a different exact-model review: ANC was slightly above average, effective enough for ordinary environments but less impressive than Sony’s WH-1000XM6, Bose’s QC Ultra or Sonos Ace. WiFiHiFi’s reviewer found it effective for a long flight but below a benchmark Bose pair. That consistency across three independent sources is more useful than a retailer’s “advanced ANC” label. Expect quieter engines and fans, not silence.

The default tuning is lively rather than flat. SoundGuys measured more bass and treble with recessed mids, describing punchy kick and bass with some quieter snare presence. The reviewer found the soundstage relatively narrow and improved the balance by slightly raising 400Hz and lowering 6.25kHz in the app. RecordingNOW also liked the bass-forward presentation for rock, metal, classical and jazz, while WiFiHiFi heard clear, detailed playback with a warm balance but noted a slight vocal echo on some tracks. The disagreement is about taste and program material, not about different models.

Soundstage is a software effect, not a wider physical driver layout. SoundGuys found it more like reverb than a true spatial presentation, and WiFiHiFi noted there is no dynamic head tracking. Keep it off for music where tonal accuracy matters, then try it with films if you prefer a more spacious effect.

How long does the Monitor III ANC battery last, and how does it connect?

Marshall’s rated endurance is unusually high: up to 70 hours with ANC enabled and 100 hours with ANC disabled, plus 12 hours from a 15-minute quick charge. SoundGuys could not complete its standardized battery measurement because the headphones disconnected after a few hours to preserve battery, so it did not publish an independent full-runtime result. RecordingNOW said its 70-hour ANC-on figure was accurate in its testing, while WiFiHiFi found the fully charged headphones lasted through a 14-hour flight but did not seem to reach the advertised figure. Treat the ratings as manufacturer test conditions, with volume, codec, ANC mode and temperature affecting the result.

Wireless playback uses Bluetooth 5.3, and multipoint lets the headphones remain connected to two devices. The USB-C port handles charging and digital audio, while Marshall includes a USB-C-to-3.5mm audio cable for an airplane seatback or another analog source. SoundGuys confirms that wired listening works and was useful for editing on a trip. The practical caveat is that USB-C audio and the supplied analog cable are different paths; confirm the desired cable is in the box if you buy used, and do not assume the headphones behave like passive 3.5mm headphones when switched off.

Android listeners should note the SBC/AAC-only Bluetooth codec support. AAC is useful with Apple devices, while Android phones may prefer a headphone offering aptX or LDAC if their music service and phone support it. That is not an audible verdict for every listener, but it is a real specification tradeoff at the original $349.99 price.

What should you buy instead of the Monitor III ANC?

Choose the Monitor III ANC over a Sony or Bose flagship when you want the Marshall look, a physical control knob, a hard case and exceptional rated battery life, and you are comfortable giving up some ANC performance and Bluetooth codec support. The Sennheiser Accentum Plus is a sensible comparison for buyers prioritizing a different balance of comfort, tuning and price. Our Bluetooth headphones guide is the better route if the decision depends on current deals rather than the Marshall design.

Recent owner evidence is useful but not broad enough to call a consensus. A January 2026 r/Marshallheadphones thread describes intermittent static or wind-like noise in one earcup, with replies reporting similar experiences. Several replies discuss the older Monitor II, so you cannot use those comments to estimate Monitor III failure rates. Keep firmware current and use warranty/return protection; do not treat social posts as a controlled reliability test.

The Monitor III ANC is a strong travel and work headphone when long battery life and comfort outrank absolute ANC performance. Its value improves sharply below the launch price. At full price, compare it carefully with Bose, Sony and Sennheiser rather than paying extra for the Marshall badge alone. For noise-cancelling picks, see the wired Jabra Evolve2 50 headset or the Thinksound OV202W Bluetooth headphones.

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