Marshall Middleton Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Black and Brass

I perused many reviews of many speakers before settling on this one, and the word "settled" is misused here because this speaker is absolutely fantastic. Construction This speaker is made from quality materials; you can tell as soon as you pick it up. The rubber coating provides excellent grip and is easy to clean, the included strap is very sturdy, not weak, and you can tell this can survive being knocked about a little bit without circumstances. I'm surprised the mesh is made from plastic, not metal, but they did have to cut a little weight somewhere because this is not a light speaker. The weight does not bother me, though. Portability: This Middleton speaker is portable for me. You'd think that at this price point, a hard-shell cover would be included, but you can find those relatively cheap on Amazon here. ($25 will get you a good one). It's easy to carry around using the strap, and it should fit into just about any laptop backpack you have, but again; this speaker is not small and it is not light. I travel a lot, and I've had this speaker with me on Safaris, out in the desert, in the shower, in the middle of the ocean: it never let me down or inconvenienced me while I was on the move. Sound: The sound quality from this is great, but I would not call it excellent. I'm surprised that a speaker that costs $300 only supports SBC, no AptX or LDAC. Shame on you, Marshall. Despite that, the sound is still great and fills even medium-sized rooms with resonance. The added bass and treble controls are handy, and once you set your preferred levels there you probably won't touch them ever again. If you use the Aux port instead and connect to a source that outputs lossless quality, the sound changes dramatically for the better. The App: The app is very wonky. Sometimes it won't detect the speaker, especially if it's already playing music before I attempt to make the app. Connecting another Middleton for stacked play can be hit-or-miss. When it works, it's wonderful. I wish that When two or more Middletons were connected the app would split stereo into the two speakers instead of giving you the exact same sound from both. Customer Support: Customer support is among the best I've ever run into. My first speaker was damaged under warranty, and I was shipped a brand-new replacement immediately after going through the warranty claim. No delays. Charging: If I were you, I'd get a GaaN charger that's at least 100w with a 100W USB C-to-C cable to charge this thing. Regular USB chargers still work, but they take a lot longer. Also, bear in mind that there is no battery care in this device's firmware. (Why, Marshall, for a $300 speaker????). Once your speaker reaches %100 charge, it does not automatically stop charging, so keep an eye on it and disconnect it immediately. Don't leave it charging overnight. Niggles: 1. The mesh covering on the front is pushed into place, not secured by any screws like the rear mesh. This is weird. Though this speaker is built so sturdily that there is practically zero chance of it ever popping out unless you're playing football with it or something. 2. Marshall does sell spares, which is ridiculous. If the charging port on your perfectly-working speaker gets damaged outside of warranty, you have to throw the whole speaker away, rather than being able to buy the little board with the charging port online somewhere. This is unacceptable in this day and age. Overall: I love this speaker, and I will never look for another portable Bluetooth speaker. This satisfies all my needs.

This is the best speaker out there in the market. Others may have better sound quality but not great look vice versa. Or they have both but the price will scare you away like Bang & Olufsen. Marshall speakers aren’t cheap but won’t cost you arms and legs to buy one. I bought it on its promotion which was $199. I had been looking at it for awhile and I found the black brass version gets more often discount than the white cream one. But I highly recommend the white cream version. This speaker checks everything I need ✔️deep and powerful bass ✔️big sound stage ✔️great build quality ✔️beautiful look ✔️good battery life ✔️portability and functionality ✔️usbc port and aux for convenience This speaker has really deep lows and wide sound stage I think it’s the reason they placed the full range drivers on both sides so the sound can expand wider. Unlike Marshall stockwell 2 which features blumlein stereo I prefer Middleton uses traditional left and right channels on it. Since the soundstage is big it really suits on playing classical music more over I can literally turn it as a compact soundbar for watching movies as this speaker has really powerful bass. The speaker is portable but also a bit heavy however It is still packable in a backpack and tote bag. I’m also glad it has aux cable to connect my iPod classic. I might later buy a vinyl player to connect my Middleton. It uses usbc to charge the speaker and also to reverse charge other devices which is so convenient. I highly recommend the white cream one than the black one as it blends in home and with furniture so well. It absolutely a great accent to your home.

