Marshall Stanmore II Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - Black (UK)

Product Information

Sensitive ears may find the harsh treble frequencies cause fatigue, but this can be rectified by adjusting the treble and bass dials on the top of the speakers. Clattering synths and tactile percussion come through with sharpness and clarity - although, at times the higher frequencies can be slightly harsh, which can cause ear fatigue after a while. However, the one true omission is portability. The Marshall Stanmore II would be a great speaker for summer days – and if that appeals then you should consider the Harman Kardon Go + Play while it’s still available. Verdict 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. With a global score of 144, the Marshall Stanmore II ranks high in our wireless home speaker database.

The Bluetooth is very reliable, I could take my smartphone into another room without the music cutting out, and my phone automatically connected almost instantaneously every time I switched it on.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. 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.” 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. The Marshall Stanmore II is just like the Stanmore II Voice, without the Wi-Fi and smart-assistant features. To get a portable model you have to downgrade to the Marshall Kilburn II. It’s significantly smaller and has smaller-scale sound. Because of the ease with which you can stream music from your phone — more on this in a second — we also listened to many podcasts and spoken word sounds great too. We did tweak the bass levels, as it added too much depth to male voices; but we loved the volume it could create making listening as you moved around the house effortless. Connectivity

There’s tonnes of power behind it too, easily filling up the room with music and then some. Dynamic Loudness is a feature built-in that “adjusts the tonal balance of the sound to ensure your music sounds brilliant at every volume” and you can definitely hear that in action as you dial the sound all the way up because you don’t lose out at all on detail. In short, the Marshall Stanmore II is a clever piece of design. It’s eye-catching, yet it will fit in with most choices of decor without looking out-of-place — although you definitely know it’s a speaker. You’ll have to accept this, as to get the most from the Stanmore II Voice, it has to be able to hear you, so hiding it away is not really an option. Not that the Stanmore II is small enough to be hidden away anyway. Size aside, we like the speaker’s brass look, the illuminated controls, and the sturdiness. It looks and sounds every inch of a quality piece of audio equipment. Sound If you're looking for a live music experience from the comfort of home, this is the speaker for you If you want a speaker to move throughout your house and on the go while still maximizing sound quality, the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is ideal. The lightest speaker we tested, we were consistently impressed by its excellent sound design, which was never sacrificed at the altar of portability. If you feel the need to push this speaker beyond its singular capabilities, our testing found that the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II's appropriately titled "party mode" allowed seamless pairing with other Bose SoundLink speakers. It can also link with the Bose Home series speakers via Bose SimpleSync. Furthermore, this speaker has an incredible battery life, a testament to this speaker's tremendous portability both within the home and on excursions out. Marshall Stanmore II có thiết kế không dây hiện đại, khả năng kết nối Bluetooth 5.0 với aptX cho phép người dùng kết nối trong phạm vi 30m chuẩn xác, ổn định.

Sub-scores explained

As I’ve mentioned, there are two ways to customise the audio. You can either use the knobs on the control panel, or you can use the Marshall Bluetooth smartphone app which is available for both iOS and Android. You get full control over the bass and treble. Admittedly, some options offer even more detailed control across a three or even a five band equaliser but if you’re not an audiophile then those two are sure to be enough.

It’s a fairly large Bluetooth speaker that perfectly at home being cranked up loud. It has oodles of Marshall style and fairly good audio quality, too. However, since it doesn’t rely on Wi-Fi like its pricier sibling, the Stanmore II Voice, this version is just begging for an integrated battery like the Harman Kardon Go + Play 2. If you do want a speaker capable of multiroom, then the Sonos Five is a better choice. It provides a clean, room-filling sound that you can stream directly through the likes of Spotify and Apple AirPlay 2. Granted, there’s still no voice control and it’s pretty pricey but you will be able to hook it up to all of your other compatible devices. Despite its wide array of positives, the Sony SRS-RA3000 had some downsides, the most glaring being its convoluted app system for controlling the speaker. The primary app, Sony Music Center, only controls basic speaker settings. Many of the other functions are only accessible via multiple third-party apps, each requiring separate apps. Furthermore, despite boasting an incredible audio experience, there were several instances when we noted the bass dominated the output overpowering some of the music's softer elements. Lastly, while the speaker filled the room excellently, our testing indicated that the sound had difficulty carrying over long distances. However, should you be looking for a speaker to fill a living room with a high-quality auditory field, the Sony SRS-RA3000 offers a fantastic experience. Marshall is the most iconic name in guitar amplifiers – but if you’re reading this then you probably know this already. Famous names who have used Marshall kit over the years include Hendrix, Van Halen, Slayer and Spinal Tap.

If you're looking for a beastly behemoth to anchor your multi-speaker system, look no further than the Sonos Five. This recently redesigned speaker offered both the loudest sound and best quality in our testing, earning it top marks in fullness, bass power, and overall clarity. We also love that it nests perfectly within the Sonos ecosystem, which in our opinion, is the best and most convenient platform for building and managing a multi-speaker system. The bass frequencies are pretty good, with a warm, generous sound, but it’s in the sub bass that the Stanmore II shines, sending out powerful, thumpy vibrations you can feel in your chest. All in all, if you’re looking for a great party speaker with the ability to control your smart home, the Stanmore II Voice could be your new best friend. There’s no hiding that the Stanmore II falls behind top performers such as the Sonos One and Harman Kardon Go + Play in certain areas, though. Bass control, dynamics and separation are just okay.