Marshall upgrades its home Bluetooth speaker line

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Not too long ago Marshall announced a new set of Alexa-enabled Wi-Fi speakers. Now it's upgraded its line of home Bluetooth speakers with new models that range in size from small (Acton II) to medium (Stanmore II) to large (Woborn II). They start at $249 or £219 with no word yet on Australian pricing.

All the speakers feature Bluetooth 5.0, an upgraded DSP (digital signal processor) and multi-host functionality, which means you can connect and switch between two Bluetooth devices. Available in black or white, they're attractively designed and seem sturdily built.

You can use the iconic Marshall knobs on top of the speakers to adjust treble and bass settings (as well as volume) or you can tweak the sound in the companion app. The app also allows you adjust of the LED lights on the top panel, set up stereo or ambient mode, and wake up your speaker or put it in standby mode.

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I had a quick listen to the top-of-the-line Woborn II, which had some good kick to it. I liked the treble and there's plenty of bass but the jury's still out on the quality of the bass. I'll have to have a listen in our test room here in New York before I pass final judgment.

Personally, I'm not sure why you wouldn't spend the extra dough on the Wi-Fi versions of these speakers, which cost $50 more and also have Bluetooth. But Marshall reps told me some folks prefer the simplicity of a Bluetooth-only speaker and don't want to bother with Wi-Fi. They also want to save $50.

Here are the prices for the new models. All of them have to be plugged into a power source to operate. In other words, they don't have a built-in battery.

• Acton II: $249, £219
• Stanmore II: $349, £299
• Woborn II: $499, £299

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