Design & Construction

With the success of the Emberton series in the second iteration, Marshall is now trying to dominate the larger portable speaker market with the Middleton. And like every Marshall speaker, it looks to be a promising feat. Let's dive in. Retaining its classic Marshall look, the Middleton 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 Middleton fairs well even when dropped 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. Because of its large frame, Marshall has decided to add a detachable carry strap hinge to let you easily pick up the speaker. The strap does require you to attach it on your own so you can choose whether you would like to have it on or not. Just like the rest of the lineup, the speaker uses the same playback and power controls found on the top of the speaker with some new additions. In the centre, a single gold-plated multi-function knob allows you to power on/off with a long press. For playback, a single press will 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. The button can also double up as a Stake Mode enabler which allows multiple Middletons to be paired together 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 indicator is found on the left and lighted up in red to let you know its remaining battery life. However, this time, you will have to press the battery status button to bring up the LED as the bar does more than its intended purpose. Towards the right, there are new discreet buttons for the bass and treble. Taking cues from Marshall's smart home speakers lineup, they have decided to let users change how much bass and treble they would like to have in their music. A quick press on the increase or decrease buttons lets you customise the bass and treble right from the speaker itself. These changes would then be indicated with the multi-functioned LED bar from levels 1 to 10. Notably, the volume control is also visually indicated with the same bar so you can view it with ease. Internally, the Middleton is good for up to 20+ hours of playback, taking into account the average 50% volume of playback. To round up the full package, the speaker does also have quick charge that gives you 2 hours of playtime with a 20 minutes charge and a full charge from a dead battery in a rather long 4.5 hours charge. All made possible via the USB-C port on the back of the speaker. In terms of durability, the Middleton 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 Middleton features the largest range of drivers ever in a portable Marshall speaker. Two 3 inch 15W woofers powered by two 20W Class D amplifiers, two 3/5 inch 10W tweeters powered by two 10W Class D amplifiers and 2 passive radiators work together to produce a dynamic, exciting and energetic sound signature that is suited for EDM, Hip-Hop and many of its sub-genres. Having a frequency range between 50Hz-20KHz, the bass is deep, punchy and tight, it hits deep and so much more than its competitors. 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 with its punchiness that is well-controlled with a great level of tightness. 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, I do have to say that most distinct sound improvement is True Stereophonic tuning where the overall output is made more immersive to replicate a 360° surround. The sound is indeed fuller and more room-filling with just a mere 40% volume for a medium-sized room. Now, as mentioned above, should you need a louder sound, you may activate Stack Mode to pair multiple Middletons together. Although the Middleton 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 Middleton 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 status. The first setting is the EQ Preset where you can choose to control the bass and treble controls just like the hardware controls found on the speaker itself. The original 3 fixed presets of Marshall, Push and Voice found on the Willen and Emberton II are replaced here. There is no further customisation like a full-range equaliser but I personally didn't mind the lack of it since its out-of-the-box sound is well-tuned to most listening needs. Back to the app, you can enable the Stack Mode and fiddle with the settings. Moving on to the about tab, you can check the speaker's name, model, serial number as well as update its firmware too. If you wish to remove the speaker from your app, a simple tap on the 'Forget Device' button does the job. There are other parts of the app like the Explore 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 Middleton as a speakerphone, it is with a heavy heart to let you know that there is no built-in mic to take calls, hence all calls will be directed to the phone instead. If you would like a speakerphone option, you may check out the smallest variation of the Marshall Willen. which does have a built-in mic for you to take 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 movies or videos with the Middleton, it doesn't have much latency. On the bright side, the Middleton supports Bluetooth multipoint connection so you can take calls on your phone and listen to music on your laptop. At the back of the speaker, there is the return of a 3.5mm audio-in port and the USB-C port for recharging purpose. The USB-C port does acts as a power bank too so you can charge your phone up in a crunch. In the box, a USB-A to USB-C cable is included too. 

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PROS​

• Dynamic Sound Signature

• Iconic Design

• Rugged Build

• App Support

• Customisable Bass/Treble

• Stack Mode

• Long Battery Life

• IP67 Dust and Water Resistant

• Bluetooth Multi-Pairing

• USB-C Quick Charging

• 3.5mm Audio-In Port

• Backup Powerbank

• Two Colours Available

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CONS​​

• No Speakerphone

• No Smart Home Integration

• No AptX Codecs Support

 

The Bottom Line

All in all, the Marshall Middleton is a loud party 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.