Beats Solo 4 vs Marshall Major V
Quick take: The Beats Solo 4 costs $30 less; the Marshall Major V lasts longer per charge (100 hrs); only the Marshall Major V supports multipoint (two devices at once).
Which one to buy
Neither of these style-first on-ears has ANC, and people buy both as much for the look as the sound. Beside the Marshall, the Beats looks expensive. For $130 the Major V offers 100+ hours of battery (owners charge it once or twice a month) against the Solo 4's 50, real multipoint where the Beats has none, an app with EQ where the Beats has nothing on either platform, wireless charging, and a lighter fold-up frame (186g against 217g). Its 15-minute charge buys 15 hours, against 5 hours from 10 minutes on the Solo.
The Solo 4's case is narrower. It plays lossless over USB-C or its 3.5mm jack, offers Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking on iPhone, and handles Apple's one-touch pairing and Find My while working nearly as well on Android with Fast Pair. If you're on iPhone and want the Beats look, those count. Its stock tuning is permanent, though, and owners call it bass-forward with recessed detail.
Comfort is roughly a draw, because both are on-ears. Solo owners tend to report soreness around 90 minutes, and Major V owners around two hours despite its plusher new pads. Neither is for long desk sessions or flights. The Marshall leaks noticeably above half volume and has a documented frozen-controls glitch fixed by a reset.
At the Solo 4's $100 street price the decision is about brand and ecosystem. On features, the Marshall wins easily.
Beats Solo 4
If you're on iPhone, want spatial audio and Apple pairing, care about lossless wired playback, and find it near $100.
Marshall Major V
If you want to stop thinking about charging, need multipoint for a laptop and phone, and want an EQ to adjust the bass.
| Spec | Beats Solo 4 | Marshall Major V |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$100 | ~$130 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | On-Ear Headphones | On-Ear Headphones |
| Noise Cancelling | None | None |
| Battery (single charge) | 50 hrs | 100 hrs |
| Battery (with case) | — | — |
| Quick Charge | Fast Fuel: 10 min = 5 hrs | 15 min = 15 hr |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC (lossless via USB-C) | SBC, AAC, LC3 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Multipoint | No | Yes |
| Driver Size | 40 mm | 40 mm |
| Weight | 217 g | 186 g |
| Water Resistance | — | — |
| Wireless Charging | No | Yes |
| Transparency Mode | No | No |
| Spatial Audio | Yes | No |
| App EQ | No | Yes |
Pros & cons
Beats Solo 4
- ✓Huge 50-hour battery is untouchable for on-ears
- ✓Genuine lossless over USB-C or 3.5mm
- ✓Far more balanced tuning than 2010s bass-cannon Solos
- ✓Fast Fuel: 10 minutes buys 5 hours
- ✓Personalized Spatial Audio head tracking on iPhone
- ✓One-touch pairing on both iOS and Android
- ✗No ANC at a $200 list price
- ✗Trademark Solo clamp aches after an hour or two
- ✗On-ear clamp plus glasses gets painful fast
- ✗No EQ app on either platform
- ✗No true multipoint — just Apple ecosystem switching
Marshall Major V
- ✓Class-leading 100+ hour battery life
- ✓15-minute quick charge delivers 15 hours
- ✓Fun, punchy Marshall signature sound with app EQ to adjust it
- ✓Bluetooth 5.3 multipoint plus LE Audio/Auracast-ready LC3
- ✓Wireless charging — almost unheard of in headphones
- ✓Folds compact; 186g is light for the battery inside
- ✓3.5mm jack works both as input and audio-share output
- ✗On-ear clamp gets fatiguing over long sessions for some owners
- ✗No ANC at a price where some rivals include it
- ✗Leaks sound noticeably above half volume
- ✗Bass-forward tuning isn't for neutrality purists
- ✗No water-resistance rating
Beats Solo 4 vs Marshall Major V: common questions
Which is more comfortable, the Solo 4 or the Major V?▾
Neither is great for long sessions, since both press on your ears. Owners typically report soreness around 90 minutes on the Solo 4 and around two hours on the Major V, whose softer pads improved on the Major IV. If you listen for hours at a time, look at over-ears instead.
Can I EQ the Solo 4 or the Major V?▾
Only the Marshall. Its app includes an EQ that can pull its rock tuning toward balanced. The Solo 4 has no EQ on iOS or Android, so its stock sound is what you get.