Marshall bluetooth speaker pairing. How to Connect Google Home to Bluetooth Speakers

How to Connect Google Home to Bluetooth Speakers

Tim Fisher has more than 30 years’ of professional technology experience. He’s been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.

What to Know

• Turn on the speakers and the device with the Google Home app on it.
• In the app, choose Settings Audio Default music speaker. Put speakers into pairing mode.
• Select Pair Bluetooth speaker and choose the speaker.

This article explains how to connect Google Home to Bluetooth speakers using the Google Home app. Also included are troubleshooting tips to help with any problems that might occur during the initial pairing.

Google Home Bluetooth Setup Directions

When you connect Google Home to Bluetooth speakers, all music that you command through Google Home plays on the Bluetooth device. However, other things, like Google Assistant responses, alarms, and timers, continue to play through the Google Home’s built-in speaker.

Here’s how to hook up Google Home to some Bluetooth speakers:

• With both devices turned on, open the Google Home app on your phone or tablet. It’s available for Android, iPhone, and iPad users.

Go to Audio Default music speaker.

Return to the Google Home app and select Pair Bluetooth speaker, and then select the speaker when you see it appear on the screen.

Troubleshooting Tips

If Google Home can’t find your speaker, verify the speaker is in pairing mode and, if there’s a physical switch to enable Bluetooth, that the switch is in the on position.

If you see an error in the app that no devices were found, tap Rescan to try looking again. It might take a few tries.

If Google Home is having trouble hearing you after you’ve paired the speaker, make sure you’re talking to Google Home itself and not the newly paired speaker. The microphone is on Google Home.

You can connect Google Home to several Bluetooth speakers simultaneously. Either add multiple speakers through the app so you can pick which one to play music on, or create a speaker group to play the same music across multiple speakers at once.

There’s no reason to reconnect the Bluetooth speaker each time you want to use it. The directions above let you pair and connect the speaker to Google Home just once, so every time after that, music will continue to play through the Bluetooth speaker until you turn it off or it gets disconnected.

How to connect two bluetooth speakers at the same time? Simple guide with all options

Bluetooth speakers have dominated the market in recent years. All major brands periodically launch new models to meet any kind of need.

These devices allow you to play your favorite music anywhere, offer amazing sound for their size and are quite affordable.

That said, sometimes a single speaker is not enough to get the powerful or stereo sound you want. How to connect two Bluetooth speakers at the same time?

In this guide we explain all the options you have to pair two Bluetooth speakers simultaneously, either with an application or with a pair of models of the same brand.

Why connect two Bluetooth speakers at the same time?

Connecting two Bluetooth speakers at the same time allows you to enjoy a wider, richer sound and enhances the enjoyment of the music experience.

That said, you need to start by choosing quality Bluetooth speakers. You can connect several bad Bluetooth speakers and the sound quality will not improve.

How to connect two Bluetooth speakers at the same time to the same device?

Can two Bluetooth speakers be connected at the same time?

If you want to connect two Bluetooth devices at the same time to your phone or tablet, you need to get two models from the same brand, such as JBL, Ultimate Ears, Bose or Harman Kardon.

You can find hacks online to connect speakers of different brands, but the success of this operation depends on the operating system of your device. over, it is complicated.

• To connect several Bluetooth speakers at the same time, turn on the speakers.
• Press the Bluetooth connectivity button on the speaker and wait for it to pair with your device.
• In some cases it is necessary to navigate to the Bluetooth menu of your phone and connect manually. Some systems also require you to perform the process through an application.

Connect 2 Bluetooth speakers for stereo sound

Some speakers, such as UE or JBL, allow you to synchronize two compatible models simultaneously.

With this function, each speaker is responsible for playing the same music, but in the right or left channel. If you already have two speakers of the same brand, you just need to check the stereo synchronization technology they use, such as JBL Connect Plus or PartyBox, for example.

How to connect two Bluetooth speakers at the same time with the AmpMe application?

Application to connect two Bluetooth speakers?

If you want to connect two Bluetooth speakers of different brands, you only have one option: download an application such as Ampme.

This app allows you to connect 2 Bluetooth speakers at the same time, or more devices, to play the same music. However, you need multiple smartphones to make it work. Its function is to synchronize different phones so that you can enjoy the same song with all speakers in a meeting.

