Marshall Stanmore III Bluetooth Speaker (Cream)

Who doesn’t love great-sounding speakers? A set with strong bass and treble that can really cut through, without either being too heavy or sharp in the mix. This Marshall Acton III speaker – yes, Marshall, the guitar amplifier company – is something that fits that bill to a tee. Did I mention it’s no bigger than a lunchbox? This speaker can fill an entire room – heck, an entire house practically – with bright tonality and a wide sound-stage while providing *substantial* low-end response for its size.I’ll start by saying, as a guitar and bass player myself, this Marshall Bluetooth speaker really intrigued me. I’ve played a handful of Marshall Amps throughout the years, and they have built some of the best speakers and cabinets around. So, it made sense in my mind ... MoreWho doesn’t love great-sounding speakers? A set with strong bass and treble that can really cut through, without either being too heavy or sharp in the mix. This Marshall Acton III speaker – yes, Marshall, the guitar amplifier company – is something that fits that bill to a tee. Did I mention it’s no bigger than a lunchbox? This speaker can fill an entire room – heck, an entire house practically – with bright tonality and a wide sound-stage while providing *substantial* low-end response for its size.I’ll start by saying, as a guitar and bass player myself, this Marshall Bluetooth speaker really intrigued me. I’ve played a handful of Marshall Amps throughout the years, and they have built some of the best speakers and cabinets around. So, it made sense in my mind that they should also make a solid-sounding Bluetooth speaker. And out of the box, this looks like a mini amplifier. I really dig the detail they put into making this look like any other one of their guitar amplifier cabinets, just shrunken down.Before we go any further, if you’re looking for a battery-powered portable Bluetooth speaker, this is not the one for you. The Marshall Emerton models would be the ones you’re looking for. For the price of having to plug in the unit for power, you get an incredible amount of low-end/bass.When you first power this thing on and connect it to your phone or tablet’s Bluetooth, it’ll prompt you to download the Marshall Bluetooth app. This app will let you adjust the bass and treble levels of the amp, and the changes are reflected in real-time on the amp’s led volume level indicators around the knobs. It was nice while working in my home office not to have to go across the room to make any small tweaks to the sound profile. The app also features a rather rudimentary calibration option that adjusts the sound based on where you’ve placed the speaker, however, rather than using a microphone to ‘scan’ its surroundings, you simply answer a series of questions about the placement of the speaker. Overall, other than a very small number of other features, the app is pretty limited.Once I started playing music on this little Acton, I could barely believe my ears. So, you know how an ant can carry something like 100x its body weight? That’s this little amp, so to speak. This amp that’s no bigger than a lunchbox, or small toolbox, puts out outrageous, simply incomprehensible levels of bass. I’ve read reviews elsewhere that the bass can distort at higher volumes, but I haven’t personally experienced that. From rock and alternative to hip-hop and rap, this can handle it and then some.If you’re like me and have a portable CD player lying around still, you can plug it in through the aux port and listen to some (nearly) lossless audio. The same applies if you have any other device with a 3.5mm out port.I’m pleased to announce that this little speaker lives up to the Marshall name. I’m keeping it in my home office/music room where I have several guitars and amps housed already, and it looks perfectly at home. I think this would also look perfectly at home on anyone’s bookshelf or dresser. The fact that it’s a cool little conversation starter is one thing. The fact that it can rock the block is another. I would definitely recommend this speaker to anyone looking for something less than a big bulky stereo or bookshelf speaker system because I do think this can meet the needs, and then some, of most people.

