Marshall Emberton III: Two-minute evaluate
Certainly, the Emberton III is considered one of Marshall’s best Bluetooth speakers with lengthy battery life and spectacular sound contemplating its comparatively small dimension. This third era Emberton delivers even higher battery life and barely louder sound, and whereas it isn’t going to rattle the rafters it is a powerful performer.
The Emberton III is especially good at decrease volumes the place Marshall’s Dynamic Loudness delivers a bass enhance that stops your music from sounding too weedy; for podcasts, the place voices are typically decrease frequencies, there’s an EQ preset to chop the lows and enhance the mid-range as an alternative.
The principle promoting level here’s a function we weren’t capable of check: Auracast through Bluetooth LE. Auracast will allow you to create a multi-speaker setup along with your Marshall because the sound supply, broadcasting over Bluetooth to different Auracast-capable Marshalls, however the function hasn’t but been carried out. It is coming as an over-the-air replace through Marshall’s smartphone app and Marshall tells us it is coming very quickly. Mainly, it is constructed to be LE Audio prepared, so if future-proofing your Bluetooth system is one thing you are into, it is a fantastic purchase.
With audio system this small there may be in fact a restrict to how a lot bass they’ll put out and the way loud they’ll go earlier than issues begin getting harsh. However the Marshall is a strong performer for its dimension, and when you do not push it too onerous you can get probably the most out of its massive battery too.
Marshall Emberton III evaluate: Value & launch date
- Launched August 2024
- Prices $159 / £159 / AU$289
The Marshall Emberton III was launched in August 2024. The advisable retail value is $159 / £159 / AU$289.
That is the third model of this Marshall moveable speaker; we reviewed the unique Marshall Emberton again in 2020 and the Emberton II in 2022. It is considered one of two new releases from the agency alongside the Willen II, a smaller and extra inexpensive speaker ($119 / £99 / AU$199) with one driver slightly than two.
Marshall Emberton III evaluate: Specs
| Weight | 0.67kg/1.5lbs |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth LE and Auracast (through imminent replace) |
| Battery life | 32+ hours |
| Speaker drivers | 2x 10W full-range drivers, 2 passive radiators |
| Waterproof ranking | IPX67 |
Marshall Emberton III evaluate: Options
- Bluetooth LE and Auracast prepared
- 32+ hours of battery life
- “True Stereophonic” audio
You may arrange the Emberton III in two methods: immediately via your machine’s Bluetooth, or through the Marshall iOS or Android app. That provides you entry to 3 EQ presets: the default “Marshall sound”; a high and low finish enhance; and a mid-range enhance. That latter one is for speech equivalent to audiobooks and podcasts. As with the earlier mannequin there are not any EQ customization choices.
Utilizing the machine could be very easy, as a result of it is a quite simple machine. There’s an on-off button, a rocker change for quantity and observe skipping, and a pink LED strip to indicate battery life.
The large information right here is the improve to Bluetooth LE audio and Auracast multi-device broadcast assist. With Auracast you can share your music to a number of audio system concurrently, however the Bluetooth LE it requires will not be obtainable on launch day: Marshall guarantees an replace imminently through the Marshall Bluetooth app however in fact meaning we weren’t capable of strive that particular function. There’s additionally inbuilt microphone so you should utilize this Marshall for calls, however not for voice assistants.
As with the earlier Emberton, the Emberton III has what Marshall calls True Stereophonic, a 360-degree audio function that guarantees to fill your room with surprisingly huge sound. Oh, and there is a strap to your backpack so you possibly can annoy folks on hikes.
One of many points with many audio system is that they’ll change into too bass-light at low ranges as a result of audio traits change with quantity. Marshall has an answer that it calls Dynamic Loudness, which robotically adjusts the tonal traits primarily based on the quantity you are listening at.
Battery life is a claimed 32-plus hours, two greater than earlier than, and we did not have any issues reaching thirty hours with playback volumes round 50%. Full recharge through the USB-C port takes two hours in comparison with three for the Emberton II.
In a pleasant contact, the Emberton III performs a cute little ascending guitar riff once you energy it on and a descending one once you energy it off.
Marshall Emberton III evaluate: Sound high quality
- Dynamic Loudness spectacular at decrease volumes
- EQ enhance for podcast and audiobooks
- Punchy given its small dimension
It would be impolite to not begin testing with some traditional rock, so the primary track to strive was naturally AC/DC’s Again in Black. The Emberton delivered an impressively punchy efficiency with wonderful mid- and high-range readability, and the promise of room-filling sound was undoubtedly delivered: this little speaker rocks a lot more durable than you’d count on it to and would not want you to place it fastidiously to get the most effective outcomes.
