Guide: What are the best portable Marshall speakers? May 2023

• Rich, lively and “punchy” sound.
• Good power reserve.
• Very neat and robust design. Pleasant to hold.
• Ease of use, complete controls, multipoint connection (two devices).
• Very generous autonomy (about 22 h).

Weak points

• Restitution of the sound not very subtle and lacking in precision.
• Distortion-limited power utilization.
• App support welcome, but still too feature-poor.
• No mini jack input.

No upheaval for this second version of Emberton Marshall. Although the manufacturer’s portable speaker has inherited a few improvements that slightly enrich the user experience, it is still a long way from truly surpassing its predecessor… and climbing onto the podium of the very best portable speakers. This would have required refining its sound rendering by making it softer, more natural and more precise.

• Lots of control and balance in the lows and mids.
• Remarkable sound/size ratio.
• Original and effective spatialization system.
• Design and construction worked.
• Splash guard.
• Connection to two sources simultaneously via Bluetooth.
• Compatible aptX Low Latency.
• High autonomy (20 hours).

Weak points

• A slight resonance is heard in the extreme bass.
• Small failure in the high-mids, lack of voice presence and sharpness.
• Very incomplete controls (no volume unification, no playback control).

After the very successful Kilburn II and Acton II Voice, the Marshall loudspeakers continue their good series. The Stockwell II benefits from very serious sound progress made since its predecessor, completed by this “Blumlein stereophony” still as strangely named, but undeniably effective. It’s still not all aural perfect, but the beast’s visual appeal may be enough to make up for that.

• Rich, warm and relatively balanced sound.
• Good power reserve.
• 360° distribution.
• Neat finishes and robust design.
• Very easy to handle.

Weak points

• Average bass precision.
• Biased stereophonic scene.
• Autonomy a little disappointing.
• Feature-poor app.

Unsurprisingly, the Middleton follows in the footsteps of its little sisters Emberton II and Willen: its use is simple and its design robust and particularly neat. In addition, it should delight those looking for a powerful and rich sound reproduction, both indoors and outdoors. However, we would have liked better autonomy.

• Dynamic and very powerful.
• Excellent balance of restitution.
• Well-defined and punchy bass.
• Original and rather effective spatialization system (without being revolutionary).
• Compatible aptX Low Latency.
• Design, exemplary manufacturing quality.
• Very generous autonomy (20 hours).

Weak points

• Sound sometimes very slightly piercing.
• Lack of precision and hairline in the mids.
• Basic controls (no playback control, no volume adjustment unification).

With the Kilburn II, the Marshall brand signs its best portable speaker, and even its best wireless speaker. Its controlled, balanced and dynamic sound, which only lacks a touch of precision to achieve a flawless performance, allows it to have a song that finally relates to its plumage – still just as classy.

• Rich, lively and “punchy” sound.
• Good power reserve.
• Very neat and robust design. Pleasant to hold.
• Ease of use, complete controls, multipoint connection (2 devices).
• Autonomy (20 h).

Weak points

• Restitution of the sound not very subtle and lacking in precision.
• Distortion-limited power utilization.
• No mini jack input.
• No features, just the essentials.

The Marshall Emberton is a rugged portable speaker that gets straight to the point. It is certainly not perfect, but it does the job on the main criteria, which makes it a pleasant model to use and listen to… as long as you don’t ask too much of it. The lack of features could, however, disappoint techies. In a completely different style, and if you have nothing against a slightly larger and heavier speaker, we recommend that you go for the Sony SRS-XB33, which is much more complete and more efficient.

• Rich and pleasant sound signature at moderate volume.
• Elegant and robust design (IP67 certified).
• Generous autonomy.
• Very easy to handle, complete controls, multipoint Bluetooth.

Weak points

• Sharp and lively appearance exacerbated by the highlighting of high mids and highs.
• Generous reserve of power, but unusable.
• No mini-jack input.
• App smartphone Marshall Bluetooth peu utile.

For a first draft on the market of ultra-portable speakers, the Willen surprises with the elegance of its design, its generous autonomy, but also the overflowing energy it contains. However, we regret that this great power cannot be exploited, otherwise the listening experience will be degraded quite significantly.