Marshall - Middleton II Portable Bluetooth Speaker with Rugged Waterproof / Dust-proof Wireless Design - Cream

I'll admit I was drawn to this Bluetooth speaker just by the name and reputation that Marshall has in the music industry. The Marshall Middleton II is a premium Bluetooth speaker that is meant to be seen as much as it's heard with the iconic Black with brass finish, classic logo, and design reminiscent of its popular amp. This is the second iteration in the Middleton series with substantial upgrades including battery life, better audio, better hardware controls, and a user replaceable battery that ensures a long life. After spending time with the Middleton II, I can tell you it's easily one of the best Bluetooth speakers available. - Unboxing/Design/Build The boxing is minimalist, clean, and focused. There's the speaker, USB-C charging cable, and a canvas carrying strap. The speaker feels durable and has a good feel and weight to it. It weighs about 4 pounds and dimensions are about 4.5 x 9 x 4" so it's very easy to move around or carry with you. It has the classic Marshall design. The controls are the highlight of the design, in my opinion. There's a multi-directional knob that lets you play, pause, skip, and control the volume with a flat brass joystick. I like the fact that there are actual raised treble and bass buttons that you can adjust on the unit itself. It's really convenient when you're listening to a song and you can make easy adjustments for each song right on the unit itself. I listen to a variety of music, and some songs will sound a little flat without an EQ adjustment. Continuing with the design, there's a power and Bluetooth button, and also a batter indicator. This is great to monitor your battery power and how long you need to charge. - Specs & Features - This is what stands out to me. First of all, there's 80 watts of power. I don't know of any Bluetooth speaker with this much power. It's durable too. With its IP67 rating, you can drop the speaker in 1 meter/3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. This means it's more than just a poolside speaker. It can also serve as a phone charger, so if you're streaming from your phone and it's about dead, just plug it in to your speaker and you can keep the music going. There's a built-in microphone to take phone calls which is a nice option depending on who's calling you. Another nice feature is when you're running out of battery, 20 minutes of charge time gives you about 5 more hours of play. Lastly, an impressive feature is the user replaceable battery. Most speakers will have significant battery degradation in about 2 to 3 years. With a user replaceable battery, this anxiety is solved. Just replace the battery and you can live on with your original investment. There's even a battery indicator that lights up on the control panel. I haven't seen this feature before but it's very convenient. - More Specs & Features - -4 pounds -30+ hours of battery -3.5 mm Aux port -Bluetooth 5.3 LE Audio -Mic for calls - Performance - Connection - Pairing is instant. The Bluetooth 5.3 LE connection is solid. I didn't witness any stuttering. The microphone is a great addition. I tested a few phone calls and voices are clear and it's more than suitable for phone calls or even working from the home office. Sound - The Middleton II sound is big. The speaker produces an energetic, clear, and wide sound that can fill a room or a backyard with rich sound. The bass is immediately apparent. I listened to one of my favorite rock songs and the low end was impressive, not distorted like some of speakers I've heard. Pro Tip: The 360 sound is meant to fill the room and you have to treat it as such. If you're sitting a foot away from the speaker it's not going to sound as good as 10 feet away. The DSP is pushing the sound out to fill the room or space, so it's not meant to sit right by you. Max volume is very loud and still clear but the bass does drop a bit. DSP seems like it dials things back a bit to protect the sound from getting distorted. App - (On my iphone there were 2 Marshall apps, make sure you select the right one with the silver logo.) The app gives you more options for customization. This is where you can setup your custom EQ. On the unit you have bass & treble adjustments, but on the app you can make more detailed adjustments with the 5 Level EQ. You can also save your custom EQ settings. You can receive firmware updates through the app, manage broadcast settings for Auracast, and also turn on battery preservation, to take care of the battery by limiting max charge, or avoiding charging in certain weather conditions. Battery Life - This speaker is definitely in the 30+ hour range. I used it for days for an hour or 2 at a time, and I felt like the battery indicator was barely moving. The 20-minute charge for 5 hours of battery comes in very handy too. It can get you through the afternoon or evening if necessary. - Pros/Cons - *Pros* *Powerful sound that fills the room *30+ hours of battery life *User replaceable battery *Bass, Treble raised buttons for easy adjustments *Battery level is always displayed *Built-in Mic for phone calls *Auracast compatible for multi speaker sessions *3.5mm Aux port gives flexibility *Suggestions/Needs Improvement* *Could be a little more rugged for outdoor use *Charging does take about 4 hours for a full charge The Marshall Middleton II delivers great sounds, has a class leading battery (that's also replaceable), and has the IP67 rating you need to take it anywhere. There are no compromises, I highly recommend it. Marshall delivers an impressive, premium Bluetooth speaker with a host of features you need.

