Marshall Stanmore II Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - Black (UK)

Product Information

While this seems like a downgrade, it really doesn’t make much of a difference. In fact, it contributes to the decreased product weight of Stanmore 3. Stanmore II is the midrange offering in Marshall’s wireless speaker line, with a price tag of around 350 euros that puts it into DXOMARK’s Advanced category. The brand says, “Stanmore II is the most versatile speaker in the Marshall line-up and is perfect for any room, big or small. Built with advanced components, it produces clean and precise audio, even at the highest levels.” It’s a fairly large Bluetooth speaker that perfectly at home being cranked up loud. It has oodles of Marshall style and fairly good audio quality, too. However, since it doesn’t rely on Wi-Fi like its pricier sibling, the Stanmore II Voice, this version is just begging for an integrated battery like the Harman Kardon Go + Play 2.

As I’ve mentioned, there are two ways to customise the audio. You can either use the knobs on the control panel, or you can use the Marshall Bluetooth smartphone app which is available for both iOS and Android. You get full control over the bass and treble. Admittedly, some options offer even more detailed control across a three or even a five band equaliser but if you’re not an audiophile then those two are sure to be enough. With a global score of 144, the Marshall Stanmore II ranks high in our wireless home speaker database. Bluetooth 5.2 has the potential to make the speaker much more functional by reducing power consumption and improving communication between devices. Essentially, 5.2 should give us the ability to connect to multiple devices simultaneously while also decreasing latency.Both the 2 and 3 have a power button, input ports, and bass/treble/volume knobs on the top of the device. The Stanmore 3 has a greater emphasis on sustainable materials, with Marshall stating that the speaker is made of recycled plastic, contains no PVC, and uses “vegan materials” (in other words, the leather exterior isn’t actually leather). Marshall Stanmore 3 provides a refresh and small upgrade, but doesn’t totally redesign or significantly change the Stanmore 2. I view this as a good thing, since the Stanmore 2 was an excellent speaker in its own right. However, I trust Marshall more than an average, budget bluetooth speaker manufacturer. So my guess is that we will actually see these features in the next 6 months.

Some users will also notice that the rear plate on the Stanmore 3 is made of plastic, whereas the Stanmore 2 had a steel plate (in the earlier versions). The Stanmore 2 and Stanmore 3 both have equalizers that can be controlled right from the device, with knobs for bass and treble on the top control panel. This is an unusual feature for a bluetooth speaker, and we give Marshall a lot of credit for including this. At first the upper-mids and treble can sound a little unrefined, but I found my ears grew accustomed to the tone within an hour or so. If yours don’t, you can just tame the treble a little with either the treble knob up-top, or through the app.

The Marshall’s large control knobs offer a satisfying feel, as does the power lever. However, as the volume and tone is controlled by your phone as well as these on-speaker controls, a series of LED light sits around each so you can determine the volume level and bass/treble settings. The high sound quality remains largely unchanged, but the soundstage is slightly wider on the 3 thanks to tweeters that are angled outwards. Marshall has done a great job of making the Stanmore II resemble an amp, while at the same time adding a bit of glamour and softness for it to comfortably fit in a living room. The Stanmore II is a mid-size model in the Marshall lineup. It’s a similar size to a Sonos Play:5; big enough to be thought of as your main music source. Both speakers have the same input options – a 3.5 mm aux port, RCA inputs, and bluetooth-capability. The speaker appearance is nearly identical, as well. The control panel is located on the top of both speakers, and again is almost identical.

However, the build quality and design of both speakers is so similar that I don’t expect the Stanmore 3 to suffer durability issues. The speaker box is solid, the product is well-built, and the faux leather exterior holds up well over time. Marshall does give a nod to those with older tech that they may want to plug-in, including a 3.5mm aux input on the top, and a stereo RCA phono pair on its rear – handy for plugging in a record player. The Marshall Stanmore II is just like the Stanmore II Voice, without the Wi-Fi and smart-assistant features. To get a portable model you have to downgrade to the Marshall Kilburn II. It’s significantly smaller and has smaller-scale sound.There’s no hiding that the Stanmore II falls behind top performers such as the Sonos One and Harman Kardon Go + Play in certain areas, though. Bass control, dynamics and separation are just okay. It sounds its best when played fairly loud, but doesn’t quite have the separation and dynamics of the very top performers. The same criticism can be levelled at Marshall’s other speakers, too. Other than these changes and a few minor changes we will discuss below, the Stanmore 2 and Stanmore 3 are almost identical. Marshall’s Bluetooth app lets you use parametric EQ presets with more bands that just the treble/bass of the top-plate controls, and create your own. For the most part I’ve used the default “flat” mode, though. Both speakers have beautiful and sturdy designs along with high sound quality and EQ knobs right on the device.