I did a side-by-side comparison with three other name brand speakers of the same price range in this one stood out clearly above the rest for de frequency response range with good base and clear highs, clarity of sound overall, volume, playtime on a charge, physical construction, shape and size, and ease of use of the buttons. I really like this speaker. It will play anything beautifully, from soft classical instrumental music to foot stomping head banging Queen!

It looks good, it feels good, and yes: it sounds good. While it is a single portable speaker (tempting me to buy it a friend for "stack mode" with everything but it's price), it fills our living room with music. My wife and I both feel that the sound has a "live" quality to it, a bit like you are at a concert - even when you're not looking at the logo. It gets plenty loud, even for use out on our screened porch, but most of the volume seems to come in the last few notches of my phone's volume setting - maybe that's more a quirk of my phone than the speaker - but as a system it has a lot of adjustability up to about half volume, then the upper half of the volume range only has about 5 notches to choose from. The app settings are very basic, just treble and bass enhance from 1 to 10. I would have expected +/- levels, or at least a 0; and no it's not a SpinalTap custom unit, so you can't crank anything to 11. The app also helps to setup "stack" mode with 2 or more Middletons if you happen to have them, firmware update if that's ever necessary, and that's it. When the phone and Middleton were both plugged in charging, they had a little interference from the nearby microwave as it was cooking, silent dropouts in the music - that's probably just about any bluetooth product, especially when you have an unshielded 6' cable plugged into it. It did similar intermittent drop outs in playback when the phone was taken too far away. The soft rubber case seems very durable, and it prevents unwanted rattles and hums with the table when the U2 gets loud. The sound does project nicely in all directions, 360 degrees. As compared with my ~$50 each pair of Earfun Ubooms, the single Middleton is clearly a better portable sound solution: louder, easier to carry than 2 Ubooms, and better sound overall when playing at equal volumes.

Coming from a 7 year old Onyx 2...(which still sounds great) I was shocked to see how little the sound changed between the that and the 4...almost the same speaker. They both sound great and very clear...but they both suffer from the battery issue many have complained about here. The Onyx 2 no longer works without being plugged in (and I fear this will be the case with the 4 in a couple years)- but I needed something for my pool. My search began: Remember - portable for the pool - so I looked at everything and not being a JBL fanboy I decided on the Marshall Middleton the Onyx 4 and the UE Hyperboom. Marshall - really sounds great - very crisp sound and they get a lot out of this little speaker. If I was traveling a lot and bringing it to my room this would be my speaker. The most portable of the three - but the smallest sounding (which again, is still pretty damn good). Good bass - but not like the other two considering its $300. UE Hyperboom - This is the best sounding - but really not by enough to justify the price tag. I was willing and I was actually rooting for this one. But when you are at a pool and the water feature is going on...are you really gonna see much difference in clarity? If you want to crank it - this is a better option. If you have neighbors and live on a golf course...it won't matter and the clarity of the the HK and the Middleton are both great...again $400..I did not see a significant jump in sound that "blew me away." HK Onyx 4 - I have a 19 speaker HK system in my vehicle and my friends say it is the best sounding system in any car they have ever heard...and I tend to agree. My tastes run from Klipsch home systems to now the upgraded Sonos Arc with 4 surrounds and the large subwoofer....so I like good sound. The HK will not blow you away with power - it will sound great at a pool and your friends will say...WOW that sounds really good! If you want power go with JBL...but to me they all sound the same and again - to get something that will give you that kind of power....your back to over $400. The batteries on the HK 2 I had sucked and I fear this will be the case with the 4. I am very disappointed that the sound is not much - if at all - different...but the 2 was pretty perfect. I also got the HK 6 a couple months ago and played it for maybe 30 seconds - boxed it up and returned. Horrible in my opinion. I also dabbled with the Sony SRS-XG300. A beautiful speaker which sounds like it is playing underwater...again I did play with all these on the equalizer settings (which the HK does not have) to give them all a fair fight. So if your gonna crank it up...$400 is no issue...go with the Hyperboom. Sound will not be that much different (especially if there is background noise like water features at pools etc.) But, it will crank louder than the HK and still give you some great sound quality. Portability with travel...you are not gonna get much better than the Marshall Middleton if you are willing to eat that $299 price tag. The HK gives you a lot but again that battery issue should have been resolved...they know about it and have done nothing in the way of battery (or sound really in my opinion - which again is not a bad thing) for the last 7 years. The price is a little high - but the sound quality is still 5 stars and that is what I am rating it on. Good luck in your own search - and when in doubt between 2...get them both and compare - Amazon makes it easy for returns.

