Verdict
A portable speaker with a unmortgaged and detailed audio operation , and an attractive design ; the Marshall Willen is not the most exciting loudspeaker system to listen to especially when it comes to bass , but if you want a small , pocket-size speaker to take outside , it ’s worth a look .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Marshall ’s smallest speaker in its wireless speaker cable - up managed to evade us when it launched , but now we ’ve got our mitt on it in time for the lovesome summer weather condition .
The Willen is design to be easily transportable – a utterer you may hold in your hand – frolic a broken aim at a cost that ’s affordable for most .
The Marshall Willen is n’t scant of competition at this damage , so how well does it get along against the like of Ultimate Ears and JBL ?
Design
If you ’re familiar with the Marshall aesthetic then the Willen go forward that in a much little form . form like a foursquare , it ’s invest with the Marshall logotype ( in Au , of course ) , and in the top - right corner is the multi - function button for powering on the loudspeaker , playback , and mass control . Like with other Marshall product , it ’s simple and loose to use .
On the top surface is a Bluetooth couple push button , and icons for the microphone and shelling spirit level . Switch to the side and you ’ll find a USB - coulomb port for shoot down ; flip out the speaker over and there ’s a fastening shoulder strap for connecting the Willen to other surfaces so you do n’t have to stockpile it .
The Willen feels toughened , solid and durable . It ’s a seal cabinet with anIP67 ratingthat protect it from the immersion of dust while it can be submerge into H2O 1 one thousand deep for 30 minutes , so there ’s no pauperization to panic if you ’re using it near a consortium , for example .
Features
There are n’t many features that the Marshall Willen can call upon but study the low-spirited Mary Leontyne Price that should n’t be a surprisal .
Marshall says you ’ve got 15 + hours of battery to count on , and if true then that ’s more than the original Sonos Roam ( 12),Soundcore Motion 300(13),JBL Clip 4 Eco(10 ) , andTribit Stormbox Micro 2(12 ) . Fast charging offer three hours of playback from a 20 minute charge .
Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity only supports SBC streaming but before anyone raises their hands in disgust , it ’s the gadget driver that will have the greatest effect on how the loudspeaker voice rather than how much datum it can shriek through a Bluetooth stream . Considering its size though , the Willen is only capable of mono sound .
If you want a bigger performance , you ’ll need to ordain Stack mode . If you and your friend have more than one Willen to hand , they can be ‘ pile ’ or daisy - chain together to produce a bigger phone . For that , you ’ll postulate to leap out into the app .
The app leave a few features such as EQ presets ( Marshall , Bass Boost , and Voice ) , a battery index , and while not in the app ( as far as I can tell apart ) , there ’s a uncovering My Location characteristic where you may get the Willen to emit a ringing sound to help find it . It ’s rather sparing on the feature count but this is a simple portable speaker .
The Bluetooth performance is strong , the signal between my phone and the speaker does n’t conk out despite being well over 10 measure away .
If you ’re using the Marshall Willen on an Android 14 twist , you ’ll probably encounter some issues . For whatever reason , the app wo n’t also connect to the speaker unit , causing the app to crash . Turning the Willen on and off sometimes help but not always . If you may get it to connect , software updates are guaranteed until June 2025 .
Lastly , with the build - in mike , you could use the Willen for taking calls , and considering its emphasis on vocalism , that ’s a feature you may want to expend often .
Sound Quality
Having tested a compass of Marshall intersection over the year , I ’ve become customary to the Marshall Signature phone , which is more or less , balanced but energetic , clear and crisp ; and the Willen – more or less – hold true to that .
With music there are good levels of clarity and detail , the Marshall total across as feature an informative and incisive midrange compare to theUltimate Ears Wonderboom 3 ; and the midrange clearness it has a good focus on vocals . Despite its size , the soundstage does n’t fare across as clog up .
The top end of the frequency cooking stove is unmortgaged , with enough variation to avoid sounding dumb . It ’s not too bright with GoGo Penguin ’s Raven but it ’s not as if the treble preeminence total across as overly dim .
Where the Willen lacks is in its basso yield . compare to the Wonderboom 3 it lacks not just weight to the low frequencies , but magnate and depth too . The bass here is o.k. but with Rob Zombie ’s Dragula and Lola ’s Theme , it miss the Energy Department that would make for a more playfulness and engaging listen . That ultimately is where the Willen neglect out – it ’s not the most fun speaker when it comes to sound .
It ’s a mostly directional - sounding utterer too – from the front is where you ’ll get the best performance ; and if you pump the loudness up , then the Willen scales decent too . With more in high spirits - tempo tracks it does sound a scrap thin , so it ’s a flip up between a common sense of energy and still induce the same degree of limpidity and detail .
The EQ options are n’t the unspoiled . I ’d stand by with the Marshall Signature sound alternative as the Voice option does n’t really falsify the performance , while the Bass Boost build the loudspeaker system sound heavy and tumescent . What clarity there was is stripped away and the bass does n’t fathom too beneficial anyway .
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Should you buy it?
It wo n’t check into your jeans air pocket but it ’ll merrily sit in a bigger pant pocket or your bag .
The balanced approaching to audio means it lacks the fun of other utterer , such as theWonderboom 3
Final Thoughts
The Willen is an enjoyably small - sized utterer from Marshall with a decipherable and balanced auditory sensation that I would n’t normally gestate from a speaker system at this damage .
It ’s a little scant for features but what ’s provided is good enough , and the design is tough and rugged enough to lot with the outdoors .
What the Willen lack is a sensation of push and dynamism but for those who care the Marshall sound and aesthetic , this is a portable speaker system worth taking a closer smell at . For more picks , have a flavor at ourbest outdoor speakerlist .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every wireless speaker we review thoroughly over an protracted flow of time . We expend industry standard tests to liken features decently . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to review a product .
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FAQs
The Willen portable speaker can only output in mono .
