Latest news with #Heston120
Digital Trends
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
Marshall's first soundbar will change how we think about home theater
With its gold accents, prominent control knobs, and guitar amp styling, Marshall's hefty Heston 120 looks like no other soundbar on the planet. But what fascinates me about the company's first TV speaker isn't the styling (it looks exactly like I'd expect from a Marshall product), it's how it's been engineered to work with the company's equally iconic portable Bluetooth speakers: It uses Bluetooth. Wait, I know that sounds obvious, but bear with me because this is actually a new and intriguing change to the way soundbars work. Recommended Videos Marshall Heston 120 First, a quick 101 on the Heston 120. It's priced at $1,000, which should tell you right away that Marshall isn't messing around. That's the same price as the Sonos Arc Ultra and Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3, and only $100 more than the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar. It packs 11 drivers, including two dedicated subwoofers, and can process both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X in a 5.1.2-channel configuration. It has onboard mics that are used for room calibration, and it supports a wide array of protocols, including Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect. On the back panel, you get an Ethernet jack, an HDMI passthrough input with 4K/120Hz/Dolby Vision support, stereo RCA analog jacks (for a turntable or other gear), and a dedicated subwoofer output — something you rarely find on soundbars. Marshall has redesigned its mobile app to give people deep controls over the Heston as well as the company's full range of existing headphones, earbuds, and speakers. Expansion via Bluetooth Where things get interesting is on the wireless side of the equation. The Heston 120 supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. That's not unusual — all three of its competitors I mentioned above have the same or similar specs. What *is* unusual is how it uses these connections, specifically Bluetooth. Marshall considers the Heston 120 an all-in-one speaker that's designed to work equally well for movies and music. However, the company also recognizes that some people want even more immersion from their TV sound systems, so it offers expansion via wireless speakers. Normally, when a soundbar is expandable with additional speakers, those connections are made via Wi-Fi (Sonos, Bluesound, Denon) or dedicated onboard transmitter/receivers (Bose, Sony, Klipsch). Bluetooth has never been considered a viable option because of issues around latency and limitations on transmitting multiple audio channels (e.g. low frequency, surround left, surround right) simultaneously. However, the Heston 120 is Bluetooth Auracast compatible — as far as I know, that's a first for a soundbar — a technology that overcomes traditional Bluetooth limitations. Unlike earlier Bluetooth standards, which could create audio lag of 100-300 milliseconds, Auracast can achieve a latency of as little as 30 milliseconds. That should be almost imperceptible for dialogue synchronization, and even less noticeable for low-frequency bass or surround sound effects. Moreover, an Auracast device, like a TV or soundbar, can transmit multiple discrete broadcasts. In theory, it could handle multiple wireless subwoofers, two or four surround speakers, plus one or more wireless headphones or hearing aids — each with a dedicated sound stream. More choice, more flexibility So what does this mean? Marshall's ultimate goal is to let you use any pair of Auracast-capable Bluetooth speakers as your Heston 120 left/right surrounds, and an additional Auracast subwoofer for low-frequency effects. Initially, however, the plan is more conservative. At launch, the Heston 120 will support a single Marshall-built wireless subwoofer and later in the year you'll be able to add two Marshall Bluetooth speakers as left/right surrounds. You'll have a lot of choice — all of Marshall's third-gen Homeline Bluetooth speakers are Auracast-ready — from the small but mighty Emberton III to the 120-watt Woburn III. Once they receive a planned firmware update, you can expect them all to work with the Heston as satellite speakers via Bluetooth. Typically, wireless surround speakers and subwoofers need to be plugged into a wall at all times. That provides power to the built-in amplifiers and their Wi-Fi network connections. Bluetooth, as a wireless technology, requires way less power than Wi-Fi, so if your Marshall portable Bluetooth speaker has a 20-hour battery, that's 20 hours of completely wire-free home theater listening. And if, for some reason, you don't have a Wi-Fi network, you can still assemble a multi-speaker system. Marshall points out that while Auracast is an open standard, each company can implement it as it sees fit, and that could mean that some Auracast speakers won't work with the Heston 120. JBL Auracast speakers like the Charge 6 — for example — can only share and access audio from other JBL Auracast speakers. Still, Auracast-enabled soundbars like the Heston are opening up a new era in home theater technology; one where we'll have a lot more freedom to choose the kind, number, and placement of speakers. It will also reduce the number of gadgets we buy. When your portable Bluetooth speaker can double as a surround speaker, that's one less device in our ever-expanding world of tech. More options coming soon Auracast-enabled soundbars are the first step toward greater flexibility and choice in home theater. Soon, there will be more alternatives. Dolby has promised it will launch a soundbar alternative technology called Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, which will let a compatible TV send multichannel audio to a variety of wireless speakers that you'll be able to place almost anywhere in your room. Fraunhofer IIS, the entity that gave us the MP3 file format, has its own version of FlexConnect — the somewhat awkwardly named UpHear Flexible Rendering. We haven't seen any commercially available systems based on either Dolby's or Fraunhofer's tech so far, but I expect that to change in 2025.
