I Brought This Portable Marshall Speaker On Vacation - And Now My Bose Is Staying Home

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Marshall's Middleton II Bluetooth speaker is disposable successful Black And Brass aliases Cream for $330.
• The Middleton II debuts pinch meaningful upgrades from its predecessor, spectacular sound, a stylish design, and 30 hours of artillery life.
• Despite its agelong database of pros, this speaker is considerably much costly than its competitors pinch akin features.

There's a oversea of Bluetooth speakers to aquatics in, and, judge it aliases not, choosing nan correct 1 isn't a one-size-fits-all affair. Some are amended suited for peculiarly messy aliases rugged outdoor activities, immoderate service arsenic a portion of location decor much than thing else, immoderate are smarter, and immoderate are amended than nan remainder astatine reproducing sound.

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Thus, anyone for illustration me, who doesn't request a portable speaker that tin past nan apocalypse aliases summon their phone's virtual assistant, is apt looking for a speaker that sounds great, tin grip a fewer tumbles, and looks bully doing it. 

Enter nan Middleton II, Marshall's latest portable speaker. I spent a fewer weeks pinch it, supplying nan soundtrack to my chill outdoor hangouts pinch my dad, solo jam sessions successful my office, and precocious nights celebrating my friend's bachelorette party. This speaker has seen immoderate things, and here's really it went.

The Middleton II is nan 2nd procreation of Marshall's midsize portable speaker, debuting pinch nan company's 360-degree True Stereophonic sound, which promises clear audio sloppy of nan speaker's position. Inside are 2 three-inch woofers, 2 .6-inch tweeters, and 2 passive radiators.

Also: I replaced my Bluetooth JBL speaker for this Bose model, and it'll beryllium difficult to springiness it up

Like galore of nan company's speakers, nan Middleton II is wonderfully tuned and offers an array of EQ settings to tailor nan sound to your liking. Even pinch 2 woofers and added passive radiators, nan Middleton II's bass consequence doesn't overpower nan speaker's sound floor plan while delivering nan large bass astir group prefer.

I listened to plentifulness of 2010s rap while nan Middleton II was successful complaint of entertaining a bachelorette outing by nan pool. The Middleton II's bass consequence is amended controlled than nan JBL Charge 6, and vocals and instrumentals are clearer than nan Bose SoundLink Plus. It's a amended action for group who for illustration a much balanced sound profile, moreover erstwhile they're outdoors and not listening arsenic intently. 

Jada Jones/ZDNET

The Middleton II's large bass consequence is 1 of its astir salient strengths, and its handling of nan bass is what makes it guidelines retired from its competitors. Unlike galore of its counterparts, you tin toggle bass and treble EQ pinch buttons connected nan speaker alternatively of opening nan companion app. Even pinch nan speaker's bass maxed out, it's incredibly heavy but hardly rattles nan Middleton II aliases nan aboveground you spot it on. 

I wasn't worried astir nan Middleton II being passed astir a group of rowdy girls and plentifulness of liquids --  nan excavation being nan liquid, obviously. According to Marshall, nan speaker boasts an IP67 standing and tin past being submerged successful up to astir 3 feet (one meter) of h2o for up to 30 minutes.

Also: I'm bringing this portable JBL speaker to each my summertime festivities - here's why

The Middleton II's improved 30-hour artillery life kept nan poolside euphony going each day, and a 20-minute charging interlude promises 3 much hours of playtime. Thanks to its USB-C reverse charging capabilities, it was besides nan designated poolside telephone charger.

Back astatine my house, nan Middleton II rested successful my agency while I worked, aliases connected nan antagonistic while I cooked. It sports Marshall's unique retro design, characterized by a metallic speaker grille, vinyl casing, and aureate brass embellishments. Like each of Marshall's speakers, nan Middelton II serves arsenic as a speaker and a portion of decor.

Jada Jones/ZDNET

Marshall fitted nan Middleton II pinch an soul microphone, allowing users to talk into nan speaker during telephone calls while their telephone is connected to nan speaker. I utilized it while taking a telephone from my dad, and though he could perceive maine good enough, I had to guidelines adjacent by nan speaker for nan champion results. 

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The Middleton II now has Bluetooth LE Audio and supports nan LC3 Bluetooth codec, which promises little powerfulness consumption, Bluetooth Auracast compatibility, and much unchangeable wireless connections.

ZDNET's buying advice

The Marshall Middleton II's classical and stylish design, coupled pinch its portability, durable build, enjoyable sound, and in-app personalization features, makes it a awesome action for group looking for a high-performing portable speaker for indoor and outdoor use. Sound-wise, nan Middleton II is much balanced and clear than its JBL and Bose counterparts, much rugged than its comparable competitors from Sonos, and provides much artillery life than its competitors from Sony.

Although nan JBL Charge 6 and Bose SoundLink Plus person akin durability ratings and reverse USB-C charging capabilities, they're $130 and $61 cheaper, respectively. The Middleton II bests some successful nan sound and artillery life departments, and has a little sporty look.