The Marshall Middleton speaker comes at a price, but its audio prowess will leave you satisfied and smiling. After using the speaker for over a month, I can confidently say it performs phenomenally well with all types of music, ensuring no beats go unnoticed. However, given its cost, you might expect more from the speaker, and it does fall short in certain areas. Read this Marshall Middleton speaker review to find out what works and what doesn’t.
Table of Contents
Design and build quality
The Middleton boasts a boxy design synonymous with Marshall speakers. Although portable, it can be slightly bulky to carry due to its 1.8kg weight. However, the company has provided a rubberised lanyard that can be attached to a hook on the top right edge, making the speaker easier to carry around. The overall build quality feels quite solid, maintaining a premium look and feel.
The speaker features a removable rubberised skin over its plastic build, giving it a seamless appearance and finish. This skin has a textured surface, adding a rugged feel. The speaker comes in two colour variants: black and cream. The black variant looks much classier in my opinion, and has fewer chances of getting soiled. Fortunately, the removable skin can be washed to restore its original look.
We received the Marshall Middleton in cream, and it comes with a golden accent on the front, complemented by a matching Marshall logo. The round physical button on the top edge is also golden, providing a contrasting look. Additionally, the top edge features several controls, including bass and treble, and an LED strip indicating battery and volume levels. Around the edges, as well as the back, you can find a perforated dot pattern. For connectivity, there is a USB Type-C port for charging and an AUX jack for attaching a wired music system. The speaker is IP67 water and dust resistance certified, which means it can be taken to your pool parties as well.
Features and connectivity
The Marshall Middleton speaker is not designed to impress with an abundance of features. It offers basic Bluetooth connectivity, providing a decent range for all compatible devices, and app support for both Android and iOS devices. The Marshall Bluetooth app is minimal, with Stack Mode being its only notable feature, allowing you to connect multiple Middleton speakers for a stereo experience. The bass and treble equaliser settings can be adjusted directly on the speaker itself. However, I wish there were more EQ settings to justify the app’s value.
Additionally, the speaker includes a USB Type-C port that can reverse charge your smartphone in case of an emergency.
Sound quality
The Marshall Middleton speaker’s features might be minimal, but its sound quality is what truly sets it apart. It is a 60W portable speaker (hence, the weight), powered by two 20W class D amplifiers for woofers and 10W tweeters. The speaker gets decently loud to rock a party of roughly 10 people in a 150 sq ft room with hardly any distortion. Speaking of which, the Marshall Middleton speaker sounds remarkably well across genres, delivering a balanced sound signature. Having said that, there is an option to boost the bass for extra thump and amp the treble to highlight the subtle nuances of the instruments.
I admire a balanced sound signature. Thus, most of the songs I listened to through the speaker, from my favourites like ‘Chaiya Chaiya,’ ‘Night Changes,’ and ‘Waiting for the World to Change,’ to newer tracks like ‘Houdini,’ ‘Winning Speech,’ ‘Tauba Tauba,’ ‘Sajni,’ and more, had both the bass and treble set to medium. While the songs didn’t sound as crisp as they did on the Sonos Era 300, which is slightly larger and falls into a different category altogether, the Marshall Middleton ensured that the frequencies across songs were easily discernible.
Starting with Chaiya Chaiya, the high-frequency instruments by A.R. Rahman remained distinct, not getting lost in the vocals or the thumping bass that runs throughout the song. Similarly, in Houdini and Winning Speech, the vocals remained clear and the beats remained punchy. The speaker didn’t drown the solo guitar around the 2-minute mark in The Waiting for the World to Change song.
Battery life and charging
However, the Marshall Middleton speaker’s battery life isn’t quite satisfactory. While the speaker promises a battery life of up to 20 hours between charges, this can vary based on usage. I used the speaker at 70-80 percent volume for 3-4 hours a day, and it only lasted for three full days before requiring a charge on the fourth day. Additionally, you can’t use the speaker while it’s charging, and it takes a considerable amount of time to recharge, which can be quite frustrating.
Verdict
Marshall Middleton’s asking price of Rs 31,999 might not make it an easy sell among buyers looking for a portable speaker. On top of that, the speaker lacks features such as EQ customisation options and Wi-Fi capability for direct and uninterrupted music streaming. The battery life also falls a tad short, and the inability to use the speaker while charging can be inconvenient.
However, the Middleton excels where it matters most. The speaker boasts a robust build, distinctive design, and excellent sound quality that enhances various music genres. Its balanced sound signature ensures that no beats go unnoticed, and the portable design, though slightly bulky, adds to its versatility. These qualities make the Marshall Middleton speaker a compelling choice despite its premium price.
Editor’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Distinctive design, solid build
- Onboard controls
Cons
- Battery life could have been better
- No Wi-Fi capabilities or speakerphone
- Pricey
