Marshall Stanmore II Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - Black (UK)

Product Information

Marshall’s Bluetooth app lets you use parametric EQ presets with more bands that just the treble/bass of the top-plate controls, and create your own. For the most part I’ve used the default “flat” mode, though. 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. Fast-forward some 50 years and the bass thud of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes thrummed as well as I hoped it would.

The Marshall Bluetooth app is free and delivers firmware updates for the speaker. It also allows you to use custom EQ presets or create your own, working in conjunction with the bass and treble knobs on the control panel. In addition, you can use the app to adjust the brightness of the red LEDs, turn audio prompts on or off, and pair the speaker with another Marshall unit to make a stereo pair. Performance However, it’s getting to this stage that’s frustrating. Alexa’s iOS app isn’t very good, and you sometimes even have to use it to pair new Bluetooth devices, in addition to using it throughout the initial setup. We repeatedly tried to link our Philips Hue and Spotify accounts in it, but it constantly failed. In the end, we turned to the desktop and Alexa’s web interface. Not ideal. Marshall’s Voice app has an equalizer and a few other speaker adjustments, such as the brightness of the volume control lights. It’s reliable, if bland, and you have to install it to make the speaker work. Vocal-driven, pop-heavy songs such as Iz*One’s La Vie en Rose sparkle too, due to being able to manually adjust the bass and treble on the speaker or by voice. Such easy, on-the-go tweaking of the sound makes a difference if you have varied tastes. We wanted to hear the group sing, more than the bass here, for example.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 Marshall’s large control knobs offer a satisfying feel, as does the power lever. However, as the volume and tone is controlled by your phone as well as these on-speaker controls, a series of LED light sits around each so you can determine the volume level and bass/treble settings. 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. The Marshall Stanmore II Voice has a bold, brazen sound that fills the room when turned up, but not at the detriment to the audio quality. Bass may be thunderous, hitting with a thud when a song allows it, but there is still enough room in the mids and trebles for a song to breathe. 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

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. However, place the Stanmore II side-by-side with a classic Marshall head and you’ll notice that the finer points of their visual impact are completely different. In a good way. The rose-gold accents really lend the design of this speaker a sense of sophistication, and are carried through the bottom panel, Marshall logo, and the controls on the top of the casing. Synonymous with the classic Marshall branding, the central positioning of the brand logo, the brushed gold plate that holds the knobs, the chunky knobs themselves, and the leather effect vinyl that covers the Stanmore II’s entire outer feel familiar. You can also create a stereo pair of Stanmore IIs using the Marshall app. Marshall Stanmore II Bluetooth – Sound qualityIn 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 The Marshall Stanmore III is a mid-size speaker, for powerful sound that doesn't take over the room. (Image credit: Marshall)