If sound quality is your top priority in a Bluetooth speaker, then this is the one to take notice of. Not only is it the clear leader in its price range, but its able to take on more expensive speakers costing several hundred dollars more and sound either almost as good or actually better in some instances.
Still, there are some valid reasons for choosing something else. So in this review, I’ll cover the features and sound quality as well as comparing it to some other options.
The Marshall Stanmore is currently listed at $314, but you can click here to check price and availability.
DESIGN & FEATURES
Included with the speaker is a 3.5 to 3.5mm coiled cable, a power cord and an extensive manual.
Regarding the overall style, the Stanmore has a gorgeous vintage aesthetic which looks and feels just like a small guitar amp. It’s covered in a thick layer of textured upholstery and a gold-trimmed cloth grille with a painted plastic Marshall logo on the front. If you enjoy a classic rock style look, you’ll love this, it’s definitely a head turner, and overall a really well-built speaker.
Inside the Stanmore you have twin ¾” dome tweeters which flank a 5 ½” woofer at the center. The speaker is powered by a class-D amplifier that pushes 80 watts, delivering 20 to each tweeter and 40 to the center cone. The center woofer handles all frequencies up to the 2500Hz crossover point before the two tweeters take over.
On top of the speaker you have a control panel made of brushed brass with a brass power switch, round metal source and bluetooth pairing buttons as well as high quality smooth-motion control knobs for volume, treble and bass. There are also four tiny LED’s to indicate which audio source is being used.
At the rear you can see the bass port, and then there are inputs for optical and RCA audio cables. There’s also a choice between power save and standard power mode. When power save is selected, the speaker must be awakened manually if it’s been inactive for 20 minutes or longer. This means you’ll have to press the “wake” button on the control panel before using it again. Otherwise, when in regular power mode, the speaker comes back to life as soon as you tell it to play from your audio source.
And then on the bottom are 4 rubber feet to keep it from moving and to help protect whatever you place it on.
Regarding inputs, the Stanmore offers more inputs than most competitors. This includes a 3.5 mm input, stereo RCA analog inputs and an optical digital input. So for example, you can connect this speaker to your Apple TV box and an actual TV and still have an additional input as well as Bluetooth to work with.
So in total, you have 4 different ways of connecting to this speaker, including Bluetooth.
BLUETOOTH
The Bluetooth feature includes APTX technology and works remarkably well. The range is anywhere from 20-30 feet or about 10 meters. And as long as you’re within range, you get a crystal clear signal without any drops or disconnects. I never experienced any issues with the Bluetooth feature which isn’t something that can be said about many other Bluetooth speakers.
SOUND QUALITY
When it comes to sound quality, the Stanmore is the clearest sounding Bluetooth speaker in this price range and under. What’s most impressive about it’s sound signature is it’s low distortion, smooth midrange and musical bass. Everything from the lows to the highs are tight and controlled and the overall presentation is very full and crisp.
The Stanmore successfully handles a wide variety of musical genres, from electronic and jazz to classical and rap but the harder edged sounds this speaker is capable of makes it best suited for pop, rock and more modern music genres. The icing on the cake is that you can crank the volume all the way up (which is ear-splittingly loud), and there’s no perceptible distortion.
Regarding the bass, it’s truly perfect for rock music and performs exceptionally well. Overall, the lows are rich and deep, but, they’re not able to dip super low into that really hard hitting sub-bass. And although it’s not able to shake the walls like a complete sound system, kick drums still come through with plenty of force. But the stand out feature of the bass is it’s ability to give such a clear reproduction to the point of presenting some of the more subtle details which are are often either overpowered or distorted among the other Bluetooth speakers.
The bass port at the rear of the speaker, does help to keep the low end tight and thumpy, but never overbearing. And if you prefer a more extended low end boom, you can place the rear of the speaker against a wall, which will give you more of that effect.
Now one of the stars of the show here is the lower mindrange. Bass lines in all genres are so smooth and pure. Guitar rifts are incredibly realistic and drums sound just awesome. The rest of the midrange sounds good as well, though at times it can feel a little boxy and light. Vocals however, are crystal clear, clean, and very natural sounding.
The highs are also clean, accurate and stringed instruments come through with a sharp, brisk attack to them. Now cymbals can come across a little boxy and more demanding music like Norah Jones doesn’t provide the resonance in her voice as high quality non-Bluetooth speakers would for the same price. But otherwise the STANMORE easily handles the delicate nuances of classical music and Piano sonatas especially sounded clear, with none of the sharp edges that Bluetooth speakers, especially those in cheap plastic cabinets, seem to give off.
Instrument separation is excellent which is something that really sets the Stanmore apart from other Bluetooth speakers where instruments can sound more jumbled together.
And then regarding the bass and treble knobs, they’re more subtle and conservative in how they adjust the sound. But they do make a noticeable difference and they’re really a nice feature to have as they allow for personal preference in listening. So whether you’re correcting a tonal imbalance or just want to create a sound signature that’s more to your liking, these will definitely do the trick.
COMPARISON TO OTHER BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS
Now comparing the Stanmore to other Bluetooth speakers such as the Bose SoundLink 3. Bose easily wins for portability as it’s a fraction of the size and has a 14-hour battery life but in terms of sound quality, the Stanmore leaves Bose in the dust. To put it simply, there is nothing the Bose does better sound quality wise than the Stanmore. And whereas Bose will fill your room with sound, the Stanmore will fill your house.
Then comparing the Stanmore to a more expensive option, the JBL Authentics L8. The JBL does sound better, but only slightly. So unless you don’t mind spending top dollar for a marginal improvement in sound quality, the Stanmore is a much better value for your money.
Next, comparing the Stanmore to the Cambridge Audio Minx 200, even though the Minx costs more the sound isn’t as full, satisfying and tonally smooth as the Stanmore.
Finally, comparing this to the Harman Kardon Onyx. The Onyx provides a more spacious sound, but the bass is less musical by comparison, voices are also less natural and it has a brighter sound signature. So the overall sound presentation of the Onyx is less satisfying compared to the Stanmore, especially for longer listening sessions.
REASONS TO CONSIDER SOMETHING ELSE
Now even though the Stanmore really hits the sweat spot for sound quality and value, there are some reasons you may want to go with something different.
First, this is designed to be stationary as it does not come with a battery. It does need to be plugged into a power outlet to use. That means if you’d like something more portable that you can say take to the park or beach, then this wouldn’t be the speaker for you.
Next, if you’re looking for a speaker with multiroom capability, then you will want to choose something else, such as something with AirPlay as an example.
Also, if you have a larger budget and want better sound quality if it’s available there are nicer sounding options for more money. But unless you’re willing to spend over $1,000, realize that until you hit that threshold, you’re spending quite a bit more money for only marginal gains in sound quality.
Finally, as cool as the retro rock vibe is, it’s not going to be for everyone. And so obviously if this just doesn’t appeal to your sense of style then there are more conservative options available.
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BUT OTHERWISE
But otherwise, the bottom line is that this speaker really delivers what you’d expect from something that wears the iconic Marshall brand. So if you do like the look and feel of this speaker and if you do want the best sound quality possible in a Bluetooth speaker at this price or under then this is the one to get.