Watch out, Sonos: I listened to Marshall’s new soundbars, and they rock

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Marshall Heston 60 and Sub 200 are $700 and $600, respectively.
• Each merchandise uphold Marshall’s classic rock-and-roll-inspired design.
• As the corporate releases extra modular dwelling audio merchandise, it pushes on Sonos’s foothold.

Disclosure: The price of Jada Jones’ journey to New York Metropolis was lined by Marshall, a typical trade follow for long-distance journeys. The judgments and opinions of ZDNET’s writers and editors are at all times unbiased of the businesses we cowl.

After saying its foray into the house audio market with the well-received Heston 120, Marshall makes its message clear: it has its sights on providing modular techniques to customers. Shortly after the Heston 120, Marshall introduced the Heston 60 and Sub 200, a smaller, extra compact model of the Heston 120 and an exterior subwoofer, respectively.

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I spent a day with Marshall, demoing the Heston 60 and Sub 200, and it is unmistakable that Sonos is taken into account a detailed competitor. Well-known for its array of good audio system, subwoofers, and soundbars, Sonos’s person interface, software program ecosystem, and bodily design language significantly differ from Marshall’s. 

Nonetheless, the specs and buyer enchantment are related, although every model excels in numerous classes. This is the place Marshall’s new merchandise win, and the place they might have challenges getting loyalists to make the change.

A well-recognized design

Marshall’s dwelling audio merchandise borrow the identical design language as its transportable and residential audio system, paying homage to the corporate’s longstanding connection to amp-making. The Heston 120, Heston 60, and Sub 200 function tactile controls, polyurethane leather-based finishes, and brushed steel panels. 

Staying true to its design rules opens the door to customers in search of one thing totally different. The Heston lineup delivers for these in search of dwelling audio merchandise that needs to be seen as a lot as they need to be heard. Conversely, Sonos’s design language consists of clear strains, delicate matte finishes, and trendy parts, creating merchandise that mix into your private home decor.

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The Sub 200 seems extra like Marshall’s dwelling audio system than a standard black field subwoofer, and the Heston 60 intently resembles the Heston 120 however lacks the identical tactile controls. As an alternative of knobs, it has buttons to accommodate its smaller type issue and permit area for inner audio parts. 

A extra curated lineup

Sonos presents extra dwelling audio merchandise than Marshall, though new arrivals could possibly be on the horizon. Though Marshall’s dwelling audio lineup is significantly smaller than Sonos’s, it offers customers fewer decisions, which is not essentially a foul factor. The Heston 60’s measurement and spectacular sound could make it appropriate for small to medium-sized rooms, and the Sub 200 does its one job nicely sufficient to raise the Heston 60’s bass response or add an additional layer to the Heston 120’s highly effective onboard low-frequency efficiency.

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Marshall’s lineup consists of two soundbars and one subwoofer. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) could possibly be thought of the Heston 60’s counterpart, as they’re related in measurement and variety of amplifiers and passive radiators.

The Heston 60 has two three-inch inner woofers, 4 passive radiators, seven Class D amplifiers, and 5 one-and-one-quarter-inch full-range audio system. It handles bass nicely with out the Sub 200, which was stunning for its small cabin. 

Throughout my briefing, we watched a “Prime Gun: Maverick” clip in Dolby Atmos with the Heston 60 and Sub 200. The Sub 200 provides a a lot deeper bass response to the Heston 60, and the compact soundbar’s dialogue, tune lyrics, and devices had clear separation and spectacular imaging. Nevertheless, like Sonos’s Beam (Gen 2), the Heston 60 does not have upfiring audio system, which limits it from providing a very immersive spatial audio expertise.

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The Sub 200 and Heston 60 collectively are a worthy tag-team competitor to Sonos’s midrange soundbar and subwoofer choices. The Sub 200’s specs extra intently resemble Sonos’s Sub Mini as an alternative of its flagship Sub 4. With two five-and-a-quarter-inch woofers, you’ll be able to really feel the Sub 200’s rumble, and Marshall claims it might probably attain depths as little as 30 Hz.

Embracing conventional connectivity

One among Sonos’s primary promoting factors is that its dwelling audio merchandise talk with each other through your private home’s Wi-Fi community. This connectivity permits for wi-fi communication and integration of its audio system throughout product classes and rooms in your home. Utilizing Wi-Fi connectivity because of this is right, until you have got a penchant for legacy audio merchandise.

Marshall’s soundbars are outfitted with Wi-Fi 6, however they do not use it to speak with each other, and can’t talk with Marshall’s dwelling or transportable audio system. The Sub 200 connects wirelessly to the Heston 60 and 120 through Bluetooth LE – it is not suitable with Wi-Fi. 

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As soon as I take a look at the Heston 60 and Sub 200, I will have a stable opinion of the Sub 200’s connection stability with the Heston 60, although Bluetooth LE guarantees round 100 toes of vary indoors.

Nevertheless, in contrast to Sonos’s merchandise, Marshall’s Heston soundbars sport Aux In and Sub Out inputs, and the Sub 200 has a Sub In enter to attach them to your analog gamers. The soundbars additionally assist an array of audio codecs, together with FLAC, ALAC, LC3, and WMA, in comparison with Sonos’s AAC and SBC.

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Total, Marshall is proving itself to be a contender within the modular dwelling audio market, trying to develop its current client base. The corporate’s dedication to music fanatics and analog lovers may appeal to Sonos followers who aren’t pleased with the corporate’s app and software program adjustments. Moreover, Marshall’s merchandise have a selected look that challenges the market’s established order aesthetic, and it does that very nicely.

However as I at all times say, a pair of rear audio system would full Marshall’s dwelling audio choices. Till then, I will take into account Marshall a budding but fierce contender.