Customer Ratings & Reviews

The unboxing experience is excellent. The bar has good sound but lacks bass. The power cord is black, it's unfortunate that they didn't add a cord that matches the cream color a bit. Good connectivity, but Spotify Connect needs to be setup before Google. Otherwise you will not be able to activate Lossless audio. I believe this sound bar is better for music and casual tv. I second other reviewers about the wall mount, mount only if you have a small room with low ceiling and casual tv. Overall is a nice bar, nice sound, nice looks, and worths the money. I would give 5 stars, but wth.

Marshall has come out with their Heston 60 & Heston 120 soundbars with the Heston 60 being the more compact of the two. They are sold separately from the Sub 200. This review is for the Heston 60 soundbar which comes with a U.S. power cord, HDMI cable, mounting "knobs, magnetic control cover & Marshall emblem, and paperwork. The speaker bar comes with a manufacturer's 1-year warranty. Disclaimer: I tested the bluetooth (BT) audio using a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. This product comes in black or cream. This review is for the black model. PROS: ----------- * Premium build quality. Marshall's signature leather-like exterior look, gold accents, salt/pepper grill, and guitar amp-inspired design makes a strong visual statement. It's clearly different from other soundbars. * Can be mounted directly to a wall or on it's 8 rubber feet. The mounting "nubs" are screwed directly into the wall and as long as your 2 mounting points are mostly level, the 2 nubs can be rotated to adjust the height slightly on each side. * Building on the last point, if you mount vertically or horizontally, the magnetic control cover and Marshall logo can be flipped/moved depending on orientation of the soundbar. The Marshall logo can be facing forward in either way (see pictures of cover/logo front & back) - or you can remove completely if you're not into the logo showing. * Supports 5.1 Dolby Atmos, DTS-X, and Hi-Res audio so music and movies sound great * Soundbar has 7 drivers (FIVE 1.25" full-range speakers and TWO 3" woofers) that provide 56W power output max. This provides better spatial precision but lacks the bass of some bigger soundbars. * Soundbar has a room tuning function that takes about a minute to perform. It has a couple of mics that test the area so each speaker can be individually tuned. * Distinct listening modes - Music, Movie, Night, Voice. I was impressed at the tuning of each setting as they are very precise and actually sounded exactly how they should. * Soundbar has distinct "height" audio, has punchy bass (for its size), spacial audio is acceptable as bigger/better soundbars do offer more. * Ample connection options: BT, Wi-fi (Spotify/Airable), HDMI with eARC, AUX-in, Subwoofer RCA-out. 5V/1A USB-C port for power/charging other devices. * Can use these interfaces: Apple Airplay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and Airable (internet radio) * The plastic cover on the back with groove helps maintain cable management * The SUB-out RCA connection can be used with another sub that's not Marshall. This is the only way to have another sub connected to the soundbar unless you use the Marshall Sub 200 which can be used via RCA cable or BT. * The "PROG" button on the speaker is a single "preset" that can be set in the app. It can be set to automatically go to Spotify or a specific Airable station. If you don't have Spotify Premium, I don't believe Spotify can be saved as the preset. * The 5-channel equalizer is a good addition for more user control rather than "general presets". * The Marshall app generally works ok and has some decent options but was confusing at first on how to switch between the soundbar and the sub - just click on the secondary device in the header to switch between the two (see app pictures). CONS: ----------- * No remote. The only control are the 5 physical buttons and a BT-connected device... however, HDMI-connected devices can use their remote controls to control the volume. * Pairing can be buggy in the app, especially when adding the sub 200. It was not a smooth setup - the app needs a little more work. Sometimes the app images/sections don't load... once the user scrolls up or down, then it usually refreshes the screen. The firmware update did execute just fine once connected and took less than 5 minutes. * Value: The price of this soundbar indicates that the buyer is paying for the "Marshall" brand name. Even though this speaker is very nice for the size, there are a number of other speakers (some include subs) that would provide similar sound/features for a lower price point. * Marshall does not offer a rear speaker setup for the Heston 60 or Heston 120 which is needed. Even though Dolby/DTS sounds extremely good on this soundbar, it offers no real "rear surround" audio. I played various movies and Dolby/DTS audio demos and never got any rear sounds to really pop. Left, center, right (and up, to a degree) were pretty distinct. Rear, not at all there. * One Q&A in the user manual states the following: == Question: My TV does not have an eARC/ARC HDMI port == Answer: If your TV does not support HDMI ARC/eARC, connect your TV's audio output to the RCA inputs on Heston 60. THERE ARE NO RCA inputs on the Heston 60. This entry should be removed from the user manual Q&A section. OTHER OBSERVATIONS: ----------- * Actual full user manual is in PDF format on the Marshall website. You can get there from the Support page (via search) or the product page (bottom of page in the Specs section). * There is no ON/OFF button. The soundbar goes into standby mode after around 20 minutes and will automatically turn on once connected. *The Heston 60 can be "factory-reset" by using a sequence of instructions in the user manual which can be downloaded at Marshall's website. CONCLUSION: ===================== This sound bar has an incredible look and premium build and has a nice punch for such a small soundbar. It's Marshall's first iteration of such a beast in their home audio lineup, and they are on their way to perfecting this gem. With the app a bit glitchy at times and no remote, this can leave the user a little stranded at times. The spacial audio for movies is very good along with great audio balance for music. This is not a soundbar that I would use for a home theater, but more like for a bedroom, small room, or apartment. For complete sound, as with most soundbars, having a sub connected will absolutely finish out the sound spectrum you need for a complete audio experience Ultimately, buying this soundbar may come down to price, look, and connectivity options, because paying for this Marshall will cost a bit extra.

