Customer Ratings & Reviews

I’ve been using the Marshall Stanmore Bluetooth speaker for several months now, and it’s easily one of the most impressive audio products I’ve owned. Right out of the box, the speaker exudes a vintage, premium look with its leather-like finish, brass knobs, and the iconic Marshall script logo—perfect for both audiophiles and design-conscious users. What really stood out to me was the sound quality. The Stanmore delivers deep, rich bass and clear mids, with crisp highs that don’t distort even at higher volumes. It’s powerful enough to fill a large room and works just as well for casual listening or house parties. The analog controls on the top panel let me fine-tune bass and treble easily, which I found a nice touch for tailoring the sound to different music genres. Bluetooth connectivity is reliable and fast, although I did find it lacking in features like multi-room support or app-based EQ customization that other high-end speakers sometimes offer. Also, it’s not a portable speaker—it needs to stay plugged in and isn’t designed for outdoor use. Overall, I highly recommend the Marshall Stanmore if you’re looking for exceptional sound and classic aesthetics in a stationary speaker. It’s not cheap, but it feels like a long-term investment in both quality and style.

I expected it to sound good in the first place, but it sounded even better. Deep bass that’s not muddy and clean crisp highs. Plus options for analog audio inputs too. The controls and options in the app are pretty basic. Volume, bass and treble. No graphic EQ. Please see detailed product specifications in the ad. Setting up and pairing on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and Apple iPad 9th Gen, was easy with no problems. I had reviewed some Marshall Mode II earbuds in the past and only needed to add the Stanmore III to the app. With classic Marshall styling, the controls and auxiliary inputs are on the top and trimmed with brass on brass. The power connection is on the back and the power supply is internal as opposed to a power brick or wall wart. There’s also a bass port on the back. Four rubber feet on the bottom. The knobs use digital encoders as opposed to analog potentiometers for adjusting volume, bass and treble. LEDs around them show current settings. See photos. I tested using lossless FLAC music files via Bluetooth. I played CDs into the RCA inputs from my Sont CDP ES CD changer. I also ran my Roland FA-08 and VR-730 pro keyboards into it. The sounds in those two instruments are CD quality. I was Not disappointed with what I heard coming out of that box! That is unless I over drove either analog inputs with those two keyboards, which caused some pretty hard clipping. That shouldn’t be a problem at line level with the RCA inputs from a CD player or tape deck. One thing I did notice is that the analog inputs are not as loud at the same volume level as the Bluetooth. At least on my phone with the same volume settings. I noticed that the bluetooth also sounded better. A little “warmer and richer” and the stereo separation seemed wider too. Not that there’s much to begin with given its size. I’m going to chalk it up to the DAC in the Marshall and the circuitry associated with it, and the Marshall app. Note: I used a genuine Samsung headphone dongle I bought from BB on my S22. Do analog inputs in the Stanmore 3 go through a preamp and then power amp? Or do they go through an ADC first and any EQ is in the digital domain? I don’t know. The music I listened to was the same as what I have used to test all other audio products I reviewed. Steely Dan (and Donald Fagen solo CDs), Alan Parsons, Pink Floyd and similar for the high production standards they are known for. I played a lot of other music though it from ABBA to Zeppelin. I streamed various music services from my phone. No problems there either. However, there are various settings for quality and EQ on streaming apps. I left all app settings at a Flat response and used the bass and treble controls on the speaker. For those that may not know, do note that when coming out of any typical hifi stereo equipment at line level via RCA jacks, it will have a flat EQ response. When coming out of a 3.5mm headphone jack and even bluetooth, that may not be the case. Say you're connecting a smartphone and you have set the EQ to boost the highs and lows, then connect via 3.5mm input and boost the bass on the speaker some more. That could cause it to distort or clip. Some if you boost the treble. This can apply to bluetooth connections too. I think that it's probably best to set any app EQ to a flat setting when using this speaker and using its bass and treble controls. Any app EQ settings should be kept to a minimum. The Play / Pause - track Fwd / Rev switch only works when using bluetooth as expected. The speaker sets to half volume when turned on. EQ at whatever you left it at last use. Using the placement feature of the app can help manage the bass response. Build quality feels very solid. No rattles, sizzle or hiss. The controls feel very smooth and the switches solid. With one exception. The Play / Pause - track Fwd / Rev switch feels a little squishy when moved from side to side. Pushing it down feels solid. Just an observation, certainly not even close to a deal breaker. I don’t think you can simultaneously run two Stanmore III speakers in a right and left configuration. Is that something Marshall can add in the future? It would be nice if they can and do. Pros: Very solid build. Marshall style. LEDs around knobs look very cool and auto dim. RCA and 3.5mm Analog inputs. Cons: A handle would have been nice The LED indicators around the knobs are hard to see in bright light and impossible outdoors in sunlight. See photos. Some reviewers mentioned that this device doesn’t play all audio codecs. Conclusion: I think the Stanmore III is a solid performer. It was for me and the music I played through it. It also did a very good job when I ran my keyboards through it. To the point that I could even use it as a near field monitor at a gig. Recommended!

