MARSHALL EMBERTON II

Design & Construction

Marshall's most successful and well-lauded portable speaker is back yet again in its 2nd generaion and this time improved to maintain its reputation. This year, the Emberton II uses the same original form factor as its predecessors. 'If its ain't broke, don't fix it right? Yes, the entire speaker itself shares the same design elements as the rest of the lineup. A large embossed Marshall logo in brass on the front, a dual grille design to hide the drivers as well as a full silicone texture resembling real leather in looks but protects it like a glove in durability. In my personal experience, using it around outdoor elements, the Emberton II fairs well even when drooped from heights. The tough silicone sleeve that wraps its entirety protects most of the edges from scratches and dents. However, do note that the metal grille and Marshall logo may not stay as pristine should the speaker land faced down as its is prone to disfiguration. Just like the first generation, the Emberton II uses the same playback and power controls found on the top of the speaker. A single gold-plated multi-function knob allows you to power on/off with a long press. For playback, a single press play/pause your music, a right tilt skips forward and a left tilt skip backwards, an upwards tilt will increase the volume and a downwards tilt decreases the volume. Towards the left, you will find the familiar Bluetooth pairing button that makes the speaker discoverable for new device pairing. However, the button can double up as a Stake Mode enabler which allows multiple Emberton II to be paired to create a larger and more immersive sound to start parties should your friends also own an Emberton II, Willen or Middleton. Back to the rest of the speaker controls, the battery life status indicators is found on the right and lighted up in red to let you know its remaining battery life with a quick glance. Although the design is largely unchanged, internally the Emberton II is now good for up to 30 hours of playback, a 50% increase from the previous strong 20+ hours. To round up the full package, the speaker does also have quick charge that gives you 4 hours of playtime with a 20 minute charge and a full charge from a dead battery in a mere 3 hours charge. All made possible via thr USB-C port on the left side of the speaker. In terms of durability, the Emberton II is rated at IP67 dust and water-resistance so you and your friends can bring it to a pool party and have no worries about it falling into the pool.

Sound Quality

Moving on to sound quality, the Emberton II features a similar driver set-up as its predecessors; where 2 inch 10W Class-D full-range dynamic driver and 2 passive radiators to produce a dynamic, exciting and energetic sound signature that is suited ofr EDM, Hip-Hop and many of its sub-genres. Having a frequency range between 60Hz-20KHz, the bass is deep, punchy and tight, it hits deep and so much more than its predecessors. One great thing that Marshall has promised in its marketing is the fact that the speaker punches above its weight and I found it to be quite true. THe bass depth does wow you time and time again from a speaker this size. The bass although strong, doesn't bleeds into the mids nor distort at loud volumes. The mids do sound crisp with good detail while the highs sound bright and forward with clarity in the vocal reproduction. The instrument separation is excellent with distinct stereo output and left and right channel being heard clearly, Now, since we are on it, I have to promise the most prominent change in sound signature from its predecessors being the True Stereophonic tuning that is newly-introduced in this model. Basically, this tuning enhances the overall output to be immersive in replicating a 360 degree output that sounds wider and more room-filling with just a mere 40% volume for a medium-sized roo,. Now, as mentioned above, should you need a louder sound, you may activate Stack Mode to pair multiple Emberton II together. Although the Emberton II sounds great out-of-the-box, the speaker's sound signature can be customised via the Marshall Bluetooth app, available on the App and Play Store. In the app, you will first see the option to pair your Willen if you haven't done so before. You will then be greeted with the image of the speaker in the colourway that you have as well as the battery life staus. The first setting is the EQ Preset where you can choose from 3 fixed presets of Marshall, Push and Voice. The Marshall preset is selected by default as being the out-of-the-box sound well the Push preset enables a boosted bass and treble for a deeper and heavier sound. The Voice preset on the other hand, feature an emphasis on the midrange that is more suited for podcasts rather than songs due to its extreme over-tuning that causes the bass to be lost totally. The Push preset didn't fare too well either as the bass becomes bloated and the treble sounds sharp instead, similarly over0tuning to cause the midrange to become over-shadowed and make the speaker sound like it is underwater. Though there is no further customisation like a full-range equaliser, I didn't mind the lack of it since the presets work fine and suffice for most use cases. Back to the app, you can enable the Stack Mode and fiddle with the settings. Moving on to the about tab, you can chwec the speaker's name, model, serial number as well as update its firmware too. If you wish to remove the speaker from you app, a simple tap on the 'Forget Device' button does the job. There are other parts of the app like the Explorre tab that lets you learn more about the rest of Marshall's offerings  and the More tab where you can seek help from the built-in Quick Guide should you forget how to operate the speaker or refer to the user manual for even more detailed instructions. If you are looking to use the Emberton II as a speakerphone, it is with a heavy heart to let you know that there is no built-in mic totake calls, hence all calls will be directed to the phone instead. If you would like a speakerphone option, you may check out the smaller variation of the Marshall Willen. which does have a built-in mic for you to for quick calls. Now those who are into using their smart assistants may be disappoint since the speaker does not have a mic nor any Google Assistant, Siri or Amazon Alexa integration for your smart home needs.

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Connectivity & Portability

In terms of connectivity, Bluetooth 5.1 and the standard SBC is offered and not the latest Bluetooth 5.3 or with any AptX codec support unfortunately. However, any device with Bluetooth 5.0 is still very much relevant for long-term use. If you watch movie or videos with the Willen, it doesn't have much latency. On the bright side, the Emberton II supports Bluetooth multipoint connection so you can take calls on your phone and listen to music on your laptop. With the move to a wireless, there is no 3.5mm audio-in port available and you cannot use the USB-C port for wired use. On the left side, the USB-C port is for charging purposes only with the package including a USB-A to USB-C cable. 

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PROS​

• Dynamic Sound Signature

• Iconic Design

• Rugged Build

• App Support

• Customisable Equaliser Presets

• Stack Mode

• Long Battery Life

• IP67 Dust and Water Resistant

• Bluetooth Multi-Pairing

• USB-C Fast Charging

• Speakerphone

• Two Colours Available

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CONS​

• No Audio-In Port

• No Speakerphone

• No Smart Home Integration

• No AptX Codecs Support

The Bottom Line

All in all, the Marshall Emberton II is a great lifestyle speaker that satisfies users with outstanding features. The top selling features include its distinct Marshall sound, long battery life, great durability as well as portability. Armed with the iconic Marshall look, it takes on its competitors of the same size and price point to give them a run for your money. Two colours of Black and Brass and Cream are available to fit users of different genders and styles.

WE RATE IT!

9.5/10