TechRadar Verdict
The Marshall Emberton III is a small, rugged portable speaker with some key upgrades over its predecessor: you can now use it for voice calls, and it will soon support Auracast broadcasting for multi-speaker setups. It's impressively loud for its size and sounds great at lower volumes, but like almost all speakers this small it gets harsh when you crank it up. Nevertheless, it's a good all-rounder with great battery life.
Pros
- +
Superb battery life
- +
Balanced sound
- +
Looks brilliant
Cons
- -
No EQ customization
- -
Harsh at higher volumes
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Marshall Emberton III: Two-minute review
Without a doubt, the Emberton III is one of Marshall's best Bluetooth speakers with long battery life and impressive sound considering its relatively small size. This third generation Emberton delivers even better battery life and slightly louder sound, and while it's not going to rattle the rafters it's an impressive performer.
The Emberton III is particularly good at lower volumes where Marshall's Dynamic Loudness delivers a bass boost that prevents your music from sounding too weedy; for podcasts, where voices tend to be lower frequencies, there's an EQ preset to cut the lows and boost the mid-range instead.
The main selling point here is a feature we weren't able to test: Auracast via Bluetooth LE. Auracast will enable you to create a multi-speaker setup with your Marshall as the sound source, broadcasting over Bluetooth to other Auracast-capable Marshalls, but the feature hasn't yet been implemented. It's coming as an over-the-air update via Marshall's smartphone app and Marshall tells us it's coming very soon. Basically, it's built to be LE Audio ready, so if future-proofing your Bluetooth system is something you're into, it's a great buy.
With speakers this small there is of course a limit to how much bass they can put out and how loud they can go before things start getting harsh. But the Marshall is a powerful performer for its size, and if you don't push it too hard you'll be able to get the most out of its large battery too.
Marshall Emberton III review: Price & release date
- Released August 2024
- Costs $159 / £159 / AU$289
The Marshall Emberton III was launched in August 2024. The recommended retail price is $159 / £159 / AU$289.
This is the third version of this Marshall portable speaker; we reviewed the original Marshall Emberton back in 2020 and the Emberton II in 2022. It's one of two new releases from the firm alongside the Willen II, a smaller and more affordable speaker ($119 / £99 / AU$199) with one driver rather than two.
Marshall Emberton III review: Specs
Weight | 0.67kg/1.5lbs |
Connectivity | Bluetooth LE and Auracast (via imminent update) |
Battery life | 32+ hours |
Speaker drivers | 2x 10W full-range drivers, 2 passive radiators |
Waterproof rating | IPX67 |
Marshall Emberton III review: Features
- Bluetooth LE and Auracast ready
- 32+ hours of battery life
- "True Stereophonic" audio
You can set up the Emberton III in two ways: directly through your device's Bluetooth, or via the Marshall iOS or Android app. That gives you access to three EQ presets: the default "Marshall sound"; a low and high end boost; and a mid-range boost. That latter one is for speech such as audiobooks and podcasts. As with the previous model there are no EQ customization options.
Using the device is very simple, because it's a very simple device. There's an on-off button, a rocker switch for volume and track skipping, and a red LED strip to show battery life.
The big news here is the upgrade to Bluetooth LE audio and Auracast multi-device broadcast support. With Auracast you'll be able to share your music to multiple speakers simultaneously, but the Bluetooth LE it requires won't be available on launch day: Marshall promises an update imminently via the Marshall Bluetooth app but of course that means we weren't able to try that specific feature. There's also built in microphone so you can use this Marshall for calls, but not for voice assistants.
As with the previous Emberton, the Emberton III has what Marshall calls True Stereophonic, a 360-degree audio feature that promises to fill your room with surprisingly big sound. Oh, and there's a strap for your backpack so you can annoy people on hikes.
One of the issues with many speakers is that they can become too bass-light at low levels because audio characteristics change with volume. Marshall has a solution that it calls Dynamic Loudness, which automatically adjusts the tonal characteristics based on the volume you're listening at.
Battery life is a claimed 32-plus hours, two more than before, and we didn't have any problems achieving thirty hours with playback volumes around 50%. Full recharge via the USB-C port takes two hours compared to three for the Emberton II.
In a nice touch, the Emberton III plays a cute little ascending guitar riff when you power it on and a descending one when you power it off.
- Features score: 4.5/5
Marshall Emberton III review: Sound quality
- Dynamic Loudness impressive at lower volumes
- EQ boost for podcast and audiobooks
- Punchy given its small size
It'd be rude not to start testing with some classic rock, so the first song to try was naturally AC/DC's Back in Black. The Emberton delivered an impressively punchy performance with excellent mid- and high-range clarity, and the promise of room-filling sound was definitely delivered: this little speaker rocks much harder than you'd expect it to and doesn't need you to position it carefully to get the best results.
That said, it's important to manage your expectations with a speaker of this size. There's only so much air that two-inch drivers can push, so while Marshall has done a good job delivering low frequencies at lower volumes – so much so that you might want to swap to the mid-range EQ boost for podcast listening so the presenters don't make everything around you vibrate – when you crank up the Emberton to higher volumes the low end distorts and the higher frequencies become harsh.
With Marshall amplifiers, it's traditional to turn them up. But this Marshall speaker is best turned down. At lower volumes the Dynamic Loudness delivers very impressive bass for a system this small. REM's Out of Time album was a particular highlight, Mike Mills' bass as clear as his harmonies.
