Marshall is a British company that has been a name in the audio market since the 1960s mainly for their guitar amplifiers that all the great names in music have plugged into and made fantastic music. Since then they have expanded the range to cover headphones such as the Marshall Major IV and they have also created a range of Bluetooth speakers.
In this review, we are covering the Marshall Emberton II in their quest to produce just as good portable speakers as well as the legendary amplifiers. Now if you follow the brand you will notice this is the upgrade on the Marshall Emberton.
First Impressions
The Marshall Emerton II does look similar to the original with the same amp aesthetic but just in a portable version. One of the main differences now is you have access to the Marshall Bluetooth App which allows the user to switch between some of the EQ Presets. The app also allows you to connect two Emberton II speakers perfect for parties.
Other features include a 30-hour battery life and only weighing in at 1.5lb. The Emerton II also comes in at IP67 rated meaning it’s dust and water-resistant perfect for a portable speaker that you could take out for a picnic or even for a trip to the beach. Unfortunately, they did not offer voice assistant support or a built-in microphone.
This is simply a Bluetooth speaker and sound-wise we have been testing this now for over a week and the Emberton 2 offers a rich and expansive sound. However, if you increase the volume you hear the audio struggle a little. I would have also liked a little more bass but that is just in my opinion. We will discuss the audio quality later in the review.
Let’s take a deeper look into if you should make this your next Bluetooth speaker purchase.
Design
The Marshall Emberton II as mentioned keeps to the brand amp-like design and comes in either black or white options. You will also be pleased to hear that 50% of the speaker is made from recycled plastic which is a big tick for those concerned about the environment.
The speaker is not too large either measuring in at 68 x 160 x 76 mm and only weighing in at 1.5lb which you could say is a little on the heavy side for a portable speaker. Pick it up and its rubbery exterior makes us feel like it could handle the odd knock. This speaker is ideal for a day out just throw it in a bag and let’s get going. You also get an IP67 rating meaning it could in theory be submerged in fresh water for up to 30 minutes. This removes concerns about if it fell into the pool by mistake.
Moving to the controls Marshall has kept this simple with a Bluetooth Pairing button and red indicator to show when you are connected.
On the right of the golden dial, you will find 10 small red light bars that indicate the battery life and just below that is a USB-C port for charging. On the left side is the Bluetooth button that you need to press to get the speaker to connect to your phone.
The golden button comes with a grooved texture that is positioned in the middle of the speaker and works the same way as a joystick. Push it down firmly to power the speaker. Push it left or right for track management and push it up or down to control the volume.
Overall the Emberton II is simple to use and you will remember the controls in no time Marshall did something great here they kept the controls simple.
Features
The star of the show is the impressive 30-hour battery life which after testing performed very well we measured it at 28 hours but this could just be the test sample we had. When it’s time to charge again it takes 3 hours to get back to full battery life.
Other features include the stack mode that lets you connect your speaker to another Emberton II to create a more immersive experience. This is a great feature to have if you want a speaker at each end of the room you are having a party in.
The Marshall app is also a bonus to have you will find the stack mode, firmware updates and EQ presets such as the default marshall mode, push mode which is just basically boosted bass & treble and last but not least there is a voice mode.
Unfortunately, there is no customizable EQ perhaps that could be a software upgrade in the future. However, the boosted bass and voice options ticked boxes from when am rocking out to the Greatest Showman theme tune or when am listening to the Everything is Football podcast you have a preset for all occasions.
What is under the bonnet?
Take a deeper look inside this speaker and you are provided with two class D 10W amps that push the dual 2-inch full-range drivers that deliver a range of 60Hz to 20kHz. Two passive radiators enhance the bass response. The left channel fires out the front grille and the right channel fires out from the back. What this does is produce a room-filling sound. If you wanted more of a directionality that is where the stack mode comes in useful.
On the connectivity front, the Marshall Emberton II comes with Bluetooth 5.1 and also supports the SBC codec. There are no AAC or AptX codecs which means you won’t benefit from high-fidelity audio such as Tidal. The tracks will still play but not at their full resolution.
Sound Quality
The Emberton II has intense sound at the top levels the bass thins out dramatically and the sound signature changes quite a bit. The absence of a customizable EQ in the app makes sense to a point because the DSP works hard to prevent any distortion. We found push mode to be the mode we used the most as it boosts the bass and treble without causing too much impact on the bass depth. Switch to the default mode and the sound signature is probably suited to most users.
We have tested this speaker on a wide range of tracks and if you play something with intense sub-bass you get a laudable thump at moderate levels but the drivers and radiators do struggle with the deep bass. There is room for improvement or just keep the volume to a moderate level.
If you listen to tracks with a little less bass this is the sweet spot for this speaker’s sound signature. When listening to “Un-thinkable by Alica Keys” the kick drum loop receives plenty of high-mid presence and its attack is forceful. Switch the track to something more classical and the higher-register brass and strings retain their crispness while the lower instrumentation adds richness to the mix.
Overall the sound signature is not for everyone its sculpted approach to the lows and highs offers a clean presentation of the audio.
Verdict
The Marshall Emberton II will look cool on your desk and will deliver a rich audio experience even if the deep badd can sometimes challenge the drivers. This speaker costs £149 and offers the user excellent battery life and durability thanks to the IP67 rating and they keep things minimal on the controls front. However, where it falls is there is no smart assistant or built-in mic so if these features are important to you this speaker won’t be for you.
Would I recommend this speaker?
Well, the market is stacked with options so if you want something more smart then no but if you want a speaker with the Marshall aesthetic that is reliable and comes with excellent battery life it has to be considered. Marshall keeps things minimal here and they do it very well.
Product Rating
Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Features: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Sound: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value for Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall ranking: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars – 4.5 stars
The Marshall Emberton II is available from Amazon for £149
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