There are different applications for connecting multiple speakers via Bluetooth, such as those from Bose or Ultimate Ears. That said, AmpMe is the most versatile Bluetooth speaker connection app, as you can perform the process with speakers of any brand.

With the app you can synchronize many phones and speakers to listen to the same music from any online streaming service, such as Spotify or YouTube. It also allows you to play from the memory of any mobile device.

Users can create or join parties. The person creating the party or meeting controls the music, although other users can send songs using the chat function.

The host also has the option to turn on guest mode as a DJ for others to add pieces to the playlist. It is ideal for synchronizing two Bluetooth speakers.

Using AmpMe is very simple. After downloading the app, log in from your Google or accounts. To start a party you only need to follow these steps:

• Press the Plus icon.
• Select the service, such as Spotify or YoutTube.
• Press Connect.
• Log in to your account.
• Choose or create a playlist.

Synchronizing multiple Bluetooth devices with Samsung and Apple

With the JBL, Bose or Ultimate Ears apps, you can connect two Bluetooth speakers at the same time, although only particular models of the corresponding brands.

We recommend that you check the compatible models on the application pages found on Google Play or the App Store. On the other hand, you also have other options if you own a Samsung phone or Apple HomePod speakers.

How to connect multiple Bluetooth speakers using Samsung Dual Audio?

If you have a Samsung Galaxy S8, S or newer model, you can enjoy the Bluetooth Dual Audio feature to sync two Bluetooth speakers.

• Navigate to settings, connections and Bluetooth.
• Click on advanced or on the menu icon (three vertical dots).
• Turn on the Dual Audio switch.
• To use Dual Audio, pair the phone with two speakers, two headphones or one of each, and the audio will play on both devices. It is a perfect technology for connecting multiple Bluetooth speakers.

HomePod Stereo Pair

Apple offers a feature very similar to Samsung’s Dual Audio to connect two iPhone Bluetooth speakers. It’s called HomePod Stereo Pair and allows you to sync an iPhone or Mac with two HomePod Smart speakers.

• Open the Home app, double-click or press and hold on the HomePod, then click settings.
• Select a second HomePod.
• You will see two HomePod icons in the app. Select one of them to send the sound to the right or left channel.
• Select back and then ready.

We hope this information will help you and you no longer need an answer to the question How to connect two Bluetooth speakers at the same time? You have several options, although the easiest is to purchase two models of the same brand.

We also recommend you to check our guides on How to connect speaker to PC or Mac? y How to connect Bluetooth speakers to Windows 7, 8 or 10 PC? y Bluetooth stereo speakers What are they and how do they work?

How to Get Marshall Speaker Spotify Connect for Use

A passion for perfect sound saw Jim Marshall rise the ladder in a few decades. Marshall speakers have so far been among the most recognized products in the line of music. As long as you connect Marshall to your devices, you can take Marshall’s signature sound any place you wish, thanks to the portable speaker. You can also opt for home speakers and simply immerse yourself in Spotify music from the comfort of your home. But how do you connect and get Marshall Spotify to work?

Well, it is good to know that Marshall has advanced to the degree of wireless connectivity. You have multiple ways to link Marshall speaker with your favorite music streaming service. And next, we will introduce 2 ways for you to enjoy Spotify songs with and without subscriptions.

Part 1. How to Make Marshall Spotify Work via Spotify Connect

The first way to play Spotify on Marshall is by using the Spotify Connect feature. Spotify Premium users are of the advantage of a direct Marshall Spotify connection. It’s easy to follow and you should ensure both of your devices are using the same network.

Step 1. To connect Spotify to Marshall, first, launch your device where you have the Spotify app.

Step 2. Next, connect your Stanmore II Voice to the same network.

Step 3. Then launch the Spotify app on your device.

Step 4. Play the Spotify track and click the Devices Available icon located at the left bottom of the Now Playing screen.

Step 5. Select Stanmore II from the list.

You just connected Marshall with Spotify. Now freely enjoy listening to your favorite Spotify hits.

Part 2. How to Connect Spotify and Marshall Speakers Free via Bluetooth

You are not limited to connecting Spotify and Marshall via premium. Nonetheless, you can enjoy your favorite hits from your Spotify free account. AudKit SpotiLab Music Converter makes it possible to get Spotify Marshall on any device via Bluetooth because it can download your tracks, playlists, and albums from Spotify for offline playback.

