Customer Ratings & Reviews

Several years ago I bought a Bose SoundLink Mini to use while traveling with my laptop and DAP. Say what you will about Bose or their prices, but their engineers certainly seem to know how to squeeze some pretty amazing sound out of small enclosures. Fast-forward several years and we've given a few of the larger Marshall speakers to family members as a gift...the Stanmore in particular is a favorite with its rich, room-filling audio and vintage/classical styling. My SoundLink Mini was starting to get a bit long in the tooth and wasn't holding a charge very well anymore so I decided to give Marshall's Emberton II a spin as its price, design, and features seem to be aimed squarely at the Bose SoundLink Mini line of portable speakers. In the end, I think Marshall succeeded in making a portable speaker that is worthy of your dollars and consideration and it beats the Bose in nearly every category. Marshall's signature guitar amp-style design cues give this little speaker a dash of class and "rock-n-roll" sensibilities that are admittedly pretty cool-looking as it sits on a shelf or tabletop. The all-black enclosure feels solid and rugged with its pebble-finish rubberized textured shell, big brass-colored control rocker knob/button, classic Marshall logo on the speaker grille up front, and red amp-style LED bar meter one the top indicating battery level. There is also one tiny red LED above the flush-mount Bluetooth button. Unlike some other speaker designs, the Emberton II doesn't have an "ugly backside" with ports, screws, plug-ins, or switches...the rear of the speaker simply features the same guitar amp-style grille as the front. There is a small USB-C charging port on the right side of the speaker and a VERY shallow ridge of raised rubber running around the bottom of the speaker for stability and slight surface protection. Usability is top notch but with a novel approach to the audio interface that is totally appropriate to the speaker's design. Along with looking like a guitar amp, it sounds a little like one too with power-up, power-down, and BT connection/disconnection status tones taking the form of various rising and falling guitar riffs, while the pairing tone is distinctly different, sounding a little like short bongo drumbeats. Pairing itself is effortless and is accomplished with a simple press of the pairing button on the top of the Emberton until the status tone sounds--I was connected to my iPhone 12 and Shanling DAPs inside of 5 seconds each. The red BT and battery level LEDs are dim during normal playback, but they glow brighter momentarily whenever a control is activated...this is a nice way to keep on top of the battery charge level if you go several hours or more in between futzing with the controls. The main brass-colored 4-way rocker button serves several intuitive Bluetooth functions for both speaker and playback control of the connected source: press and hold for speaker power on/off, quick-press to play/pause, tilt forward or back for volume control, tilt left/right for previous/next song skip. The volume +/- and track skip icons are also debossed around the edge of the cutout for the control rocker, but the icons are so small that they get lost within the pebble-stone texture of the speaker itself and are pretty difficult to see--nevertheless, the controls are simple enough and fairly standard for BT remote controls on other products that I doubt you'll ever forget which direction to push the rocker knob to adjust volume versus skip tracks. The design is such that the drivers and passive bass radiators are the same in the front as they are in the back. This allows pretty much anyone to hear clearly and cleanly regardless of where they are sitting around the speaker; but unlike the oddball tuning of the larger Marshall Tufton's rear-firing driver, you don't get any interference, echo, or delay between the two speakers so the soundfield is smooth and continuous. Interestingly, however, the stereo performance is therefore front-to-back rather than side-to-side--it sounds weirder than it really turns out to be in practice given how small and close together the drivers are, but a few songs with VERY pronounced L/R panning will sound mostly mono from the front or rear. Volume gets almost uncomfortably loud before it starts to unpleasantly distort, but this is a tiny portable speaker after all--it would be fine for enjoying music in a small room or for those seated in a few chairs closely encircling it at the beach/poolside, but don't expect it to reassuringly fill a whole floor of a house or back end of a cul-de-sac. However, the Emberton supports what Marshall calls "Stack Mode" which allows you to link two or more Emberton speakers together all while being driven from the same single BT source...it's a neat feature to be sure, one that is characteristic of larger party speakers that can be chained together for an even "larger" sound, but you'll have to decide whether your wallet can tolerate another Emberton in your stable just for the sake of this feature. Out-of-the-box sound is tuned with Marshall's signature EQ, but the companion Marshall app allows you to choose two other presets: Push (boosted bass & treble) and Voice (enhanced midrange). Honestly, the Marshall preset was the most pleasant, engaging, energetic, and articulate of the bunch; though I suppose the Voice preset might be useful for podcasts, audiobooks, or news broadcasts. Frankly, the Push preset sounded like it exaggerated the bass and treble at the expense of a mid cut to the point where vocals sounded hollow and strained (to my ear), but there are likely some people out there who will still appreciate this overtly v-shaped EQ. The app also provides an additional set of playback controls in case you don't want to get up and walk all the way over to the speaker itself to skip tracks or pause playback. Battery life is claimed to be more than 30 hours...I never ran it continuously that long, but several days' worth of background music still left a hefty charge on board. A 20-minute quick charge restores about 3-4 hours' worth of runtime while a full charge only takes about 2-3 hours. The speaker is designed to withstand some pretty harsh listening conditions with an impressive IP67 dust and water-resistance rating--feel free to use it by the pool or at the beach, though strangely the USB-C charging port is not protected with any kind of gasket or covering. Frankly, the speaker itself looks so nice I would be hard-pressed to knock it around in such conditions (I'd hate for some sand to work its way into that charging port), but it's nice to know it was designed to survive a rain shower or some sandy/dusty conditions for those times when you simply must have your tunes on the go. Finally, to the question I was after--does the Emberton II offer a compelling enough sound/experience to dethrone the SoundLink Mini as my go-to speaker when I want big sound in a small portable package? The answer is MOSTLY yes. On pure thumping bass *quantity* alone, I have to give a slight nod to the Bose; there was just a tiny bit more palpable oomph to the SoundLink Mini's bass vs. that of the Emberton II, even on the exaggerated Push EQ preset. BUT, the Emberton II frankly sounded MUCH better balanced, a little more full-bodied throughout all the frequency ranges, and a little livelier overall. Given that this speaker is purpose-built to provide big sound from a VERY small package, I was not expecting audiophile-level sound quality or ear-blistering output, but I do value sound quality more than quantity overall. In that respect, I think the *very* minor tradeoff in just a hair less bass output for a signature sound that is simply more pleasing and fun to listen to overall makes the Marshall Emberton II a no-brainer if you're in the market for one of these brick-sized portable speakers--definitely recommended!

