Marshall Emberton II and Willen: There are an absurdly large number of Bluetooth speakers to choose from. Most are perfectly adequate for casual listening, but to be honest, they aren’t much to look at. Marshall’s portable speaker line neatly avoids the generic speaker trap by capitalizing on the brand’s iconic history as one of the most recognizable names in live rock ‘n’ roll. It has updated its Emberton speaker for 2022, which is now the $170 Emberton II, and added a smaller and more portable sibling, the $120 Willen.
So, in terms of size and style, these two speakers already have a lot going for them. They can even play outside of their respective frames, and we spent a lot of time with them to see how far they could go. But has Marshall included enough features and performance to justify the Emberton II and Willen’s premium pricing? Let’s take a look at them.
Despite the fact that they are different speakers, they each unbox the same way, with the same contents inside. There’s nothing else inside besides the USB-C charging cable and user manual. These speakers aren’t exactly designed to work with accessories, but I’ll get to that later.
Willen Design
Despite their similarities, these two speakers cannot be “stacked” together. The mode is only compatible with the same speaker types. Because the original Emberton does not support the feature, it could not be paired with its successor.
The Willen is the smaller of the two, but it is arguably the more versatile of the two. It weighs 0.68 pounds and is easy to transport, with dimensions of 4 x 4 x 3 inches. It only has one driver and amp, rather than two, but it does have two passive radiators. A rubber strap on the back allows you to mount it to anything it can wrap around.
It’s cool to have, but I had some issues with it, such as when it was too short to strap onto the handlebars of my bike. It’s also not as stretchy as it appears, so the application will be hit-or-miss. Because there is no clearly defined application for it, you may find success with a thinner bar or on a bag. It’s entirely up to you what you can strap it to.
Marshall claims that 60 percent of the plastic used in the Willen comes from recycled electronics, which is slightly higher than the 50 percent used in the Emberton II. Whatever Marshall put in these two made them fairly tough and rugged. The Willen has the same IP67 rating as the Emberton II.
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Marshall Emberton II Design
The design principles for both are aligned here as well. They’re not new, though, because Marshall built the original Emberton in much the same way. This time, the rubberized veneer has a more leather-like texture, and the grille is black to contrast with the brass-colored logo on the front. Marshall also created a cream version of this speaker with its own retro look in the company’s signature style.
The previous Emberton’s dimensions are 2.7 x 6.3 x 3.0 inches and the weight is 1.5 pounds. Marshall also left the multifunction button, LEDs, and USB-C port alone. That familiarity extends to the interior, thanks to the dual 2-inch drivers with 10-watt Class-D amps and two passive radiators.
So, what’s new? And why is Marshall charging an extra $20 for the Emberton II? The Emberton II can now be synced with other Emberton II speakers in what is known as Stack Mode. It functions in the same way as JBL’s Party Mode and Soundcore’s PartyCast mode.
It’s also more durable, now with dust and waterproofing for a combined IP67 rating. That’s enough to withstand full immersion in water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of about three feet, plus any sand or debris from your beach excursions.
However, the Emberton II does not float, unlike some other fully waterproof portables. If you take it into a pool or salt water, give it a thorough rinse in fresh water before storing it.
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How to Setup and Marshall app
It’s not difficult to set up these two, and the procedure is the same for both. On Android devices, Google Fast Pair will appear once you make contact, though it’s best if you already have the Marshall app installed to expedite the process. On iOS, it’s not much different, with the app assisting you in quickly pairing with your iPhone or iPad.
The Marshall app is Emberton II’s other major upgrade. Because there was no companion app for the original model, things like setting changes and firmware updates were not possible. It isn’t a particularly feature-rich addition. It allows you to check the battery level of each speaker, access three EQ presets (Marshall’s signature tuning, Push for bass boost, or Voice for enhanced spoken word content), and activate Stack Mode.