Marshall's Heston 60 SoundBar provides excellent sound in a elegant package with a great selection of connectivity methods! Design While this is entirely subjective, I think the timeless Marshall design translates beautifully into the Heston 60 SoundBar. I love the woven cover/grill that wraps from the front up and over the top. The texture around the perimeter of it adds a nice touch as well. The Marshall logo looks great - and nobody will guess that it's magnetic. You can take it off to change the position in case you wall mount it. The same goes for the control panel cover. Both the control panel cover and the Marshall logo come separately in the box (see picture) for you to put them on as needed. In the middle of the back, you can remove the small cover. There you'll find AC in, HDMI (ARC and eARC), 1/8 Stereo Aux in, an RCA out for a Sub (it can be wireless if you use the Heston Sub 200), and a USB C port to charge a device like a phone. (see picture) It looks like speakers fire in pretty much all directions...front, top, bottom, back. and sides. A power cord and HDMI cord are included. The controls are very nice, high quality looking buttons that are well labeled. There are buttons for input, sound mode, play/pause, volume up/down, and a program button that's used for playing a custom playlist. There are lights to show you the selected sound mode and input. You can set it for wall mount mode or table top mode, but by default it will auto detect the mounting orientation. Setup The setup was straight forward and didn't take long. After connecting everything, install the app on your phone and it will walk you through the setup. You'll need it update the firmware, but there are also a number of setting you may want to adjust. You will want to name it, connect it to WiFi, and look at the available settings. There's room calibration, which I recommend. This uses two mic built into the soundbar to customize the output based on the acoustic properties of the room. After running that, I thought the audio sounded more balanced, or fuller. It was a subtle change but noticeable for my room which doesn't have perfect, surrounding walls. Sound I've used the Heston Bar to listen to different styles of music as well as different types of shows and video. Pianos and violin's sound clear and crisp. The low end also impressed me for a SoundBar. It's not going to replace a sub, but I think it's impressive bass on its own. With Dolby Atmos/DTX X, vocals come through loudly and clearly while the sound field produces sounds that are bright and full to me. For not using any rear speakers, the sound field it produces is very impressive. There's some great depth to the sound. I can hear objects moving around the room when listening to content that supports that. It's not quite the same has having rear speakers but it may fool me here and there. There's still some impressive sound positioning that happens for sure. The calibration of the volume was different than I'm used to. Most of the time when I'm listening to things or watching a show, I'll probably have the volume around 50% to 70%. 70% to 80% is getting pretty loud. I'm used to having my TV around 20% to 30% and never getting up to 50%. I guess this makes more sense using the whole range more, but it was unusual for me at first. Connectivity I've used it mostly connected to a Dolby Atmos capable TV using HDMI eARC, but I've also used it over Bluetooth and using the Google Cast on my home network. Both worked very well. I like being able to Cast to it from a Chrome web browser as well as phones and other devices support audio casting. I find that less annoying that pairing lots of devices over Bluetooth, but I'm glad it does Bluetooth too. It also supports streaming from TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, and Internet Radio. I don't have TIDAL or Spotify and didn't expect to use the Internet Radio streaming, but then I tried it. I was impressed! The Marshall app makes it very easy to get into and just start listening! I'm also glad it has a 1/8" stereo input. There's an RCA out for connecting a Sub too. I recommend the Heston Sub 200, which is made to work with it and can be connected by RCA or wireless (Bluetooth). App You will definitely want to install the Marshall app. You can use this to change the source, sound mode, volume, and customize EQs. That's just on the main screen. If you go into "Settings and Calibration" you can run the "Room Correction", manually change the soundbar placement. There are DTS settings for compression and dialog control. You can adjust delay to fix lip sync issues in some situations. There's even an adjustment for the brightness of the lights on the control panel. It also makes it easy to access Spotify, TIDAL, and Internet Radio. I was curious so I took a look at "Internet Radio" and I was impressed! There's no sign up required of any kind, you just go in and you can select options like local, popular, or trending stations. It keeps a history of the ones you listened to and you can mark favorites. I never listen to the radio but I may start using this since it's so accessible. Summary The timeless Marshall look is even better than I thought it would be on my TV stand. Thankfully, it has sound to match! The Heston 60 has great wired and wireless inputs, excellent, room filling sound, and features to make my music and video sound its best. I love that I can quickly play music on it over Bluetooth or using Google Cast. Don't forget to check out the Heston Sub 200 for deep, room filling bass.

