Marshall Stockwell II Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Black & Brass

Product Information

Like the Emberton, the promise of the ‘True Stereophonic’ isn’t quite delivered in the way the marketing blurb would have you think. Yes, you can hear the speaker’s output from any angle, but facing towards the speaker’s front or rear offers the most focused performance. Sit at an angle and the speaker loses its directionality. At Louder, we've been writing about and reviewing some of the best speakers and headphones out there, and collectively we've been impressed with the offerings from the audio masters at Marshall. Not only do they have a rich pedigree when it comes to stage cabs, but their home hardware is equally impressive: from room-filling sound speakers and portable devices, to in-ear headphones.

The quality of the materials used in its construction mirror those of the Emberton, with a silicone outer casing giving the unit an IPX4 rating. This means it isn’t water- or dust-proof (the USB-C and Aux connections aren’t covered), but it can deal with splashes of water (or beer).If you're looking for a Bluetooth speaker in a similar price range that has good looks, offers better sound performance and oodles of features, then the Harman Infinity One might be a stronger investment. There are also two gold pins included which you can use to attach the vegan leather strap with ritzy red velvet on the underneath. If you need to take your Marshall wireless speaker with you on the move and you forget to charge earlier, you can get up to 6 hours of playtime from a 20-minute charge.

While it still weighs a hefty 1.2kg, the device is lightweight enough that you can take it with you to any local house party or event. The battery-powered system brings some real advantages over the competition for mobile use: Not only does the case and the oversized carrying strap make a stable impression. The battery life of up to 20 hours and the pleasingly slim case depth of only 7 centimeters also call for outdoor use. You should only be careful with water, because the IPX4 protection class at most forgives splashing water. Practical and versatile It's also worth bearing in mind that some Marshall products are now on to their third generation, so you could also grab a great deal on one of their older models. Some online retailers could also throw in a subscription to a particular music streaming servicewhen buying a Marshall product, so keep an eye on the small print. The bass sounds incredibly deep, and even at the highest volumes, you shouldn’t experience any distortion.

It comes with access to multi-directional sound, thanks to three class D amplifiers behind the main grille. The result is not dissimilar to listening to two songs at once – or, perhaps more accurately, listening to a song while your next-door neighbours play a different song at anti-social volume. Ok, I will admit that I am a huge fan of the styling. Its retro design looks very cool and definitely in line with the company’s amps, making them an icon in the music industry. The dials on top give a further nod to that design ethos, and it is actually a very nice addition to fiddle with the eq settings without digging into your phone's settings.