Summary – Marshall Stanmore Speaker
The Marshall Stanmore is a vintage classic Bluetooth speaker that stands out for its sound quality and classy design. It is essentially a portable Bluetooth speaker that can pump out a tremendous 80W output and is ideal for large rooms or gatherings. The speaker features classic Marshall design details with analogue knobs and a vintage leatherette cover that makes it look aesthetically appealing. You can connect your smartphone device to this speaker with Bluetooth with aptX wireless streaming for high quality music transmission; it also comes with RCA inputs to plug into the record player or use the 3.5mm auxiliary input for non-wireless music sources. We liked the fact that it comes with a coiled, double-ended stereo cable with two 3.5mm plugs that looks really classy. The Stanmore speaker also features two power modes – power-saver and standard modes – to optimize the speaker’s power performance to save battery. Overall, the Marshall Stanmore outperforms expectations and is one of our personal favorites when it comes with vintage speaker designs.
The Pros & Cons
The Pros. Very classy vintage appearance and polished bass and treble knobs. The speaker pumps out 80Ws of pure power which is more than enough to power a large disco party.
The Cons. The bass on the Marshall Stanmore can start to sound bloated at maximum volume levels.
Sound Performance
The sound performance from the Marshall Stanmore is solid and punchy – it has enough power and wattage to fill up a large room with filling sound without any issues. The speaker produces really accurate and pristine sound quality with crisp highs and smooth lows – the lower-midrange frequencies sound very pronounced with plenty of depth. The bass on the Stanmore hits hard and punches deep, although we felt that it does not have the level of depth that the Sonos Play 5 can reproduce. The volume that the Marshall Stanmore can pump out is impressive – you can turn up the volume to its maximum setting and expect very little to no distortion. The speaker does not produce any buzzing noise when connected via Bluetooth and the treble ranges sound smooth without any harshness. We also tested the sound quality on the Stanmore while plugged in using the RCA cables and they sound fantastic – with smooth sound quality and clear vocal performances. You also get a good degree of stereo separation and soundstage with the Stanmore speaker which is perfect if you like instrumental or classical music genres. If you are looking for a home Bluetooth speaker with clarity and plenty of volume, the Marshall Stanmore is a great choice.
Vintage Design
The Marshall Stanmore really excels in terms of its unique vintage design. It’s the perfect speaker for those who like a vintage rock n roll feel to the speaker with analogue buttons. The volume and bass knobs look really sleek and feel very nice to touch – it comes with treble and bass knobs which allow you to adjust the sound performance according to your preferences and looks really delightful to touch. The speaker is really easy to hook up and the wireless Bluetooth connectivity works like a charm. The speaker comes with RCA inputs and 3.5mm inputs with a double-ended cable for you to plug it into turntables or to your laptop if necessary. The speaker looks really classy and blends in nicely with modern home interior décor – you can place it in the living room or use it as a bookshelf speaker. The speaker is relatively large but also built for portability – it has a solid construction and made of durable materials and feels very nice to touch. The wireless Bluetooth on the Stanmore supports aptX connectivity which provides high quality music streaming from compatible aptX Bluetooth devices. We also liked the fact that the Stanmore speaker is compatible with Apple TV and other devices that have an optical output, which makes it pretty versatile.
The Verdict?
The Marshall Stanmore is a Bluetooth speaker that outperforms expectations and has a really vintage feel to it that makes it stand out from the crowd. The speaker features a vintage Marshall design with leatherette casing and classic knobs that feel nice to touch. The speaker is made from really durable materials and has a pretty solid weighty feel to it – which indicates that it is made of quality materials. The sound performance from the Marshall Stanmore is superb, with crystal clear vocal reproduction, crisp treble ranges, detailed lower-midrange frequencies and good bass output. We were very impressed with how clean the Marshall Stanmore sounded straight out of the box with no hint of any distortion at high volume levels. You can practically crank up this speaker to maximum volume and it will not produce any distortion; the sound quality remains consistent throughout with plenty of depth and soundstage with up to 80 watts of pure power. The wireless Bluetooth connectivity on the Stanmore works like a charm and even supports aptX connections. It also comes with RCA inputs to plug into record players, optical inputs and 3.5mm inputs for non-wireless music sources. If you are looking for a large Bluetooth speaker with a classy look and feel, we highly recommend the Marshall Stanmore Bluetooth speaker.
Be sure to check out our list of loudest Bluetooth speakers that outperform other speakers in terms of total volume output and quality design.