The Marshall’s Emberton 2 is the follow-up to the first Marshall Emberton and is currently fighting to establish itself as one of the best portable speaker producers on the market. This more recent portable speaker shares the same classic amp style as its predecessor but comes in a smaller, more portable package. The more recent model, however, can now connect to additional Emberton 2 speakers for optimal sound and is compatible with the Marshall speakers app, which provides some EQ presets. For music, the Marshall Emberton II works fine. Its balanced sound profile makes it suited for playing a range of audio files. Vocals and lead instruments are assured to sound clear and present in the mix thanks to its balanced mid-range, and the bass range also has a little more warmth and boom. Additionally, it has an excellent soundstage that sounds expansive and deep. Unfortunately, it lacks low-bass as do most little speakers, so you can’t experience the deep thump and rumble that are usually present in music with a lot of bass.
Marshall Emberton II review: Design
The Marshall Emberton II is a compact, rectangular, wireless speaker that mimics an amplifier in appearance. It has a similar appearance to the Marshall Emberton, its forerunner. However, the logo is brass in colour and the grille is black. The rubberized coating that Marshall uses to encase its larger, stage-bound speakers and amplifiers is replicated on the Emberton II.
In addition, this version makes use of modern, greener materials. 50 percent of the speaker’s body is made of recycled plastic from post-consumer sources. Water bottles and outdated electronics are included. Furthermore, it makes a point of not including any PVC at all. The front and back have metal grilles with the recognisable Marshall script embossed on one side in addition to the silicone material around the edges. This style seems timeless and retro, and it’s one we’d want to carry around.
Marshall Emberton II review: Features
The Bluetooth v5.1 wireless communication standard maintains the same 10 m/30 ft Bluetooth range. The Marshall had good stability, but once we got to, and past, the 10m mark, it started to get a touch unstable. The JBL speakers is superior at producing louder volumes, yet the speaker broadcasts its sound loudly enough in my yard to be heard from the other end. The Emberton II, like the original, has Marshall’s True Stereophonic sound for 360-degree music, and it functions satisfactorily while moving the speaker. There is a tiny tone decline when viewed from the side, but it is not very noticeable. The Stack mode now supports pairing (as many as you’d want) Emberton II speakers, in addition to app support. You can control the Stack mode, check the battery level, and adjust the sound using three EQ presets on the app. Marshall is the default setting; Push amplifies the bass and treble; and Voice amplifies the mid-range to give voices more clarity. When using them on The Beatles’ Hey Jude, Voice de-emphasizes everything else instead of emphasising the vocals, which makes the singing seem less natural.
Marshall Emberton II review: Sound
When it comes to the drivers, wattage, and frequency response, the specifications appear to be the same as well. However, there has been a shift, moving from Bluetooth 5.0 to 5.1. We found that vocals begin to sound harsh at overly high volumes, even though it can go very loud and is undoubtedly louder than most people would want in their homes. Although the bass is also full and enticing, it doesn’t go as low as some of its rivals, bottoming out at 60Hz. Your musical preferences will determine whether that is a problem for you. While a speaker like the Huawei Sound Joy can vibrate its way down to the deepest tones, we noted that some techno tunes with intense sub-bass began to flatten out. The Emberton II, however, is a class above for music made with traditional instruments, including jazz, rock, and pretty much anything else. The speaker produces a dramatic, detailed, and wide sound stage that can be heard from all angles despite its small size. It’s quite stunning.
Marshall Emberton II review: Controls
An adequate number of simple-to-use controls are available on the Marshall Emberton II. It has a multi-function button on the top of it. It can be turned on or off by pressing and holding, played or paused by pressing once, and skipped or returned to by pushing left or right. Additionally, you can press and hold it to fast-forward or rewind your music while holding it up or down to change the volume. When you’ve turned up the volume all the way, the speaker will chime to let you know. You can press and hold the Bluetooth button to start pairing mode. Once associated with your device, it causes the Bluetooth light to flash before turning solid red. Additionally, the speaker produces a chime to let you know the pairing was successful. To initiate or terminate what Marshall refers to as a “Stack Mode,” you can triple-press the Bluetooth button. When you want to increase your audio, you can connect numerous additional Marshall Emberton II speakers.
Marshall Emberton II review: Marshall Connect App
Additional functionality can be unlocked by pairing the speaker with your phone and downloading the free Marshall Connect app. When accessible, the app assists you in installing firmware upgrades and gives helpful information about your speaker. The app’s main function is to adjust the speaker using three pre-set EQs. There isn’t a manual EQ adjustment you can regulate, which is unfortunate. You have the option of using Marshall, Push, or Voice. The brand’s hallmark sound, Marshall, is the one we much preferred. For audiobooks, podcasts, or any other type of audio where you wish to increase the conversation, voice is fantastic. Push offers a stronger, more robust sound by emphasising the treble and bass. In our experiments, Push muddled the mids too much and decreased the soundstage, while the bass was slightly improved. We believe that Push simply sounded poorer overall, and that the trade-off was not worthwhile.
Marshall Emberton II review: Battery life
The battery performance of the Marshall Emberton II is excellent. The speaker’s promised battery life is over 30 hours on a single 3-hour charge, however in testing it lasted just over 22 hours on a 4.9-hour charge. In spite of this, 22 hours is still excellent, making it perfect for prolonged listening sessions. Additionally, battery life varies based on your listening preferences and settings. Additionally, the speaker may be set to turn off after roughly 20 minutes of inactivity in order to conserve power.
Price & Availability
The Emberton II is more expensive than its predecessor, as was stated at the beginning. It now costs $169/£149, up from $149/£129. It’s not a tremendous sum, and inflation is probably to responsible for the most of it. Despite moving further away from affordable options, the speaker is still a terrific deal and continues to be less expensive than many competitors from brands like Bang & Olufsen, Bose, and Sonos.
Conclusion
The Marshall Emberton 2 is an elegant speaker. There are various EQ presets in the app, and the audio is clean and well-balanced. It’s a terrific compact speaker for modest design and all-day listening, but the bass and loudness lack a little clarity and accuracy when you crank them up, and the pricing is a touch high compared to the competition.
