Fortunately, Marshall knows this and delivers with its new portable speaker range. And don’t just take their word for it, we recently had an exclusive invite to attend the launch of the their two new speakers, the Stockwell II and Tufton, which joins the Kilburn II (one of our top picks for portable Bluetooth speakers of 2018) as part of this now very impressive line-up of Marshall portable speakers.
Meaning, we got to test each and every one of 'em out!
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But as with most people, when you’re spoilt for choice, picking the right one can be quite difficult.
So, that’s why we’re going to breakdown everything you need to know about the speakers, from the looks to the sound and who we feel each speaker would be best suited for.
At A Glance:
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Let’s start off with the first thing people judge you on, the looks. These portable speakers aren’t the type you solely depend on music for, leaving it in a corner where it can be heard but can’t be seen.
Oh no, these Marshall portable speakers deserve more respect than that. While different in size and well, power, all three variations come with a solid metal grille, vinyl encasing, a guitar-inspired carrying strap, analog controls for volume/power, bass and treble (the previous Kilburn had a dedicated power button) and of course, that iconic white Marshall logo at the front.
In short, they’re all sexy as hell to look at and acts as such a cool aesthetic feature wherever they’re placed at.
Functionality:
Despite their difference in size, all three speakers come with a really impressive 20-hour battery life and a Bluetooth range of 30 feet.Putting ‘Em To The Test:
What matters when it comes to sound (to us anyway) is depth and well, loudness of course. And with either the Tufton, Kilburn II or the Stockwell II, that’s what you get.Layers of songs you never were able to pay much attention to previously are suddenly more audible. The clarity is pure musical bliss and everything seems so balanced out.
What also helps is that all three models are able to beautifully push out multi-directional sound for a truly immersive listening experience. But, this does not mean every model is suitable for any occasion – primarily because of the size difference and a few other reasons.
So, Which One’s For You?
STOCKWELL II
Price: RM 1,399.00/marshall_stockwell-ii_1463_arm2_highres.jpg)
If you’re looking for something for your room, or to break down into one of those dance moves while in the shower, or okay fine, say you’re by the beach and itching for some tunes but at the same time, you wouldn’t wanna scare that sunbathing old lady, well then the Stockwell II is for you.
It’s super easy to transport around (weighing only at 1.4kg), has 20 watts of sound, comes with a power bank feature allowing you to charge your devices on the road and has an IPX4 water resistance. A simple 20-minute charge gives you about 6 hours’ worth of juice for playback.
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KILBURN II
Price: RM 1,699.00/marshall_kilburn_ii_black_0109_cropped_highres.jpg)
The Kilburn II, in our opinion is the best all-rounder in terms of size, performance and price. Marshall fans would already know that it comes with dual 8-watt tweeters, a single 20-watt woofer, weighs just 2.5kg and also has the multi-directional sound feature but has an IPX2 rating (drops of water are fine but avoid splashes) and you’d get 3 hours of play with a 20-minute charge.
The Kilburn II would work best at places like the pool, a balcony or in small room.
TUFTON
Price: RM 2,299.00/marshall_tufton_0818_arms_highres.jpg)
Ah, the granddaddy of Marshall’s portable speaker range. This big guy weighs a solid 4.9kg, has a 40W amp for the woofer, two 15W amps for the full-range drivers and one 10W amp for the tweeters and only takes 2.5 hours to fully charge (a 20-minute charge gives you four hours of battery life) and has the same IPX2 rating like the Kilburn II.
Sure, it isn’t exactly as portable as the Kilburn II or the Stockwell II, but once you plant this guy anywhere - by the beach, in a parking lot, at a BBQ session in your yard or by the pool, people will hear it. And they’ll hear it like they probably never have before.
Last words:
In short, regardless of your size and model selection, these portable speakers by Marshall are not going to disappoint.Each promise great depth, clarity, clean-sounding audio bliss and they’re something you’d proudly want to carry around with you. It’s a fine range of products for those who really want to hear their music for what it was intended to be.