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).
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.
