Though Marshall is greatest identified for its guitar amplifiers, the model additionally has a moderately spectacular presence within the private audio phase. Marshall headphones and audio system — made by Zound Industries as a part of a model licensing settlement — attempt to seize the essence of the model’s styling and sound, and my previous experiences with the merchandise have been largely constructive. The product I am reviewing as we speak, the Marshall Stanmore III, continues with that legacy in a giant, daring, and moderately costly trend.
Priced at Rs. 41,999, the Marshall Stanmore III instantly strikes you as an extremely good wanting Bluetooth speaker. It is also large, moderately heavy, and must be plugged in to an influence outlet to work, so do not count on to have the ability to take this out and about with you. Nonetheless, this additionally makes it a promising dwelling leisure choice, and one which’s engaging sufficient to earn a spot of delight in your front room. Is the Marshall Stanmore III definitely worth the worth? Discover out on this evaluation.
The Marshall Stanmore III does not have a battery, and must be plugged in to run
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Marshall Stanmore III design and specs
What really helps the Marshall vary of audio system to face out is the unmistakeable resemblance to the model’s historic guitar amplifiers. This consists of the boxy form, outstanding Marshall emblem on the sturdy however versatile straw-like speaker grille up entrance, and delightful leatherette ending on the highest and sides of the Stanmore III. It is the center product within the present third-generation lineup of dwelling audio system from Marshall and is pretty massive, however not as massive because the Rs. 59,999 Woburn III.
The massive measurement additionally makes the Marshall Stanmore III fairly heavy, however this should not actually be a difficulty as soon as you’ve got unpacked it and safely positioned it, for the reason that speaker is not actually meant to be moved round. This additionally implies that you will have to plug it in to an influence outlet to run — there is no such thing as a battery on this speaker for fully wi-fi use. The underside of the speaker has small rubber legs on the 4 corners, lifting it above the floor and thus decreasing vibrations when in use.
Connectivity choices on the Marshall Stanmore III embrace Bluetooth, a 3.5mm auxiliary socket on the prime, and RCA sockets on the again. Additionally on the rear is the socket the place the included energy cable plugs into the speaker, the bass port for the woofer, and an unlimited quantity of regulatory textual content that’s fairly ugly to take a look at. Wise positioning of the Stanmore III can disguise the again from view, and is one thing you must goal to do should you purchase this speaker.
The controls are maybe probably the most stunning a part of the Marshall Stanmore III, with fascinating retro-style dials, switches, and buttons that function numerous capabilities on the speaker. These are additionally digitally operational, regardless of the very analogue-like look of all of it. There are separate dials to manage quantity, bass, and treble, a mix press-and-slider change controls playback, and a button controls supply choice.
Controls for bass and treble allow you to regulate the equaliser settings rapidly and simply on the Marshall Stanmore IIIÂ itself
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There may be additionally a giant change for energy, and an auxiliary socket on the prime for easy wired stereo connectivity with numerous units. The controls are a mix of metallic and plastic, however really feel nice to the touch and use. There are additionally indicator lights round among the controls comparable to the amount, bass, and treble ranges, which gentle up when getting used and dim to a softer glow in unusual operation.
The Marshall Stanmore III has a frequency response vary of 45-20,000Hz, and Bluetooth 5.2 for wi-fi connectivity. There is no such thing as a Wi-Fi connectivity or microphone on the speaker, however there’s app assist for some customisation. Disappointingly, codec assist on the Marshall Stanmore III is proscribed to the fundamental SBC codec.
Marshall Stanmore III app and options
Companion apps for wi-fi audio system aren’t quite common, notably these with simply Bluetooth connectivity, so it is good to know that there’s something for the Marshall Stanmore III. That stated, it is a moderately easy app that does not provide so much by the use of options or customisations, and you will not end up needing to open up the app too typically after the preliminary setup of the speaker.
The important thing characteristic on the app — and maybe probably the most compelling purpose to even have it in your smartphone within the first place — is placement compensation. You may choose if the Marshall Stanmore III is positioned near an edge or wall, and accordingly it will tweak the sound to compensate for that. It did appear to make a slight distinction in bettering the sound when correctly adjusted, so it is value going via the method for it.