TL;DR 5-star audio quality, 4-star over all product because of the lack of Wi-Fi audio connectivity. Every concert goer from the past 50 years surely recognizes the Marshall amps that have shared the stage with some of the best artists ever. I won’t lie, my own concert memories attracted me to this brand. But I was also skeptical because too often legendary brands license out their name which ends up on sub-par products. This is not the case here. The Marshall home speaker is made by the same parent company of the pro equipment you see in arenas and musical events. This is a genuine Marshall product, not a Marshall-licensed product. In the Stanmore III you get a classically designed compact stand-alone stereo speaker that pumps out big, beautiful sound – a tough task for any Bluetooth product given Bluetooth’s narrower bandwidth compared to Wi-Fi or “old fashioned” speaker wires. I’ll get into sound quality later, but upfront I want to emphasize that the Stanmore III here has two tweeters and a woofer, i.e., it’s stereo, unlike most Bluetooth speakers, which are only stereo if you pair two together. So immediately, the Stanmore III provides value with this feature alone, saving both money and space. Also fairly uncommon with wireless speakers, the Stanmore III looks like a solid piece of furniture that belongs in a well-furnished room but would also look “cool” in dorm too. More often than not wireless speakers in this price range are bland black plastic or over-the-top colorful. The Stanmore III’s case though is surrounded by a leather-look fabric. Whatever it is it’s vegan if you need that assurance. It looks snazzy to keep with the retro theme. The front is speaker cloth with a definite 60s vibe to it. The center has the Marshall script logo in gold, which I’m not wild about. This logo placement and size doesn’t suit the overall elegance of the speaker. If it were smaller, maybe offset at one of the corners it wouldn’t even be a discussion point. Unfortunately, also, the logo is glued on which is a head-scratcher to me because every speaker I’ve ever owned had logos that just pulled out if a “clean” look was desired. It should be the case here too. The top controls are a stunning conversation maker. The design offers lots of unique touches like a metal power lever that you’d find on pro amps. It adds tremendously to the user experience. (Keep the power flipped on as there is no way to remotely turn it on in the off position. My assumption is it automatically goes to sleep when not in use like devices do these days). It only gets better though as the control dials on the unit feature active red backlighting to indicate levels for their respective control: volume, bass, & treble. There is also a switch to skip, repeat, and pause the track playing, as well as another lighted indicator confirming the current input source selected: Bluetooth, the top 3.5” AUX input jack or backside RCA jack. There is, of course, a power cord input on the back too. This model is strictly plug-in for power, no batteries allowed. (Marshall does make portable models with batteries if that is what you are looking for). Side note, the Stanmore III is not water resistant so don’t place it in the bathroom. While these analog dials and switches are aesthetically front and center, the Stanmore III was designed for the digital age. iOS and Android apps are available to control the speaker remotely – except for power, that must be done at the speaker. The app is optional but recommended. It’s as simple as the radio itself with only options to adjust volume, bass, and treble. It would have been a nice touch if Marshall included a full range equalizer and some pre-sets too. Part of the app also has info about other Marshall products which I found off putting and it only made a simple app seem cluttered rather than interesting me in other products. And truly, the Stanmore III speaks for itself and does more to sell the Marshall brand than a hard sell in an app. Marshall would be smart to remove this in a future update. Plugging in an analog source (via the RCA or AUX jacks) will naturally give the best possible sound, but the reality is this is a Bluetooth speaker and that is how most will use it. The Stanmore III has Bluetooth v5.2 with aptX, which, for practical purposes is the latest Bluetooth version. But unlike the older Stanmore II with Voice, Marshall has stripped out Wi-Fi in the Stanmore III. The Stanmore III would be a 5-start product with the inclusion of Wi-Fi audio capabilities like Chromecast Audio, Spotify Connect, and Apple AirPlay 2. Would be. Not including Wi-Fi audio is a significant backtrack and “big miss” for this speaker, worthy of a one-star deduction, because it offers lossless fidelity and a wider connection range than Bluetooth. Several music subscription services like Tidal and Amazon offer lossless streaming and the type of consumer who would be interested in this speaker might even have