Marshall amps up the bass with two wireless speakers

Marshall announced its Acton and Stanmore Bluetooth speakers today that feature powerful tweeters, bass ports, and internal designs that make them capable of filling a room with sound. Both the Acton IV and Stanmore IV replace their four-year-old predecessors with a new focus on innovation. The parts that include the hooves, feet, and front grills of Marshall-branded speakers are replaced if damaged.

The compact Acton IV, with a 4-inch driver and 0.75-inch tweeter, is available starting today for $299.99 via Marshall’s online store. The Stanmore IV, which has the same drivers but with a larger 5-inch woofer, is $399.99. Both speakers have redesigned ports with an “aerodynamic shape” that produces “clearer and more powerful bass,” according to Marshall’s release. Their power cords are now also attached to the bottom of the speakers instead of the back, so the Acton IV and Stanmore IV can be used when parked and wall mounted.

New speakers improve support for Bluetooth Auracast featuremaking it easy to connect and synchronize music playback on multiple units, and they all work together Marshall’s Heddon Wi-Fi hub which was launched in January. The hub can connect directly to streaming services like Spotify Connect and Tidal (Apple Music playback requires a smartphone) and stream audio to the Acton IV, Stanmore IV, or any Bluetooth speaker that supports Auracast.