Watch Out, Sonos: I Listened To Marshall's New Soundbars, And They Rock

2 months ago

Marshall Heston 60 successful Black and Cream

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Marshall Heston 60 and Sub 200 are $700 and $600, respectively.
Both products uphold Marshall's vintage rock-and-roll-inspired design.
As nan institution releases much modular location audio products, it pushes connected Sonos's foothold.

Disclosure: The costs of Jada Jones' recreation to New York City was covered by Marshall, a communal manufacture believe for long-distance trips. The judgments and opinions of ZDNET's writers and editors are ever independent of nan companies we cover.

After announcing its foray into nan location audio marketplace pinch nan well-received Heston 120, Marshall makes its connection clear: it has its sights connected offering modular systems to consumers. Shortly aft nan Heston 120, Marshall announced nan Heston 60 and Sub 200, a smaller, much compact type of nan Heston 120 and an outer subwoofer, respectively.

Also: Marshall's latest sound systems are making maine reconsider splurging connected Bose

I spent an day pinch Marshall, demoing nan Heston 60 and Sub 200, and it's unmistakable that Sonos is considered a adjacent competitor. Well known for its array of smart speakers, subwoofers, and soundbars, Sonos's personification interface, package ecosystem, and beingness creation connection greatly disagree from Marshall's.

Still, nan specs and customer entreaty are similar, though each marque excels successful different categories. Here's wherever Marshall's caller products win, and wherever they whitethorn person challenges getting loyalists to make nan switch.

A acquainted design

Marshall's location audio products get nan aforesaid creation connection arsenic its portable and location speakers, paying homage to nan company's longstanding relationship to amp-making. The Heston 120, Heston 60, and Sub 200 characteristic tactile controls, polyurethane leather finishes, and brushed metallic panels.

Staying existent to its creation principles opens nan doorway to consumers looking for thing different. The Heston lineup delivers for those looking for location audio products that should beryllium seen arsenic overmuch arsenic they should beryllium heard. Conversely, Sonos's creation connection includes cleanable lines, soft matte finishes, and modern elements, creating products that blend into your location decor.

Also: I compared my Sonos Arc Ultra pinch an improbable soundbar rival, and it went down to nan wire

The Sub 200 looks much for illustration Marshall's location speakers than a accepted achromatic container subwoofer, and nan Heston 60 intimately resembles nan Heston 120 but lacks nan aforesaid tactile controls. Instead of knobs, it has buttons to accommodate its smaller shape facet and let abstraction for soul audio components.

A much curated lineup

Sonos offers much location audio products than Marshall, though caller arrivals could beryllium connected nan horizon. Although Marshall's location audio lineup is considerably smaller than Sonos's, it gives consumers less choices, which isn't needfully a bad thing. The Heston 60's size and awesome sound tin make it suitable for mini to medium-sized rooms, and nan Sub 200 does its 1 occupation good capable to elevate nan Heston 60's bass consequence aliases adhd an other furniture to nan Heston 120's powerful onboard low-frequency performance.

Also: Can't perceive TV dialogue? This portable soundbar solved my audio problems for cheap

Marshall's lineup consists of 2 soundbars and 1 subwoofer. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) could beryllium considered nan Heston 60's counterpart, arsenic they're akin successful size and number of amplifiers and passive radiators.

The Heston 60 has 2 three-inch soul woofers, 4 passive radiators, 7 Class D amplifiers, and 5 one-and-one-quarter-inch full-range speakers. It handles bass good without nan Sub 200, which was astonishing for its mini cabin.

During my briefing, we watched a "Top Gun: Maverick" clip successful Dolby Atmos pinch nan Heston 60 and Sub 200. The Sub 200 adds a overmuch deeper bass consequence to nan Heston 60, and nan compact soundbar's dialogue, opus lyrics, and instruments had clear separation and awesome imaging. However, for illustration Sonos's Beam (Gen 2), nan Heston 60 doesn't person upfiring speakers, which limits it from offering a wholly immersive spatial audio experience.

Also: I did not expect this Marshall speaker to rival pricier Bose and Sonos models for illustration this

The Sub 200 and Heston 60 together are a worthy tag-team competitor to Sonos's midrange soundbar and subwoofer options. The Sub 200's specs much intimately lucifer Sonos's Sub Mini alternatively of its flagship Sub 4. With 2 five-and-a-quarter-inch woofers, you tin consciousness nan Sub 200's rumble, and Marshall claims it tin scope depths arsenic debased arsenic 30 Hz.

Embracing accepted connectivity

One of Sonos's main trading points is that its location audio products pass pinch 1 different via your home's Wi-Fi network. This connectivity allows for wireless connection and integration of its speakers crossed merchandise categories and rooms successful your house. Using Wi-Fi connectivity for this logic is ideal, unless you person a penchant for bequest audio products.

Marshall's soundbars are equipped pinch Wi-Fi 6, but they don't usage it to pass pinch 1 another, and cannot pass pinch Marshall's location aliases portable speakers. The Sub 200 connects wirelessly to nan Heston 60 and 120 via Bluetooth LE – it's not compatible pinch Wi-Fi.

Also: I did not expect this JBL soundbar to outperform pricier models by Sonos and Bose for illustration this

Once I trial nan Heston 60 and Sub 200, I'll person a coagulated sentiment of nan Sub 200's relationship stableness pinch nan Heston 60, though Bluetooth LE promises astir 100 feet of scope indoors.

However, dissimilar Sonos's products, Marshall's Heston soundbars athletics Aux In and Sub Out inputs, and nan Sub 200 has a Sub In input to link them to your analog players. The soundbars besides support an array of audio codecs, including FLAC, ALAC, LC3, and WMA, compared to Sonos's AAC and SBC.

Also: The champion soundbars of 2025: Expert tested and recommended

Overall, Marshall is proving itself to beryllium a contender successful nan modular location audio market, looking to grow its existing user base. The company's committedness to euphony enthusiasts and analog lovers could pull Sonos fans who aren't happy pinch nan company's app and package changes. Additionally, Marshall's products person a circumstantial look that challenges nan market's position quo aesthetic, and it does that very well.

But arsenic I ever say, a brace of rear speakers would complete Marshall's location audio offerings. Until then, I'll see Marshall a budding yet fierce contender.