their own lossless FLAC or ALAC music library. Of course, you can buy a Chrome Audio dongle to plug into the aforementioned AUX input and gain Wi-Fi audio capability. But that’s a workaround and extra cost and looks clunky ruining the aesthetics of the speaker. It’s not a choice users should have to make. And if you use Apple Airplay 2, there really is no affordable “band aid” here. It’s understandable why battery-powered portable speakers usually don’t have Wi-Fi since Wi-Fi consumes more power than Bluetooth. But when a AC -only speaker like Stanmore III doesn’t have it have I have to wonder what the engineers were thinking. Hopefully whenever Stanmore IV comes around it will fix this omission. But read on. Lack of Wi-Fi does diminish the “total package,” but make no mistake, this speaker knows how to rock (or rap or toot, whatever your favorite genre is). Another side note. Apple device users – while the Stanmore III doesn’t have Wi-Fi you can use Siri on your phone or iPad to skip and repeat or to request a specific song or playlist on your device just as you would if the music was playing on your device rather than an external speaker. Pairing with your device takes seconds. I used an iPhone, but I imagine the Android experience is a similar experience. I started the process with only my phone’s Bluetooth. Quickly a pop-up asked if I wanted to download the Marshall app, which I thought was smart given the hassle of finding the correct compatible app can be sometimes. Once the app was installed I was set to push play – no forced registration like some products insist on when using their app. Thank you Marshall. My musical taste is as confused as minestrone soup – from classic rock to classical music and almost everything in between. I also don’t have super-human dog hearing. Below is just how my pedestrian ears reacted to the Stanmore III’s performance. I will give myself this much credit: I can tell the difference between lifeless and biased speakers and ones that compel me to keep listening. So first up I thought it was apropos to play some Jimi Hendrix as he was a pioneer using Marshall amps on tour. I cranked up the volume, bass and treble all to 8 and let it rip with Foxey Lady and Purple Haze. What I got was that Hendrix sweet, sweet bass thumping out of the relatively small Stanmore III. I felt it across the room like it was 10x larger. Not quite like Hendrix was in the room but impressive for a pair of 15w tweeters and a 50w woofer. More remarkable to me was the bass, while front and center, didn’t down out the rest of the range or vocals like some bass-centric speakers do. It was a powerful but even and clear sound filling the roughly 640sq ft room it was in. With just a 320Mbps AAC source. At near peak volume. Never a hint of struggle or distortion. I continued sampling other bass prominent songs like Beck’s Odelay, Arcade Fire’s Rebellion, and a electronic dance remix of Dolly Parton’s Jolene by Destructo. I was not disappointed. All the instruments and vocals were tight and identifiable and filled the room. Next I took it down a notch and played some mellow vocal-centric stuff like Dire Straits Brothers in Arms, John Cale’s rendition of Hallelujah, and Munford & Son’s Ditmas. With this music style, which isn’t meant to be cranked, I had to turn the volume down to 6 from 8 because distortion was rearing its evil head with some of the vocal ranges. But even at a lower volume the sound punches above its weight class and delivers well-defined tunes. Typically, clarity at low volumes, not high, is what separates a good speaker from a great one. And the Stanmore III certainly has that quality. For my last test I went completely off course for a “rock and roll” speaker and played part of one of the more complex classical music symphonies – Bruckner’s #5 in B Flat Major (1. Adagio-Allegro). If you are not familiar with this piece, it’s an intense crescendo that in minutes goes from barely audible to crashing waves of horns and strings. My goal here was to see if, at a middle volume, the low level parts would be audible while the more spirited sections did not play too loud. Even keel from start to finish is all I wanted. And that’s pretty much what I got. The early ramp up was harder to hear that I would have preferred but the louder end was perfect just as it was for the vocal music. Those are my impressions of the Stanmore III. To sum it up, it’s a fantastic sounding stereo speaker and well worth the cost. It’s an especially good choice if you love the authentic bass sound of the 60s and 70s. This is Marshall’s signature. But from a technological perspective, the lack of Wi-Fi is a serious blow to the speaker’s potential at a category killer. Because of this omission every buyer should first consider what their connectivity priorities are against what speaker sounds best to their ears. It’s not an easy choice having to choose between better sound or better technology.