That stated, it is essential to handle your expectations with a speaker of this dimension. There’s solely a lot air that two-inch drivers can push, so whereas Marshall has finished a very good job delivering low frequencies at decrease volumes – a lot so that you simply may wish to swap to the mid-range EQ enhance for podcast listening so the presenters do not make all the pieces round you vibrate – once you crank up the Emberton to larger volumes the low finish distorts and the upper frequencies change into harsh.
With Marshall amplifiers, it is conventional to show them up. However this Marshall speaker is finest turned down. At decrease volumes the Dynamic Loudness delivers very spectacular bass for a system this small. REM’s Out of Time album was a specific spotlight, Mike Mills’ bass as clear as his harmonies.
The relative lack of bass at larger volumes is especially noticeable on dance music equivalent to Pet Store Boys’ Loneliness, Troye Sivan’s slinky One among Your Women or Charli XCX’s 360, all of which lose a number of their floor-filling thump, and with expensively produced tracks equivalent to Taylor Swift’s No Physique No Crime, which has a really distinctive bass drum sound that loses its punch right here. All of those tracks sound higher quieter on this method.
That is additionally a difficulty for guitar-based rock music, particularly comparatively busy tracks equivalent to The Killers’ When You Had been Younger. It is enjoyable at decrease volumes however flip it up and it rapidly turns into tiring.
To my ears this can be a speaker finest suited to bed room, kitchen or examine listening and for taking outdoors on good days. When you’re searching for a celebration monster or intend to pay attention loud you is likely to be higher with one thing constructed round bigger speaker drivers.
Marshall Emberton III evaluate: Design
- Seems like a Marshall amp
- IP67 for mud and water resistance
- Rugged and stackable
The Emberton III unsurprisingly appears to be like lots just like the Emberton II. As with different Marshalls the design echoes that of the well-known Marshall cupboards and stacks we have seen on rock stars’ phases, and meaning they’re fairly rugged-looking and no-nonsense in addition to stackable, similar to stage audio system. I believe they give the impression of being nice; having Marshall’s design DNA in audio system makes extra sense to me than crowbarring it into headphones such because the Marshall Major III, which I believe simply look overly boxy. You may select between a traditional black or cream.
The brand new Emberton is rated IP67 for mud and waterproofing, so it is able to surviving a dunk as deep as 1m of water for as much as half-hour. That makes it largely proof against a spilled drink or competition rain.
Contained in the Marshall there are two class D amplifiers pushing twin 10W 2-inch full vary drivers and two passive radiators. Frequency response is 65Hz to 20kHz and it is barely louder than earlier than, pushing out a sound strain degree of 90dB at 1m in comparison with the 87dB of the Emberton II.
The Marshall, fortunately, is lots lighter than the Marshall amps I’ve needed to lug up and down stairs and hearth escapes: it is 0.67kg/1.5lbs.
Marshall Emberton III evaluate: worth
- A lot of spectacular opponents on this value bracket
- Marshall’s battery life leaves many rivals behind
At $159 / £159 / AU$289 this speaker is competing towards some very spectacular rivals: spend £20 extra and you could possibly get our present favourite among the many best Bluetooth speakers, the Sonos Roam 2. However the place the Marshall has the Sonos speaker crushed is in battery life.
The Sonos guarantees as much as 10 hours whereas the Marshall can ship greater than thrice that. So if you are going to a weekend competition or anyplace else the place residence comforts will probably be absent for just a few days, the Marshall is the speaker you may wish to take with you. It is sufficiently small to be actually moveable however loud sufficient to soundtrack your adventures with out having to push it too onerous.
Do you have to purchase the Marshall Emberton III?
| Attributes | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Options | Distinctive battery life and the well-known Marshall Sound. Auracast is coming quickly. | 4.5/5 |
| Sound high quality | It is spectacular for such a small speaker, and Dynamic Loudness works properly at decrease volumes. | 4/5 |
| Design | It appears to be like like a Marshall amp. Controls are easy and simple and the on/off sounds will make you smile. | 4.5/5 |
| Worth | There are some wonderful rivals right here however few ship the identical battery life. | 4.5/5 |
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Marshall Emberton III evaluate: Additionally take into account
How I examined the Marshall Emberton III
- Examined for 2 weeks as an alternative choice to Apple HomePods and UE’s Wonderboom
- Used indoors at smart ranges – and loud outdoors
- Listened to Apple Music, my very own library, Overcast podcasts and a few of my very own tunes too
I used the Marshall Emberton III for 2 weeks with Apple Music and a few of my very own recordings, utilizing the identical tracks I take advantage of to check all audio package – a giant mixture of genres together with dwell performances, dance and pop music, numerous flavors of metallic and extra. I additionally listened to podcasts through the Overcast app.
I have been a musician and audio obsessive for over 35 years now, and I have been reviewing audio package – headphones, audio system and audio gadgets of every kind – for the reason that late Nineteen Nineties.
- First reviewed: October 2024
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