## Design The speaker is larger than I expected and is getting close to party speaker territory, but it's still portable enough to bring to a party or a game. The speaker is a little over 4 inches high, 9 inches wide, just under 4 inches deep, and weighs slightly over 4 pounds. The speaker does appear to be durable as it is surrounded in a removable silicone sleeve. It's also rated IP67 dustproof and waterproof. Across the top of the speaker, you'll find the indicators and controls: battery level LEDs, the microphone, as well as the power button, Bluetooth button, up and down buttons for both the treble and bass, and a multifunctional control for play, pause, skip, rewind, and volume up and down. I question combining commonly used features such as play, pause, skip, rewind, volume up and down into one button, yet separating out dedicated controls for the bass and treble. I personally would have preferred to have dedicated buttons for play, pause, and the volume as I probably won't mess with the bass and treble nearly as often. Plus, if I ask someone unfamiliar with the speaker to turn it down, they will likely go for the bass or treble control as they look more like volume controls compared to the multifunctional button. On the back of the speaker, you'll find a USB-C charging port (which can both receive power and provide power to your phone, for example) and a 3.5 mm audio input jack. ## Sound Quality The bass performance is definitely one of the headlining features of this Marshall Middleton II Bluetooth speaker. It's sure to annoy your neighbors at high volumes, and if you find it to be too much, you can easily back it off using the bass control on the top of the speaker (no need to fire up the app to adjust the EQ). The app allows you to finely tune the EQ settings, install firmware updates, and enable some battery preservation features, which include limiting the maximum charge to 95%, limiting the battery to slow charging, and lowering the charging speed if the speaker is too warm. It's nice to see these features built-in to the speaker so you don't need to worry about "babying" the battery. Marshall also states that this speaker has a 360-degree True Stereophonic feature to make it feel like music is coming at you from multiple directions. I can't say I've really noticed this feature, but the speaker does get loud enough to bounce off the walls and hit you from all directions while using it indoors. The speaker definitely gets loud, making it ideal for outdoor events, but it can also be used for comfortable indoor listening at lower volumes. Music sounds absolutely great coming from this speaker, as you would expect from Marshall. ## Battery Life The Marshall Middleton II speaker can achieve up to 30 hours of playback time on a full charge. It can also be used as a power bank to charge your phone or other devices. The USB-C port on the back can be used to both charge the speaker as well as other devices from the speaker. ## Summary The Marshall Middleton II Bluetooth speaker is durable with its removable silicone sleeve and IP67 dust-proof and waterproof rating. However, the multifunctional control button can make accessing commonly used functions a tad more difficult, and its size and weight make it less travel-friendly. Still, with this larger size comes impressive sound quality and bass performance, and up to 30 hours of battery life.

I am a huge fan of Marshall Speakers due to its acoustic and aesthetic brilliance. I have been using a Marshall Emberton and I have been really happy with its sound and performance. I wanted a bigger speaker for a larger area, and decided to get a Middleton II model. I only realized what I have been missing after listening to Middleton. The sound is super rich and the clarity is brilliant. It has an amazing BASS especially for a portable model. The overall sound output is super loud and crystal clear. This has 4 built-in speakers with a tweeter and a woofer. The black leather with a golden knob and Marshall font gives it a brilliant visual appeal. The speaker supports Multipoint connectivity where multi devices can be connected. Just pause on a device and play from another device; as simple as that. Marshall advertises a 30+ hour battery life. I couldn’t verify it non-stop, but after a single full charge, it lasts for many days with avg daily usage. So the battery life is excellent. It takes about 3 hours to charge from 0 to 80. The speaker can also be used as a power bank which could be handy at dire times. This speaker has a built-in microphone and can be used as a speaker phone. The mic quality is so good and picks up conversation even from a distance making it useful for a group call with large group of people gathered around the table. The speaker also has a 3.5mm jack which is always good to have as I have realized, it comes in handy at unexpected times. Speaker has a IP67 rating meaning it is 100% protected against dust and sand, and as per Marshall it can withstand for 30 minutes under 1 m of water. The true highlight of the Middleton model is its True Stereophonic sound providing a 360 degree sound experience. It sounds brilliant from wherever you are listening from within the room. Although portable, the speaker is slightly heavy and big but the band makes it easy to carry around. The knob on the speaker not only elevates its visual appeal, but can control Volume, Play/Pause, Track Selection. This speaker has a dedicated Bass and Treble controller. The light type battery indicator serves multi-purpose and serves as an indicator for all controls – volume, bass and treble. The supporting app helps keep the firmware updated. There was an update instantly after setup. Speaking of setup, it was a breezy process. The phone auto detects the speaker and prompts to install the app. App provide various other sound settings, but I personally prefer the default Marshall one. To summarize, Marshall devices elevates the overall listening experience and the power of Middleton II takes it to a different level. It has been a pleasure listening to music in this speaker and I absolutely recommend this to anyone looking to experience quality music.

