Marshall Acton IV

Hardware

The bottom line: Barely changed on the outside, but thoroughly overhauled under the hood: slightly lighter, with a downward-firing bass port for near-wall placement and a new M button.

At first glance, the Marshall Acton IV looks like its predecessor’s identical twin. Weight drops to 2.65 kilograms (200 grams less than its predecessor), while the dimensions stay identical at 17 x 15 x 26 centimeters. Acoustic fabric on the front, the large Marshall lettering centered, and a Tolex covering all around for that signature grip.

The bass port has moved from the back to the bottom, where the RCA and power connectors also sit in a recessed area. The Marshall Acton IV rests on four thick rubber feet.

On top sits the brass-backed control panel. The first things to catch your eye are the three distinctive dials with their LED rings and the power switch, designed as a loudly clicking toggle switch. Then there’s the three-way media control, the source button, the new M button, and the mini-jack aux input.

The 4-inch woofer and two improved 0.75-inch tweeters with waveguides are meant to work together with the now downward-firing bass port to deliver an improved stereo image and stronger bass. With the rear port gone, the Marshall Acton IV can now be placed directly against a wall. Three Class-D amplifiers power the system with 60 watts plus twice 25 watts.

Features and Controls

The bottom line: Bluetooth 5.3 plus LDAC, Auracast, multipoint, and a new RCA input for turntables and more, only the multi-speaker party mode costs extra with the HEDDON accessory.

With Bluetooth 5.3, Auracast, LE Audio, and LDAC move in alongside the usual SBC and AAC. Multipoint, the simultaneous connection to two sources, is also on board. Auracast capability is initially limited to receiving broadcast content via the app.

Sharing music in sync with other Marshall speakers (party mode) is only possible for the British company if you buy additional hardware for it. The HEDDON, at €199, handles that, and a bit more, which other manufacturers offer essentially out of the box with their own speakers.

Otherwise, Marshall’s usual promise still applies: pair, play, and turn it up. Turning it up especially, along with adjusting the sound via the three endless dials on the speaker, delivers exactly that authentic feeling of quality, control, and fun. Something only Marshall can pull off with its philosophy and product care.

On the analog side, a compatible turntable or tape deck can now also be connected via RCA cable through the RCA input on the bottom. Source selection happens via the tap button on the control panel or in the app, whose installation is automatically recommended the first time you pair the Marshall Acton IV.

In the EQ section there, you’ll find five presets and a five-band EQ for tailoring your own sound preferences. Three memory slots let you store presets, which can be recalled one after another via the M button on the speaker. Alternatively, the M button can launch Spotify.

Placement Compensation adjusts the speaker’s sound behavior to its location, for example close to a wall or at the edge of a shelf. There’s a sleep timer and the option to dim the brightness of the LED rings and lights on the control panel.

At the time of testing, the German version of the app wasn’t yet compatible with the new hardware.

Sound of the Acton IV

The bottom line: Powerful, warm, and stable up to high volumes, the Marshall Acton IV only loses a bit of fullness right at the very top.

Sonically, the Acton IV is also thoroughly Marshall: a very powerful bass foundation and distinctive mids for instruments and vocals come together with soft highs, clear but not overly zippy, for a very pleasant overall impression.

Marshall’s DSP feature, called Dynamic Loudness, works pleasantly unobtrusively across the entire range to shape the sound. The bass stays stable and perceptible even during quiet passages.

Even at higher volumes, nothing falls apart or starts to wobble, only at very high volumes does the sound get a bit thinner. For the Rolling Stones’ current album, the Marshall Acton IV is exactly right: warm, powerful, and still full of drive, with a wide spread and good depth. On “Lover” by Richard Ashcroft, the pumping bassline really comes through.

Electronic music also unfolds nicely and directly through this speaker, from softly trickling to brutally boiling. The Marshall Acton IV proves to be a sonically stable companion, whether tucked into a small listening room with a treasured record collection or set up in a bigger living room, doing what’s always defined Marshall: cutting a good figure with very good sound.

Conclusion

The update to the Marshall Acton IV is more than a success. The more modern feature set and the improved sound qualities are noticeable and leave a good impression.

The RCA input significantly expands what the speaker can do. That does raise the question, though, of why Marshall skips a digital input via USB-C or S/PDIF.

The feel and usability haven’t been revolutionized by the new M button on the control panel, but since you’ve always preferred controlling a Marshall directly on the unit anyway, you’ll now enjoy doing so even more.

The one real downside is the implementation of the Auracast features, which only allow linking multiple speakers with additional hardware.

FAQ

Does the Marshall Acton IV have a turntable input?
Yes, a compatible turntable or tape deck can be connected via RCA cable through the new RCA input on the bottom.

Can multiple Marshall Acton IV speakers be linked into a multi-room setup?
Yes, but only with the separately available HEDDON accessory for €199. Without this additional hardware, synchronized party mode with multiple Marshall speakers isn’t possible.

Can the Marshall Acton IV be placed directly against a wall?
Yes, since the bass port has moved from the back to the bottom, the Acton IV can now be placed near a wall without issue.

What does the Dynamic Loudness feature do on the Marshall Acton IV?
The DSP feature keeps the bass stable and perceptible even at low volume, without distorting the overall sound.

Does the Marshall Acton IV support LDAC and Auracast?
Yes, alongside SBC and AAC, the Acton IV also supports LDAC as well as Auracast, though Auracast is initially limited to receiving broadcast content via the app.

Does the Marshall Acton IV cost more than its predecessor?
No, despite numerous updates, the Marshall Acton IV is available at the same price as the predecessor model.

Technical Specifications of the Marshall Acton IV

Enclosure System

Bass reflex

Driver Type

Dynamic

Frequency Response

37–38,000 Hz

Drivers

4-inch woofer, 2x 0.75-inch tweeters with waveguides

Maximum Sound Pressure Level

95 dB SPL @ 1 m

Amplifiers

1x Class-D amplifier (60 W) for the woofer, 2x Class-D amplifiers (25 W) for the tweeters

Wireless Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3, Auracast, multipoint

Bluetooth Range

10 m

Codecs

SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3

Analog Connections

Aux 3.5 mm, RCA

Weight

2.65 kg

Dimensions (W x H x D)

171 x 150 x 260 mm

Colors

Black, Cream