I've owned a lot of sound bars over the years, and I believe I'm pretty picky when it comes to sound quality. I also play guitar and am no stranger to Marshall guitar amps, and I’ve even become familiar with their later entries into the Bluetooth speaker market (the Acton line of speakers is incredible). So, my expectations for the Marshall Heston 60 soundbar were pretty high. The Heston 60 is the little brother to the bigger Heston 120. The soundbar is pretty small in size, measuring something like 2.5-3’ in length. It’s definitely more compact than several of my other soundbars. But it’s size does not make for small sound. This thing booms, with excellent equalization out of the box. And the classic Marshall black and gold styling looks great with any setup. So when you first unpack your soundbar, you’ll need to download Marshall’s app for soundbars, which evidently is a separate app from their Bluetooth speaker app… So you will have to download yet another app, and you can’t really avoid it because this soundbar does not come with a remote, probably because HDMI-ARC is almost ubiquitous now that you really don’t need one. But regardless, the app is how you’ll adjust EQ and update the firmware on the speaker, which it will need out of the box to make sure you’re getting the best sound quality Marshall offers. The speaker also offers seamless Apple AirPlay and Google Cast so you can easily stream music from your phone, tablet or computer to the soundbar. And if you’re playing music, that’s where this speaker really shines. It’s so well balanced, even without a subwoofer, but is elevated even further with the pairing of a Heston Sub 200. It meets the quality I’ve come to expect from my Acton 3 Bluetooth speaker from Marshall. All-in-all this is an amazing sounding soundbar. The reliance on a phone app for general controls, fine tuning EQ settings, and software updates is a minor annoyance, but in reality, you may not need to open the app often once you have things set up and sounding the way you like. CEC control with HDMI ACR worked excellently, which really eliminated the need for another remote to eventually lose.