Right out of the box I loved the classic concert speaker vibes. It goes so well right next to my guitar or my vintage vinyl record player which has the same tactile finish and grill. This speaker is built like a tank, and it is top-quality. At almost 4 lbs., it does weigh a bit more than others, but still manages to be portable. The thick hand strap is much appreciated. Also, the speaker is rated IP67, so even heavy rain or dust won’t be any problem. I prefer tactile controls, and this speaker does not disappoint. While some buttons are not all that visible, especially in the dark, I got used to their location quickly. The control knob is fairly intuitive as well. To complement the overall look, the volume and battery levels are displayed via an old-school LED bar -nice! Featuring Bluetooth 5.3, the speaker connected easily with my Android phone and my iOS tablet (multipoint). It does not automatically switch between devices, though. I was able to place the speaker away from my devices almost anywhere in my medium-size apartment without connection issues. The speaker can also be connected via a 3.5mm cable (not included), which is great since I often play vinyl records on my semi-portable player. The battery life is outstanding. I played music at different volumes for 4 days for about 6-8 hours in my office, which would be around 24-32 hours of playtime. Just in case, 20 minutes on charge adds 5 hours. Using a 65W charger (I can’t believe one is not included), the speaker does take approximately 2.5 hours to recharge from empty in my experience. Battery life is impacted if the USB-C port is used for charging a phone. The audio quality is on par with the looks. While sound preferences are subjective, I found whatever I listened to quite enjoyable. The speaker has plenty of impactful bass and even some of that subwoofer quality. The midrange retains its place, making vocals and rhythm instruments come forward. The treble has a sparkling quality without being too bright or harsh. I did notice that the best sound is right in front of the speaker, although the “True Stereophonic: 360°” feature makes for decent listening from any angle. The dual 10-WATT twitters and 30-WATT passive radiators produce very loud sound with minimal distortion. Just in case, the unit has bass/treble controls on the speaker itself, which is quite convenient, but you can manage the EQ through its companion app, which I recommend downloading. And to top it all, the Middleton II doubles as a hands-free conference speaker/microphone, which works rather nicely in a small room or when speaking close to it. The classic design, strong build quality, varied features, and surprising sound do come at a premium price. However, in my opinion it is totally worth it.

Marshall makes some very good speakers, from portable to pro-sized floor models, and has for 60 years. The Marshall Middleton 2 isn’t cheap, but it gives you some great sound for that price, with some improvements over the last model. At just under 4 inches deep, by around 9 inches wide and approximately 4 inches high, and weighing around 4 pounds, it’s not pocketable or something you’d likely carry in an average backpack, but with it’s included strap, it’s still portable enough. The black color keeps it subtle, with only the front logo letters and power button in a bronze-ish tone. The controls on top are also black, blending in. With an IP rating of IP67, the Middleton 2 can handle short submersions in water, and resists dust. The battery now can keep going for more than 30 hours depending on settings, more than the previous model. A new microphone on the front allows you to use the speaker for phone calls if needed. I’ve tried this a few times and while the people I’m talking to can tell I’m on a speakerphone of some sort, they’ve all said so far, that I’m coming in clear. The Bluetooth range is approx. 33 feet depending on walls, but you’ll most likely be using this much closer. You can even charge your phone with a charging bank on the back. Sound wise, the Middleton 2 is very good. With 360 sound it’s better than many sound bars on TVs that I’ve tried. So far, it’s worked flawlessly on my phone, tablet, and even was able to connect to my television and crank out sound that’s better than a sound bar that I have been using. The control knob on top and power button allow you to power it on/off and a small Bluetooth button connects to applicable devices. I haven’t had any issues with connectivity so far at all. Bass and Treble controls along with the Bluetooth and power buttons allow you to use the speaker without an app, but the Marshall app does give you more features and control, so they recommend it. A battery LED lets you know your battery status. No bugs in the app so far. A 3.5 mm Audio input is also available on the back next to the USB-C charging port if needed. A charging cable is included. My one complaint – the textured body of the Marshall collects dust like a magnet! It does provide great grip, but dust will collect quickly on the body, and it’s texture makes it hard to wipe off. Not enough of an issue to knock points off, but it’s a bit irritating. This being the only complaint though. Otherwise, the Middleton 2 though a bit up there in price, is still worth the money if you want top sound quality. Recommended.