AudKit Spotify Music Converter supports several output formats like M4B, WAV, AAC, FLAC, and MP3 among others. Furthermore, it has advanced converting technology that will keep the 100% audio quality of your original Spotify songs. It carefully preserves ID3 tags of Spotify including the album art, artists, titles, track numbers, etc.

The conversion speed is also notable, going up to a 5X rate during the conversion. You can download the 5-minute song in 1 minute. You can, above all else, reset the Spotify output settings as per your preference to get the best sound on Marshall speaker.

Main Features of AudKit Spotify Music Converter

How to Download and Use Spotify on Marshall Offline for Free

Whether you operate a free account, AudKit Spotify Music Converter lets you quickly manage Marshall speaker Spotify connect. The AudKit program supports both Windows and Mac operating systems. To begin, visit its official website and choose your preferred version. Then hit on the “Download” tab to install it on your computer.

Once you launch the Converter, you will notice that the Spotify app opens automatically. Also, ensure you register on the app. Click on the “Menu” “Register” tab then copy and paste your license email and the registration code to the desired tab for full version activation.

Step 1 Add Spotify songs to AudKit program

Choose the Spotify tracks you wish to convert and connect with Marshall from the Spotify app. Next, right-click on the selected track and choose the “Share” option then hit on the “Copy Song Link” choice and paste it into AudKit’s interface search box. Next, click on the “” tab to import your selection. Alternatively, directly drag and drop the tracks from Spotify into AudKit’s interface.

Step 2 Customize Spotify output parameters for Marshall

Remember, you can personalize your Spotify music hits with AudKit SpoDable. Go to the “Menu” “Preferences” option and choose the “Convert” option. Begin to reset the Spotify output format and move on to the audio parameters including sample rate, channel, bit rate, etc.

Step 3 Download Spotify tracks for Marshall speaker

Confirm your entries if as desired then click on the “OK” “Convert” tabs to let the AudKit app start the conversion to download Spotify music to computer. Once completed, the downloaded Spotify tracks will be saved in a local output format on your computer’s local folder. Just hit the folder icon to locate your Spotify tracks and get Marshall Acton/Stanmore II Spotify to work offline using Bluetooth.

Step 4 Play Spotify on Marshall via Bluetooth

Spotify songs are now free from restrictions and you can connect your computer to Marshall via pairing Bluetooth.

1) First, turn on your Marshall speaker.

2) Then select the “Bluetooth” option as the source of connection and toggle the button to “ON“.

3) Next, activate the “Bluetooth” functionality on your computer.

4) Press the “Pair” button and check that the LED light on the Marshall speaker turns red.

5) Go to your computer and select the “Marshall speaker” to pair them both up.

6) Here you can freely play your songs from Spotify on Marshall for free.

Part 3. FAQ about Marshall Speaker and Spotify

Here are some common concerns on Marshall Spotify.

Q1: Can You Play Spotify on Marshall Speaker?

Yes! You can connect Marshall with Spotify by Spotify Connect if you have a Spotify subscription. Modern-age Marshall speakers encompass connectivity features like Spotify Connect that facilitate direct playing. You can also use AudKit Spotify Music Converter to convert your Spotify music to a common output format that is playable on any device, including a Marshall speaker.

Q2: Why Does Spotify Marshall Not Work via Spotify Connect?

Some users find that they cannot make Marshall Stanmore Spotify connect via the Spotify Connect feature. There’re several reasons that may cause the problem on your device.

• A common cause is poor internet connectivity. To do this, ensure that both your device and Marshall speaker are connected to the same internet network and that it’s functional.
• Another cause is the outdated Spotify version. Check first that your Spotify version is up to date. If not, please update the software before you connect to the speaker.
• You can also resolve the connecting issue to restart the Spotify app to improve its performance.

Part 4. Conclusion

How pleasant it is to enjoy your Spotify tracks while relaxing? Marshall gives you exactly that which makes your heart contented. This article has demonstrated how best to Marshall Spotify connect with a Spotify Premium account. But it doesn’t end there! You can be a Spotify-free account subscriber but have the chance to enjoy your tracks on Marshall speakers. AudKit Spotify Music Converter has a solution for free subscribers. Just use it to convert your playlist or albums to the local output format and eradicate all restrictions to relish your favorite Spotify songs on Marshall and other any device.

