Last month, the world’s best-known brand of guitar amplifiers launched a new version of its mini powerhouse of a Bluetooth speaker. While the latest Emberton speaker is more evolution than revolution, this third iteration of Marshall’s punchy little speaker looks a miniature Marshall guitar amp and it packs a mighty punch.
A year or so ago, the Stockholm-based Zound Industries merged with Marshall Amplification to form the Marshall Group. Zound Industries had been licensing Marshall’s intellectual property to produce a range of headphones and wireless speakers that have sold like proverbial hotcakes over the past decade.
Now the Anglo-Swedish group is going from strength to strength with both arms of the business under the same management. The Marshall Emberton III is the first version of the little speaker to be produced after the merger. The Emberton III is the size of a small house brick and it feels almost as solid. It’s covered with the same kind of heavy-duty material used on Marshall’s classic guitar amplifiers.
The Emberton III now offers an impressive 32 hours of playtime on a single charge of its built-in battery. The speaker’s casing is waterproof with an IP67 rating. It’s also dust resistant, making it ideal for taking to the beach or for a poolside party.
Although the Emberton III looks almost identical to its predecessor, there are a few subtle changes and one small physical difference. The Emberton III now features a separate power button. The Emberton II model was turned on with a long press of the speaker’s multi-function joystick. It’s a small difference but a welcome one.
Pairing the speaker with a smartphone or other device requires a long press of the Bluetooth pairing button and only needs to be done once per paired device. The top of the speaker also has the same ladder of 10 red LEDs showing the remaining battery charge on board.
This new version of the Emberton now has True Stereophonic Sound. This unique form of multi-directional sound was developed in-house by Marshall. The sound is produced with a two-inch midrange driver and 10W of Class D amplification. There are also two passive radiators for beefing up the bass response.
True Stereophonic is stereo sound but with a spatial and binaural quality that seems to flow around the listener. The result is a wider soundstage with a clearer and more forward midrange which makes vocals sound clearer. It’s a subtle difference compared to the Emberton II, but a welcome one that gives the speaker more refinement and authority.
The Emberton III is Bluetooth LE Audio-ready. This means the Bluetooth function is future-proofed and compatible with the new LE standard and will also support Auracast audio-sharing technology. This means you will be able to lash together other Marshall Auracast-compatible speakers with synchronized audio for a much louder sound. That feature will come with a future firmware upgrade. Meanwhile, the old Stack Mode on the Emberton II, which enabled multiple speakers to be synced, has disappeared.
Another new feature is the inclusion of a built-in microphone so the Emberton III can used as a hands-free speakerphone. And because it’s waterproof to IP67, you can even take the speaker into the shower for those early morning conference calls.
Using the Marshall app, the Emberton III can receive over-the-air firmware updates. The app also has three EQ presets although there’s still no personal EQ setting on offer. The three EQ presets are Marshall Signature Sound, a Push setting with boosted bass and treble, plus a Voice setting for listening to podcasts.
Another nifty feature accessed via the Marshall app is the battery preservation function. You can set the Emberton to only charge to 95% capacity which should help extend the battery life. The function also monitors the temperature of the battery during charging and dials back if things gets too hot. Finally, the function limits the speed at which the battery charges to further extend its life. You can choose how much battery preservation you want to apply. So, if you want to charge the battery faster and to 100% capacity, just turn down the function.
Verdict: The latest version of Marshall’s Emberton speaker is the brand’s best yet. The improvements are incremental and subtle, but the Emberton III sounds superb and despite its small size, the sound can’t fail to impress. Readiness for Bluetooth LE is welcome, as is the inclusion of a microphone to turn the Emberton III into a very capable speakerphone. If you want a portable Bluetooth speaker that’s tough enough for life on the road and with a powerful and punchy sound, Marshall Emberton III is a top performer.
Pricing & Availability: Marshall Emberton III is available in Black or Cream colorways from Marshall.com and is priced at $169 / £159 / €179.
Tech Specs:
- Amplifiers: 2 x 38W Class D.
- Drivers: 1 x 2″10W full-range and 2 x passive radiators.
- Max SPL: 90dB SPL @ 1m.
- Frequency response: 65Hz – 20kHz.
- Weight: 670g / 1.5 lb.
- Battery: 32+ hours.
- Time to recharge: 2 hours with USB-C.
- P67 dust and waterproof rating.
- Built-in mic for taking calls.
- Bluetooth 5.3 LE with a 100 M range (in free field).