The Marshall Emberton Portable Bluetooth Speaker is a small speaker designed for listening to music. Its balanced mid and treble ranges help reproduce clear and present vocals and lead instruments, and there's a bit of extra boom and warmth in the bass range, making it suitable for lots of different audio content. That said, like many of the small speakers we've tested, it struggles to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, making it less than ideal for bass-heavy music genres like hip-hop or EDM. It doesn't offer any sound customization options, either. However, it's very portable, and it has an IPX7 rating for water resistance that certifies it to be immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes.
Our Verdict
The Marshall Emberton is fair for music. This stereo speaker has an amazing soundstage, so you feel immersed in your favorite songs. Its balanced mid and treble ranges help reproduce clear and present vocals and lead instruments, and there's a touch of extra boom and warmth in the bass range. Unfortunately, like most small speakers, it lacks a thumpy and rumbling low-bass. There aren't any sound customization options, and it doesn't get very loud, either.
- Amazing soundstage.
- Lacks low-bass.
The Marshall Emberton is passable for videos and movies. While its balanced mid-range can reproduce clear and accurate dialogue, it lacks low-bass, so you don't feel the deep thump and rumble in action-packed scenes. It also doesn't get very loud, which can be disappointing. However, its latency with Android and iOS devices over a Bluetooth connection is low, so the audio you hear should sync up with the images you see.
- Amazing soundstage.
- Low latency.
- Bluetooth-compatible.
- Lacks low-bass.
- Doesn't get very loud.
- Doesn't support Wi-Fi, Chromecast, or Apple AirPlay.
The Marshall Emberton is very good for podcasts. It has a balanced mid-range, so it reproduces dialogue-centric content clearly and accurately. It's easy to bring on the go, and it supports multi-device pairing. However, it doesn't get very loud, and there's a lot of compression present at max volume that can affect the quality of your audio at louder volume levels.
- Supports multi-device pairing.
- Portable design.
- Doesn't get very loud.
The Marshall Emberton doesn't have voice assistant support.
The Marshall Emberton is satisfactory for outdoor use. This portable speaker has a durable build, and since it's battery-operated, it's easy to bring outside. It even has an IPX7 rating for water resistance, meaning it's certified to be immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. With 9.3-hour continuous battery life, it should last through long days on the go without a recharge. However, it doesn't get very loud, and there are a lot of compression artifacts when you play it at max volume.
- Portable design.
- IPX7 rating for water resistance.
- Doesn't get very loud.
- A lot of compression present at max volume.
Changelog
- Updated Apr 05, 2023: Added a market comparison with the Marshall Middleton in the App box.
- Updated Dec 05, 2022: Corrected an error that previously listed the metal grilles as made of plastic in the Build Quality box.
- Updated Jan 06, 2022: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Jan 15, 2021: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Marshall Emberton comes in 'Black', 'Black and Brass', 'Cream', and 'Forest'. We expect these variants to perform similarly. We tested the 'Black' variant, and you can see the label for the model we tested here.
If you come across another version, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Marshall Emberton is a small, portable Bluetooth speaker. It offers a balanced sound profile with a touch of extra boom and warmth in the bass range, making it suitable for lots of different audio content, and its open soundstage creates an immersive listening experience. However, like many small speakers, it lacks a thumpy low-bass and doesn't get very loud, so it isn't ideal for bass-heavy music genres like EDM or hip hop. It doesn't support voice assistants, even when paired with a smartphone. It also isn't compatible with the Marshall Bluetooth app like the next-generation Marshall Emberton II.
See also our recommendations for the best portable Bluetooth speakers, the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers, and the best golf cart speakers.
The Marshall Middleton is a better portable Bluetooth speaker than the Marshall Emberton. Both speakers have a similar design, but the Middleton is a touch larger and can reproduce a more extended low-bass. Plus, it's supported by a companion app, where you find additional features like bass and treble adjustments. It's even rated for dust resistance, unlike the Emberton. However, its battery life isn't quite as long-lasting.
The Bose SoundLink Flex is a bit more versatile than the Marshall Emberton overall. The Bose is better built with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. It can also get louder with less compression at max volume and has a more balanced sound profile than the Marshall. The Bose also supports voice assistants through your smartphone. However, the Marshall can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono and offers better directivity, resulting in a wider and more immersive-feeling soundstage. Its battery also lasts a bit longer, though this can vary depending on your usage.