Marshall Emberton II Speaker Review

The Marshall Emberton II is the second generation of the Marshall Emberton and looks very similar to its predecessor. The Emberton II sports Marshall‘s iconic amp-like design. This small speaker is part of Marshall’s portable speaker lineup, along with the smaller Marshall Willen, making it easy to bring your favorite music with you wherever your heart desires. However, unlike the Emberton, it’s also compatible with the Marshall Bluetooth app, which you can use to access EQ presets, and you can connect the speaker to other Marshall Emberton II speakers when you want to amplify your audio.

Our Verdict

The Marshall Emberton II is alright for music. It has a balanced sound profile suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content. Its balanced mid-range ensures vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix, and there’s a bit of extra warmth and boom in the bass range too. It also has a fantastic soundstage that you’ll perceive as immersive and spacious-sounding. Unfortunately, like most small speakers, it also lacks low-bass, so you can’t feel the deep thump and rumble typically present in bass-heavy music. That said, while there isn’t a graphic EQ to let you fully customize its sound to your liking, there are EQ presets you can use to choose a sound you prefer.

The Marshall Emberton II is passable for watching videos and movies. This stereo speaker offers a fantastic soundstage that you’ll perceive as immersive and open-sounding. It also has low Bluetooth latency with iOS and Android devices. As a result, the visuals you see on your screen are in sync with the audio you hear from the speaker. Some apps compensate for Bluetooth latency differently, and your experience may vary. Also, like most small speakers, it doesn’t get very loud and lacks low-bass, so you can’t feel the deep thump and rumble typically present in action-packed scenes like during car crashes or explosions.

The Marshall Emberton II is good for listening to podcasts. It has a balanced mid-range that ensures voices and dialogue reproduce clearly and accurately in the mix. There’s even a ‘Voice’ preset you can use when listening to vocal-centric content like audiobooks and podcasts. It’s small and lightweight, making it incredibly portable, so you can easily move your podcast with you from room to room. Also, it has excellent directivity, so your audio sounds the same when listening from different angles, like when listening from behind the speaker.

The Marshall Emberton II doesn’t support voice assistants.

The Marshall Emberton II is good for outdoor use. This portable speaker is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, meaning it’s certified to be dust tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes, so you can take it outdoors without worrying about it getting wet. It also offers a long-lasting battery life of around 22 hours from a single charge, making it great for long listening sessions spent outside. That said, like most speakers its size, it isn’t loud enough to fill large outdoor spaces. There’s also a lot of compression present at max volume that degrades the quality of your audio when the volume is maxed out.

• 6.9 Music
• 6.4 Videos/Movies
• 7.9 Podcasts
• 3.2 Voice Assistant
• 7.6 Outdoors
• Updated Apr 05, 2023: Added a market comparison with the Marshall Middleton in the App box.
• Updated Dec 05, 2022: Corrected an error that previously listed the metal grilles as made of plastic in the Build Quality box.
• Updated Jul 27, 2022: Review published.
• Updated Jul 19, 2022: Early access published.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Marshall Emberton II comes in two color variants, ‘Black and Brass’ and ‘Cream’. This review represents the test results for the ‘Black and Brass’ variant; you can see its label here. Both variants are expected to perform similarly.

If you come across any other variants, let us know in the discussions, and we’ll update our review.

Compared To Other Speakers

The Marshall Emberton II is the next generation of the Marshall Emberton. Like its predecessor, it’s a small portable speaker designed to look like an amp. However, it’s compatible with the Marshall Bluetooth app, which lets you access EQ presets to tweak its sound to your liking. It produces a slightly more extended low-bass. It’s also better built with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance that certifies it to be dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. However, like most speakers its size, it doesn’t get very loud and lacks low-bass, so you can’t feel the deep thump and rumble typically present in bass-heavy music like EDM and hip-hop.

The Marshall Emberton II is better than the Bose SoundLink Flex, though they have different strengths. The Marshall can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, resulting in a more immersive soundstage. Its soundstage is perceived as wider and more spacious. It also comes with EQ presets to tweak its sound to your liking and has longer-lasting battery life. That said, the Bose has less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner-sounding audio at louder volume levels. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone and is excellent at hearing you from far away and in noisy environments.

The Marshall Emberton II is a slightly better speaker than the JBL Flip 6 overall. The Marshall can produce a more extended low-bass and can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It also offers a wider-sounding soundstage and has a longer-lasting battery life of just over 22 hours. However, the JBL has less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio when the volume is maxed out. It also features a graphic EQ to tweak its sound to your liking.