The Marshall Heston 60 soundbar is a superb sounding audio component for video and music. The audio quality is excellent with plenty of volume. Basic control features like level, input source and sound mode, and other more advanced features like room correction, custom EQ settings and firmware update are all easily accessible through the Marshall smartphone app. The Heston 60 includes the soundbar with user panel and Marshall script logo, HDMI cable, power cable, wall mounts, a quick start guide and wall mount instructions. The Heston 60 soundbar has a removable back panel hatch for access to AC mains power in, an HDMI ARC/eARC port, a subwoofer RCA output jack, an AUX 3.5mm stereo input jack and a 5V/1A USB-C power/charging port. The Heston 60 user panel and script logo attach easily and are held in place magnetically. The script logo can be attached to the front of the soundbar if it is placed horizontally on a flat surface, or to the top if it is mounted vertically on a wall. The soundbar supports a wired or wireless connection to the subwoofer. The Heston 60 is easy to set up through the Marshall smartphone app which guided me through the process. I ran into Bluetooth connection timeouts when initially trying to connect to the soundbar from my smartphone by following the instructions in the Marshall app. The Marshall app instructions worked well after first pairing my phone with the soundbar outside of the app. With the Bluetooth connection established, the Heston 60 can be connected to the local WiFi network. Subsequent communication between the Marshall app and soundbar occurs over WiFi instead of Bluetooth, providing a faster and more stable connection. The Marshall app automatically handles soundbar firmware update as part of the setup process. I'm using the Heston 60 with a Heston Sub 200 subwoofer. After setting up the soundbar and subwoofer through the Marshall app, they were moved to their desired positions and the room correction step was run in the Marshall app. The soundbar and subwoofer now work with the TV over the HDMI ARC/eARC connection, and the input source, sound mode, volume level and more are controllable through the Marshall app. Audio output from my smartphone also works well over a Bluetooth connection. The only wired connection besides AC power is the HDMI cable from TV to soundbar. I've had a small Marshall Bluetooth speaker for a little over a year and really like the way it sounds. This made me eager to try out the Heston 60, and I haven't been in any way disappointed. The audio quality is excellent, clear and responsive across the audio spectrum. I used the app EQ settings to add a little more high end, and the sound is amazing. I hear everything well and don't find myself losing voices in movie soundtracks. My expectations are low for smartphone apps that control devices like the soundbar, but the Marshall app has been a very pleasant surprise. The app is stable and reliable on my Android phone, is nicely featured and is easy to use. It allows selection of the Marshall device that you want to control, eg. Heston 60 or Heston Sub 200, and provides full access to configuration and settings for the selected device. Device information including serial number, firmware revision and more is also available. The WiFi connection to the soundbar is fast and stable, with no perceptible delay when changing volume, EQ, and other settings through the app. The Marshall Heston 60 soundbar looks and feels solid and well made. The black color scheme with gold Marshall script logo is great looking with a vintage amp vibe. The Marshall smartphone app is easy to use, stable and reliable, and provides easy access to soundbar settings and controls. The audio quality is everything I was hoping for and more, approaching the quality of more expensive home theater systems. The soundbar is easy to set up and use, works reliably, looks great and provides a wonderful audio experience whether watching video or listening to music.

