When you hear the name Marshall, rock band's immense walls of speakers on stage during the 60- and 70's comes to mind. Their guitar amps have been used and partly developed by Deep Purple, The Who and Eric Clapton. But times change, and today we will also need small electronic devices for ordinary people. Headphones and speakers that carry the Marshall logo however, is produced by Swedish Zound Industries who also happen to be behind the headphone brand Urbanears.
Marshall Stanmore
-
Sound Quality - 80%80%
-
Features - 80%80%
-
Ease of Use - 90%90%
-
Build Quality - 90%90%
SUMMARY
Turn up the volume and scare the neighbors. The Marshall Stanmore is a wireless speaker with full throttle.
Just over a year ago they released their first speaker, the Marshall Hanwell, named after the place where Jim Marshall opened his first shop. It was a real retro speaker at 23 lbs, with only analog input and a deterrently high price for most people. With the new Stanmore Marshall has created a lighter and more compact speaker with a more affordable price tag. But above all, it has received significantly more and more flexible connections, including wireless.
Design and Build Quality
That said, Stanmore is a small, lightweight speaker compared to many of the bluetooth speakers you find on the shelves. It is the size of the larger models from B&W and Loewe. That is about the size of a large shoe box, or a bookshelf speaker if we compare with the hi-fi world. And even if it only weighs half of its predecessor, it is still far from certain competitors featherweight plastic speaker.
The cabinet is rather substantial and solid with a trustworthy dead sound when you knock on it. And it really screams quality with its leather-clad exterior, brass fittings, cloth grille and of course the classic Marshall logo. Neat and oh, so cool. At the bottom there´s rubber feet to prevent it from moving and to protect the surface you place it on. Even the controls feels solid and of high quality.
Robust Control in retro style blends well with the quality and style of the speaker.
In Use
And the controls are not at all like you’re used to from competing products. Here is the no touch buttons or display. No, Stanmore has hefty manual buttons and knobs. The switch is a proper metal lever and controls for volume, bass and treble is good old-fashioned knobs, just like on a real Marshall guitar amp. On the top side is also buttons to pair with your phone via bluetooth and lights to indicate status and any audio source you have selected.
On the back we find a RCA input so you can connect for example a CD player, or even a record player. There resides oddly enough also an optical input which means you can actually connect, for example, an Apple TV to get a little better sound. On the top is a standard 3.5 mm input and Marshall includes a really delicious spiral cord that makes you feel like you plug in an electric guitar instead of a cell phone.
Sound Quality
Just as expected, this speaker is made for rock'n'roll. For this reason, I added a little more Jimi Hendrix and AC/DC on the playlist than normal. And it is very happy with that kind of music. Guitar riffs fit like a glove and the drums makes you want to shake your fist in the air to the surprisingly deep bass. In addition, it plays loud. So loud that there is a risk of angry neighbors. It goes to eleven, as Spinal Tap would say.
Moreover, it proved to work out really well with electronic music. It’s actually one of the few bluetooth speakers were ‘Silent Shout‘ by The Knife sounds like it should. Not surprisingly, the Stanmore thrives less well with sleeker and more demanding music. Norah Jones’ ‘Come Away with Me‘ sounds a little stuffy and closed in. Her voice comes out good but the resonance of the instruments disappear and it does not feel as natural and close as it should.
Conclusion
The Marshall Stanmore is for once a product you can judge by the look of it. You get exactly what you would expect from a speaker that wears the iconic Marshall brand. It's hearty stuff of good quality and suits the audience attracted by the brand. Is howling guitars and gritty bass at deafening volume what you want - this speaker delivers. It also has many connections and is an excellent choice as an only music system in your first apartment or rec room.
GET IT ON eBay!
- FEATURES
- SPecIFICATIONS
Stanmore may be a compact stereo speaker, but its sound is nothing short of large. Built with advanced components that deliver an accurate response throughout the frequency range, the stanmore packs a punch without compromising the details.The sound is rich and articulate across the entire spectrum, from the deep and powerful bass, throughout the midrange and on to the highest highs. The overall effect is brilliantly reproduced music, full of energy and drive. Adjustable bass and treble dials provide you with custom control, so your music always sounds just how you like it.
Leave a Reply