Design & Construction

Marshall has left a long legacy on rock-and-roll live stages. This time, in typical Marshall fashion, they release the update to their Stockwell portable speaker. Taking on a new design from its predecessor, the speaker is much taller and slimmer. The speaker measures 180 x 161 x 70 mm and weighs in at 1.38 kg. Textured vinyl covering surrounds the whole speaker with rubber endcaps protecting the sides of the speaker, while metallic grille covers the front and rear of the speaker. It is important to note that the speaker grilles does flex a little when pressed, hence I advise not to press on it intentionally. Under the speaker grilles, there is bass-reflex system of one 10 Watt Class D amplifier for the woofer and two 5 Watt Class D amplifiers for the tweeters, All the controls are at the top of the speaker. There is (From Left-Right); the Bluetooth pairing button, the volume knob, the bass knob, the treble knob and the LED battery life indicator, The speaker will go into pairing mode when you press and hold the Bluetooth pairing button. However, one major missing button, is the addition of the multi-function button to allow users to play/pause, skip forward/backward or accept/reject calls. It also comes with in-built guitar-inspired velvet handles on the top which makes it easy to carry around. At the right side, you will find the 3.5mm aux input and USB-C charging port. 

Sound Quality

The sound reproduction of the Marshall Stockwell II is simply great! From a speaker this size, it produces a decently loud volume of 80dB without distortion. At 50% volume, it can fill a medium-sized room. Having a frequency range between 60-20KHz, the bass response is mind-blowing. It never manages to distort even if you turn it all the way up. It hits deep and so much more than its competitors. Highs sound bright and are not too sharp to listen to unless it is turned up to maximum treble. Mids are very crisp but small details and instruments do get drown out due to the punchiness of the bass. Sound is pumped out from the rear of the speaker as well so you get room-filling audio should the speaker be placed in the middle of a room.

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Connectivity & Portability

In terms of connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0 is offered and as you may have expected, a 3.5mm audio-in port is offered for wired usage. Its battery life peaks at 20 hrs with the bass and treble knob set to a reasonable level. The speaker does charge with a USB-C cable and supports quick charging with a 20 minutes charge giving you up till 6 hours of playback. The speaker will fully charge from a dead battery in 5 hours’ time. However, no app support of any sort is available for download to control any playback functions or further customisation of the speaker.

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PROS

• Durable Construction

• Loud, Powerful Sound

• Classic Design

• Analog Controls

• Bluetooth 5.0

• Multi-Host Bluetooth Pairing

• IPX4 Water-Resistant

• Long Battery Life

• Carrying Handle

 

 

CONS

• Lack of Multi-function Button

• Lack of Mic For Call Taking

• No Stereo Pairing or Party Chain

• No App Support

 

The Bottom Line

The Marshall Stockwell II is a portable classic speaker if you are looking to get an immersive listening experience for your bedroom. With a customisable sound, adjustable analogue knobs and tough construction. it will live up to your expectations and certainly worth its high price point.