CNET
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Marshall Soundbar Wants to Dial Your TV to Eleven
Marshall, a company known for its guitar amps and headphones, has unveiled its first soundbar, the Heston 120, which features Dolby Atmos playback and Wi-Fi streaming for $1,000. Read more: Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars of 2025 The Heston is a single, 5.1.2-channel soundbar with Dolby Atmos and DTS-X playback via both HDMI ARC and a HDMI pass-through connection. The speaker is fitted with 11 drivers designed to distribute sound around the room, and it features multiple modes including Music, Movie, Night, and Voice, plus room calibration. The Marshall Heston features a fabric cover and burled knobs Marshall The soundbar boasts the distinctive Marshall look combining knurled metal knobs, wrapped leather trims and brushed metal panel. It features preset buttons which can be programmed via the company's Marshall app. The Wi-Fi-equipped soundbar is also compatible with Google Cast, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, or Tidal Connect in addition to offering Bluetooth and Ethernet. The Heston 120 is the first of three models, including the Heston 60 and the Heston Sub 200 subwoofer, that are coming later in the year. At $1,000, the Heston 120 is a bold move for a company which has yet to produce a soundbar, and it is up companies which have produced premium soundbars for decades with models including the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar and Sonos Arc Ultra. The Marshall Heston 120 soundbar will go on sale on June 3.
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Marshall Channels Its Rock Star Energy Into Its First Ever Soundbar
Marshall, the brand best known for providing the amps used by many of the world's biggest rock acts over the past 60 years, has today revealed that it's adding its first soundbar to its rock'n'roll product portfolio. Called the Heston 120, Marshall's debut soundbar is built on a combination of the brand's ultra-distinctive classic product design and huge experience in delivering acoustic excellence at serious volumes. That design looks like an elegantly stretched out version of a classic Marshall speaker or amp, complete with PU leather-wrapped trims, knurled metal control knobs, paper fret and a brushed metal panel. Tucked inside this stylishly retro form are 11 drivers, all positioned to face in difference directions so that Marshall's spatial audio technology can cast the sound out to where it's needed to create as immersive a movie sound experience as possible from the Dolby Atmos and DTS-X sound mixes it's capable of playing. The drivers comprise a pair of built-in 2-inch x five-inch subwoofers, a pair of three-inch mid-woofers, a pair of 0.8-inch tweeters, and five two-inch full-range speakers. They deliver their sound in a 5.1.2-channel configuration with a maximum 95dB of claimed sound pressure, created from a rated total peak power output of 150W. Movie fans and gamers can connect external sources directly to the Heston 120 if they wish thanks to an HDMI pass-through system that impressively supports both 4K/120Hz and Dolby Vision high dynamic range signals as well as the more predictable HDR10 and HLG formats. The HDMI output also supports eARC, though, if you'd prefer to pass sound to the soundbar from an eARC-capable TV. Other connections include RCA stereo inputs, an RCA mono sub line out, an Ethernet port, plus support for both Bluetooth 5.3 (5.1 Bluetooth classic) and Wi-Fi 6 signals if you want to stream music into it wirelessly from networked or smart devices. Again impressively for a debut soundbar, the Heston 120 ships with integrated support for Airplay 2, Google Cast, Spotify connect and Tidal Connect, and can handle the SBC, LC3, AAC Mpeg4, ALAC, FLAC, LPCM, Ogg Vorbis, and WMA/WMA9 codecs. While the Heston 120's design pleasingly includes a classic set of analogue Marshall control knobs, it can also be fully controlled using a new Marshall app that includes an option to run a room calibration system to adapt the soundbar's sound to your particular room layout. One last cool touch of the Heston 120 is that extremely unusually for a soundbar, its design features a number of replaceable parts, including the fret, end caps, drivers and circuit boards, so that if something goes wrong or the soundbar gets damaged you may not necessarily have to replace the whole thing. While the Heston 120 appears to very much have what it takes to become a serious home cinema audio device, Marshall is also unsurprisingly keen to talk about its music potential. 'We know that soundbar owners use their soundbar to listen to music,' says Anders Olsson, Senior Product Manager at Marshall Group, 'yet most soundbars are not built for both music and TV. This gave us a reason to exist and an opportunity to really shine with our legacy in music and audio.' 'We spent hundreds of hours fine tuning Heston 120, and it was important to us that we spent equal time and effort on both TV and music, not one over the other,' adds Ed Camphor, Marshall Group's Audio Technology and Tuning Lead. 'Everything inside is tailored and engineered to have very specific roles to give you an optimal audio experience, no matter what you're watching or listening to.' The Heston 120 is available to pre-order now for $999.99/£899.99 from from where it will start shipping from June 3rd. It will also become available to buy from select third party retails from September 16, and Marshall has confirmed that a cheaper Heston 60 soundbar and Heston Sub 200 subwoofer accessory are also set to be launched later this year. — Related Reading Samsung Unveils Two New Flagship Soundbars Sony Launches New Bravia Home Theater Audio Products—Including Two New Soundbars Philips Unveils Three Affordable New Soundbars