The Marshall Middleton is a bit better than the Marshall Emberton II. Both are portable Bluetooth speakers with a similar design, though the Middleton is slightly larger. It can reproduce more bass, and you may find its bass and treble adjustments give you more control over its sound than the Emberton II’s presets. That said, its battery doesn’t last quite as long.

The Marshall Emberton II is a slightly better speaker than the JBL Charge 5, though they have different strengths. The Marshall is smaller, making it more portable. It offers a wider and more immersive-sounding soundstage that can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It has a longer-lasting battery life. It also has lower Bluetooth latency with iOS and Android devices, making it more suitable for watching movies and videos. However, the JBL gets a touch louder than the Marshall, with much less compression present at max volume, so your audio doesn’t degrade as much as you bump up the volume. Also, while the Marshall comes with EQ presets to adjust its sound, the JBL comes with a graphic EQ that gives you more control over the speaker’s sound.

The Marshall Emberton II is a better speaker than the Marshall Emberton overall. The Emberton II is compatible with the Marshall Bluetooth app, which lets you access EQ presets to tweak its sound to your liking. It can produce a more extended low-bass than its predecessor. It’s better built with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance that certifies it to be dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. Also, it gets slightly louder and has lower latency with iOS devices, though some apps compensate for latency differently, and your experience may vary.

The Marshall Emberton II is a better speaker than the Marshall Willen. The Emberton II offers a wider-sounding soundstage and can produce a significantly more extended low-bass than the Willen. Its sound profile is more balanced. It can also play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, resulting in a more immersive soundstage. However, the Willen has significantly less compression present at max volume, so audio sounds cleaner at louder volume levels. It’s also a bit smaller in size, making it a bit more portable.

The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is a better speaker than the Marshall Emberton II. The Ultimate Ears gets a touch louder than the Marshall, with significantly less compression at max volume, so your audio doesn’t degrade as much when the volume is maxed out. It gives you more control over your speaker’s sound profile thanks to the graphic EQ and presets in its companion app. It’s better-built too, and the manufacturer even advertises it can float in water. That said, the Marshall can produce a more extended low-bass than the Ultimate Ears.

The Marshall Emberton is a slightly better speaker than the Anker Soundcore Motion. The Marshall has better directivity, resulting in a much wider and open-sounding soundstage. It has a longer-lasting battery life and is better built with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance that certifies it to be dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. It’s smaller too, making it more portable. That said, the Anker gets a bit louder with much less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner-sounding audio at louder volume levels. Also, the Anker gives you more control over its sound profile thanks to the graphic EQ and presets featured in its companion app.

The JBL Xtreme 3 is slightly better than the Marshall Emberton II. The JBL gets a bit louder than the Marshall with less compression at max volume, so your audio sounds cleaner when the volume is maxed out. It can produce a slightly more extended low-bass, and the graphic EQ in its companion app offers you more control over its sound profile. It comes with a carrying strap to help transport it too, that has a built-in bottle opener so you can enjoy drinks with friends. However, the Marshall offers a more spacious and immersive-sounding soundstage that can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It’s smaller in size, making it easier to carry in one hand. It also has a longer-lasting battery life of around 22 hours.

The Marshall Emberton II and the Marshall Woburn III are designed with different uses in mind. The smaller, more portable Emberton is ideal for users who want to take their audio with them on the go. It’s rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, unlike the Woburn. However, it doesn’t get as loud as the larger, wired-only Woburn, nor does it reproduce as much low-bass. Since the Woburn is designed for use with TVs, it’s the only one with an HDMI ARC input.

The Marshall Emberton II is a better speaker than the Sonos Roam. The Marshall offers a more open and spacious-sounding soundstage and can produce stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It also has a significantly longer-lasting battery life of around 22 hours, as opposed to Sonos’ 5 hours of playtime. That said, the Sonos is Wi-Fi compatible. It comes with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, and has little trouble registering your commands from far away and in noisier environments.

The Marshall Emberton II is a better speaker than the Bushnell Wingman. The Marshall has a better-balanced sound profile out of the box, that can produce a more extended low-bass. It offers a wider and more spacious-sounding soundstage. There are presets you can use to tweak its sound to your liking. It has a longer-lasting battery life and is slightly smaller, making it easier to carry with you on the go. However, the Bushnell gets louder with significantly less compression at max volume, resulting in cleaner-sounding audio. It also has golf-oriented features like a built-in GPS, and its companion app helps you record your score and calculate yardages.