The Marshall app does not do a lot, with solely the position compensation characteristic coming in useful
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The second characteristic is the equaliser, which lets you regulate the bass and treble ranges on the speaker. It is value stating that the bass and treble dials on the Marshall Stanmore III do the very same factor, and are arguably a lot simpler to make use of than the app. Aside from this, the app additionally shows playback info, however presents little else past this.
Marshall Stanmore III efficiency
Marshall’s merchandise are usually priced at a premium above the competitors, and the Stanmore III isn’t any completely different on this regard. At Rs. 41,999, it is undeniably costly, particularly when you think about that it is largely meant for use as a Bluetooth speaker, and has no Wi-Fi connectivity or good performance. Nonetheless, the engaging design is not all that is there’s to it; the sheer measurement and energy of the speaker implies that audio efficiency lives as much as my moderately excessive expectations.
Regardless of assist for under the SBC codec, the Marshall Stanmore III sounds moderately good — assuming you’ve got tweaked the equaliser a bit. The on-device dials make this fairly straightforward, and I discovered that turning up the treble by round 4 factors made all of the distinction in making the sound much more balanced and gratifying.
The again of the Marshall Stanmore III is not very good to take a look at, however you will probably have the ability to disguise it with correct positioning
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The pure sound with no equaliser modifications sounded a bit bass-heavy, and did not give the Marshall Stanmore III’s glorious highs an opportunity to shine. The speaker luckily retains the equaliser settings even when switched on and off once more. Tweaking the bass stage made for extra punch and assault, which could enchantment to numerous customers, however it’s the spectacular mids and highs that outlined the sound on the Stanmore III for me.
Listening to Tick Tock by Clear Bandit, the vocals sounded sharp and clear, whereas the excessive frequencies hit dwelling capably with out sounding in any respect shrill or disagreeable. The violin riffs and rhythmic vocals performed nicely collectively, with the previous sounding nearly actual and current even in my front room. The mild rumble and drive of the lows — already a bit bumped up as in comparison with the remainder of the frequencies — added the calculated and refined aggression that the observe deserved.
The refinement within the sound was much more pronounced with A.R. Rahman’s Mausam & Escape from the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, which additionally revealed the spaciousness of the soundstage and the flexibility to create a large, detailed sonic picture. The ‘drop’ involving the enduring sitar riff within the observe highlighted the wonderful tuning efforts that Marshall has put into the Stanmore III, offering a wider soundstage and extra partaking sound than I’ve heard from most audio system, in need of full-sized soundbars.
All of that is complemented by the truth that the Marshall Stanmore III can get very loud. I often had the speaker taking part in at across the 50 to 60 % quantity stage, which made for a sound that not solely crammed my front room, however could possibly be heard pretty clearly and loudly from even 10-15m away in different rooms. Increased quantity ranges of round 80 % had been impressively freed from any audible distortion or points, and sounded immersive, punchy, and attention-grabbing like nothing else of this type.
Sound high quality with an auxiliary connection was expectedly a bit higher than with Bluetooth, however the distinction wasn’t vital. The speaker is not geared a lot round element and nuance as it’s across the sonic signature itself, and I most popular the comfort of Bluetooth given the traits of the sound. That stated, wired connectivity is a handy choice to have, notably the RCA sockets which make connectivity with a tv or dwelling leisure methods a bit simpler for individuals who need it.
Verdict
The Marshall Stanmore III is an uncommon product in 2023 given its Rs. 41,999 worth, and the shortage of Wi-Fi-based connectivity and streaming choices which usually justify that sort of price ticket. Nonetheless, that does not make it any much less interesting; the retro-style design, spectacular construct high quality and use of premium supplies, and the gratifying sound make this a simplicity-driven dwelling speaker that focuses on the core performance to good impact.
The power to tweak the equaliser on the gadget itself, respectable wired connectivity choices, and the flexibility to get loud and sound nice whereas at it, all make the Marshall Stanmore III much more fascinating on the entire. In order for you a very good dwelling speaker for music and have the price range for it, the Marshall Stanmore III is nicely value contemplating.
