Marshall’s Bluetooth app lets you use parametric EQ presets with more bands that just the treble/bass of the top-plate controls, and create your own. For the most part I’ve used the default “flat” mode, though. Sound quality is balanced and crisp on both speakers, without much difference on the newer iteration. The Stanmore 2 seems to get slightly louder than the 3, but the difference will only be observable during side-by-side testing. Stanmore II is the midrange offering in Marshall’s wireless speaker line, with a price tag of around 350 euros that puts it into DXOMARK’s Advanced category. The brand says, “Stanmore II is the most versatile speaker in the Marshall line-up and is perfect for any room, big or small. Built with advanced components, it produces clean and precise audio, even at the highest levels.” Other than these changes and a few minor changes we will discuss below, the Stanmore 2 and Stanmore 3 are almost identical. Synonymous with the classic Marshall branding, the central positioning of the brand logo, the brushed gold plate that holds the knobs, the chunky knobs themselves, and the leather effect vinyl that covers the Stanmore II’s entire outer feel familiar.

Testing bluetooth speakers can sometimes feel monotonous – an endless sea of cheap plastic and fabric. But any Marshall speaker turns this trend upside down. The Stanmore 2 and Stanmore 3 both have equalizers that can be controlled right from the device, with knobs for bass and treble on the top control panel. This is an unusual feature for a bluetooth speaker, and we give Marshall a lot of credit for including this. This is the reason it sounds so relaxed; it’s at ease at volumes that will make your neighbours feel anything but. The Stanmore II is a great party speaker. The build feels very well constructed and durable, and this time around it was made using 70% recycled plastic and only vegan materials. But it’s not water resistant so you’ll need to be careful of spilt drinks which could ruin it. Small batteries, especially those that experience the drain/recharge cycle on a repeated basis, are destined to fail. The Stanmore, on the other hand, avoids this risk by relying on a constant power source instead.

You could even attach a guitar amp modeller pedal and use the Stanmore II as a low volume guitar practice amp. Wired connections in wireless speakers are, thankfully, fairly common – but here they’re unusually prominent. And the button that switches between them is right there up-top. Bass depth is good, too – at its price, if not necessarily the size. The Stanmore II can handle the kind of sub-bass frequencies that a lot of smaller wireless speakers – bar the Sonos One – bow out of entirely. Stanmore 3 features more recycled plastic, which may prove to be a durability concern over time. But we honestly just trust that Marshall knows what they are doing.

None of this is criticism. However, a Marshall amp in a living room has a tendency to make a flat or house look “studenty”. A Marshall Stanmore II won’t.

Highlights

Whether the Marshall Stanmore III is the right choice for you or not will depend largely on what you need from a wireless speaker. If you want something that will look really cool and sound fantastic with loads of power then this will be perfect, but if you’re looking for advanced smarts like voice control and multiroom then you won’t get either of those and you’re better off looking elsewhere. So, there is definitely an argument to be made for either version of the Marshall Stanmore, especially if you can find one available at a discount.