Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Get stadium-sized sound from a studio-sized box with Marshall’s Acton Bluetooth speaker

Caleb Denison
By

Of  all the Bluetooth speakers that have passed through our halls here at Digital Trends, none gets more play than the Marshall Stanmore. It’s tough, powerful, and sounds killer, especially when pumping out rock tracks cranked to 11. In fact, there’s not much we don’t like about the Stanmore, but if we had to pick something, it would be its size. While perfect for garage band rehearsals or basement jam sessions,  the Stanmore is just a bit larger than some folks are willing to put into their everyday living spaces. That’s where Marshall’s new Acton comes in. Boasting all the performance of its bigger brother, but in a more manageable size, the Acton aims to deliver Meatloaf-sized sound from a Beck-sized box.

An homage to Marshall’s legendary amplifiers, the Acton features the same iconic vinyl-wrapped cabinetry and tweed speaker screen that make Marshall amps so easily recognizable and road-worthy. The Acton promises to sound killer, too, porting over the Stanmore’s robust bass, wide-open midrange, and treble so versatile it can go from delicate to destructive in the blink of an eye.

To pull this off, Marshall has outfitted the Acton with a single 4-inch midrange/woofer backed by a 25-watt digital amp,  and two .75-inch tweeters backed by two 8-watt digital amps each. Claimed frequency response is an impressive 50Hz-20kHz, with a crossover set at 4200Hz . The speaker measures out at roughly 10.4 x 6.3 x 5.9 (W x H x D-inches) and weighs a mere 6.6 pounds. Color options include black and white (for now).

Related

Connections include Bluetooth and 3.5mm aux port, for which Marshall provides a coiled guitar-style 3.5mm cable. Atop the Acton are three analog knobs for bass, midrange and treble adjustment — much like Marshall’s amplifiers — to customize output to personal taste.

Given Marshall’s outstanding track record thus far, we’re expecting good things from the Acton, but we’ll know for sure once we’ve performed a complete evaluation for our review. If you just can’t wait, though, the Acton will be available on November 3 for $300 at marshallheadphones.com and select retailers.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Caleb Denison
Caleb Denison
Editor at Large
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
Klipsch takes on Marshall with three new portable and rugged Bluetooth speakers
Klipsch City Series Bluetooth Speakers.

Klipsch has added three new Bluetooth speakers to its lineup, and each has been named after an American city with deep roots in music-making. The Klipsch Music City Series includes the Austin, the Nashville, and the Detroit. All three speakers have been ruggedized and carry an IP67 rating, effectively making them dustproof and waterproof. You can wirelessly sync them with other Klipsch speakers, and thanks to built-in mics, they can double as speakerphones. The $99 Austin and $149 Nashville will be available in the coming weeks, while the $299 Detroit will arrive in 2024.

Klipsch City Series Austin Bluetooth Speaker. Klipsch

Read more
Soundcore’s new Motion speakers are tough little portables with hi-res sound
Anker Soundcore Motion 300 in black.

Anker Soundcore Motion 300. Anker Soundcore

Anker Soundcore has two new portable and rugged Bluetooth speakers that fall under the Motion family of products: the $80 Motion 300 and the $60 Motion 100. The metal-clad speakers come in three color choices and feature support for hi-res audio. They will be available later this fall -- you can buy the Motion 300 on October 9 (black only), with the other two colors coming in November/December. The black version of the Motion 100 will be available in November, with its two other colors coming in early 2024, according to Anker.

Read more
Sonos Move 2: Sonos’ biggest portable speaker gets a big update
Sonos Move 2 in olive.

Sonos has unveiled the latest version of its Move portable smart speaker -- the Move 2. It looks nearly identical to the original Sonos Move, yet contains several updates that bring it in line with the company's recently released Era 100 and Era 300 speakers. The Move 2 has been priced at $449, a $50 increase over the previous model, and will be available starting September 20, 2023, in a wide selection of countries. The Move 2 replaces the first-gen speaker, though Sonos will continue to sell the original Move while inventory remains, so you may want to keep an eye open for some deep discounts.

At a distance, you can't tell the Move and Move 2 apart, well, unless the Move 2 shows up in its new color option -- olive. The Move 2 is a hair bigger, but it still weighs the same 6.61 pounds. Sonos has kept the same rubberized no-slip base as well as the integrated carry handle on the back. As with the original, the Move 2 is built for the outdoors with an IP56 rating for dust and water resistance.

Read more