Marshall Middleton II

Marshall Middleton II – The Design

Inside the plastic-free box, you’ll find the Marshall Middleton II in either Black and Brass or Cream, a matching carry strap, a USB-C cable, and a quick start guide. The speaker measures 23 x 9.8 x 11 cm and weighs 1.8 kg, fitting well in hand but feeling more comfortable when carried by its high-quality strap. The Middleton II features Marshall’s signature snakeskin-style Tolex covering, a golden logo on the front grille, and on the back, an analogue mini jack input and a USB-C port for charging the battery – or charging a device, powerbank-style.

On top of the Middleton II are the controls, either as black buttons on a black surface or the central golden multi-directional control knob. The latter is easy to use in the dark, while the former are hard to distinguish even in dim light.

There’s also a ten-stage LED chain that shows battery level and volume settings, plus a microphone for hands-free calling. Internally, Marshall has equipped it with two 3-inch woofers and two 0.6-inch tweeters, powered by four Class-D amps – 30 watts for the woofers, 10 watts for the tweeters. Two passive radiators on the sides support the bass response.

Features and Operation

The Marshall Middleton II supports Bluetooth version 5.3, offering codecs SBC, AAC, and LC3, is Auracast-enabled, and – according to the spec sheet – provides a stable connection up to 60 metres. I stopped testing at 70 metres and can confirm the impressive range with line of sight.

You can operate the speaker via the top panel, where, alongside the main power and Bluetooth buttons, two strip-shaped controls adjust treble and bass. As mentioned, these buttons are difficult to identify in low light. If you remember which is which, you’re fine – but I often press the Bluetooth button when I mean to turn the speaker on, or adjust bass instead of treble, simply because the labels are unreadable in the dark.

With the multi-directional control knob, which handles all playback functions and volume, this problem doesn’t exist. The mini joystick with finger groove offers pleasant resistance and responds reliably to input.

All other functions are controlled via the app. There’s a five-preset equalizer and a five-band manual EQ for custom tuning. You can initiate updates, search for Auracast broadcasts, set a shutdown timer, and apply battery-saving settings to extend lifespan. And that’s it – the rest is music.

The Sound of Marshall Middleton II

Sound-wise, the Marshall Middleton II delivers an impressive bass for its size, tight and punchy with good impulse response and solid push, though it doesn’t hit you in the gut.

The mids come across warm and full, handle vocals and instruments well, but lack linear clarity and feel slightly veiled – a trait that continues into the treble. The highs are rather restrained, creating a more earthy, slightly muffled sound with a bass-heavy foundation. This DSP-based tuning holds up fairly well even at max volume, though some bass loss and overextension in mids/highs become noticeable when pushed to the limit.

Overall, the Marshall Middleton II still sounds decent at high volumes. But it performs better and more naturally at moderate levels. A real highlight is the True Stereophonic 360° sound Marshall promotes – meaning that due to driver arrangement, the Middleton II emits equally good sound to the front and back.

Bottom line: The Middleton II definitely delivers – though not quite as drastically as the Kilburn III. But that one is also larger and heavier.

Conclusion

Kudos to what the compact Marshall Middleton II can deliver in terms of bass and pressure – and how loud it can get without drastically degrading in sound. Features, feel, look and handling leave little to be desired, though I would prefer more readable labels.

But if that doesn’t bother you – because you don’t read labels anyway and want a cool piece from a legendary company without needing an amp or playing guitar – the Marshall Middleton II is a solid choice. And for anyone else looking for a high-quality, great-sounding compact outdoor speaker – this is for you too.