Marshall announces its first ultra-compact Bluetooth speaker and it's beautiful
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Marshall fans rejoice, as one of the music scene's most relevant brands has just announced its first ultra-compact Bluetooth speaker. The Willen speaker comes to market in two colors and works with the Marshall Bluetooth app, previously unavailable for portable speakers from the brand.
TL;DR
- The Willen hits the market costing $120 and is already available for purchase today.
- Marshal also announced an upgrade to the Emberton II model, which is available for $170.
- Both devices can be used with the Marshall Bluetooth app.
With a distinctly youthful appeal, the Willen speaker is the missing option for those looking for a more affordable portable speaker signed by Marshall. What's perhaps unique here is the support for the Marshal Bluetooth app from the factory, as well as the new Stack Mode feature, a direct reference to classic Marshall stacks.
According to the company, Stack Mode allows you to connect the ultra-compact speaker with other speaker models out there, making it possible for you to expand your tunes to other branded speakers.
On that note, Marshall also announced an update to the Emberton II model, which has had a significant upgrade in battery life. Now, the compact speaker offers up to 30 hours of battery life or more on a single charge. The previous version offered only 20 hours, and the new Willen gets up to 15 hours of music on a single charge.
And like the Willen, the Emberton II also supports Stack Mode and can be used in conjunction with the Marshall Bluetooth app for EQ adjustments and firmware updates.
In addition, both the Willen and Emberton II have Bluetooth 5.1, IP67 water and dust resistance certification, and are compatible via the Stack Mode feature. To connect one model to the other using this feature simply press the Bluetooth button three times to host and twice the secondary speakers to join or disconnect the devices.
Audio Specifications:
| Willen | Emberton II | |
|---|---|---|
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Frequency Range | 100-20,000 Hz | 60-20,000 Hz |
| Drivers | One 2" 10 W full range Two passive radiators |
Two 2" 10 W full range Two passive radiators |
| Adjustable Bass and Treble Controls | No | No |
| Stereo/Mono | Mono | Stereo |
| Maximum Sound Pressure Level | 82 dB SPL @ 1 m | 87 dB SPL @ 1 m |
| Cabinet Principle | Sealed with passive radiator | Sealed with passive radiator |
| Power Amplifiers | One 10 Watt Class D amplifier for the driver | Two 10 W Class D amplifiers |
Both models have a youthful appeal and are available for pre-order starting today at Marshall's official store. While the ultra-compact Willen can be found at $120, the new Emberton II speaker costs $170.
So, would you invest $120 in this ultra-compact Bluetooth speaker from Marshall, or would you rather add $50 to the purchase and count on 30 hours of battery life from the Emberton II? Or would you rather invest in a more robust model from the brand?
