Marshall Willen review 2024: great sound quality

The Marshall Willen Bluetooth speaker fits in your back pocket like a wallet full of singles and too many credit cards. It’s the smallest portable speaker made by Zound Industries. It’s made under licence from a British company that makes guitar amplifiers, and its grille has the distinctive gold script logo of that company.

The late Jim Marshall, who started Marshall Amplification and was the king of fuzzy guitar amplifiers, was known as the Father of Loud or, sometimes, the Lord of Loud. Nikki Sixx, the bassist for the band Motley Crüe, said that Marshall was responsible for some of the “greatest audio moments in the history of music” and 50% of all hearing loss.

Marshall Willen SPECIFICATIONS

Marshall Willen review: Design

So, let’s talk design. It has an interesting square shape, and the grille and Marshall logo on the front are made of plastic even though they are the brand’s trademark. We also really like the gold control knob that can be turned in any direction. You can protect the speaker’s sides with a rubber coating that extends a little bit out the back.

This lets you lay the speaker flat if you need to but still keep it a little bit off the ground. Nice enough. On the back, there is a rubber strap that is a little hard to figure out. You can hook it onto things or wrap the strap around something and lock it back into place. You can buy this speaker from its official website.

Marshall Willen review: App and Connectivity

There is also an app for the speaker, and we’ve seen the same features in Marshall’s wireless headphones and speakers that we’ve tested. In the app, you can choose between three EQ settings: Marshall, which is the classic Marshall sound, Press, which puts more emphasis on the bass and treble, and Voice, which is good for podcasters and other people who want to hear their voices.

The only one of the two that has a built-in microphone for calls is the Willen. You can’t talk to anyone on the Emberton II, so if you were hoping to use it as a speakerphone, you’re out of luck. It’s nothing special, but the Willen does a good job with calls, and other than a few problems with connectivity, conversations went well.

Marshall Willen review: Sound quality

There’s a microphone here, so if you need to take calls, you can use this speaker as a speakerphone. As you can see, it’s not great, but if you have to, it’s fine. As for sound, let’s start with the fact that these don’t get very loud.

But if you put these on a table right next to you, it’s fine. Because the speaker is small, you don’t get deep bass unless you play songs with a lot of bass, in which case you might hear it. But you might notice the lack of low end in pop songs that focus more on the mids and vocals.

Marshall Willen review: Battery life

When the device is turned on, a red LED lights up next to the Bluetooth button, and a five-segment battery indicator only shows red. Always green unless the battery is low, then turn red. It doesn’t really matter.

At a moderate volume level, Willen can stay charged for 15 hours,  trouble getting that. Using the USB-C cable and a power adapter that you need to provide, you can get three hours of play time in just 20 minutes. A full charge takes about three hours.

Marshall Willen review: Price

We also like the fact that it has a built-in strap for carrying and is made to last. In terms of sound, however, it doesn’t do enough to justify its price when compared to similar products, like the more powerful JBL Flip 6 ($129.95), which costs the same. Just remember that none of the other bands have the same rock-and-roll attitude.

Final Words

The Marshall Willen is good enough for use outside. It is easy to take with you because it is small and portable. There is even a strap built into the back of the speaker. It has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, so you don’t have to worry about getting dirt or sand in the speaker.

You can also drop it in water for up to 30 minutes without any problems. Since it’s small, it’s not too surprising that it’s not as loud as other speakers on the market, but it’s still good for smaller gatherings.

FAQS

Is Marshall Willen worth it?

The Marshall Willen is also well-made and sturdy. It has a unique button on the front that looks like a joystick and controls the speaker. The most important thing I learned from testing this $120 speaker is that it sounds much better than I thought it would for something this size.

Is Marshall better than Bose?

Some users don’t like how big this is and prefer the sleeker, more modern designs from Bose. Another thing to think about is that Marshall speakers are known for having a lot of bass, which is good for rock and hip-hop, while Bose speakers tend to be more balanced, which gives them a high-fidelity sound profile that is good for most music. 

What material is Marshall Willen?

This speaker is strong and made without PVC. Also, 60% of the plastic is recycled from old electronics. Willen lives up to Marshall’s promise of a more environmentally friendly approach, while still keeping the brand’s iconic design.