The relative lack of bass at higher volumes is particularly noticeable on dance music such as Pet Shop Boys' Loneliness, Troye Sivan's slinky One of Your Girls or Charli XCX's 360, all of which lose a lot of their floor-filling thump, and with expensively produced tracks such as Taylor Swift's No Body No Crime, which has a very distinctive bass drum sound that loses its punch here. All of these tracks sound better quieter on this system.
That's also an issue for guitar-based rock music, especially relatively busy tracks such as The Killers' When You Were Young. It's fun at lower volumes but turn it up and it quickly becomes tiring.
To my ears this is a speaker best suited to bedroom, kitchen or study listening and for taking outside on nice days. If you're looking for a party monster or intend to listen loud you might be better with something built around larger speaker drivers.
- Sound quality score: 4/5
Marshall Emberton III review: Design
- Looks like a Marshall amp
- IP67 for dust and water resistance
- Rugged and stackable
The Emberton III unsurprisingly looks a lot like the Emberton II. As with other Marshalls the design echoes that of the famous Marshall cabinets and stacks we've seen on rock stars' stages, and that means they're pretty rugged-looking and no-nonsense as well as stackable, just like stage speakers. I think they look great; having Marshall's design DNA in speakers makes more sense to me than crowbarring it into headphones such as the Marshall Major III, which I think just look overly boxy. You can choose between a classic black or cream.
The new Emberton is rated IP67 for dust and waterproofing, so it's capable of surviving a dunk as deep as 1m of water for up to 30 minutes. That makes it largely immune to a spilled drink or festival rain.
Inside the Marshall there are two class D amplifiers pushing twin 10W 2-inch full range drivers and two passive radiators. Frequency response is 65Hz to 20kHz and it's slightly louder than before, pushing out a sound pressure level of 90dB at 1m compared to the 87dB of the Emberton II.
The Marshall, thankfully, is a lot lighter than the Marshall amps I've had to lug up and down stairs and fire escapes: it's 0.67kg/1.5lbs.
- Design score: 4.5/5
Marshall Emberton III review: value
- Lots of impressive competitors in this price bracket
- Marshall's battery life leaves many rivals behind
At $159 / £159 / AU$289 this speaker is competing against some very impressive rivals: spend £20 more and you could get our current favorite among the best Bluetooth speakers, the Sonos Roam 2. But where the Marshall has the Sonos speaker beaten is in battery life.
The Sonos promises up to 10 hours whereas the Marshall can deliver more than three times that. So if you're going to a weekend festival or anywhere else where home comforts will be absent for a few days, the Marshall is the speaker you'll want to take with you. It's small enough to be truly portable but loud enough to soundtrack your adventures without having to push it too hard.
- Value score: 4.5/5
Should you buy the Marshall Emberton III?
Attributes | Notes | Rating |
---|---|---|
Features | Exceptional battery life and the famous Marshall Sound. Auracast is coming soon. | 4.5/5 |
Sound quality | It's impressive for such a small speaker, and Dynamic Loudness works well at lower volumes. | 4/5 |
Design | It looks like a Marshall amp. Controls are simple and straightforward and the on/off sounds will make you smile. | 4.5/5 |
Value | There are some excellent rivals here but few deliver the same battery life. | 4.5/5 |
Buy it if…
You like the Marshall sound
You can't customize the EQ presets so you're going to be listening the way Marshall intends.
You like 'em tough
Just like Marshall's amps this looks and feels bomb-proof.
You listen long
With 32 hours of battery life this speaker has serious stamina.
Don't buy it if…
You're a bass monster
There's only so much air two-inch drivers can push.
You listen loud
Like most speakers of this size, the Marshall isn't at its best when it's really loud.
You want to connect a cable
The Emberton III doesn't have an Aux socket.
Marshall Emberton III review: Also consider
Sonos Roam 2
We called the original "the best Bluetooth speaker on the planet", although the controversy over Sonos's bungled app update has tarnished the brand a little this year. But the Roam 2 is a superb portable speaker with exceptional sound. Find out if it's the better option for you by reading our in-depth Sonos Roam 2 review
JBL Charge 5
The Charge 5 is a hooligan, and we mean that as a compliment: it's ridiculously loud for its size and while it doesn't offer 360-degree audio it does deliver 100% audio entertainment. Its drivers are larger than those in the Marshall and you can hear the difference. For more info, see our full JBL Charge 5 review
Marshall Willen II
The Emberton has a baby sibling, the Willen. It's effectively half an Emberton with a single 10-inch full range driver, and while it’s not as loud as the Emberton it's still impressive for its size. Battery life is 17 hours and it weighs just 0.36kg/0.79lbs. We haven't reviewed it actually, but if you like its looks, it's worth a look…
How I tested the Marshall Emberton III
- Tested for two weeks as an alternative to Apple HomePods and UE's Wonderboom
- Used indoors at sensible levels – and loud outside
- Listened to Apple Music, my own library, Overcast podcasts and some of my own tunes too
I used the Marshall Emberton III for two weeks with Apple Music and some of my own recordings, using the same tracks I use to test all audio kit – a big mix of genres including live performances, dance and pop music, various flavors of metal and more. I also listened to podcasts via the Overcast app.
I've been a musician and audio obsessive for over 35 years now, and I've been reviewing audio kit – headphones, speakers and audio devices of all kinds – since the late 1990s.
- First reviewed: October 2024
Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.