Test Results

The Marshall Emberton II is a small, rectangular portable Bluetooth speaker designed to look like an amp. It looks similar to its predecessor, the Marshall Emberton. However, its grille is black, and the logo is brass colored. This review represents the test results for the ‘Black and Brass’ color variant, but you can also find it in ‘Cream’.

The Marshall Emberton II is incredibly portable. Like the Marshall Emberton, you can carry this small, lightweight speaker in one hand, making it easy to bring with you wherever you go. It’s battery-powered, so you can take it outdoors without looking for a power outlet.

The Marshall Emberton II is very well-built. It feels sturdy overall, and there are metal grilles to protect the drivers inside. It’s rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, meaning it’s certified to be dust tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes, so you don’t have to worry about it getting a bit wet or accidentally dropping it into a pool of water.

The Marshall Emberton II has a decent selection of easy-to-use controls. It comes with a multi-function button atop it. You can press and hold it to turn it on/off, press once to play/pause, and push left and right to skip tracks or backtrack. You can also press and hold it left and right to fast-forward or rewind your track and hold it up or down to adjust its volume levels. The speaker emits a chime to let you know once you’ve reached max volume. There’s a Bluetooth button, which you can press and hold to enable pairing mode. It causes the Bluetooth light to blink and then turn solid red once it’s paired with your device. The speaker also emits a chime to inform you it paired successfully. You can triple press the Bluetooth button to start or end what Marshall calls a ‘Stack Mode’. It lets you connect multiple other Marshall Emberton II speakers when you want to amplify your audio. Like the Marshall Emberton, it also has a battery life indicator on the top-right of the speaker.

• Marshall Emberton II speaker
• USB-C charging cable
• User manual with legal and safety information

Marshall Willen Bluetooth speaker review: A rock-and-roll mini-me

The Marshall Willen portable Bluetooth speaker rocks out even when it’s not turned on. The price tag reflects its aesthetic fun and capacity as a conversation starter more than its audio performance, so if you can keep your expectations realistic, you’ll feel like you own a little piece of rock history.

Best Today: Marshall Willen

The Marshall Willen Bluetooth speaker fits in your back like a wallet overstuffed with singles and too many credit cards. It’s Zound Industries’ smallest portable speaker, manufactured under license from the British guitar amplifier builder and bears that company’s distinctive gold script logo splashed across its grille.

The late Jim Marshall, founder of Marshall Amplification and king of fuzzy guitar amplifiers, was known as the Father of Loud or, alternately, the Lord of Loud. Nikki Sixx, Mötley Crüe’s bassist, said Marshall was responsible for some of the “greatest audio moments in music’s history–and 50 percent responsible for all our hearing loss.”

The Willen, for its part, is no threat to human hearing. It can reach 80 decibels, as loud as an electric vacuum, with tolerable levels of distortion. It’s about the best you’ll get in a speaker this size with a single 2-inch full-range driver and a pair of passive radiators. The Willen is too good to be considered a novelty, but not good enough to surpass the competition in its 120 price range. But that competition won’t draw second glances or spark the same conversations the Willen is likely to.

Confused Marshall fans looking to align the Willen brand with one of many Marshall amp models will be interested to know that the speaker is named after the Willen Hospice in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Marshall spent his final days there, about 7 miles from the Marshall Amplification factory.

This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best Bluetooth speakers, where you’ll find reviews of the competition’s offerings, plus a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when shopping for this type of product.

The scale-model Marshall amp

A compact Bluetooth portable speaker’s appeal is almost always its size–“Ain’t it cute?!”–but the Willen’s ready-to-rock visage adds another dimension. It measures just 4 x 3.96 x 1.59 inches (HxWxD) and it weighs less than 11 ounces. It even looks stackable, just like a Marshall guitar amp. In fact, the manufacturer refers to the pairing of two or more Willens as Stack Mode.

For now, the Willen is available only in black-and-brass, with a cream version coming later this year. The grille and golden Marshall logo are plastic, but the gold-finished multifunction control knob embedded in the grille’s right-hand top corner is fabricated from aluminum. You’ll use it like a joystick, with a combination of press, hold, or push movements in any of four directions. Push and hold to turn on or off, push up or down for volume control, and so on. Here’s hoping it’s built to last, because it will take a pounding. A strap on the back can secure to a backpack or beach umbrella. I wrapped around a deck umbrella, perched above my guests.