Best Bluetooth speaker on the market for price in my opinion. Great sound indoors in any room

I really love this speaker! It has fantastic sound and quality I can really listen to!

10/10 recommend, instrumental and vocals are crisp but not heavy on bass. Love the 360 spund, ability to carry to any room or travel with it.

Amazing sound!!!!! Hubby is so happy with it! We have several other Marshall speakers and this one did not disappoint!

Great built quality, best looking with professional studio monitor like sound clean and crisp not overhyped

Great sounding clear speaker. Wish I’d bought a second one to link them together. The surround sound out this one speaker is amazing.

Perfect for traveling and to even use at family parties with great and clear sound

I love these speaker brand it's my 2nd pair, the quality is the best portable speaker you can own.

Amazing sounds for a small Bluetooth speaker! I will definitely buy more Marshall speakers.

For such a small speaker it has great sound. It was an awesome Christmas gift.

This color of speaker is so adorable and the music came out very nicely and clearly. I luv it!!! Would recommend this to everyone.

I used to think bigger speakers were always better sounding, but this small, waterproof, and dust-resistant speaker has pushed that though right out of my mind! The Marshall Emberton III is a beauty, looking like a miniature version of my guitar amp and sounds nothing short of amazing. A clear balanced sound could be heard no matter what setting I had it in—tailgating, office, camping, a friend’s place—with no distortion. The battery lasts up to 32 hours, and the LED indicator shows how much charge is left. For perspective, I used it 3-4 hours a day for 7 days straight without charging and it had just under 50 percent battery life left. Usage included different genres of music, videos, movies, podcasts, and audiobooks, all at different, but usually, loudest volume. It comes with a USB-C to USB-C charging cord but no charger. It’s easy to grip and stays put thanks to its rubberized texture, and there’s a spot for a carrying strap, though it’s not included. Setup is simple, and the sound quality is superb, with music radiating from both sides. The Marshall companion app could be a little more robust but does offer extra features like three EQ presets and firmware updates. The one design flaw is that the black operating buttons and text are hard to see in low light. It would have been ideal if they were reflective gold like the Control button. Pros: • Cool Design: Classic Marshall amp look with a rock-n-roll vibe. • Solid Build: Feels sturdy and has a bit of weight without being too heavy. • Portable: Convenient size for easy storage and transport. • Durable Exterior: Textured, dust, and waterproof (though I’d avoid heavy rain or submersion). • Easy Setup: Comes in pairing mode right out of the box and connected to device in seconds. • Phenomenal Sound Quality: Speakers on both sides create an outstanding immersive audio experience. • Built-in Microphone: Handy for taking calls from connected devices. (Call quality with iPhone was good) • Impressive Battery Life: Up to 32 hours of playtime with a detailed 10-bar power indicator. • Companion App: Manage firmware, set battery preservation, and choose from three EQ presets. Provides links to guides and manuals for other Marshall products. Cons: • Cable Configuration: Included cable is USB-C to USB-C with no charger, so you’ll need your own. • Companion App: Limited features for the Emberton III – only three EQ presets and battery settings – so app is not really necessary because anything else mostly pushes you to Marshall’s website • App Naming: The companion app is weirdly named “Bluetooth” instead of Marshall on iOS • Button Visibility: Black operating buttons are hard to read without adequate lighting Overall, you can’t go wrong with this speaker!

