I used Marshall’s Emberton III for 2 months — this small speaker has a mighty wallop

I’ve over two dozen Bluetooth audio system in my home, however I’ve all the time been involved in Marshall gear. I purchased the Stanmore a decade in the past, and it has served me nicely through the years — I nonetheless use it repeatedly, and it sounds fabulous. I additionally take pleasure in utilizing the Kilburn II, and pretty much as good as it’s, it is not essentially the most transportable.

That is the place the Emberton III is available in. It is not the smallest Marshall speaker — that is the Willen II — however its inherent portability provides it a definite benefit. Coming in at $149 on Amazon, it is rather more inexpensive than Marshall’s different audio system. The sizing is a key a part of why I just like the Emberton III a lot, and within the final two months, I used the speaker extra than simply about every other.

Marshall’s audio system have a particular design that is just like the model’s iconic amps, and the Emberton III isn’t any totally different. I like that the model ported the design aesthetic right into a smaller type issue, and the metallic grille on the entrance with the embossed Marshall emblem permits the Emberton III to face out visually.

However you are not shopping for it for the seems to be; the sound high quality is the place the Emberton III comes into its personal. The speaker produces 20W of sound by way of two 10W full-range drivers, and there are twin passive radiators as nicely. Now, 20W could not seem to be quite a bit when there are transportable audio system just like the Tribit StormBox Blast 2 that go as much as 200W, however the Emberton III cleverly makes use of the interior design to supply a a lot louder sound than the {hardware} suggests.

The result’s that the Emberton III punches nicely above its weight with regards to how loud it will get; more often than not, I did not have to extend the amount past 60%. The sound high quality is quintessential Marshall; there is a pronounced bass with a good sub-bass that sounds pleasant, detailed mid-range that lets vocals and ensemble devices shine, and clear treble with none sibilance.

The drivers are angled throughout the chassis, so that you get a stereo soundstage that is immersive. Whereas there aren’t any toggles to alter the bass and treble ranges like on the Stanmore, you need to use the Marshall app to change between three EQ modes. It is not as configurable, but when you could double down on the bass, there’s an EQ setting that permits you to just do that.

Mainly, the Emberton III sounds pretty much as good because it seems to be, and I used to be continuously impressed by its efficiency on this space. It is exhausting to drag off one thing like this in an enclosure that is simply 160mm extensive and 1.2lb in weight, and Marshall did a terrific job general. The smaller measurement makes it simpler to take the Emberton III wherever, and the design is clearly constructed to final. The speaker took its share of tumbles within the final two months, and it got here away unscathed.

There are different niceties; the Emberton III will get IP67 ingress safety, making it excellent to make use of on the pool or the bathe. There is a built-in mic that permits you to take calls on the speaker, and that is a good addition. You additionally get good onboard controls; there is a multi-function knob on the prime that permits you to modify quantity, play or pause media, and go ahead or again. The devoted Bluetooth button places the Emberton III into pairing mode, you get an influence button, and there is a battery life indicator.

Battery life is fairly nice too; I acquired over 24 hours of use with the amount turned up, and that is higher than most different audio system on this class. It takes simply over two hours to cost the battery by way of USB-C, and quick charging delivers as much as six hours of music playback with a 20-minute cost.

It connects over Bluetooth 5.3, and I did not see any issues with vary or connectivity. I used the Emberton III with my Pixel 10 Professional XL, Galaxy Z Fold 7, Vivo X200 Extremely, and a slew of Android telephones. The one difficulty I’ve with connectivity is that it would not have AptX codecs, restricted as an alternative to the same old SBC and AAC.

When you’ve already invested in Marshall’s merchandise or wish to get a transportable Bluetooth speaker that stands out, the Emberton III is a no brainer. The smaller measurement means you possibly can take it wherever, and the sturdy design mixed with IP67 mud and water resistance makes it climate nearly any surroundings.