When looking for a new soundbar for my living room TV, I wanted something that would give me immersive sound and good sound quality. I selected the Marshall Heston 60 5.1 soundbar. With a smaller footprint, the 60 measures 3” high, 29” long and 5 “deep and sat nicely below my television. The Heston 60 has that cool retro Marshall amp/speaker look from the seventies with the pho leather wrap. Controls for the 60 are on the top center of the unit and include source selector, media control, volume control, program button and sound modes. One thing that was absent was a physical remote control. All remote functions are controlled through the apple/Google apps or through eARC. Included in the box is a power cable, HDMI cable, wall mounts and the quick start guide. As for connections, the 60 has only one minijack for audio and one eARC HDMI 2.1 input and an RCA Subwoofer output. That’s it for physical in and outputs. You also have both WI-FI and Bluetooth connectivity for music from external devices and connecting to the Heston 200 Sub which is sold separately from the 60 soundbar. Marshall states that the frequency response is 45-20khz and with the Heston 200 Sub it goes down to 30hz for bigger booms! You can mount the Heston 60 to the wall or place it on your TV stand below your TV. Once you plug in the soundbar to power and connect your TV with the provided HDMI cable, the quick start guide requires you to download the Marshall app to complete the setup. The app has you create a profile, then add the Heston 60. Once the Heston 60 is connected to the app you are required to do a firmware update. From there, follow the instructions to complete the setup and sound correction for your room. Included are several sound modes, movie, music, night and voice. The 60 is also Dolby Atmos capable and sounds great and pulls you into the programs you are watching. Once setup is completed you are off to the races. This soundbar sounds great and could be used on it’s own. I chose to use it with the Heston 200 subwoofer for deeper bass. Music and Movies sound very satisfying with clean highs and deep mid bass on it’s own, but I would recommend if you could afford it, the Heston 200 sub to bring on the boom! I would recommend this soundbar for a small to mid-size room.

Excellent sound quality with premium styling. The Dolby Atmos performance creates a surprisingly immersive experience, with clear dialogue, rich bass, and plenty of detail for both movies and music. The Marshall design looks fantastic and feels well built. Setup was quick and easy, and I appreciated that Marshall included wall mounting knobs right in the box, which was a nice touch. Overall, it’s been a great upgrade for my TV. Highly recommend.

The soundbar and subwoofer provide crisp deep sound while watching movies and listening to music. I replaced my Bose Cinemate and like the Bluetooth functionality, HDMI ARC functions,anppearance, and overalll sound quality better.

Loved the soundbar. Solid build quality, premium feel, and surprisingly rich sound for its size.

Overall, this soundbar is a premium choice in the market, positioning itself far above the standard, entry level soundbar. The increase in quality from testing a few lower-end soundbars was both tactile and audible. I found the number of connectivity options convenient. I connected to my TV using HDMI eARC which worked perfectly. The bar’s main audio format is Dolby Atmos, which truly has an impressive read on the room with the calibration function. I felt like it truly changed the audio dynamics to match the space. Connecting to the soundbar through wireless streaming is just like any other wi-fi device -simple and intuitive. Marshall clearly pays a lot of attention to the experience of opening their product to let you know you are in for a treat. The fit and finish of what is inside the package is everything it is hyped up to be! The visual and tactile aspect of it being an accessory/decoration for your home is just as impressive as the audio. Quality materials, beautiful finishes all around. Somehow modern but paying homage to their guitar amp style at the same time. A small but nice detail is that both the logo and the plate that has the labels for the buttons are magnetic and reversible to keep the lettering upright no matter the orientation of the soundbar. I also feel like the build quality is sturdy with no corners cut on quality. As expected, setup was simple. Everything just worked properly when setting up the bar. The app has some great adjustability features, such as the already mentioned room calibration which seemed to take maybe a minute and made a noticeable difference. The clarity of sound is probably a 8/10 where the dynamic range and impact is probably a 10/10. I think Marshall’s whole ethos is about being loud and enjoying the experience of whatever you’re watching to the max. In testing the dynamics, I really didn’t notice any artifacts or distortion to a point where anyone would reasonably have their audio that loud. If I would have one critique here, it’s that the clarity of dialogue could be a bit better off the bat, but the soundbar buttons/app do give you the option to optimize for that. I would highly recommend the Heston 60 to an audio/TV enthusiast wanting a well-rounded audio experience that wants to take it to the fullest. The value proposition is there when compared to other packages on the market when it also gives a nice, unique aesthetic touch if that is a thing that matters to you.

