Rock on! Marshall's latest portable speakers are here to rock your world wherever you go

Marshall Emberton III in cream underwater

(Image credit: Marshall)

Rocking brand Marshall has updated two of its most popular portable Bluetooth speakers. The Emberton III is a compact, JBL Flip 6-sized unit with outstanding battery life and stylish looks, whereas the smaller Willen II is a palm-sized performer that strives for room-filling sound from a super-compact design.

Let's start with the larger of the two, the Marshall Emberton III. A sequel to the second-generation Emberton, the rectangular speaker is slightly larger than its predecessor and, with the help of two 38W Class D amplifiers, aims to provide greater bass weight and a more comprehensive sonic performance.

The Emberton III offers "True Stereophonic" sound, a multi-directional audio technology pioneered by Marshall. The brand teases "superior spatial and binaural sound that flows around you, filling any space" when the clever tech is deployed.

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The smaller, squarer Willen II would probably be best compared with the JBL Go 4 or the five-star Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 in form and size, albeit with a more substantial price tag. With improved drivers and a slightly larger footprint than its predecessor, the Willen II promises a step up in sonic performance from its predecessor.

Marshall Willen II on a white background — The Willen II is the smaller, squarer speaker of the two. (Image credit: Marshall)

The Emberton III offers an impressive 32 hours of playtime from a single charge, a figure that beats the likes of the Award-winning JBL Charge 5 (20 hours) and even the 30 hours provided by the more premium Dali Katch G2. The Willen II's numbers are also impressive considering its small size, offering around 17 hours from a single charge and besting the similarly-priced Sonos Roam (around 10 hours) and JBL Flip 6 (roughly 12 hours).

The Emberton III and Willen II are IP67 certified for dust and waterproofing, meaning you can submerge either unit in 1m (around 3 ft) of water for up to 30 minutes. Both are also Bluetooth LE Audio-ready, with Marshall promising Auracast audio sharing and simultaneous device linking thanks to the emergent technology, something we've already seen implemented with the recent JBL Xtreme 4 and JBL Go 4 models.

Marshall's latest speakers look as cool and classy as we'd expect from the brand, and we're hoping they have the performance to match. Both are available to pre-order now and will go on sale globally on August 26th – the Marshall Emberton III will set you back £159 / $169 / €179 / AU$289 and the Marshall Willen II will cost £99 / $119 / €119 / AU$199.

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Harry McKerrell is a senior staff writer at What Hi-Fi?. During his time at the publication, he has written countless news stories alongside features, advice and reviews of products ranging from floorstanding speakers and music streamers to over-ear headphones, wireless earbuds and portable DACs. He has covered launches from hi-fi and consumer tech brands, and major industry events including IFA, High End Munich and, of course, the Bristol Hi-Fi Show. When not at work he can be found playing hockey, practising the piano or trying to pet strangers' dogs.