Marshall Middleton guide

Bluetooth speakers, particularly the portable, battery-powered kind, are one of the best accessories you can buy for your phone. You can listen to music wherever you go, whether it’s moving from room to room at home, out in the garden or on your travels.

Marshall’s Middleton sits pretty high up in the range of what most people are prepared to pay for a Bluetooth speaker, but it justifies its price with frankly outstanding sound quality, 20 hours of battery life and IP67 dust and water resistance among other things.

I bought the Marshall Stanmore 2 last year because I liked the tuning. I needed something portable with the same sound, so I ended up buying the petite Marshall Emberton 2 for travel. But I realized later that I needed something bigger, louder and yet portable enough to be carried to nearby outings or picnics. The Marshall Middleton fulfils exactly that.

The $300 Middleton sits between the Emberton and Woburn 3 (or Stanmore 2) series. It is small enough to be portable but buffed enough to a surprisingly room-filling sound. The solid build with waterproof design makes me want to take it to the pool with me. Here’s what you need to know about Marshall’s new portable Bluetooth speaker.

Marshall Middleton Review

An outdoor-ready rock box

The rock-inspired Marshall Middleton Bluetooth speaker delivers punchy bass and cutting highs from a rugged and portable frame.

Marshall’s Middleton Bluetooth speaker ($299) features the same guitar amp stylings as others in the company's portfolio, but its significantly more rugged design makes it an ideal companion for outdoor activities like hikes, pool parties, and backyard grilling sessions. The speaker's four drivers and dual passive radiators also add to its take-anywhere appeal because they deliver powerful stereo sound in all directions. Those attributes make the Middleton our favorite portable model in the company’s lineup, even though you still end up paying a premium for the Marshall logo. If you aren't committed to the Marshall design aesthetic, the Sony SRS-XG300 ($349.99) is our Editors' Choice winner in this price range thanks to superior Bluetooth codec support.

The Marshall Middleton is a portable Bluetooth speaker designed in the company's signature guitar-amp style. Its small and lightweight design is ideal if you want to take your favorite tunes with you on the go, and its removable carrying strap lets you carry it in one hand. It has a waterproof and dustproof design, too, with easy-to-use controls to adjust its bass and treble more to your liking. The USB-C port is meant to charge the speaker, but it also functions as an output, letting you use the speaker as a portable charging bank for your other devices.

The Marshall Middleton might be larger than your average portable Bluetooth speaker but in return for that heft, you get impactful audio the majority of its rivals can’t muster. Packed into a stylish and durable design, there’s not much to dislike about the Middleton so long as you can stomach its price.

Marshall Middleton review: Certainly not middle of the road

The Marshall Middleton is an excellent medium-sized Bluetooth speaker that’s only held back by its price and battery life

Marshall Middleton Bluetooth Wireless Portable Speaker, 20+ hours portable playtime, water resistant IP67 - Black and Brass

Marshall Middleton review: What do you get for the money?

The Marshall Middleton will set you back a decent chunk of cash – £270 at the time of writing – and is the bigger, more powerful sibling of the Emberton II, which costs £150.