Marshall Middleton review: Retro charm meets big sound in compact party speaker

Hindustan Times

28-05-2025

Marshall Middleton Review:Looking for a party speaker for home? But don't want those massive-looking Bluetooth speakers with colourful lights. Marshall, a premium brand that offers consumer audio products, has several speaker options available that cater to aesthetic design, premium build, and amazing sound quality. Marshall Middleton is one of the company's latest offerings, which is perfect for house parties. It is a portable Bluetooth speaker, making it compact and lightweight in comparison to other party speakers. It comes with a rugged yet classic retro design that could fit in any corner of the house, and can be placed as a decorative item as well.
The Marshall Middleton was ideally launched last year, creating a big hype among buyers. But, is it still worth it to buy in 2025? Well, I have been using the portable Bluetooth speaker for over 3 weeks to test its audio quality, battery life, and all the features it offers. Initially, the Marshall Middleton with a quad-speaker setup provides an exceptional sound and audio quality. But is it worth paying Rs.31999 now? Here's a detailed review to know if the Marshall Middleton is a smart buy even after a year of launch.
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Marshall Middleton comes with a retro and Amp-inspired design, giving a portable speaker a unique look. Its brass branding on the black metallic grill looks quite attractive, which instantly grabs brand attention. For a rugged look, the speaker has a rubber-finish build, but at the same time, it offers greater durability with an IP67 rating for water resistance. It can be submerged in 1 meter of water for a period of up to 30 minutes. Additionally, it also comes with a rubber strap so users can carry it anywhere they like. The Marshall Middleton weighs 1.8 Kgs, which may not seem much, but it feels slightly heavy to carry in real life.
Coming to the controls, Marshall Middleton comes with a quad-directional brass button in the middle, which is the main power switch. However, it can also be used to adjust volume, play/ pause music or switch tracks. On the left side, you get an LED indicator which showcases volume, bass, and treble levels. It also has a Bluetooth pairing button, and on the right side, you'll get bass and treble adjustment buttons. On both sides, it has speaker grills that balance the 360-degree surround sound. Lastly, it features a USB Type-C and an AUX port on the back. Overall, the design feels premium and luxurious due to its retro build and portability, but I was not very impressed with the control settings on the stop.
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After listening to all kinds of music on Marshall Middleton for over three weeks, I have made up my mind that it is the best Bluetooth speaker I have used so far. From deep bass, thumping music, to top-notch sound quality, the Marshall Middleton offers everything an audiophile needs. While it's not feature-heavy, its simplicity is what makes the speaker more unique, with no audio and sound quality compromises.
Marshall Middleton also offers app connectivity, where users can access features such as Equaliser and stack mode. Well, the equaliser does not offer different band settings, but only bass and treble adjustments, which can also be done manually on the device. Its other unique feature is the stack mode, which lets users connect multiple Middleton speakers for an immersive experience or for a larger crowd. However, this feature can only be used if you have additional Marshall Middletons.
Now, coming to the audio experience, Middleton leverages the True Stereophonic technology for multi-directional sound. It features a quad speaker setup that includes two tweeters, two woofers and two passive radiators, offering an immersive sound experience. Its exceptional sound is achieved due to a balanced sound profile and punchy deep bass, despite being a compact Bluetooth speaker. Its low-frequency response is also quite impressive, with crisp highs. Even at full volume, I did not experience any stutter or glitchy sound, but the sound was quite loud for such a small speaker.
To further test its limits, I also connected the speaker with a laptop to watch movies and web series, and to my surprise, it gave a theatre-like experience, if you are in a small, closed room. A little tip, if you enjoy horror movies, then Marshall Middleton is perfect for jump scare scenes. Overall, Marshall Middleton is quite an impressive speaker, and surely very enjoyable if you prefer high-volume music, EDMs, raps, and other deep bass audio.
Marshall Middleton claims to offer more than 20 hours of playtime on a single charge. Well, my daily usage did not include long hours of listening, but the speaker lasted for a good 2 weeks on a single charger without 1 to 2 hours of playback per day. I mostly kept the volume between 4 and 5, which is ideal for high-rise buildings, since no one else will be disturbed in that case. For charging, the Middletons take a good four and a half hours of charging time. Therefore, if you are heading out with the speaker, you will have to charge the device in advance for longer play time.
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Now, is it worth buying the Marshall Middleton in 2025 for ₹31999. In my opinion, the speakers are on the pricier side, but it is expensive for a reason. Its exceptional sound quality, rugged retro design, and deep bass experience make the experience feel premium. Additionally, its portability makes it easier for users to carry it anywhere, to pool parties, cycle rides, or at home, it fits right in seamlessly. The Marshall Middleton also offers decent battery life, but the charging time can be cumbersome if not done in advance for the planned event. Its only drawback is that it does not offer greater equaliser settings, and it has limited codec support, which could make the buyer think once or twice. However, the overall experience is worth the money.