Latest news with #DTS-X
Man of Many
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Man of Many
Marshall Steamrolls Into TV Audio With Its First-Ever Soundbar
By Jacob Osborn - News Published: 8 June 2025 |Last Updated: 6 June 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 3 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Undisputable masters of the amplifier, Marshall is dipping its toes in the TV audio category. And by 'dipping its toes,' we mean kicking the door open with both feet. So goes the new Heston 120, the brand's inaugural foray into the respective domain of modern soundbars. It draws upon six decades of experience and catches its stride at first attempt, combining superior engineering with inspired details to deliver the best of sound and style. Bring in wireless capability and you're getting a seamless sonic experience across TV and music alike. It's no secret that home entertainment systems have become micro-theatres unto themselves, making now a logical time for Marshall to expand upon its repertoire. The brand is already at the forefront of high-quality audio, and it jumps well ahead of the learning curve with its first soundbar. That is to say, the Heston 120 comes fully equipped with superlative specs, including 11 multi-facing drivers and built-in support for Dolby Atmos and DTS-X. Immersive sonics are all but guaranteed, complete with a rich and powerful low end. Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar | Image: Marshall Whether you're streaming shows, movies, or music, the Heston 120 offers wireless connectivity to TVs with HDMI eARC. For other external devices, the soundbar wirelessly integrates via HDMI pass-through, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. It also features an RCA input to connect with analogue turntables and receivers. Various sound modes dial up the versatility factor and allow you to seek the ideal sonic template based on the medium. You can adjust the sound modes along with other controls on the unit itself or through an adjoining app, which works from anywhere in the home and even offers room calibration. The Heston 120 is pure Marshall in terms of design and aesthetic. This is a brand that forges ahead without losing a sense of heritage, hence the furled metal knobs ripped straight out of its iconic amplifiers. Additional details like the wrapped leather trims, brushed metal panel, and analogue-style control panel make for similarly inspired design choices. Under the skin, meanwhile, everything is 'tailored and engineered to have very specific roles to give you an optimal audio experience,' to quote Ed Camphor, Audio Technology and Tuning Lead at Marshall Group. More than a premium soundbar, the Heston 120 is also the first entry in a brand new product range. Later this year, Marshall will introduce a smaller Heston 60 Soundbar and a Heston Sub 200 subwoofer. The audio brand continues to adapt to emerging standards and trends as if it hasn't aged a day since breaking onto the scene all those decades ago. And for that, we're thankful.
Stuff.tv
6 days ago
- Business
- Stuff.tv
I had my doubts about Marshall's first soundbar, but the Dolby Atmos-equipped Heston 120 blew me away
Stuff Verdict A cracking Dolby Atmos one-boxer with huge sound, powerful bass and so many streaming options. But the retro look won't be for everyone. Pros Surprisingly useful physical controls Superb sound quality Really powerful bass Standout design So many streaming options Cons Different sources, quite different volumes No remote control Big competition – especially from Sonos The look won't be for everybody Marshall's history as a British amplifier specialist for guitarists and more has certainly been diversified upon in recent years. In 2010 it teamed up with Swedish company Zound to make Bluetooth speakers and then headphones like the excellent Monitor III ANC. That resulted in Zound buying Marshall in 2023 and re-branding the whole thing as The Marshall Group. The company has clearly been planning to expand its wares for a while and produce more types of Marshall-branded tech. Welcome then, to the Heston 120. It's a high-end one-box soundbar with full Dolby Atmos and DTS-X support and as such takes on the Sonos Arc Ultra but boasts a slightly lower price. That's by far from an easy task. But Marshall believes that enough of its devotees will want a soundbar that looks a little different than the norm and that is equally suited to music as well as TV. Is it enough? The company is certainly hoping so and more products will follow – a Heston 60 soundbar with virtual Atmos is coming later in the year to go up against the Sonos Beam. There are two big selling points of this soundbar. Firstly, that it supports pretty much everything under the sun in addition to the aforementioned Dolby Atmos and DTS-X. Naturally there's HDMI eARC support. But there's also HDMI passthrough, Bluetooth (including LE and Auracast), AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. There's even analogue RCA so you can hook up a turntable for example. And then there's the physical knob controls (just like on Marshall's amps and speakers) for volume, treble and source select. More on those shortly. You can order Heston 120 in the US for $999 or Europe for £900/€999. How we test home cinema equipment Every prjector, sound bar and home theatre separate reviewed on Stuff is used for a minimum of a week's worth of daily watching and listening. We use a playlist of test footage made up of multiple genres to assess picture and sound, and use our years of experience to compare to other models. Manufacturers have no visibility on reviews before they appear online, and we never accept payment to feature products. Find out more about how we test and rate products. Design: not the most in-your-face, but it will be too much for some The design of the Heston 120 is unmistakably Marshall but is more subtle than it could look. The large Marshall logo might put some off, but it doesn't stick out as much it could. The physical controls (more on them opposite) only stick out a little above the top of the soundbar, so you won't be bothered by them when you watch TV. While some will view the physical knob controls (just like on Marshall's amps and speakers) as gimmicky I found it were genuinely useful for volume, especially when you're listening to music. You can also change source this way should you want. Changing the source between streaming (from a phone) and your TV was actually the only thing I didn't find