GOOD- Excellent overall sound quality- Amplifiers can deliver lots of volume without distortion- Uses standard power cableBAD- No advanced Bluetooth codec support- No Wi-Fi or network connection- Limited equalizer controls- Could use a carry handle- Aux input would be better in the back than on topTL/DRFor those looking for a semi-permanent media speaker for their home, instead of a small portable speaker for everywhere else, the Marshall Action III is a simple and decent option.DETAILSThe Marshall Action is a bit odd in the world of Bluetooth speakers as it's strictly AC powered from the wall instead of having a battery. While this makes it less than portable, it also means it's not limited in power draw. The large amps allow the speaker to get ... MoreGOOD- Excellent overall sound quality- Amplifiers can deliver lots of volume without distortion- Uses standard power cableBAD- No advanced Bluetooth codec support- No Wi-Fi or network connection- Limited equalizer controls- Could use a carry handle- Aux input would be better in the back than on topTL/DRFor those looking for a semi-permanent media speaker for their home, instead of a small portable speaker for everywhere else, the Marshall Action III is a simple and decent option.DETAILSThe Marshall Action is a bit odd in the world of Bluetooth speakers as it's strictly AC powered from the wall instead of having a battery. While this makes it less than portable, it also means it's not limited in power draw. The large amps allow the speaker to get quite loud if you like while still having clear audio. It has a dedicated amp for the woofer while another amp feeds the two tweeters. At maximum volume it does distort somewhat, but it's rather unlikely you'll need it that loud. It's also nice the Action has an internal power supply and standard power cable instead of a special power brick adapter.Controls are simple. The power switch feels authoritative to flick on and off and the knobs up top feel solid. However this also limits the equalizer to simply treble and bass instead of having multiple frequency bands. The mobile application doesn't have any additional equalizer controls, only some settings for toggling where the speaker is placed ( makes slight audio processing changes if it's by a wall or near a ledge, but they're not very noticeable ). You can change volume from the app while using the auxiliary 3.5mm connector though, so that's nifty.The big downside is the lack of advanced wireless connection. While it handles Bluetooth 5.2, it doesn't have any sort of Wi-Fi or networking capabilities. You can't have it play directly from your home media library or from any streaming service. For Bluetooth it's limited to basic SBC codec and doesn't support AAC, aptX, LDAC, or anything else. The mobile app does allow the speaker firmware to be updated, so perhaps those features will be added in future, but until then it's just SBC Bluetooth and wired 3.5mm cables.Other nit-picks are the aux connection being on top of the speaker ( it really would be better on the back ) and the lack of any sort of a carry handle. While it doesn't have a battery, it's still small enough that you might move it around the house on occasion, and a handle would be helpful for that. Going along with that, the speaker has a a very nice size to it, being big enough to fit nice sound and power without being so large it needs its own dedicated shelf.

Action III versus Action II. Marshall states that they have tweaked (re-engineered) their speaker to bring the user a better, more expansive and immersive listening experience with the Action III. Side by side, there are subtle cosmetic changes that differentiate the two. Front panel trim and top-side control changes are the most noticeable, with the new Action III being my preference. Control layout is the same, a 3.5 mm Aux input jack, Aux/Bluetooth Source Select button, Volume, Bass and Treble knobs. Thee Action III adds Rewind/Reverse-Skip, Skip-Forward and Fast-Forward options to the Play/Pause switch as found on the Action II. The Power Switch is now a solid two-position switch instead of a momentary switch.. Dimensions are almost identical, the Action III ... MoreAction III versus Action II. Marshall states that they have tweaked (re-engineered) their speaker to bring the user a better, more expansive and immersive listening experience with the Action III. Side by side, there are subtle cosmetic changes that differentiate the two. Front panel trim and top-side control changes are the most noticeable, with the new Action III being my preference. Control layout is the same, a 3.5 mm Aux input jack, Aux/Bluetooth Source Select button, Volume, Bass and Treble knobs. Thee Action III adds Rewind/Reverse-Skip, Skip-Forward and Fast-Forward options to the Play/Pause switch as found on the Action II. The Power Switch is now a solid two-position switch instead of a momentary switch.. Dimensions are almost identical, the Action III being 10 mm deeper. Not really noticeable unless reading the specs. Weight increases by 1.5 lbs and there is no carry handle so this is not really a “portable” unit. Desk or shelf-top. Speaker drivers are the same, two 3/4” tweeters and one 4” woofer all front facing, the Action III now incorporating outward-facing tweeters to help disperse the sound and increase the width of the sound-stage . Amplifier power is also the same. 15 watts for each tweeter and 30 watts for the woofer. Frequency Response for the Action III is better at 45 Hz to 20K Hz, providing slightly lower bass, but the Max SPL is lower, from the Action II's 98 db to 95 db. I wasn't able to detect much difference when listening to both side-by-side in the garage. Sound is amazing for a compact unit that really looks classy. Bass response and channel separation are very good. Bass and Treble controls provide plenty of adjustment to customize the sound to your liking. Another new feature, accessible only through the Marshall App is a Placement Compensation setting. Bass response is adjusted depending upon options, unit placed close to a front edge, close to a wall or corner or free-standing. Audible bass response difference depending upon selection. NO to all gives the best sound in my opinion as the bass is cut for any other selection.Over all, this is a fantastic speaker. Small size, huge sound. Bluetooth connectivity was instantaneous with my Android phone and signal strength remained strong even when my phone was 30 to 40 feet away. The speaker appears to be well built, rugged enough to keep in the garage or use outside without worry of damage. Marshall has delivered again.