- Marshall unveils Acton IV and Stanmore IV speakers
- Redesigned bass port, repositioned cables and tweaked speaker array
- Sadly, there's no Woburn IV in sight yet
It's been four years since Marshall revamped its home speaker line-up, and so fourth-generation models of the Marshall Stanmore, Marshall Acton and Marshall Woburn are certainly due.
In the words of Meat Loaf, two out of three ain't bad, because the former amp company (which now seems to focus solely on consumer tech) has just unveiled the brand-new Acton IV and Stanmore IV speakers.
These two new speakers are on sale now, and because we're keen we've already got a Marshall Acton IV review hot off the press for you — ie. the slightly smaller and cheaper of the two. It costs $299.99 / £259.99 (AU$430), while the Stanmore IV is a little more expensive at $399.99 / £349.99 (about AU$700).
And what about the top-end member of the family, the Woburn? There doesn't seem to be a new-generation version of this model. Perhaps it was stuck in traffic on the M1?
(To explain that joke for those outside the UK, Stanmore and Acton are both boroughs in London, while Woburn is a town outside of it. The M1 is the freeway passing it, and congestion jokes are a stalwart part of British humor. Feel free to trot this one out down at the local bar/ watering hole; I don't need any credit).
Fourth-gen upgrades abound
The Acton and Stanmore IV both bring a few improvements over the third-gen models.
These include support for Auracast, upgraded tweeters for a sparkling high-end, a redesigned bass port for increased airflow, and cables which plug into the bottom of the speaker instead of the side.
This latter was an interesting move, and it was done to allow the speakers to be backed right up against the wall. In theory, then, they'll fit into a cabinet or cupboard much better.
Beyond that, you're largely getting a package that'll be familiar to Marshall fans, especially with the amp-esque design and style. They're both still compatible with the brand's control app, as well as the M-button for controls, and retain the various connection options including Bluetooth, RCA and aux.
In previous reviews of Marshall's home speakers, we praised the bass performance and audio detail (thanks to a previous bass port redesign), but wished they could stream music over Wi-Fi, or offered voice assistance. Sadly, these particular perks have not been added for the new models — but we can still hope that they might arrive with the Woburn, right?
➡️ Read our full guide to the best Bluetooth speakers
1. Best overall:
JBL Flip 7
2. Best cheap:
JBL Clip 5
3. Best high-end option:
Bang & Olufsen A1 3rd Gen
4. Best party speaker:
Tribit Stormbox Blast 2
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