Oh my! I have always wanted to try out a Marshall speaker and since our old portable Sony finally died on us - it lasted about 15 years, I knew Marshall was a quality speaker system with my husband being an audiophile nerd lol. We own some old school theater Ushers in pristine condition are amazing. Anyhow, ordered the black Marshall’s since we’ll be taking this camping. The rubber surrounding the unit is thick to protect the box and the carrying handle is sturdy and strong. It’s heavy too like a real speaker should feel like from the inside components. It just means that they’re aren’t any cheap plastics inside. Controls are integrated and a little hard to see in the dark but it is clearly labeled once you light on it. The on/off button is the big metal button that also serves as the forward/backwards and volume. The battery indicator is red and has easy to see bright bars. Bluetooth is easy to use and the sound! Oh boy, use the default setting for the bass and go up one push for the treble and you can clearly hear the middle and high notes! Definitely no Bose here - you know that saying, “no highs, no lows - it must be Bose!” Lol. “Into the Air Tonight,” sounded absolutely amazing when I tested the music! It’s definitely got volume that’s and clear! No wimpy cheap speakers here. As for the price, well, you get what you pay for here, and it’s definitely worth the price! Heck, if you get two of them, you’ll get a set of quality inside speakers for your TV system or to use outside as well!

I use to have the small version of this one and is really really good. The quality is great and also the value for money is good. The only thing that I don't like it is that allows to connect several devices at the same time (you have to turn off the bluetooh of all your devices that were connected once to the speaker). Great size and easy to move it.

After almost a year with the Middleton, I still love it. However, I have a few complaints that I hope Marshall will fix on newer versions. The loudness and clarity from this speaker are amazing. You could throw a small house party with this one speaker. My complaint is the equalizer control. I really wish this speaker had a high, mid, and low adjustment knobs like a real equalizer or mixer. The treble control is fine but the bass is pretty lackluster. It doesn't sound much different from highest setting to lowest setting, not to mention cumbersome to adjust from the push buttons. The low filter is pretty bad in my opinion. If it had a tiny panel of spring loaded EQ knobs that actually filtered like a real equalizer I would give it a 10/10. Other than that, still love the Middleton and I'm glad I went with this instead of the Bose in the same price range. UPDATE 10/24: After a year and a half with this speaker the stupid multifunction button that was terrible to use decided to break. I can no longer turn the speaker on or off. I filled out the form for a warranty claim or repair and this was the response I got. Hello Jonathon, Thank you for your reply and providing the requested details. I regret to inform you that the warranty for your product expired on March 26, 2024, and at this time, Marshall does not have any Service Centers offering out-of-warranty repairs for this model. We sincerely apologize that we cannot offer a repair solution for your product. Our ambition is to provide products that can be repaired regardless of time and we are currently working on expanding our repair offering solutions. We encourage you to recycle the product at your local Electronics Recycling facility. We'd like to express our gratitude for your continued support by offering you a 20% off voucher code, MHCS-BGWMX4DG5H. Please note, voucher codes can only be used with full-priced items, and cannot be used in combination with a sale or promotion. Thank you for your feedback and understanding while we work towards more sustainable solutions. If you have any questions or need further assistance, do not hesitate to contact us. Kind regards, Mila Marshall Support DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT BUY THIS SPEAKER!!! Or any of Marshall's speakers for that matter. After a year if something happens you are SOL. I basically have a $330 paper weight now. So disappointed that all they offered me was voucher to get a new one to start this process over again. I will never buy anything Marshall again. It seems they're quality control has gone the way of so many other previously excellent brands. Complete garbage response from them.

