Marshall Follows Up Its Sold-Out Hendrix Collab With ‘Purple Haze’ Speakers and Headphones

By Jonathan Zavaleta

Jonathan Zavaleta

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Marshall is rolling out the second part of its anniversary collaboration with Jimi Hendrix, featuring a pair of wireless headphones and a Bluetooth speaker. The collection marks 60 years “since Hendrix first plugged into a Marshall amplifier,” according to the brand, a relationship that came to define the history of the British amplifier brand in the United States.

The collaboration is the second release in the collection, following the initial drop in May. While that drop featured a half-stack amplifier and home Bluetooth speaker, this drop is more focused on portable audio, with the brand’s Major V on-ear headphones and Emberton III Bluetooth speaker getting the “Purple Haze” treatment.

Marshall Emberton III Speaker

$179.99

Marshall Major V Headphones

$179.99

The on-ear headphones feature a purple and black swirling pattern through the inner headband and earcups, with faux-leather accents on the outside. The portable speaker, meanwhile, features the swirling design across the speaker’s grille and body, plus a silver-tone “all-seeing eye” motif on the playback button.

The on-ear headphones retail for $180, while the Bluetooth speaker will be available for $160. Both pieces are available now through Marshall’s site, with availability at select retailers on Sept. 9. The release will also feature a portable studio amplifier, which will also be released on Sept. 9.

In addition to the visual design, Marshall wove in snippets from Hendrix songs as the audio cues for when the speaker turns on or is connected to a device.

“I think it was a good partnership because the Marshall amp sounds better the louder you play,” Hendrix’s sister Janie, who worked with Marshall on the design, previously told Rolling Stone. “Of course, people play loud just to be loud, whereas his was real music. And so his music, his playing with the Marshall amp, was a perfect match.”

The latest drop marks a busy time for Marshall, which this year released artist collabs with the Sex Pistols and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong.