Though Marshall is finest recognized for its guitar amplifiers, the model additionally has a reasonably 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 model and sound, and my previous experiences with the merchandise have been largely constructive. The product I'm reviewing right this moment, the Marshall Stanmore III, continues that legacy in massive, daring and reasonably costly trend.
The worth of Rs. 41,999, the Marshall Stanmore III instantly strikes you as a stunningly stunning Bluetooth speaker. It's additionally massive, reasonably heavy, and must be plugged into an influence outlet to work, so don't anticipate to have the ability to take this out and about with you. Nevertheless, this additionally makes it a promising house leisure choice, and one that’s enticing sufficient to earn satisfaction of place in your front room. Is the Marshall Stanmore III definitely worth the value? Discover out on this evaluate.
The Marshall Stanmore III doesn’t have a battery, and have to be plugged in to run
Design and specs Marshall Stanmore III
What actually helps the Marshall speaker vary stand out is the unmistakable resemblance to the model's historic guitar amps. This consists of the boxy form, the outstanding Marshall emblem on the sturdy but versatile straw-shaped speaker grill on the entrance, and a lovely leatherette end on the highest and sides of the Stanmore III. It’s the center product within the present third-generation line of house audio system from Marshall and is kind of giant, however not as giant because the Rs. 59,999 Woburn III.
The massive measurement additionally makes the Marshall Stanmore III fairly heavy, however this shouldn't actually be an issue when you've unpacked it and positioned it securely, because the speaker isn't actually meant to be moved. This additionally means it’s worthwhile to plug it into an influence outlet to run – there is no such thing as a battery on this speaker for utterly wi-fi use. The underside of the speaker has small rubber ft on the 4 corners, elevating it above the floor and thus decreasing vibrations when in use.
Connectivity choices on the Marshall Stanmore III embrace Bluetooth, a 3.5mm auxiliary jack on high, and an RCA jack on the again. Additionally on the again is the socket the place the included energy cable plugs into the speaker, the bass port for the woofer, and an enormous quantity of regulatory textual content that’s fairly ugly to take a look at. The delicate positioning of the Stanmore III can disguise the rear from view, and that's one thing it is best to intention to do in case you purchase this speaker.
The controls are maybe the perfect a part of the Marshall Stanmore III, with attention-grabbing retro-style dials, switches and buttons that function numerous features on the speaker. These are additionally digital operatives, regardless of the very analog look of all the things. There are separate dials to manage quantity, bass and treble, a push-and-slider mixture controls playback, and a button controls supply choice.
The bass and treble controls mean you can alter the equalizer settings rapidly and simply on the Marshall Stanmore III itself.
There's additionally a big energy change, and an auxiliary jack on high for straightforward wired stereo reference to numerous gadgets. The controls are a mix of steel and plastic, however really feel good to the touch and use. There are additionally indicator lights round a few of the controls, equivalent to the quantity, bass and treble ranges, which gentle up when in use and fade to a softer gentle in abnormal operation.
The Marshall Stanmore III has a frequency response vary of 45-20,000 Hz, and Bluetooth 5.2 for wi-fi connectivity. There isn’t any Wi-Fi connection or a microphone on the speaker, however there’s app help for some customization. Disappointingly, codec help on the Marshall Stanmore III is proscribed to the fundamental SBC codec.
App and options Marshall Stanmore III
Companion functions for wi-fi audio system usually are not quite common, particularly those who solely have Bluetooth connections, so it's good to know that there’s something for the Marshall Stanmore III. That mentioned, it's a reasonably easy app that doesn't supply a lot in the way in which of options or customization, and also you gained't end up needing to open the app too usually after the preliminary speaker setup.
The important thing characteristic within the app – and maybe probably the most compelling motive to even have it in your smartphone within the first place – is placement compensation. You’ll be able to choose if the Marshall Stanmore III is positioned close to a border or wall, and consequently it can tweak the sound to compensate for that. It appeared to make a slight distinction in enhancing the sound when fitted correctly, so it's price going by way of the method for it.
