Marshall Milton A.N.C.: stylish on-ear ANC headphones make a return

Marshall has not released an on-ear noise-cancelling headset since… 2018. That changes with the appealing new Milton A.N.C.

Marshall is switching tempo once again. Following a diversified 2025-marked by the launch of its first soundbar, the Marshall Heston 120, and a move into the often-overlooked party-speaker market-the British company is returning in 2026 to what it arguably does best: portable audio. It has unveiled a product few were still expecting: the Marshall Milton A.N.C., a new Bluetooth on-ear headset with active noise cancellation.

The Milton A.N.C. can be seen as an unofficial successor to the ageing Marshall Mid A.N.C., which arrived in 2018. The category had, it must be said, begun to gather dust. Its defining feature is an on-ear design in the spirit of the Major range, paired with some of the Monitor line's premium functions, including active noise cancellation.

Who said an on-ear headset could not be comfortable?

Although Marshall has not dramatically altered its visual formula, it says it has made a genuine effort to improve comfort this time around. On-ear designs have long had a less-than-flattering reputation in this respect when compared with larger over-ear models that fully surround the ears. Marshall says it has addressed this inherent limitation by fitting wider ear cushions and softer memory foam.

At around 200 grams, the headset remains lightweight, compact and foldable, with everyday travel clearly in mind. In connectivity terms, the Marshall Milton A.N.C. is thoroughly up to date, offering Bluetooth 6.0 with LE Audio support, SBC, AAC, LC3 and LDAC codecs, plus “Soundstage” spatial audio developed in-house by Marshall. The aim is to give stereo tracks greater scale and depth.

New noise cancellation and enormous battery life

The Milton A.N.C.'s key addition is its newly adaptive active noise-cancellation system. It is a first for Marshall on an on-ear model. To achieve this, Marshall uses six microphones for both calls and adaptive ANC. Several monitor surrounding sound, automatically adjusting the isolation level in real time. The brand also mentions a Transparency mode and an entirely new 32 mm driver system.

As is often the case with Marshall, battery life looks especially impressive. The manufacturer claims up to 80 hours of listening in normal use, and more than 50 hours with active noise cancellation switched on.

Price, availability and competition

The Marshall Milton A.N.C. will go on sale for €199 from 19 May 2026. There is hardly a rush of competitors in this area, either: audio manufacturers have largely neglected the on-ear headset segment in recent years.

Only JBL, which has just announced its 2026 audio releases, still stands as a genuine rival in this category with the JBL Live 670NC. We have already had the headset in our hands, and our full review will be published on Presse-Citron this weekend.