New Marshall Middleton Review: Is This The Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker?

Marshall is synonymous with street-worthy guitar amps, but this new portable Bluetooth speaker seems rugged enough to withstand a world tour with Slash. The Middleton sure looks good, with the company’s scripted logo on a black plastic case. The housing is made from 55% post-consumer recycled plastic and is IP67 rated, meaning it offers full protection against dust and can withstand being submerged in 1 meter-deep water for at least 30 minutes. The Marshall Middleton is now available direct for £269 / €299 / $299 Sitting between Marshall’s recently released Stockwell 2 and Emberton 2, the Middleton features a four-speaker multi-directional setup to take on the best Bluetooth speakers regarding audio power from a compact body. As with the Marshall Emberton 2, this four-speaker array allows the unit to use Marshall’s bespoke ‘True Stereophonic’ system, which the company claims creates a more immersive 360-degree soundstage than a standard stereo line-up. There’s a hefty max output of 87db, which sounds like it would be enough to get Lemmy’s approval from beyond the grave, but if that’s not enough you can use the unit’s multi-speaker stacking mode and pair it with other Middletons for even more power. Unlike the Emberton 2, there are physical bass and treble controls on the top of the speaker, while the EQ can also be adjusted via the dedicated Marshall app for Apple and Android devices. The Middleton comes with a claimed battery life of over 20 hours of playtime, with...