The Marshall Acton III is a small, simple speaker that requires AC power. Like other Marshall speakers, its design draws heavily from vintage guitar amplifiers and features physical knobs and switches for controls.
Our Verdict
The Marshall Acton III is okay for music. Despite its smaller size, it reproduces a solid amount of low-end thump and punch, so kick drums in dance tracks have an impactful attack. However, a cut in the treble range can cause delicate vocals to lack articulation and detail. Even so, the speaker gets loud enough to fill most rooms, with enough headroom for massive electronic bass drops. The biggest shortcoming for music listening is the speaker's narrow directivity. If you aren't listening directly in front of the speaker, you'll notice a lack of mid- and treble-range frequencies, causing a further reduction in intelligibility of vocals. And while there's no multi-band graphic equalizer, you can adjust the bass and treble with dedicated physical knobs or in the companion app.
Gets loud enough to fill a living room despite its small size.
Lack of consistent audio delivery when seated around or behind the speaker.
The Marshall Acton III is acceptable for videos and movies. You can connect to a source device with a screen using Bluetooth or a wired AUX connection. And the speaker reproduces stereo content without downmixing your audio. However, it lacks the low-bass output of larger speakers, meaning explosions aren't as rumbly. The speaker also doesn't sound consistent depending on your listening position; there's a lot less mid- and treble-range output if you aren't right in front of the speaker, meaning dialogue can sound muffled and incomprehensible.
Gets loud enough to fill a living room despite its small size.
Lack of consistent audio delivery when seated around or behind the speaker.
The Marshall Acton III is alright for podcasts. It gets loud enough to fill an open-concept living area or kitchen if you like to listen to your favorite shows while you clean or prepare a meal. The speaker also supports Bluetooth connections and multipoint, so you can switch between two simultaneously connected devices. Unfortunately, the speaker has a very narrow directivity, so unless you're in front of the speaker, you'll notice that voices of the podcast host and guests sound muffled.
Gets loud enough to fill a living room despite its small size.
Supports simultaneous Bluetooth connections.
Lack of consistent audio delivery when seated around or behind the speaker.
Low-treble cut can result in a lack of clarity in reproduced speech.
The Marshall Acton III doesn't support voice assistants and has no mic.
The Marshall Acton III only works with AC power and has no certification for dust or water resistance. It's not suitable for outdoor use.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Marshall Acton III comes in a variety of colorways: 'Black,' 'Brown,' 'Burgundy,' 'Cream,' and 'Midnight Blue.' We tested a 'Cream' unit and took a photo of its label. If you encounter another variant, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update the review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Marshall Acton 3 is a relatively barebones Bluetooth speaker, especially when compared side-by-side with other entries from the brand. The Marshall Kilburn III is roughly the same size, but has a battery, dust- and water-resistance certification, and bassier and more consistent audio reproduction when seated at different listening angles. If you're looking to host a party and want even, consistent sound from all listening angles, the Marshall Bromley 450 is a better bet thanks to its 360-degree design and XLR/6.35 mm combo jacks. Moving away from Marshall, it's worth taking a look at the Sony ULT FIELD 5 and the JBL Charge 6 if you're looking for more sound tuning customization, as both entries offer an app-supported graphic EQ with more than two bands (offered by the Marshall).
If you're looking for more recommendations, check out our articles for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers, and the best small Bluetooth speakers.
The Marshall Kilburn III is a better speaker than the Marshall Acton III for most people. The Kilburn works via battery power, while the Acton is wired-only, and it has more comprehensive sound customization features like a multi-band graphic EQ. It also has more bass on tap, and more consistent mid- and treble-range reproduction from behind and beside the speaker. That said, it's typically more expensive, so you'll pay for the added functionality.
Both the JBL Authentics 200 and Marshall Acton III draw inspiration from vintage guitar amplifier designs and are roughly the same size. However, the Marshall goes a step further with knob controls and switches with a more retro look. Both speakers need to be plugged in to work, but the JBL Authentics 200 works better for a home speaker since it has Wi-fi support and integration for Google and Amazon's voice assistants.
The JBL Charge 6 is a better speaker than the Marshall Acton III. For one, it's portable, has a battery and certification for water- and dust-proofing, so you can take it out and about with you, even on a rainy day. And while the Marshall gets a bit louder, it lacks the comprehensive sound customization available in the JBL's app. Still, if you're looking for a stylish speaker to leave plugged in at home, you could do worse than the vintage-styled Marshall.
The Marshall Bromley 450 and Marshall Acton III are significantly different styles of products. The Bromley 450 is a party speaker with a 360-degree design so it sounds consistent regardless of where your house party attendees are standing. On the other hand, the Acton is much smaller and has a wired-only design with a narrow optimal listening space directly in front of it.
Test Results
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