I wasn’t able to test Stack mode because I only had one of each speaker, so I’m not sure how well it works or sounds. What is clear is that the app connects the speakers, and it treats the first speaker as the “main” speaker, while the others act as additions. There is no official limit to how many can be stacked in this manner. Marshall claims to have successfully linked up to 30 speakers. Unfortunately, you can’t use Stack Mode to create a stereo pair of two similar Marshall speakers, but you can connect a single speaker to two Bluetooth sources at the same time, allowing you to seamlessly share DJ duties with a friend.
It is simple to operate the speakers. Both make use of a brass multifunction button that also functions as a directional pad. Press and hold to turn it on or off, or hold it longer to return it to pairing mode. Pressing left or right will repeat or skip a track while pressing up or down will increase or decrease volume. The controls and battery life indicators on the Emberton II and Willen are identical.
The Willen is the only one of the two that includes a built-in microphone for taking calls. You can’t talk to anyone with the Emberton II, so if you were hoping for speakerphone functionality, you’re out of luck. It’s not spectacular, but Willen handles calls well, and conversations went smoothly despite a couple of connectivity issues.
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Marshall Emberton II Battery life
Do you need another reason to choose the Emberton II over its predecessor? Battery life has been increased by 50%. Marshall claims at least 30 hours of playback per charge (a 10-hour increase over the Emberton), which is mostly true if the volume is kept below 50%. Maintaining it at full blast (or close to it) reduces it by more than half. All things considered, that’s still pretty good, so if you listen at a normal volume, you won’t be charging it very often. A quick 20-minute charge provides up to four hours of playback, while a full charge from a dead battery takes three hours.
The Willen follows the same pattern. It will reach its rated 15-hour limit, and possibly more, at mostly default volume. You’ll be charging it again by the end of the night if you crank it up. A quick 20-minute charge can give you up to three hours of playback, and it takes three hours to fully charge it.
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Marshall Emberton II Sound quality
The Emberton II and Willen do not support the AAC or aptX codecs. They’re going all-in with SBC, so if you’re looking to go hi-res with your music, these two are out. There is no way to go wired without a 3.5mm Aux-In jack, and the USB-C port is only for charging. I tried listening to music through both speakers, but nothing happened.
The good news is that they become much louder than you might expect. There’s real power inside, with pleasant clarity, especially in the 40% to 60% volume range. I do a lot of grilling, and I had one or both of these speakers nearby while I was testing them. I really enjoyed Emberton’s resonance while grilling and hearing the sizzle of the barbecue, and I kept it going by listening to a podcast while eating. I finished with a drink and a cigar. Either speaker simply blended in with the situation and environment, and the portability only added to that.
One thing to keep in mind about both speakers is how Marshall divides the stereo output. The left channel is output by the front grille, while the right channel is output by the back grille. Marshall refers to this as “true stereophonic” sound, and it does provide a sphere of audio that sounds great from any angle. However, there are two caveats: You won’t get the left/right stereo separation that you might be used to from traditional one-sided speakers, and putting these speakers in places where the front and back have unequal room to breathe will affect sound quality, so don’t put them in a bookshelf or too close to a wall.
I tried the Push EQ preset to see how much bass came out, and while it was very impressive, there was one catch. Push is supposed to boost the bass, which it does, but when you blast it, it loses some of its rumbles. Both the Marshall and Push presets were designed to compensate for the speaker’s limitations, so turning up the volume to maximum didn’t cause obvious distortion, but it did reduce the bass to keep the audio as clear as possible. That works well for rock and guitar tracks, where the bass isn’t as prominent, but if you’re blasting hip-hop and R&B, you might be surprised by the effect.
Given the size and output differences, it’s understandably more pronounced on the Emberton II than on the Willen, but the gist remains the same. When you get really high, the same thing happens. Nonetheless, the Willen was a joy to have around in the same circumstances. It didn’t have the same beefy sound as its larger brother, but it’s a great thing to have when you’re just lounging in a chair or sitting with a friend at a table.
The Emberton II is heavier and bulkier, but it’s not that much less portable when thrown into a bag. It boots up quickly and can easily play music loud enough for a small group of people. It will sound louder indoors than outdoors, but it is undeniably effective for smaller gatherings outside.
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