Marshall Middleton II Review: Premium Sound In A Portable And Pricey Package – News18

Marshall is a name that is recognised worldwide and the company has evolved with its audio products but with its signature style intact. The portable lineup from the brand starts at a premium range and you have the products increasing in size with their price tags.

The Middleton II is one of the more accessible Bluetooth speakers from Marshall, at least from its size, as most would say that for Rs 31,999 the Marshall Middleton II needs to not only prove its mettle with its audio prowess but also pack some X-factor to justify that higher cost for a speaker in a market where options in lower range are easily available. So what does Middleton II offer that people would happily splurge on the speaker? We used the product for a while to see if it is worth buying.

Marshall Middle II Review: What’s Cool?

Marshall speakers are very easy to identify thanks to their unique design and the Middleton II provides the same impact. You have the signature Marshall branding in the front and the rugged nature of the speaker gives it the solidity one needs to use it near a pool or not bother about dust causing issues, thanks to the IP67 rating. There is a reason why professionals fall for the brand and it is not just related to its sound quality but other aspects come to the fore as well.

The top of the Middleton II has been kept simple with a single button helping you with multiple functions. You also have the soft touch buttons for bass and treble settings and a battery indicator which flashes in red. The speaker has a solid grip and weighs around 1.8 kg which is one of the lighter Marshall speakers out there.

At the back you have the aux and USB C cable for charging which is a big improvement on the older-gen Marshall portable speakers. The sound from the unit can be customised using the Marshall app where you can set up different profiles and personalise your choice for level of bass, treble and more.

Now coming to the main story with the Middleton II and that is the sound quality. Like we said, Marshall speakers are tuned for the best in the business and the Middleton II sits somewhere in that category. The emphasis on bass is evident when you play tracks to suit the genre but it does not come at the cost of losing the vocals. Its sound can easily fill up the room.

The soundstage is clear and you don’t really feel the volume pushing any shrill in the voice, it is clear and it is at the ideal level. Even with instrumental tracks, there is a clarity in the tones and even the tiniest shift in the bass is clear as day. So, yes, the Middleton II manages to impress us with the overall sound quality and it will easily show its worth no matter what genre you prefer.

The final piece of the puzzle with the Middleton II is the battery life. Marshall claims it will last for around 20 hours on a single charge, and those numbers align with the backup we have got with the speaker during our tests.

Marshall Middleton II Review: What’s Not So Cool?

For a portable speaker, the Middleton II is on the heavier side. Weighing around 2 kg does not make it the ideal portable device, even though it is one of the lightest from the brand. But it seems that is the price you pay for the bigger woofers and tweeters offered inside with the focus on sound quality.

The rugged nature of the speaker means it can easily catch dust and cleaning it can be a hassle. We get the reason for the company taking the IP67 rating for the speaker.

While you have a lot of controls on the speaker, including an aux cable, what the portable speaker doesn’t have is a microphone, which means if you feel like picking up calls from the Middleton II, you can’t. For a peaker in this era to not have the feature seems perplexing to say the least.

And finally, while the Middleton II packs a punch with its sound, that price tag of Rs 31,999 will only appeal to people who really want a piece of Marshall. After all, there are so many options in the mid-high segment with brands like Sony, Bose and even JBL in the mix.

Marshall Middleton II Review: Should You Buy It?

The Middleton II is a classic Marshall product. It has the design, the signature looks and solidity and the sound that matches the brand. It is seemingly portable and has options that let you connect to a device in the wired mode. However, on the downside, it does not have a mic so you can’t take calls. And yes, this Marshall product like every other comes at a price, so if you want a piece of machine that will last for years then spending Rs 32K might not sound like a lot but if you have a budget to keep then look at other options that will cost a lot less.