Hello friends and welcome to my review of the new Marshall Heston 60 soundbar. That's a long name so I will just call it the Heston 60 from here on. This review is in conjunction with one I did for the matching sub called the Heston sub 200. First off the packaging is very well done and nicely thought out. Marshall used the least amount of plastic possible and made it easy for one person to remove it from the box. This soundbar has the ability to be placed right under your TV screen or it can be hung on the wall if you like. Marshall even made the logos and button covers magnetic so that they can be inverted if needed. That's a nice feature and the logo's look nice and clean. Marshall includes a wall mount rubber gasket that goes between the soundbar and the wall to prevent vibrations from propagating and making the room sound weird. The Heston 60 has a nice clean sound to it that can be configured to your room. The soundbar features a auto room correction function. You can use this to quickly make the soundbar fill your space without having to do tons of testing on your on. I found this feature to be great, in my room it sounds great after performing this function. And the sub has the same feature, so when done together it blends everything very nicely. The bass is almost perfectly balanced with the soundbar in only about 10 seconds. The last thing is the looks of this soundbar. I personally really like this style, it blends nicely with most folks furniture or decor. Marshall puts a nice leather like material on the sides and heavy duty cloth over the speakers, with a little brass accents. It is tasteful and clean looking Do I recommend this unit? Yes ...If you are going to add it to the sub that is it's mate. Otherwise it may be short on bass for most folks.

Sounds great enjoyed it every time i put it on tv music Sounds great i love it

I needed a new soundbar for a bedroom television so I was excited to try the Marshall Heston 60 Soundbar. This is my first Marshall product, but I anticipated great things on brand knowledge alone. First impressions are meaningful and just upon seeing the box I was already impressed with its cool detailed protective packaging. In the box you find the Heston 60 along with a smaller box containing the magnetic control panel and a magnetic Marshall name plate, hdmi cable, power cable, quickstart guide, and a wall mount guide and template. Unveiling the Heston 60 revealed a stunning device with the trademark Marshall design which of course has its inspiration in their legendary amps. I was eager to get up and running so I downloaded the Marshall app which guides you through the setup. After connecting to my tv via the included hdmi cable and plugging it in. I slapped on the magnetic nameplate and the magnetic control panel. The app is slick and guides you through setup. I was very surprised that there was no prompt to sign up for an account. Refreshingly rare. I like it. You start by simply selecting if you want to connect via wifi or bluetooth. The wifi option offers more compete features so this was an obvious choice. I did however experience some difficulty here getting the soundbar to connect to my wifi. I actually had to make numerous attempts before ultimately succeeding. I noticed a firmware update was available so did that immediately. Then the app performs a room correction process where it calibrates the soundbar based on placement and room noise levels to fine-tune the sound. This plays a series of tones and is fast and effective. Ultimately setup was a breeze. There are settings on the soundbar for audio, movie, night, and voice. I was excited to hear the sound quality so I started with some music. The Heston 60 offers a bunch of connection options for listening including Wi-Fi with AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect or TIDAL Connect or simply use Bluetooth. I opted for AirPlay. Sound quality was fantastic. The Heston 60 isn’t huge but the soundstage it produces is expansive with nice bass even without a sub. The Heston 60 is a Dolby Atmos soundbar so Atmos Spatial Audio tracks sound particularly immersive with a great sense of height. The Heston 60 accomplishes this with multiple angled drivers not through some cheap virtual processing. I was impressed. Moving onto to checking out the sound quality with a movie. I thought Frankenstein would be a great test film. Full of dialog and atmospheric action. Dialog clarity was exceptionally clear and intelligible. Action scenes had great spatial detail with a definite sense of Atmos height and width and also a great sense of directional movement. The Heston 60 quickly transformed my dull bedroom TV setup into a cinematic experience. The sound doesn’t just get louder it fills the entire room with clarity, depth, and atmosphere. A fantastic upgrade. Highly recommended.

