Customer Ratings & Reviews

This speaker is hands down, pound for pound, the best-sounding Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever owned. It genuinely rivals a much larger portable speaker I bought years ago that cost almost three times as much. The audio is crystal clear and sharp, and it stays that way as you turn the volume up. The range is phenomenal. It gets so much louder than you would expect a speaker this size to. You can adjust the EQ on the speaker itself or inside the Marshall app, but I haven’t needed to touch anything because it sounds so balanced out of the box. Durability and Portability - This part impressed me the most, because I’ve absolutely put this thing through the wringer over the past week. We just bought a new home, and what started as “let’s repaint one room” has somehow become repainting the entire interior. This speaker has been with me through sanding, painting, mudding, and spackling, and it still looks and works great. The rubberized body cleans up really easily too. The attached strap is way more useful than I expected. It lets you hang or prop the speaker basically anywhere. One whole day I hung it from the stair rail because there wasn’t a single safe surface left in the room. Battery Life - Marshall claims 30 hours, but I honestly feel like that’s an understatement. I’m pretty sure I’ve already hit 30 hours of playtime, and the battery is still sitting above 25 percent. Bluetooth Issues - This is the only reason it isn’t getting 5 stars from me. I’ve updated the firmware, updated my phone (iPhone 17 Pro Max), and tried every trick I can think of, but the speaker still has intermittent Bluetooth dropouts. What’s weird is that it’ll work perfectly for an hour, then suddenly cut out 20 times in a 10 minute span, then go right back to normal. I’m using it in an empty house with zero Bluetooth congestion, and none of my other devices have this problem, so it’s definitely the speaker. I’m hoping Marshall pushes another firmware update, because everything else about this speaker is nearly perfect. Overall - This is an outstanding Bluetooth speaker with incredible sound, great battery life and durability. If the Bluetooth issues gets fixed, it would easily be the best portable speaker I’ve ever used.

