The Marshall Middleton Bluetooth speaker is the brand’s heaviest portable sound with impressive durability

When it comes to picking the perfect Bluetooth speaker, there are a lot of different avenues you could go down, but I often turn to the audio experts at Marshall because they’ve been in the business of making quality amplifiers and speakers for more than 60 years.

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In the world of portable Bluetooth speakers, I believe that Marshall’s Middleton speaker is worth taking a closer look at, and that’s not just because of its streamlined aesthetics, but also because of its rich sound quality and unmistakable command of the audio range.

Portability without compromise

The first thing you’ll notice about the Marshall Middleton is that it looks almost nothing like the Woburn III that we showed you almost a year ago, and that’s because the Middleton was designed with durability in mind. Its IP67 dust and water resistance rating makes it a perfect tag-along for indoor and outdoor activities alike, making it an excellent audio companion at the beach, at the park, or even just in your living room.

The exterior of this speaker is wrapped in a tough one-piece rubberized coating that repels water and resists scuffing. The Marshall Middleton also features a detachable carry strap that helps make carrying the speaker easier in various scenarios, and it works great as a backpack strap for any sort of outdoor activities where you might want to bring some music with you.

The Marshall Middleton measures a mere 9 inches long, just over 4 inches tall, and just under 4 inches in depth. But don’t let its compact dimensions fool you. Its powerful quad-speaker setup comprised of two 3/5-inch 10-watt tweeters, two 3-inch 15-watt woofers, and two passive radiators delivers loud and proud audio without even the slightest whiff of distortion.

Marshall built the Middleton with smart audio features that enhance sound perception in various situations. Some of these features include Dynamic Loudness that adjusts the tonal balance of the sound for ideal quality through the volume ranges, as well as True Stereophonic multi-directional spatial and binaural sound that fills every crevice in a 360-degree space.

Power in more ways than one

The Marshall Middleton features dual 10-watt class D amplifiers for the 10-watt tweeters and dual 20-watt class D amplifiers for the 15-watt woofers but still lends up to a generous 20-hours’ worth of playback with a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery when used in a power-conscious manner. When you start changing the settings, you might see a dip in those battery life numbers, especially with higher volume levels and with the amplifiers working harder when you have the bass and treble punched up.

The battery charges to full in less than 4.5 hours and supports quick charge for up to 2 hours of playtime in just 20 minutes of charging for when you’re in a pinch.

The longer playback without question manifests itself from the advancements in the Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, which is well known for its power-sipping qualities. Bluetooth 5.1 also lends itself to improved audio quality and clarity thanks to benefits like reduced lag, improved range, and faster data transfer, among other things.

But one thing we should note about the Marshall Middleton is that it’s much more than just a speaker; in fact, the built-in battery can double as a power bank for any of your devices when they’re in need of a charge. Simply plug your device in using the USB-C in/out port on the back, and you can stay powered through the day.

Controls & features

The Marshall Middleton’s controls are slightly different than any Marshall speaker we’ve ever shown you before, and that’s because an IP67-rated design required something a little different that would resist the elements better than just an all-brass plate and some knobs and switches.

At the top of the unit is a multi-directional control knob that functions as an all-in-one controller for playing, pausing, and skipping tracks, as well as adjusting the speaker volume, and powering the speaker on or off on demand.

You will also find a battery gauge that lights up with incremental red ticks to indicate the amount of battery power remaining, a Bluetooth control, a battery indicator control, and independent bass and treble controls. Each of these buttons are over-molded into the body of the unit to ensure water-tightness, but they still offer a responsive tactile click when pressed. The over-molded buttons feel akin to pressing the volume buttons in an OtterBox Defender series case on an iPhone – spongy, yet notably tactile when pressed all the way.

If you prefer, you can also control the Marshall Middleton with Marshall’s app instead of using the physical buttons at the top. While using the app isn’t required, the Marshall team recommends it for the best user experience.

On the back of the Marshall Middleton, you’ll notice that there’s a 3.5mm audio jack next to the USB-C I/O port, which means that you can choose between connecting via Bluetooth to your audio device or connecting over a wire for when reliability matters to you.

Good looks

The Marshall Middleton is a sharp looking portable Bluetooth speaker. Marshall speakers have always inspired good looks with their premium vintage guitar amplifier-like aesthetic, and the Middleton, although more rugged than previous designs, is no different.