Marshall's Heston soundbars (and the optional subwoofer) project the Marshall signature look and sound in a fun, attractive way that stands out from the pack. Their gold-on-black aesthetic will draw compliments from your guitar aware friends! The unit arrived in solid, attractive packaging with accessories packed securely in separate compartments. You have the option to mount the bar horizontally below your television or on a wall if you prefer. Marshall has provided a thoughtful touch by attaching the logo and faceplate magnetically so that you can orient them to match your mounting choice. Physical installation is very simple - just set the unit where you want it and plug in the mains! The Heston 60 offers a single HDMI earc port for connecting your television and/or an auxiliary port if you prefer. There are also a sub out connector that you can use if you prefer to supply your own unit rather than the Marshall's own Sub 200. One last thing I found interesting is the inclusion of a USB-C output port. Not sure about its use but an interesting differentiator! After you get everything attached and the power plugged in you will need to load the Marshall app. Be aware that Marshall has different apps for its portable speakers/headphones and for the Heston products. Double check that you are downloading the appropriate application. Initial bluetooth pairing with the soundbar was relatively fast. WiFi pairing locked the app up. I had to cycle the power, remove the initial pairing and restart the app in order to get it to run correctly. The app immediately checks for and downloads firmware if necessary. The firmware update process for the bar ran flawlessly and completed in less than 10 minutes. BT pairing for Google casting can be finicky. Occasionally I have to remove and rediscover the sound bar in order for the apps to see it again. Room correction is easy to initiate. It is a relatively brief process and I tested it by moving the bar and sub to different spots in my room to see if I could detect any differences in the sound profile. The correction must be subtle because I couldn't detect any significant changes. I find the sound quality to be very good. The Heston 60 definitely benefits from having the subwoofer. The built in sound modes do provide a noticeable difference. There is also an equalizer function built into the app so it is easy and convenient to fine tune any of the modes. I found the volume to be adequate but not room shaking. I have listened to hours of music and I believe that this unit does a stellar job with it. The soundstage is wide and very balanced. TV and movie listening were also a pleasant surprise. I was impressed that in addition to Dolby ATMOS the unit will also decode DTS-X. In addition to a preset Movie sound profile the app also offers a Night mode which will decrease the bass and dynamic range. This mode can also improve lower quality audio streams by applying a bit of dynamic compression which can help make voices clearer. There is also a dedicate Voice mode but I find it to be a little too bright for my taste. Overall I enjoy the Marshall Heston system. I believe that it is a worthy contender in the compact soundbar space and is definitely worth your consideration.

Marshall does a lot right, and their designs are first and foremost. Their speakers look cool and have a premium feel. I had high hopes for this soundbar but it's been a bit of a mixed bag. First, setup was very easy and I wall mounted it using the included hardware. I give Marshall serious props for the way they designed the wall mount. Very simple and mounts the soundbar flush to the wall instead of sticking out. The included Marshall logo and the cover for the controls attach in different ways magnetically depending on if you have this sitting on a tv stand or wall mounted. Again, great design. There is a different Marshall app for the soundbar than the one I already have for my Marshall BT speakers. That's extremely frustrating. Either update the old app or consolidate support for older devices on the new one. Having 2 apps for one brand is annoying. You'll need to update the firmware once it's installed and then run the Room Correction program to help the speaker adjust to the space. Lots of options in the app for fine tuning the sound, but the biggest weakness I've had is the sound quality when wall mounted. It feels like most of the sound is being shot up at the TV and ceiling, which dulls it out unless you crank it up. My last soundbar would show "audio system volume" at 12-14 for regular TV watching. This one has to go to 35-40. For movies, it's 60+. I've spent a lot of time messing with settings and tinkering to try and get as much sound out of this as possible and while it's 100x better than it was out of the box, I shouldn't have to spend days adjusting sound profiles for a soundbar. Overall, it's a nice looking soundbar, but I don't recommend it if you're wall mounting it. I think it will serve you much better if it's sitting on a table so the main speakers are firing towards you.