Right away let’s get to how fantastic this speaker looks. Modeled after the Marshall guitar amplifiers you’ve undoubtedly seen stacked at concerts (although made by Zound Industries and not Marshall directly), this just looks nice fitting into any space in your home. Covered in faux leather with fabric front and the iconic Marshall script logo, it just looks pleasing. Then when you see the gold accented control panel on top, it just pops. The build quality is tops. Buttons have a satisfying click, the knobs for controlling volume, bass, and treble move smoothly, with bright red LEDS that light up to indicate your level before dimming after a minute. The power toggle switch is intensely satisfying to flick on. It may sound minor but turning it on and off just feels great to do. You’ve got three ways of getting audio to the speaker: Bluetooth, aux cable (3.5mm input), and RCA. After powering on you can select a source. Bluetooth is the main selling point and I’d imagine for most the main way of sending music. My Pixel 6 Pro and Windows 11 PC both detected and connected to the speaker without any issue. You do not have to use the app, but I highly recommend it, at least occasionally to see if there’s any firmware updates. Mine did have one out of the box. Additionally, you can control the bass and treble controls from your phone with the app. The app also includes settings called Placement Compensation. It’s a series of two questions about how close the speaker is to the edge of a table/shelf and to a wall or corner, with the idea being that it corrects for reflective surfaces bouncing back sound. I couldn’t tell the difference, but I appreciate that it’s there. These are the only features of the app, so it’s really not something you need to open often. The other inputs are physical inputs: aux / 3.5mm input and an RCA input. The aux input is located on the top of the unit and the RCA on the back. The placement does imply that aux will only be temporarily used, while RCA would be something more permanent, such as a record player. It’s worth noting that there is no ground, so if you are planning on using this with a record player it will need to have a phono preamp either built in or as part of the chain before connecting to this speaker. I’m not audiophile, but I thought this sounded great. I tried listening to a variety of genres to get the best of it and I think it’s pretty good. It does start to get a little muddled at higher volumes and with the bass turned up higher. Neither a pro nor con but while decently sized, you can only do so much with a speaker of this size. I do wish that this speaker did a bit more. At the current pricepoint, with it being designed as a home speaker (ie, no battery built in for portability), it’s a bit of a shame it doesn’t include any sort of Google Cast / Apple AirPlay options. To me this feels like a big miss and stops it from greatness. That’s not to say there isn’t a lot to love here. I think this is a fantastic small home speaker for an office or small to midsize room. You’ve got a lot of movement range with Bluetooth but you’re still wirelessly tethered, so to speak. For me, this is the perfect secondary room speaker. I have it connected in my office to a record player, but it will not replace my main audio system in my main living area. Is this the right speaker for you? I’d consider what your needs are, what your space is like, how you listen to your music, and if it suits your aesthetic preferences.