The Marshall app doesn't do a lot, with solely the location compensation characteristic coming in helpful
The second operate is the equalizer, which lets you alter the bass and treble ranges within the speaker. It's price noting that the bass and treble dials on the Marshall Stanmore III do precisely the identical factor, and might be a lot simpler to make use of than the app. Along with this, the app additionally shows playback info, however affords little past that.
Efficiency by Marshall Stanmore III
Marshall merchandise are usually priced at a premium over the competitors, and the Stanmore III is not any completely different in that regard. At Rs. 41,999, is undeniably costly, particularly when you think about that it’s largely meant for use as a Bluetooth speaker, and has no Wi-Fi connectivity or good performance. Nevertheless, enticing design will not be all there’s; the dimensions and energy of the speaker imply that the audio efficiency lives as much as my reasonably excessive expectations.
Regardless of solely supporting the SBC codec, the Marshall Stanmore III sounds fairly good – assuming you've tweaked the equalizer a bit. The dials on the machine make this fairly simple, and I discovered that elevating the treble by about 4 stops made a distinction in making the sound far more balanced and gratifying.
The rear of the Marshall Stanmore III will not be very nice to take a look at, however you would possibly be capable of disguise it with a correct place.
The unmodified pure sound of the equalizer sounded a bit bass-heavy, and didn't give the Marshall Stanmore III's wonderful highs an opportunity to shine. Thankfully, the speaker retains the equalizer settings even when turned on and off once more. Tweaking the bass stage made for extra punch and assault, which could attraction to a variety of customers, however it’s the spectacular mids and highs that outline the sound on the Stanmore III for me.
Listening to Tick Tock by Clear Bandit, the vocals sounded loud and clear, whereas the excessive frequencies hit house with capability with out sounding in any respect shrill or disagreeable. The violin riffs and rhythmic vocals play effectively collectively, with the previous sounding nearly actual and current even in my front room. The light noise and motion of the bass – already somewhat bumped up in comparison with the remainder of the frequencies – add the calculated and refined aggression that the monitor deserved.
The refinement of the sound was much more pronounced with the soundtrack of AR Rahman's Mausam & Escape from the Slumdog Millionaire, which additionally revealed the breadth of the sound and the power to create a large and detailed sonic picture. The 'drop' involving the long-lasting sitar riff within the monitor highlighted the superb tuning efforts that Marshall put into the Stanmore III, offering a wider sound and extra partaking sound than I've heard from most a part of the audio system, near full-size soundbars.
All that is complemented by the truth that the Marshall Stanmore III might be very robust. I often had the speaker taking part in at about 50 to 60 p.c quantity stage, which produced sound that not solely stuffed my front room, however could possibly be heard fairly clearly and loudly even from 10-15 m away. distance in different rooms. Quantity ranges larger than round 80 p.c have been impressively freed from any audible distortion or points, and sounded immersive, punchy and fascinating like nothing else of its variety.
The sound high quality with an auxiliary connection was anticipated to be barely higher than with Bluetooth, however the distinction was not important. The speaker will not be pretty much as good at element and nuance as it’s across the sonic signature itself, and I desire the comfort of Bluetooth given the sound traits. That mentioned, wired connectivity is a handy choice to have, particularly the RCA sockets that make connecting to a tv or house leisure programs somewhat simpler for individuals who need it.
Verdict
The Marshall Stanmore III is an uncommon product in 2023 given its Rs. 41,999, and the shortage of Wi-Fi connectivity and streaming choices that usually justify this sort of value. Nevertheless, this doesn’t make it much less enticing; the retro-style design, spectacular construct high quality and use of premium supplies, and nice sound make this a house speaker pushed by simplicity that focuses on core performance to good impact.
The power to regulate the equalizer on the machine itself, respectable wired connection choices, and the power to get loud and nice sound whereas at all of it make the Marshall Stanmore III much more fascinating general. In order for you a very good house speaker for music and have the price range for it, the Marshall Stanmore III is price contemplating.