The JBL Flip 6 is s a slightly better speaker than the Marshall Emberton, though they have different strengths. The JBL is better built and can get louder with much less compression present at max volume, so audio doesn't degrade as much as you bump up the volume. You can customize its sound to your liking, thanks to the graphic EQ in its companion app. You can also use its PartyBoost button to connect it to other PartyBoost-compatible JBL speakers to create a stereo pair or when you want to amplify your audio across a larger area. That said, the Marshall can produce a slightly more extended low-bass than the JBL. It can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It also has better directivity, resulting in a more spacious-sounding soundstage.
The Marshall Emberton is better than the Marshall Willen for most uses. The Emberton is a slightly bigger speaker that reproduces more bass, so you feel more rumble in genres like hip-hop and EDM. It's a stereo speaker with a better soundstage, too. However, the Willen is more suited for outdoor use, thanks to its smaller, more portable design with a built-in carrying strap. It even boasts a longer battery life and an app with more customization tools.
Test Results
The Marshall Emberton is a small rectangular speaker with a design similar to Marshall's guitar amplifiers. Metal grilles protect its drivers on the front and back of the speaker, with Marshall's distinctive company logo on them. You can find this speaker in 'Black', 'Black and Brass', 'Cream' and 'Forest'.
The Marshall Emberton portable speaker is outstandingly portable. This lightweight speaker is small enough to fit in your hand. It's also battery-powered, so you can take it outdoors with you without needing to worry about wiring it to a power source. For a more portable speaker with a similar design, check out the Marshall Willen.
The Marshall Emberton has a decent build quality. There's a silicone cover that wraps around most of the speaker and a metal grille that covers the front and the rear. It's also rated IPX7 for water resistance, meaning it's certified to be immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. However, the USB-C charging cable can easily disconnect from the speaker if you aren't careful.
The Marshall Emberton's controls are decent. On top of the speaker, there's a multi-directional knob that lets you play/pause your music, control the volume, and turn it on/off. You can also press the left and right sides of the main knob to skip to the previous/next track, and you can hold down these sides to fast forward or rewind within a track. There's a battery life indicator on the top-right of the speaker and a Bluetooth pairing button on the top-left. That said, since the speaker doesn't have a microphone built-in, you can't use its controls to answer and end calls.
The Marshall Emberton speaker has fair frequency response accuracy. The mid and treble ranges are very neutral and balanced, meaning vocals and lead instruments are clear and present in the mix. However, while there's a touch of extra boom and warmth in the bass range, it still lacks low-bass, so you don't feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music genres like EDM. Unfortunately, unlike the Anker Soundcore 3, there aren't any sound customization features like a graphic EQ or presets you can use to tweak its sound to your liking.
The Marshall Emberton has an excellent soundstage performance. This stereo speaker has amazing directivity, resulting in a wide and spacious-sounding soundstage.
The Marshall Emberton has a poor dynamics performance. Like the Sony SRS-XB33, it doesn't get very loud. There are also a lot of compression artifacts present at max volume, so your audio doesn't sound as clean and clear during louder listening sessions. For a speaker with better dynamics, check out the Kove Commuter 2.
This speaker has a very good battery performance. While the manufacturer advertises a battery life of 20 hours, we measured just over nine hours of battery life. However, battery life can vary according to usage, so your experience may differ. The speaker shuts off after about fifteen minutes without an audio file, which can help conserve battery life. Also, the manufacturer says that you can charge it for 20 minutes to get five hours of playtime. If you're looking for a Bluetooth speaker with longer-lasting playback time, consider the JBL Xtreme 3.
For a similar-looking speaker with a companion app, check out the Marshall Middleton.
You can't use this speaker with a wired connection. It comes with a USB-C cable, but that's just for charging it.
The Marshall Emberton Bluetooth speaker has excellent Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair it with up to two devices at once, making it easy to switch between different audio sources. Also, its latency with iOS and Android devices is likely low enough to be suitable for watching videos. Some apps compensate for latency differently, so your experience can vary.