Marshall Acton III Bluetooth Home Speaker, Black

The quality is still good, but it feels better than the previous generation. Because acton II sounds quality better than the acton III. there is no cable in it,the price is also more expensive lol. I like the two different ways of linking. More convenient and easy to bring it with me.

What you need to know when considering this speaker, is that it is very much an indoor speaker. It is powered, not portable (i.e., no rechargeable battery) and no water resistance. It has a really nice, full, well rounded sound. I doubt bass fans could do any better. That is not to say that this speaker is all about bass, it just handles it better than most. It is a very powerful speaker for its size, which almost goes without saying, but there, I said it. It is not just loud but sounds good at high volumes and low. I particularly like that it has gain control which you do not see often in blue tooth speakers, and then typically in much more expensive speakers, so you can tune it to your liking if you do not like the tuning out of the box. However, Marshall does tuning out of the box well. We have... a lot of equipment. My husband is a recording musician, and I spent years in alternative radio. There is definitely music we have which has not sounded better. I was/ am surprised that it does not have aptx, and that is my only complaint, but I have not noticed a lot of loss in detail, and the speaker does have aux in, so the entire issue can be sidestepped. This is really one of the better speakers to listen to rock and roll. I think it is what Marshall does best, and they do it very well.

I was looking for a new speaker to replace a chargeable one that I had purchased roughly 10 years ago. I found this Marshall speaker and its appealing design caught my attention immediately! The speaker came very well packaged and it was very easy to pair with my cell phone using the provided app. The sound is great and with Volume 7 it was loud enough and very clear as well - I even went upstairs and could listen to it perfectly. The design of the speaker resembles a Marshal amp, so it took me back to memory lane when I hanged out with my rocker friends. I really liked the black and golden design/detail of the knobs and the power switch. I placed it on one of my night tables and it matched perfectly! Given its weight, I contemplate it can stay on such a table without any issues. It has been a couple of days since I received the speaker at home and friends that have stopped by have given compliments about the speaker! I definitely recommend this product.

Listening to iHeartRadio on my phone it really brings out the sound its so awesome

The ability to tune the sound like I was on a soundboard of a studio. Really !!!

I truly love this speaker. The sound, looks, function, all of it are fantastic. Let me start with saying that what some people say is a drawback, that its not portable, is one thing that I actually appreciate. I like that I have a good looking, great sounding speaker that I can have as decor and is meant to stay put. I have more than my fair share of bluetooth speakers but one thing that they all happen to have in common is that they all are something that I would rather hear and not see. Most all look like some like some sort of curvey plastic toy with useless cheesy lights or cheap cloth worked into the design and still is an eyesore. But this little beauty is actually something that you want to have out and have seen. Its retro style works with my MCM furniture and I like having it out for people to see. The build quality and finish are top notch and add to the fact that you want to show it off. The knobs and switches are so great. Not just because they have a cool look, but they also have a super satisfying tactile feel. Flipping that big switch to turn it on and off, the smooth turn of the knobs to change the volume are an analog delight. Also the indicator lights with the knobs are very cool touch. The sound from this speaker is IMHO pretty awesome. It manages to find the right balance of robust, full sound at all volume levels. For comparison, I have a Bose speaker that is nice at lower volume and I would use it indoors for background music only, because it sounded nice but it couldnt go loud because it doesnt project and the vocals would get lost. On the other end I have a pricey Sony that gets LOUD but then all you hear is the vocals and it gets yelly. This Marshall manages to project nice and clear and full so that I can have it on downstairs and hear it throughout my townhouse perfectly. Be it music or podcasts, nothing is muddled and the voices are clear. And I can have it playing low while I am hanging out making dinner or crank it for cocktails and it delivers! All balanced regardless of music style with the right amount of bass. I also wanted to mention that the App is thankfully only something that you rarely need to use. TBH I was skeptical of having to put an app on to set it up, because I was worried that you would have to only be able to use the speaker thru the app, but thankfully its really more of a set it and forget it. Once you set one of the features that really does make a difference (the one that you tell it where the speaker is placed like freestanding, in a corner or edge of a shelf), your pretty much done. You can use the app to change the bass and treble, but you can also just do that on the speaker itself. I mean its neat to be able to do it on you phone, but my point is that you dont HAVE TO use the app all the time which is nice. Again, I cant recommend this speaker enough!!!