The vintage style and deep, rich sound powerful audio with bright, detailed highs. I didnt hesitate to buy this after I test it in Best Buy. Very user friendly. Easy to pair the devices with bluetooth. Upgradable firmware. It’s a perfect audio for tv and even game consoles. You cant go wrong with Stanmore III. Buy it in best buy! Hassle free!

The Marshall Stanmore III is an absolute game-changer for anyone seeking premium sound without breaking the bank. This speaker delivers incredible value for its price, making it a standout choice in its category. The bass performance is phenomenal, rich, and powerful, adding depth to every genre of music. Whether you’re enjoying rock classics or ambient tunes, the sound quality is nothing short of mesmerizing, with clear highs and perfectly balanced mids. It’s the kind of audio experience that truly immerses you. Beyond its impressive sound, the design is a masterpiece. Marshall has blended vintage aesthetics with modern sophistication, making the Stanmore III not just a speaker but a statement piece in any room. Its classic retro look, complete with the iconic Marshall logo, makes it as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the ears. If you’re looking for a speaker that offers uncompromising quality, stunning design, and unbeatable value, the Marshall Stanmore III is an investment you won’t regret. It’s a must-have for music enthusiasts and style lovers alike!

The best in-home speaker I’ve purchased. Great sound, incredibly compact, and simple to use. The range on the Bluetooth is also very high.

The bass is exceptional, sound quality is great, perfect shelf speaker. Just wish it had a battery but I signed up for that when I purchased it.

Wow. Sound quality is amazing on this product. I’ve had many different boomboxes/speakers and this one definitely sets its self apart from the rest. Appearance design also I nice added touch

Excellent sound quality. Bass and the sound clarity is very good. The look of the speaker adds character to the house. Setting up process was so easy. Excellent Bluetooth connectivity.

This is a fantastic speaker. Nice balanced sound quality with plenty of volume for indoors or out (note: it’s NOT water proof). Can handle most styles of music as well as tv/theater. It’s not as booming as some of the rave party systems with flashing lights (Sony, etc) and you can tell it’s designed for rock/jazz/blues as you’d expect from a top guitar amp company. Great for classical, too. Since it only has an RCA connector on the back, I connected it to my TVs out using an HDMI to RCA converter. Works just fine. Sound quality is a serious bump up from the one step lower Marshall system so worth the extra $100 (though that system also sounds good). Two (minor) things I’d add to improve it: 1) add a guitar amp handle to allow easy moving (easy to push down out of the way and would be a cool Easter egg ref’ing their amps), and 2) come on, Marshall, the dials should go to 11! (“Taps” into another Marshall amp reference ‘cause “when you’re at 10 and you need that extra push, other amps have nowhere to go, but yours goes to 11”). Great product. Recommend it highly. Would buy it again in a heartbeat.

This speaker is all you need for great stereo sound. I have a 2 bedroom apartment and it fills all the spaces with rich deep bass and that’s at half volume. Marshall makes great speakers and this is no exception. Definitely recommend this quality product. You get what you pay for.

Powerfully. Room filling. Every genre of music sounds great out of this. Bluetooth and AUX are great features. I AUX it from my TV for streaming live shows and sometimes films. Better than messing with surround sound in my opinion.

This is great stand alone speaker with great sound quality. Don’t try to use them in tandem as they will not pair. The app for Marshall speakers needs some work. They also need to upgrade their technology. If using one speaker, it is easy to use with Amazon music or Spotify. I ended up returning the 2 speaker as I wanted them to pair but unfortunately this was not possible yet.

Cool looking and sounds great. Easy to pair and use.

Great sound for a small unit. Fills the whole room. Lots of bass. Cool design.

This is an amazing speaker we officially own 3 Marshall speakers! I love how easy it is to use and also love the amount of sound and bass it creates! This fills up an entire house full of clear music!

olid buy for anyone who wants style, power, and classic Marshall vibes. The Stanmore III delivers excellent sound (especially in terms of clarity and bass) and adds a lot of visual character to a room. While it isn’t portable and could use a bit more refinement at extreme volume or in its Bluetooth/idiosyncrasy department, it more than earns its place as a high-quality home speaker. If you want something to stay plugged in, sound great, and look premium, this is one of the best out there in its price range.

I used to have Bookshelf speakers but was replaced by this since my son loves to poke into domes and tweeters. this thing sounds amazing, great vocals and surprisingly good bass. we mainly now use it as a "sound bar" with the tv and it still sound great for watching soaps, movies or what not this thing rocks. Only negative is it cannot "couple" or "stack" with other Marshall speakers or else I would have bought another one.

I’ve been using the Stanmore 3 speaker for a few weeks now, and I must say, it has exceeded my expectations in every way. From the moment I unboxed it, I was impressed by its sleek, retro design that blends seamlessly with modern decor. The build quality is robust and feels premium, exactly what you would expect from a high-end speaker.