In general, we test a lot of wireless speakers for the simple reason that cables bother us. Now, however, we have received a totally un-wireless speaker, which nevertheless feels quite exciting.
Marshall Hanwell
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Sound Quality - 86%86%
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Features - 60%60%
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Ease of Use - 88%88%
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Build Quality - 88%88%
SUMMARY
Marshall Hanwell looks cool, lacks any hint of modern functionality and can play really loud. And it sounds awesome, which is the main thing.
Cool.
Stylish.
Awesome Sound.
Few features.
No wireless connection.
Somewhat expensive.
For fifty years Marshall dominated the market for guitar amplifiers and speaker systems. They celebrate this by launching a number of special anniversary products in limited edition, among which the speaker Hanwell is considered more special. Special because Marshall traditionally do not manufacture this type of speaker for home use. And special because... well, it is special in many ways.
Classic Marshall Design
The design is Marshall, no doubt about it. It is upholstered in black vinyl, and on the front the iconic Marshall logo shimmers in gold. On the top is an equally golden colored control panel, including three sturdy, good-looking knobs to control the volume, bass and treble. There is also a toggle switch to turn the whole system on or off - how cool is that?
Hanwell is all about style and sound, and the ‘no compromise’ feeling is total. There is not a feature that was invented after 1962 and those who appreciate such things as wireless or battery operation can stop reading now. We’ll find one audio input in the form of a 3.5mm minijack on the top, that´s all there is. It means you have to get up and walk to the speaker if you would like to change the song, assuming you do not solve it any other way. You can, for example, buy an external bluetooth receiver, or why not plug the computer into the speaker and control it via your phone?
Huge Sound
Sonically, we immediately noticed that Marshall has put some effort into their speakers. The sound is warm and wide, with a heavy bass that offers both depth and punch. The midrange is warm and dynamic, but in some cases gives a little metallic impression. This is especially noticeable in the treble which at times can feel a little sharp, and may need some adjustment with the control on the speaker's upper surface. The bass can also be adjusted using a knob, and the ability to adjust the sound in this simple way is greatly appreciate - many speaker manufacturers tend to ignore this.
Conclusion
Overall, we are quite impressed by the Hanwell’s performance, and then we have not even mentioned the fact that it can play seriously loud before we hear any disturbing distortion – this is an awesome party speaker. Hanwell is thus both stylish and charismatic, and also sounds super. The total lack of features obviously drags down the overall rating a bit, as it has a quite hefty price tag of around $600 (although Amazon has an equally hefty discount at the moment). But Marshall’s way of refusing to compromise appeals to us in many ways, and you can not help but to fall a little in love with the speaker. But if you want one you better act now, as rumours say the Hanwell will be ‘Limited Edition’ of about 10 000 units.
GET IT ON eBay!
- FEATURES
- SPecIFICATIONS
- IN ThE bOX
- High quality wooden housing clad in black vinyl with gold logo in the style of the vintage Marshall Amps
- Features an analog power switch and controls for volume, bass and treble
- Powerful, trademark Marshall sound that gives the impression of being at a live performance
- Dual long-throwing woofers for super lows whilst hi-fi tweeters yield sharp extended highs for outstanding range
- Coiled tangle-free double-ended stereo cable with two 3.5mm plugs
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