Marshall Mode in-Ear Headphones, Black & White

I spent 70-something moneys on a new pair of IEM's recently. It was this pair actually. That's why I'm reviewing it right now. Logic.I got myself into a lot of trouble when I ordered these. "YOU ALREADY HAVE NICE EARPHONES. WHY DO YOU NEED MORE?" said the angry significant other. I didn't really have a good reason, so I told her how pretty she is. Didn't work this time. So I promised that if these marshall's didn't blow me away, I would return them and pretend like this never happened.Soooooooooooooooo....I'm a little disappointed that I like these as much as I do. Because it means I'm going to remain in the doghouse. I heard about these from thewirecutter. If you haven't heard of this site, I recommend checking it out. They basically just review tons of consumer electronics and try to recommend the best bang for your buck. This is the second time that I've purchased a product based on a thewirecutter recommendation. I guess I'm trying to say that I wouldn't have ever given these a look if not for that website.If you're the type of person that gets pleasure out of abusing headphones, you won't like these. I understand the idea that more expensive IEM's should be more durable, therefore I can light them on fire and then extinguish that fire with battery acid and still be able to use them everyday. I get it, 60-70 something moneys is a lot to spend on earphones. But the money here pays for performance, not durability. I'm sorry. These are fragile. Will they die after one bad snag on the corner of your desk? No. But I don't think they should be used at the gym or carelessly tossed in your bag and sat on or lit on fire.I treat my earphones like a small puppy that fits in my pocket...... which is why I've only had one pair break since I was in high school.The remote is pretty minimalistic. It's one button. Which is good because I think 2 buttons would be overstimulating for me and I'd get scared. It can be used to answer and hang up calls, play/pause your music, or skip to the next or previous track. There is no volume control. If that's a deal breaker for you then....I'm sorry you had to read this far into my review. I wish I could give you back the time you just wasted. The mic is neat. It's located a little higher than the remote so it's closer to your mouth. I've gotten zero complaints about my voice quality when talking into the mic.Accessories. Pretty much none. You get the earphones and 4 tip sizes to choose from ranging from small to extra large. I use the large tips and I get a nice tight seal in both ears. But the lack of a carrying case bothers me. I have multiple carrying cases from other pairs of IEMs, so I'm personally doing ok. But if this is going to be your first pair of upgraded earphones, I'm scared for you. It's like Marshall is encouraging you to carelessly toss these into the bottom of your bag or pocket. Then they'll break. And you'll be upset. And I don't want anybody to be upset. Because it'll make me upset and everything is about me. ANYway, if you don't have a case, I'm not going to recommend that you get one. That would be a little excessive. I just encourage that you take care of them.Audio is completely subjective. So I don't really know how to approach this section. The isolation from outside noise is more than adequate as long as you have a good seal with the included tips. Once I got that seal, they fit really snug in my ears and stayed put. These have a higher impedance than cheaper IEMs which translates to: they won't play as loud at the same volume/input power. That said, I use them with my Nexus 6p which has underwhelming audio-out power. But because of the decent isolation, I'm still able to drive these to satisfying levels with volume to spare. Heck, I used them on my business flights and had no issues.I really like how these are voiced. I tend to be sensitive to high frequencies. If earphones have too much in the high end, my ears get tired and I get grumpy. These have a nice smooth high end, with no lack of detail. I can listen for hours and feel good afterwards. The midrange is really strong on these. I listen to mostly rock, and electric guitars come through really strong and have a grittiness to them that sounds awesome to me. Voices are clean and clear, but they take a backseat to guitars and the rest of the music that makes music sound powerful and engaging. I think the bass is exceptional, and there's a boost at the lower sub bass is delightful on electronic and rap but doesn't get in the way for rock and more acoustic music.The last nine sentences should really be taken with a grain of salt. I don't know what you like or how your ears hear. But overall, I think these are pretty well-rounded and will be unoffensive for most people to listen to. Surely, they're an upgrade from stock earphones.

One my second set now, the sound quality from these is very impressive - clear, balanced, powerful & detailed. They punch well above their weight in terms of price, to beat these I'd have to spend north of $100.A note about bass output - I'm an old school 'authentic bass' guy, meaning I want to hear it the way it was recorded & originally played. That's exactly what these do with potent bass & gobs of reserve.What they don't do is "augmented bass" - meaning I want a lot of bass that was never in the original recording. For those you're better with something like the Beatz IEM etc. You can certainly jack the bass up on these, they have the headroom, but it's a step down in SQ.Cord length is good, a bit longer than standard.The included eartips come in 4 sizes, that goes a long way towards the final sound quality, finding the ones that fit well. It's a bit of an improvement going to the memory foam tips, like maybe 10% better, which is worth it IMO.

Wanted to try these out knowing their reputation for speakers and amps. Very attractive-looking product - the cable is nice and study, I appreciate the clip with the single control button, though it does lack functionality with it being just one button. Sound is pretty good but nothing to write home about. Only thing I wished this improved upon is the comfort ear tips. There were a few options, but even the largest tips did not isolate noise very well and still felt loose in my ears. Otherwise a pretty good set of earbuds.

Looking for earbuds can be kind of a nightmare. So many players in the game, so much variety in terms of sound, design, features, and price. I don't want to spend a lot of money since they're used mostly outdoors and vulnerable to random circumstance but I want to get the best sound possible and I want them to not break after a few months. In this case, trust Wirecutter 's recommendation. Other than the fact I have to loop the cable over my ears to get a decent seal (and appreciate the quality bass as intended) I love pretty much everything about the Modes! They're still getting broken-in but the build quality seems solid. The design is simple and classy but unmistakably Marshall. The low-profile jack should look familiar to guitarists and the tangle-resistant cable and clip is a nice touch.So, what of the sound? Considering who makes them, it's not surprising the Modes handle guitar-based music with ease (they do along with vocals, and it's awesome to hear.) The balance is a slight U shape, with a primary emphasis on the bass, and the treble peak only adding air and detail. Sub-bass extension is impressive and doesn't get swallowed up by the mid-bass boost. Mids are barely recessed and, overall, the sound profile is coherent and refreshingly natural. It's pretty much my ideal frequency response. The treble lacks excessive grain (but it does have a bit at the top), and the very top-end rolls off nicely making these IEMs very non-fatiguing. This is an important thing to anyone (myself included) with a frustrating treble-sensitivity. Audiophiles might miss the clarity the ultra top-end provides but I'd rather keep my ears from hurting.Timing and response is tight throughout the frequency range resulting in a very fluid and musical presentation. No muddy bass or confused mids. Almost any genre of music will benefit from that kind of insight. That said, they struggle ever-so-slightly when trying to resolve very complex music passages. Not a bad problem to have all things considered. Soundstage is pleasantly natural but not exceptional. If you're used to strictly budget earbuds you'll be impressed. And isolation is about average for IEMs as the 4 sets of tips (from S-XL) are not very thick (good thing they don't leak sound out though). The Modes really shine in quieter listening situations as they aren't the loudest headphones ever and noisy public spaces like trains, planes and buses tend to call for overly bloated bass which is not what we have here.After trying (and discarding) so many cheap IEMs, I feel like I've finally found the pair best suited for my ridiculous checklist of needs. Added bonus: Although the Modes sound great plugged into your iPhone, they scale nicely with a higher quality DAC/source. 24-bit FLACs are a treat through these earphones. That feels like a bargain at this price.ETA (11/18/16)I'm just updating my review now that my thoughts on the Modes are clearer and I can better articulate what I like (and don't). They're holding up just fine but I don't abuse them. Still sound great and my appreciation for them has only increased.