Awesome little speaker! Liked it so much I bought a second one to pair together

These Bluetooth speakers are Dope! I bought 2, one is @ the office and one @ home! They are stackable and seamless to use, with the Marshall build quality it shines!

Top notch sound quality! Not too loud or not too low just simply brilliant engeneering!

I like it. I got it as a gift. It sounds great. Now i can play music anytime with my speakers on

I enjoy this little speaker so much. It amazes me that anythimg this small can sound so good.

I had excellent service and incredible delivery. I ordered the speaker in store mid-afternoon, and it was at my house the next morning!! I'm very happy with the quality and performance of my Marshall speaker plus I got it for an incredible sale price.

I have been wanting a new midsized bluetooth speaker for a while. I have a 10 year old one that still works ok, and stays charged for quite a while (8 hours) but the app is no longer supported for the equalizers. I have two other small speakers, but one the batter is dead, and the other is going. I had seen these on display and demo'd and I really liked this compared to many others. The footprint on this is smaller than my phone, height is descent. The build is sturdy, it is water and dust resistant. The manual says waterproof….I still say resistant. The soft metal feel is good, and it is heavy/sturdy. I habe the black/copper and it looks like a mini amp. Battery life is rated at 32 hours, I usually use it for 4 to 6 hours at a time, I know it lasts for most work weeks (5 days) then I charge it, usually in the 20's % charge when I plug it in. There is an app for this for updating firmware and there are 3 equilizer settings. You can also see charge of battery. The Marshall mix setting is the best balanced, but punch works well also for much of my garage/guitar driven rock I play. Voice I'm sure would be good for audio books, I just don't do them. I wish this had a custom mix, but I habe not found it if it does. Not a big deal, it sounds good with their mix. The buttons to control are very well marked and laid our, with good feel on the center knob push/tilt for pause, volume, and skip. There is a red led light strip that indicates battery life visually without the app. l have an android phone and then I turned this on the first time, it detected the new speaker and asked to pair and pulled up the link to download the app right away. That worked well, but even if it wasn't automatic, easy enough set up. The volume it gets to is quite respectable. My office is 12x13 and it is loud in there, and with my door closed I can hear it across the house easily when in upper volume range. I did go to max on a few songs just to push it a bit, no distortion witj either the Marshall or punch equilizer. This does produce a crisp treble and bass very distinctly without mushing the vocals. I am using albums I have listened to thousands of times and many are platinum sellers, so I've heard them from single am radio speaker in an old truck to 7.1 surround systems in atmos mix, and am familiar with what they should sound like, and this reproduces the sound very well. The sound also does not feel directional, but flows out in all directions. The price on this is competative for quality mid range bluetooth speakers, which is where my 10 year old one fell when I bought it, and you get what you pay for. This is worth going above the basics. I feel cost here is returned with quality. I have experience with an ultra premium brand's speaker that is near this size, and for the price difference (msrp to msrp, not counting sales) is about 2 to 3 Andrew Jackson’s higher, not worth it. This competes head to head with the best. I can find no faults. Five stars. Meets all my goals. The style of the mini amplifier, the solid buttons and feel. Battery life in theory is better than the more expensive ones. A good speaker.