For such a featherweight, the Willen is a surprisingly rugged little block wrapped in textured, protective silicone. This ruggedness is PVC-free, too. And 60 percent of the plastic is post-consumer recycled from used electronics. Don’t worry about inclement weather or dropsies near water, either. Willen’s IP67 rating promises complete protection from dust and other airborne particles, and it can withstand immersion in up to 1 meter of liquid for up to 30 minutes. (You’ll find a deep dive on IP codes at the preceding link.)

Look closely at the speaker’s top panel to see the tiny icons for Bluetooth, microphone, and battery and a barely noticeable “Willen” in raised black lettering. To pair the Willen with your phone, press and hold the Bluetooth button until it pulses red. (Outdoors, with a clear path, Willen retained the connection up to about 60 feet.) Stack Mode requires a triple press on the main speaker’s Bluetooth button and a double press on any additional Willen’s you wish to connect. Like many Bluetooth speakers, the Willen can also function as a speakerphone when connected to your cell phone. There is no 3.5mm auxiliary input for wired listening. (Are we far from the day when people ask, “What was a 3.5mm port for?”)

Powered on, a red LED aligns with the Bluetooth button and a five-segment battery indicator illuminates red–and only red. I’d prefer a mix: Always green, unless low-battery red. Not that it matters much. Willen lasts 15 hours on a charge–at moderate volume levels–and I had no trouble getting that. A 20-minute quick-charge using the provided USB-C cable and a power adapter you must provide delivers three hours of playtime, while a full charge takes about three hours.

Willen uses a single, 2-inch ferrite driver powered by a 10-watt Class D amplifier and two passive radiators that both add to, and control, bass output. The Willen has a Bluetooth 5.1 radio onboard, and it supports only the SBC codec. It’s a monophonic speaker–using two speakers in Stack Mode won’t produce stereo–so you’re unlikely to miss the higher-fidelity the aptX and AAC codecs can deliver.

Marshall’s no-frills app (available for Android and iOS) offers basic playback controls and three equalization presets, with “Marshall” the best all-around, “Push” delivering a boost in the top and bottom end with less-dimensional sound, and “Voice” suitable for podcasts or audiobooks.

I recommend using “Marshall” as an all-purpose EQ setting. It wasn’t worth shifting to Voice to hear about my ongoing obsession, invasive phragmites, for a podcast from the “Plants are People, too” folks.

Is the Willen’s sound truly Marshallian?

In past weeks, I’ve listened to Willen at moderate volume while stacking a cord of firewood, cooking dinner on the backyard grill, visiting with friends, and doing some touch-ups on my deck and shed. In other words, this isn’t the kind of speaker you’d use for long critical listening sessions. That probably comes as no surprise.

As long it wasn’t pushed, the Willen delivered pleasant, midrange-heavy sound with “Oxygen,” the duet with Swedish singer Winona Oak and Robin Schulz, and Steve Reich’s “Patterns Scales,” from Reich/Richter, recorded by France’s Ensemble intercontemporain.

In a higher-volume test that, fortunately, included no video of my actions, I used a YouTube recording of a barking golden retriever to humanely encourage a mother Canada goose and her goslings to leave a neighbor’s yard and return to a nearby marsh. Let’s just say the geese, which marched away in perfect alignment, were convinced.

Placing a sound-level meter three feet from the Willen made it easy to determine that this speaker’s comfort level is between 78 and 82 decibels. It’s just not built for music from certain endorsers of Marshall amps. Playing Mötley Crüe’s cover of the AC/DC classic “Highway to Hell,” assisted by the latter Band’s–and Marshall endorsers Angus and Malcolm Young–the speaker registered 88 decibels–but with intolerable distortion and shrillness. The Willen just wasn’t willin’. A 100 Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 (99.99) played the same track significantly louder, deeper, and without distortion. But try fitting that speaker into your back

The Willen is worth a look

Line up 10 Bluetooth portables under 120 and, based on looks, I’d take Willen every time. At that price, however, Willen has a lot of sonic competition. Start with the Wonderboom 2, the Anker Soundcore Motion. or an on-sale Tribit XSound Mega.

Willen is a great-looking little speaker with a pleasant sound at moderate volumes that would be a lot more attractive closer to 100.