worked so well about this soundbar. If you're listening to some music over AirPlay for example, then changing back to HDMI as a source didn't stick. And that's a shame, because the theory of it is good. Physically, Heston 120 was designed to have a low-enough profile to sit under most TVs, but it can also be wall-mounted easily. Happily there are also replaceable parts including the fret, end caps, drivers and even the circuit boards. Connectivity: so many options and a well-designed new app As we mentioned before, connectivity is king here and it really shows just how much effort Marshall put in. The company's design team obviously sat round a table and mused what the ideal bar would include. And they've pulled off a blinder in that regard. Naturally there's HDMI eARC support (and there's an included high-speed HDMI cable). But there's also HDMI passthrough, Bluetooth (including LE and Auracast), AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. There's even analogue RCA so you can hook up a turntable, for example. A redesigned Marshall app also debuts alongside the Heston 120. You can set up the bar initially using this and you can optionally calibrate the sound to suit your room. This uses a simple test that takes just a few minutes. Naturally, you can use third-party apps to control music while HDMI is naturally auto-switching so it's unlikely you'll use the app much after initial setup which is swift and works well. Indeed, we've had numerous issues in the past setting up devices with Apple's AirPlay. Not so here. Wi-Fi settings are also shared easily. You can also select presets for quick access to a favourite playlist or internet radio station should you wish using the physical controls and you can flick between the sound modes – Music, Movie, Night and Voice. Sound quality: superb for both music and movies As you'd expect at this price, the audio hardware inside the 7kg bar is hefty in both weight and power. There are a huge 11 individual speakers and associated amps (2 x 50W, 9 x 15W, 150W peak power) arranged in a 5.1.2 configuration. So what does it sound like? When watching TV, the bar is adept at movies in particular, while I also enjoyed watching the sport and the F1 in particular. Dolby Atmos obviously takes it to a new level. I found some softer voices require you to raise the volume, even in the Voice mode is selected. But it's a great all-rounder, which you obviously need from a soundbar. Heston comes into its own when listening to music. The impressive range of sources and codecs should suit everyone and it is powerful. It's unsurprisingly happier with rockier tracks though bassier dance tunes are well catered for. And it's a warm, high quality sound that can easily fill a mid-sized room . If you want even more powerful audio, an additional Heston Sub 200 is coming later in the year for those who want even more bass punch. There's no word on pricing yet though. Marshall Heston 120 verdict Marshall has created a wonderful box of tricks here and the wide variety of streaming formats is a real boon for full music flexibility. The sound quality is exceptional and bass especially is a real strength. You really won't be disappointed by it, even if it's hard to recommend it against the Sonos Arc Ultra, especially if you want any kind of multiroom possibilities. And even though the physical controls are super, some won't like the look of the Heston. It's certainly a contrast to many sleeker soundbars. But overall, I really love how the Heston 120 sounds and performs. Like all great TV sound gear, it just works seamlessly with your TV and everything that plugs into it. And it's a real bonus that this bar just happens to be great for music, too. Stuff Says… Score: 5/5 A cracking Dolby Atmos one-boxer with huge sound, powerful bass and so many streaming options. But the retro look won't be for everyone. Pros Surprisingly useful physical controls Superb sound quality Really powerful bass Standout design So many streaming options Cons Different sources, quite different volumes No remote control Big competition – especially from Sonos The look won't be for everybody Marshall Heston 120 tech specs Output 150W; 2 x tweeters, 2 x mid-woofers, 2 x subwoofers, 5 x full range Connectivity HDMI 2.1 eARC, HDMI in (passthrough), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, RCA stereo, RCA mono (for sub), USB-C, Ethernet, Streaming Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect Dimensions 110 x 14.5 x 7.6cm Weight 7.04kg
Engadget
20-05-2025
- Engadget
The first Marshall soundbar is the $1,000 Heston 120 with Dolby Atmos
When a company enters a new product category, it might as well swing for the fences. That's exactly what Marshall is doing with its first soundbar. The Heston 120 is a $1,000 Dolby Atmos and DTS-X living room speaker, equipped with 11 drivers to power that spatial audio. Like the company's headphones and speakers, there's plenty of the iconic guitar amplifier aesthetic to go around. Inside, two subwoofers, two mid-range units, two tweeters and five full-range drivers produce the Heston 120's sound. There are also 11 Class D amplifiers (two 50W and nine 30W) inside and the soundbar has a total power output of 150 watts. Bluetooth (5.3) and Wi-Fi are also onboard, which means AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect are all available. For wired connectivity, there are two HDMI 2.1 ports (1 eARC) for your TV and other home theater gear, plus an RCA input allows you to hook up a turntable or other audio devices. The Heston 120 takes design cues from Marshall's line of guitar amps. This has been the case for the company's headphones, earbuds and speakers, and it will continue with soundbars. To that end, there's a mix of leather and metal, complete with the trademark gold script logo. There are also tactile controls you typically don't see on a soundbar, like the gold knobs and preset buttons akin to those that adorn an amplifier. This soundbar doesn't come with a subwoofer, but Marshall says a standalone option is on the way. What's more, that Heston Sub 200 and a smaller Heston 60 are both due to arrive "at a later date." Lots of companies are bundling at least a sub with their high-end soundbars, so it's disappointing that Marshall didn't do the same. I look forward to getting a review unit to see if the company's promise of "bass rumbling from below like never before" from the soundbar itself hold true. The Heston 120 will be available for purchase from Marshall's website on June 3.