The front of the speaker shows off that attractive Marshall logo in a semi-metallic gold finish that pops against an all-black body and mesh speaker grille. I’ve always liked the look of these Marshall speakers so much that I’ve almost always left them out as decoration pieces rather than putting them away when not in use.

Adding to the attention to detail, the rubberized exterior of the Marshall Middleton sports a soft touch grain that I can only describe as feeling as nice in the hand as a brand-new football, albeit smoother and heavier. So while there’s definitely an urge to turn this speaker’s volume up and hear your favorite tunes, I will say there’s also a strong urge to handle and touch it because the texture is just so satisfying in the hand.

Even the charging cable that the Marshall Middleton comes with looks like it was designed to impress. The plugs of the cable have knurled grips that look and feel like the plugs you’d put into a guitar amplifier, and we’d expect nothing less from an iconic brand that designs exactly that type of product.

My thoughts on the Marshall Middleton

While I tend to drift toward larger stationary speakers for my use cases, I do see the Marshall Middleton as a compelling option for someone who values portability. Despite the crystal-clear sound quality of the Marshall Middleton and the sound projection that it offers, you can only expect so much from the tiny drivers. That said, you can tell it’s a portable speaker by how it sounds because it’s not quite as bass heavy as a full-size speaker with a larger woofer. On the other hand, the sound quality is still amazing for the size.

I was immediately impressed by the Marshall Middleton’s build quality and good looks. Every small detail of the device, right down to the charging cable it comes with, screams attention to detail. Moreover, Marshall made this speaker look good without sacrificing durability. The IP67 dust and water resistance helps prevent unwanted damage from the elements, allowing you to confidently carry this speaker in the wild and use it as it was intended to be used.

While I appreciate that Marshall provides an app for controlling their speakers, I personally prefer to use the hardware controls on the speaker itself. I find that the speaker’s controls are easy to learn, and best of all, they’re responsive. The tactile clicks you get when pressing the buttons feel just right, and the right lights behind the battery indicator are like a glaring cherry on top.

While I’m unlikely to use the Marshall Middleton as a battery pack, I also think it’s cool that the brand added this functionality to their speaker. I know too many people who let their iPhones’ batteries run loose without a mid-day charge, and the charging port on this speaker ensures that everyone has a fair shot at their battery lasting for the entire day.

Speaking of battery life, we need to address the elephant in the room. When we see the 20 hours of battery life claim from the manufacturer, that’s a very liberal guestimate based on low volume and without pushing the speaker to the max. Marshall isn’t the only company that does this, but we know most people are going to punch the volume up and dial in their favorite bass and treble settings to hear their music, so expect to experience a more realistic number around half of that.

Lastly, we need to address the price of this speaker, because the Marshall Middleton is by no means cheap. At $300, this portable speaker sports a loud price tag that approaches the price of full-sized powered speakers from the same brand. While those larger offerings don’t have the same water resistance and portability features, someone who uses their speaker exclusively at home would get better value from one of those than this portable offering because they often have a dedicated subwoofer. On the other hand, it’s hard to beat the ruggedness of this speaker when it comes to using it in any outdoor setting.

I’ve compiled a short list of pros and cons for our readers below:

Pros:

• This sharp-looking speaker sounds just as good as it looks
• IP67 dust and water resistance and rubber carry strap make it ideal for outings
• True stereophonic (360º) sound fills the room
• Controls are easy to use and thoughtfully placed
• Works with both Bluetooth and 3.5mm auxiliary connections
• Available in different colors
• Rubber carry strap is removable

Cons:

• High price for a portable speaker with smaller drivers
• Doesn’t deliver as much bass as larger speakers with dedicated subwoofers
• Takes 4.5 hours to charge to full battery
• Advertised 20-hour battery life isn’t realistic for most real-world uses

Where to get one

If you’re interested in a Marshall Middleton portable Bluetooth speaker for your next party or outdoor event, you can grab one on Amazon for $199 (normally $300) for the Black and Brass colorway, or $202 for the Cream colorway.

Alternatively, you can place your order directly through Marshall’s own website for $299 and have it delivered to your door or pick your order up from a Best Buy store near you.

Conclusion

The Marshall Middleton is a nice portable Bluetooth speaker that checks a lot of boxes, but it might not be affordable for everyone. We especially appreciate its appearance, ruggedness, and sound quality. But if you value deeper and richer bass, you may want to look elsewhere.

Do you think you’ll be adding a Marshall Middleton to your kit collection? Let us know why or why not in the comments section down below.

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