INTRODUCTION: While this is not my first high-end Bluetooth speaker, it is my first time using a product from Marshall. I had high expectations for the Marshall Middleton II because everyone on social media seems to have a similar Marshall speaker. This is one of the trendiest brands in the audio space, but the Marshall Middleton II manages to live up to the hype. While not perfect, this speaker will appeal to both audiophiles and the casual listener. DESIGN: The Marshall Middleton II has that classic, semi-retro, rock ‘n’ roll, imitation amp design that all Marshall speakers are famous for. I love the aesthetic of the Marshall Middleton II. The device feels premium the moment you take it out the box, and speaking of the box, Marshall also put thought into the box’s design opting to continue its rock ‘n’ roll theme to it too. The speaker comes in two colors: cream and black (black & brass to be more exact), and while the cream is more visually attractive, the black is the better option for avoiding any staining, dirt marks or scuff marks which will matter to you if you choose to take the speaker outside. Regardless of what color you choose, either option will be stunning. It’s just a great looking speaker, period. The material the speaker is made of is waterproof, which I can confirm is accurate. I take this speaker into the bathroom with me as I am showering and washing my hair, and it handled accidental water splashes and heavy mist just fine. You will appreciate it being waterproof if you take this on a beach trip or play it by the swimming pool. More importantly, the sound quality is very good. Marshall claims the Middleton II uses what they refer to as “360° True Stereophonic sound,” or multidirectional audio, and while I didn’t run any fancy tests on this feature, I can say I am satisfied with how this speaker projects sound. It really fills up my living room and pushes the sound to every nearby room on the same floor. The more elevated the speaker is, the better the sound output is, the better the sound is distributed throughout the area, so I prefer to sit it on a shelf, counter or high-top table. The Middleton II also doesn’t distort bass, guitar nor drums. There are physical controls on the device that control the level of bass and treble for when you need to alter them. While you can do the same within Marshall’s app, I personally prefer using physical buttons on my devices that work independently of an app. Regarding power, the woofer amps are 30 watts, and the maximum volume is 90 decibels. The Marshall Middleton II also has a built-in microphone, which I doubt I will ever use, but may come in handy for hands free phone calls at outdoor events, such as barbecues and beach picnics. PROS: The Marshall Middleton II goes into pairing mode quicker than my other Bluetooth portable speaker (from a competitor). I am not sure why that is because I’m pairing it with the same two devices that I used with the competition. The Middleton II pairs almost immediately, even when pairing the speaker to an audio source for the first time. Additionally, the Marshall Middleton II can be paired to multiple devices at the same time. So can my speaker from a competitor; but unlike that speaker, the Marshall Middleton II pairs to multiple devices seamlessly. Unlike my other speaker, the Marshall Middleton II doesn’t struggle to maintain connection to both devices while playing only one, doesn’t struggle to find the devices I want to connect to, and stays connected to both devices so long as neither audio source goes into sleep mode. It’s super easy to do, and you can alternate between audio sources without issue. Battery life is also good. I’ve used it two to four hours a day for at least 4 days out of the week, and my battery life is currently at 62%. You will need to charge this immediately following purchase though, as it only has 25% battery life straight out the box. Marshall claims you can get up to 30 hours of run time on this speaker, but realistically, especially playing at the louder volumes like I do, I will probably get closer to 20-25 hours of run time. CONS: This is the heaviest portable speaker I’ve used in this category or genre of Bluetooth speakers. It is not remotely small. Yes, I can hold it in one hand, but I can’t hold it comfortably; and while I am a woman, I don’t have small hands. Maybe the discomfort comes from its wide, boxy square shape. As a result, I don’t feel comfortable taking this on the go which completely defeats the purpose of having a portable speaker. I feel its weight cancels out its portability factor. The Marshall Middleton II does come with a nylon wrist strap to help aid in traveling with it that looks durable, but I still do not feel comfortable holding this speaker by the strap alone. The speaker weighs four pounds, so it’s not a light portable speaker, and it will be tedious for packing/traveling. Carry it outside with caution. Personally, I think this speaker may be too fancy for outdoor activities, and I am also clumsy, so this will solely be used indoors for me. One thing that irritates me is if my audio source is paused for more than five minutes, the Marshall Middleton II will disconnect from it and sometimes even power off. My other speaker will last up to 20 minutes before completely disconnecting and powering off. Fortunately, the speaker pairs quickly with my phone and tablet, but it still really bothers me that it disconnects that quickly. I don’t know if this problem is just on my device, or if all Marshall Middleton speakers work like this. Maybe it is a way of conserving the battery. CONCLUSION: Tiny quirks and size issues aside, the Middleton II is a great speaker that comes packed with power, great audio, and good looks. It looks attractive in anyone’s office, living room, or on a shelf. The Middleton II isn’t just trendy nor is it all beauty over function; the Middleton II delivers a rich enjoyable audio experience that will keep you choosing it over your other Bluetooth speakers. It’s just great sound, period. I recommend it as a gift to music lovers in your life; specifically, those that will appreciate its retro rocker design.

I've used other marshall products before and found them great for the price... Most of the time. The MSRP is $329 and for me I really wished they added codec support like LDAC or Apt X at the very least. We're stuck with AAC and SBC. Otherwise it's a great speaker. It gets loud enough and packs as lot of bass for its size. The speaker also works with Marshalls app as well. It has a rating of 30 hours which I found it basically reached as well. The speaker has an EQ in the app which is great but it also has two buttons to increase or decrease the bass and treble on the speaker as well. Once I found those I was pleased with the sound. It also has a 3.5mm port so you can input from your phone or etc to the speaker . It also has a USB C port which you use to charge the device but you can also use the speaker to charge your phone or device as well. Comes with a strap you can add to the side to easily handle it on your wrist or to carry easily as well. It's also IP67 rated so you don't have ti worry about getting it wet as well.