I've been using this for the past 9 months and I'll summarise. This is the best sounding Speaker, that has a great Bluetooth connectivity, looks stylish and is very portable, it has a proper stereo spatial sound setup. Keep it to a proper corner or in a way to hear the whole room rumble (yes this can do that) 60W you just got the best speaker setup... And the Signature sound of Marshall is so good no matter what youre listening to or watching (be it music, movies, sports, gaming) it'll bring the best out of that... Battery has been massive win again... for house parties to movie nights to outdoors it has been rock solid (also if you listen at maximum volume it'll consume more power and drain obviously) it supports charging Upto 65W USB-PD, also rapid charge... I used it with plenty of devices my Phone, Tab, Laptop and Blu-ray Player never had any issue, also it can play music in higher Quality through the 3.5mm jack and DAC so it's functionally rock solid. It has taken many hits and dips in water and still sounds the same, never gave up on me... IP67 speaks for itself... Also if at all you get to have another Middleton, you can pair up both and have an amazing sound that doesn't feel loud it feels even more complete... I got it for the full price and I had no complaints... Marshall rarely gives discounts, if you get any on this it's value for your money

Much better than I expected.

I had a difficult choice to make at a price range of about £200.00 And I read reviews and looked at demos and it ended up between the Bose Sound Link Revolve (Series II), Marshall Middleton, JBL extreme 3, Sony srs-xg300, Sonos era 100, the best reviews and demos was the Bang Olufsen Beosound A5 and is not very robust but has a hefty price tag of nearly £1,99.00 too high for me anyhow so I ended up getting the Marshall Middleton because it was in stereophonic and the others makes had one speaker and the Marshall Middleton got stereophonic sound it's got 2x20 watt base speakers, and 2x10 watt tweeters giving off 60 watts, the sound is true stereo and durable and rainproof and a couple of things not said in other reviews was the strap can be taken off or left on and has like a drawing pin screw and nut too hold it together and seems very strong I kept it off mine as l will only use in front room if you use it in the garden garage wherever I'd use the handle own perseverance it has a 3.5 aux connection for my mp3 player and a c-connection for charging I don't use it for Bluetooth but you can get a Marshall apps from the Marshall store the battery life is 20 hours and this is quite correct depending on how loud you play it the system has a battery indicator light letting you know what battery life is left and it has a treble and bass control up or down showing on the battery indicator light the volume shows up on battery light as well it has a good sound and volume for such a small speaker please don't expect these type of speakers to blow you away none of these things will, you will only get that from a top hi-fi so don't expect it. but for its size its a great little thing to have I am well pleased with it I like its compact portable size and an excellent product 5 star rating from me, Delivery was great (2 days) and it was delivered well packaged. Couldn't have ask for more?

Beautifully smooth sounds! Loop holder is strong enough. MUST have for any music fan. So good that i even a second one to use for when i teach yoga classes. Well done to the engineers and keep this line of speakers going!

Dynamiczny dzwięk , wysokie tony dzwieczne i czyste , średnie dobrze wyważone a niskie mięsiste , 60 Wat ? ,tu mam problem jak to jest liczone bo mam wzmacniacz Marschal code 50 Wat do gitary to ten w salonie 45m to na 90% wzmocnienia to szyba mi w oknie tarasowym pękła ,a ten gra głośno ale to inna bajka , poruwnując to Midlton to ok.6 Wat .