The Marshall Emberton II is the second generation of the Marshall Emberton and looks very similar to its predecessor. The Emberton II sports Marshall's iconic amp-like design. This small speaker is part of Marshall's portable speaker lineup, along with the smaller Marshall Willen, making it easy to bring your favorite music with you wherever your heart desires. However, unlike the Emberton, it's also compatible with the Marshall Bluetooth app, which you can use to access EQ presets, and you can connect the speaker to other Marshall Emberton II speakers when you want to amplify your audio.
Our Verdict
The Marshall Emberton II is alright for music. It has a balanced sound profile suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content. Its balanced mid-range ensures vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix, and there's a bit of extra warmth and boom in the bass range too. It also has a fantastic soundstage that you'll perceive as immersive and spacious-sounding. Unfortunately, like most small speakers, it also lacks low-bass, so you can't feel the deep thump and rumble typically present in bass-heavy music. That said, while there isn't a graphic EQ to let you fully customize its sound to your liking, there are EQ presets you can use to choose a sound you prefer.
- Balanced sound profile.
- EQ presets.
- Fantastic soundstage.
- Lots of compression present at max volume.
- No graphic EQ.
- Lacks low-bass.
The Marshall Emberton II is passable for watching videos and movies. This stereo speaker offers a fantastic soundstage that you'll perceive as immersive and open-sounding. It also has low Bluetooth latency with iOS and Android devices. As a result, the visuals you see on your screen are in sync with the audio you hear from the speaker. Some apps compensate for Bluetooth latency differently, and your experience may vary. Also, like most small speakers, it doesn't get very loud and lacks low-bass, so you can't feel the deep thump and rumble typically present in action-packed scenes like during car crashes or explosions.
- Balanced sound profile.
- Low Bluetooth latency with iOS and Android devices.
- EQ presets.
- Fantastic soundstage.
- Doesn't get very loud.
- Lots of compression present at max volume.
- No graphic EQ.
- Lacks low-bass.
The Marshall Emberton II is good for listening to podcasts. It has a balanced mid-range that ensures voices and dialogue reproduce clearly and accurately in the mix. There's even a 'Voice' preset you can use when listening to vocal-centric content like audiobooks and podcasts. It's small and lightweight, making it incredibly portable, so you can easily move your podcast with you from room to room. Also, it has excellent directivity, so your audio sounds the same when listening from different angles, like when listening from behind the speaker.
- Balanced sound profile.
- Incredibly portable.
- EQ presets.
- Doesn't get very loud.
- No graphic EQ.
The Marshall Emberton II doesn't support voice assistants.
The Marshall Emberton II is good for outdoor use. This portable speaker is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, meaning it's certified to be dust tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes, so you can take it outdoors without worrying about it getting wet. It also offers a long-lasting battery life of around 22 hours from a single charge, making it great for long listening sessions spent outside. That said, like most speakers its size, it isn't loud enough to fill large outdoor spaces. There's also a lot of compression present at max volume that degrades the quality of your audio when the volume is maxed out.
- IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
- Incredibly portable.
- 22-hour battery life.
- Doesn't get very loud.
- Lots of compression present at max volume.
Changelog
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Updated Oct 23, 2025:
The Controls and Wired sections were updated to mention the Marshall Middleton II.
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Updated Aug 04, 2025:
We've updated the Wired box to include a comparison with the Marshall Kilburn III.
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Updated Mar 26, 2025:
We've edited the Dynamics box to mention the Marshall Tufton as it gets louder with less compression present as maximum volume.
- Updated Apr 05, 2023: Added a market comparison with the Marshall Middleton in the App box.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Marshall Emberton II comes in two color variants, 'Black and Brass' and 'Cream'. This review represents the test results for the 'Black and Brass' variant; you can see its label here. Both variants are expected to perform similarly.
If you come across any other variants, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Marshall Emberton II is the next generation of the Marshall Emberton. Like its predecessor, it's a small portable speaker designed to look like an amp. However, it's compatible with the Marshall Bluetooth app, which lets you access EQ presets to tweak its sound to your liking. It produces a slightly more extended low-bass. It's also better built with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance that certifies it to be dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. However, like most speakers its size, it doesn't get very loud and lacks low-bass, so you can't feel the deep thump and rumble typically present in bass-heavy music like EDM and hip-hop.
See also our recommendations for the best portable Bluetooth speakers, the best Bluetooth speakers for bass, and the loudest Bluetooth speakers.
The Marshall Middleton is a bit better than the Marshall Emberton II. Both are portable Bluetooth speakers with a similar design, though the Middleton is slightly larger. It can reproduce more bass, and you may find its bass and treble adjustments give you more control over its sound than the Emberton II's presets. That said, its battery doesn't last quite as long.
The Marshall Emberton II is better than the Bose SoundLink Flex, though they have different strengths. The Marshall can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, resulting in a more immersive soundstage. Its soundstage is perceived as wider and more spacious. It also comes with EQ presets to tweak its sound to your liking and has longer-lasting battery life. That said, the Bose has less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner-sounding audio at louder volume levels. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone and is excellent at hearing you from far away and in noisy environments.
The Marshall Emberton II is a slightly better speaker than the JBL Flip 6 overall. The Marshall can produce a more extended low-bass and can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It also offers a wider-sounding soundstage and has a longer-lasting battery life of just over 22 hours. However, the JBL has less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio when the volume is maxed out. It also features a graphic EQ to tweak its sound to your liking.
The Marshall Emberton II is a slightly better speaker than the JBL Charge 5, though they have different strengths. The Marshall is smaller, making it more portable. It offers a wider and more immersive-sounding soundstage that can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It has a longer-lasting battery life. It also has lower Bluetooth latency with iOS and Android devices, making it more suitable for watching movies and videos. However, the JBL gets a touch louder than the Marshall, with much less compression present at max volume, so your audio doesn't degrade as much as you turn up the volume. Also, while the Marshall comes with EQ presets to adjust its sound, the JBL has a graphic EQ that gives you more control over the speaker's sound.
Test Results
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