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Iconic Guitar Amp Brand Marshall Unveils Its First-Ever TV Soundbar
Iconic guitar amplifier and wireless speaker brand Marshall has revealed today that it's launching its first-ever TV soundbar. The company says its new Heston 120 soundbar will deliver the classic Marshall signature sound for both TV and music. Marshall says the Heston 120 will have an 'immersive and spacious sound' and includes support for Dolby Atmos and DTS-X. With no fewer than 11 separate drivers, all facing in different directions, Marshall says the soundbar will employ spatial audio to throw sound out into the room with a deep and rich bass that makes special effects sound more lifelike and with more impact. Using the latest wireless technology, the Heston 120 has an HDMI eARC and HDMI Pass-through for external AV devices. It can connect to music streaming services over Wi-Fi. The soundbar also has a Bluetooth receiver with access to the latest LE-audio technology, including Auracast. Heston 120 comes with an analog RCA input for external audio sources. The Heston 120 has classic analog controls. Marshall Group Sporting Marshall's inimitable style, the Heston 120 brings a dash of rock 'n' roll flair to the soundbar market using a combination of tactility and textures. From the knurled metal knobs, inspired by Marshall's amplifier heritage, right through to the wrapped leather trims and brushed metal panel, the Heston 120 has design elements to make it a statement piece. It's also repairable with replaceable parts, including the fret, end caps, drivers and circuit boards. The soundbar's analog control panel has tactile audio settings with a nod to Marshall's guitar amplifier heritage. The bass and treble levels can be instantly altered through the controls, while presets can provide quick access to favorite playlists or radio stations. Heston 120 also has a range of sound modes, including Music, Movie, Night, and Voice. The Heston 120 can be controlled from anywhere in the home by using the new Marshall smartphone app, adjusting everything from volume levels to EQ. The app also has room calibration that helps fine-tune the soundbar to fit the acoustics of any room. 'We know that soundbar owners use their soundbar to listen to music, yet most soundbars are not built for both music and TV. This gave us a reason to exist and an opportunity to really shine with our legacy in music and audio,' says Anders Olsson, senior product manager at Marshall Group. 'We spent hundreds of hours fine-tuning Heston 120. It was important to us that we spent equal time and effort on both TV and music, not one over the other. Everything inside is tailored and engineered to have very specific roles to give you an optimal audio experience, no matter what you're watching or listening to,' adds Ed Camphor, audio technology and tuning lead at Marshall Group. The Heston 120 is the first product to launch in Marshall's new TV sound range. The Heston 60 soundbar and Heston Sub 200 subwoofer will launch later this year. The Marshall Heston 120 soundbar will go on sale from June 3 at and is priced at $999.99 / £899.99 / €999.
Stuff.tv
20-05-2025
- Business
- Stuff.tv
Marshall's Heston 120 soundbar is a Dolby Atmos-toting Sonos Arc rival – and I got a first listen to it
Marshall's latest product isn't from its speaker or headphone heartland – it's a high-end full Dolby Atmos and DTS-X one-box soundbar that takes on the Sonos Arc and Arc Ultra at a slightly lower price of $999/£900. And I went to Marshall's HQ in Stockholm to try it out. 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. Taking on established rivals like Sonos – not to mention others at cheaper price points like Samsung and Sony – is 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 while a Heston Sub 200 is coming later in the year for those who want even more bass punch. There's no word on pricing for either of those products yet though it feels like the Heston 60 (which boasts virtualised Dolby Atmos) will sit around the price of the Sonos Beam (so somewhere in the $400-$500 mark). There are two big selling points of this soundbar. Firstly, that it supports pretty much everything under the sun. 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. Some will find these gimmicky but they look great and I'll be interested in how they perform in the home when it comes to our review. 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. 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. You'll also be able to 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. 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?I was ushered into a demo space at the top of Marshall's central Stockholm base to hear Heston 120 and it didn't disappoint. The listening space wasn't ideal, but then not many homes are, either. The sound was punchy – especially for music – and the sound was warm. It did seem more at home with rock tracks than anything else – not surprising given Marshall's heritage – and I'm looking forward to seeing how it performs with lots of different types of music in the home, too. Physically, Heston 120 is 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.