For something about the size of a standard tissue box, this puts out awesome sound. You have to download the Marshall Bluetooth app to find it, which I wasnt thrilled about...but it does give some extra features and the app was available for my android phone as well as the chromebook I use in the wood shop, so Ive been able to use the speaker with everything I needed to. Now the sound: Hands down the best bluetooth speaker Ive used. Great quality, bass to rival a much larger system and it cranks loud enough to hear it over a table saw and shop vac running at the same time.

Static sound both with blue tooth and direct connect. Marshall trouble shooting suggest move closer to turntable (defies purpose for bluetooth to put speaker where I like) also suggested turning the volume down! Led Zep on low volume... not for me.

The speaker arrived safely packaged and had some weight to the box, which is generally a good sign. The quality of the exterior definitely caught my eye. It looks very sharp and classy. The volume, treble, and bass knobs all use LEDs to show their levels since the speaker can be controlled through the Marshall Bluetooth app. It also includes a 3.5mm AUX input, pause / FFD /RWD controls, and nice large toggle power button. Connecting to Bluetooth was very easy and intuitive. Just hold down the Bluetooth button till it makes a noise and the light starts flashing, then it will appear on the phone as ACTION III. Once I connected, a popup appeared with a link to download the Marshall Bluetooth app from the Google store. This automatic notificaiton may depend on your phone and OS version. Within the app, I was able to update the firmware on the speaker. This process took a few minutes to complete. From there, I was able to adjust a setting for placement compensation. Is it close to an edge? Is it free standing, against a wall, or in the corner? Since I use this at the edge of the living room table to send music and audiobooks towards the kitchen and the rest of the house, close to an edge and free standing was the obvious choice. The only other settings you can control is the bass and treble levels. Volume is governed by your phones main volume control. As for the sound quality, this is an excellent speaker, especially for its price tag. The sound is crisp and clear with no distortian even at 100%. The max volume of the speaker is perfect for a house speaker. We honestly wouldnt want it any louder. I recorded it around 95 dBa normally with an occasional jump to 102 / 103 dB depending on what was playing. The frequency range is good and it can get down to the upper sub bass frequencies (40Hz). Youll hear the bass, but you wont feel since this is only a tabletop speaker. That being said, I was still impressed with how it played the various music I threw at it. This is definitely my favorite (non-battery powered) Bluetooth speaker we own. Ill come down in the morning, flip it on, and start playing my audio book, music, or the news from my phone and I can hear it nice and clear throughout the first floor of the house as well as mostly clear going down into the basement. I can also wash the dishes in the kitchen and still hear and understand what Im listening to.

Seriously, its rare to find a product at any price point these days that looks so good and is so solidly constructed. In fact, if I saw this little but fierce Bluetooth speaker at a friends house and they asked me to guess its price, Id put it in the five to six hundred dollar range. From the solid, substantive knobs and switches atop the unit to the superlative vintage grille cloth and perfectly executed Marshall brand name, the Acton III simply reeks of quality. Once you download the Marshall Bluetooth app to your smartphone or tablet, pairing it to your device is easy-peasy. The app also gives you control of the tone and placement compensation via your phone, so if you choose to put the speaker across the room in your home or office, youre still in control. It also has a 1/8 RCA auxiliary input should the need arise. Now, the million dollar question: How does it sound? If youre looking for transparent, flat, nearfield monitor sound, you wont find it here--and that is *not* a bad thing. Sound-wise, this speaker is as retro as its cabinet: Rich, warm, and distinctly analog. With punchy bass and crystal-clear highs, it adds flavor and color without sacrificing fidelity. Id say it has the sound of a high-quality floor or console from the golden age of radio. Consequently, if your source material was mastered for AM radio (pretty much everything before 1980), itll sound great on the Acton III. Now this does *not* mean anything post 1980 will sound horrible, because it wont. In fact, itll probably sound better than the Bluetooth speakers youre using now, and it will sound orders-of-magnitude better than even the best ear buds. Likewise, any vocal podcast is bound to sound great on this pup. Downsides? I dont see it as a negative but do be aware the Acton III requires AC power (no USB or batteries). So, while it is small enough to be portable, it is really best suited for a permanent home. In sum, Im blown away by the Acton III, and Im sure you will be, too.