The Acton II Bluetooth measures 6.3 by 10.3 by 5.9 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.5 pounds, with a fairly realistic-looking grain leather patina covering much of the top and side panels. The front face is a tweed-covered grille with a handsome cursive Marshall logo. If you like the Marshall amp look, this is not a cheap knockoff; it is classy. A 3.5mm aux input, a source button, a play/pause button, and a power switch are all located on the top panel. There are also three volume, bass, and treble controls. The levels for these knobs are displayed on the face of the gold-tinted, anodized aluminium control panel in underlit red LED notches. The speaker has dual tweeters behind the grille, each powered by a 15-watt Class D amplifier, and a single woofer powered by a 30-watt Class D amplifier. The frequency range is from 50Hz to 20kHz. Despite powerful bass vibrations, the speaker is supported by four sturdy feet that ensure it does not dance around on tabletops. When compared to the rest of the design’s attention to style and detail, the Acton II Bluetooth’s rear panel almost appears to be a practical joke. The panel is black and filled with hundreds of words in various languages written in microscopic legalese. It’s not that we haven’t seen this before on speakers, but it’s usually not as prominently displayed, or it’s in a pamphlet rather than on the speaker’s body. Sure, if you park this thing against a wall, you’ll be fine. However, if you place it in the middle of the room, or even with some space behind it, someone will have an unpleasant view. The back panel appears to exist only to house the AC cable connection and the aforementioned safety warnings and logos, with the exception of a ported area for air moved by the drivers to escape through and a covered connection for service only. If a wireless speaker in this price range is going to be stationary, it seems like it should have more inputs. If there’s only one physical connection, a sturdy, attractive 3.5mm cable to go with it would have been a thoughtful inclusion. There’s also no speakerphone, which seems like a squandered opportunity given the Acton II Bluetooth’s small size. The free app allows you to choose between EQ presets, change the intensity of the LEDs, put the speaker in standby mode, and control your music.
