Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Marshall adds palm-sized BT speaker and gives Emberton more power

Marshall has two new ultra-portable Bluetooth speakers just in time for your spring/summer adventures. The company has created a new version of its excellent Emberton — the $170 Emberton II — with more power and new features, plus it has a new, palm-sized offering called the Willen, which sells for $120. Both are available in black/brass and cream colors and can be pre-ordered starting May 3 from Marshall’s website.

Marshall Willen Bluetooth speaker seen in black and cream colors.
Marshall

The Willen is incredibly small — literally palm-sized — but Marshall says you can expect decent sound from its 2-inch driver and dual passive radiators. It also has surprisingly decent battery life for such a small speaker. Marshall claims more than 15 hours of playtime and it says you’ll be able to fully charge the internal battery in three hours, while a 20-minute quick-charge will buy you an additional three hours of use if you’re in a pinch.

Related Videos

The Willen sports an IP67 rating for water and dust protection which means it’s effectively waterproof and can even survive full immersion for up to 30 minutes. It also has a built-in mic, which lets the Willen double as a speakerphone, something that’s becoming harder to find on some Bluetooth speakers.

But there are two features that help set the Willen apart from the BT speaker masses: First is the integrated strap on the back of the speaker, which lets you secure the Willen to a variety of objects like backpacks or even bicycle handlebars. The second is a feature called Stack Mode, which lets you pair the Willen with other Willens — as many as you want — for an essentially unlimited ability to scale up your music for group gatherings. Those familiar with Marshall amplifiers will be no strangers to the idea of a “stacked” set of Marshalls.

Marshall Emberton II Bluetooth speaker seen in Cream.
Marshall

The Emberton II brings back one of the best Bluetooth speakers we’ve ever tested. It now comes in two colors (black/brass and cream) and it gets several upgrades from the first version.

As before, the Emberton II is a stereo speaker, with two, 2-inch drivers and dual passive radiators. But to justify its higher price ($170 versus $150 for the first version), Marshall has given it 50% more battery life, for a total of more than 30 hours of claimed playback, and it’s now IP67-rated for both dust and water (the first Emberton lacked dust protection).

Close-up of Marshall Emberton II top controls.
Marshall

There’s also more going on under the hood. Marshall has added a companion app for iOS and Android, which lets you update the Emberton II with new firmware when available, plus there’s a new equalizer so you can fine-tune the sound to your tastes. Like the Willen, the Emberton II also gets Stack Mode, which gives it the ability to pair with an unlimited number of other Emberton II speakers for a much bigger sound, whether you choose to actually stack them, or put them in different locations.

Editors' Recommendations

Amazon adds spatial audio to the Echo Studio smart speaker
Amazon Echo Studio.

Along with all of the new devices and services that Amazon announced at its September 28 event, the company said that its Echo Studio smart speaker will be getting an update with new spatial audio processing technology and frequency range extension. The update will initially hit the Echo Studio and Echo Show 15, but it will roll out to other compatible Echo devices in the future.

If you're scratching your head because the Echo Studio already supports Dolby Atmos and Sony's 360 Reality Audio (360RA) formats  -- which are both technically under the spatial audio umbrella term -- here's what Amazon says is new with the update:
Our custom-built spatial audio processing technology is designed to enhance stereo sound, making music and movie soundtracks feel closer to the listener with greater width, clarity, and presence. It mirrors the performance of a hi-fi stereo system, so vocal performances are more present in the center, while the stereo-panned instruments are better defined on the side, creating a more immersive sound experience that reproduces the artist's intent. Additionally, frequency range extension technology delivers better performance, improved midrange clarity, and deeper bass.
Amazon has a full explainer for the new technology on its dedicated Amazon Science site, which provides more insight into what's going on, but be warned, it's very scientific and heavy on jargon. Not exactly light reading.

Read more
PSB Alpha iQ Streaming Powered Speakers connect to pretty much anything
psb announces alpha iq streaming powered speakers withturntable

Home audio speakers have come a long way from their reliance on components and amplifiers and cables to drive the various sounds we rely on them for. The emergence of compact all-in-one speaker setups that do everything -- from built-in amplification and music streaming services to wireless and physical connectivity for just about anything -- is on the rise, and Canadian loudspeaker makers PSB have just added their contribution, announcing  the launch of the Alpha iQ Streaming Powered Speakers.

Available for online pre-order on October 19, the $1,500 set of powered bookshelf speakers are driven by BluOS, the multiroom wireless network audio system created by PSB's parent company, Ontario-based Lenbrook International, which also owns NAD and the Sonos rival Bluesound.

Read more
Sony’s SRS-XV900 pumps its party speaker lineup to the next level
Sony SRS-XV900 top panel.

If you're looking to dazzle your next gathering with huge sound, a light show, and perhaps some karaoke, Sony's new SRS-XV900 might be just the party speaker you're looking for. Sony says it's the most powerful and loudest party speaker in its X-Series range of Bluetooth speakers. It goes up for pre-order on September 20 on electronics.sony.com for $900, but will also be available at Amazon and BestBuy.

The tower-like SRS-XV900 mirrors the design of the company's existing SRS-XP500 and XP700, but on a much bigger scale. You get many of the same features, but where the XP700 measures just over 27 inches in height and tips the scales at about 37 pounds, the XV900 stands 34 inches tall and weighs a bicep-shattering 58 pounds. All of that extra size and weight explains why Sony has given the XV900 a set of built-in wheels at its base -- you will want to do as little carrying of this beast as possible.

Read more