Marshall Stanmore II Voice Overview: Alexa Lastly Finds A Stunning Voice

Marshall Stanmore II Voice

MSRP $349.99

“Marshall’s Stanmore II Voice expertly blends ear-splitting quantity with Alexa smarts.”

Execs

• Lots of quantity
• Musical, bassy, but nonetheless managed sound
• Amazon Alexa integration is nicely executed and helpful
• Elegant, decor-neutral design

Cons

• Costly
• Alexa app is unreliable

Primary sensible audio system put the emphasis on the sensible, quite than the speaker, prioritizing the digital assistant greater than sound high quality. What in order for you each? Audio system from Google, Apple, Sonos, and others all provide a mixture of improved sound and entry to a digital assistant. The most recent firm so as to add sensible performance to a correct speaker is Marshall with the Stanmore II Voice.

Amazon’s Alexa is onboard at launch, and a Google Assistant mannequin is slated for the longer term, including sensible house management and assistant capabilities to an enormous, daring speaker. We’ve had a Stanmore II Voice shaking the foundations of the home for per week now, assessing whether or not it’s the proper mixture of smarts and sounds.

Design

The Marshall Stanmore II is a little bit of a whopper. With a commanding voice assistant inside, it’s the definition of large-and-in-charge, dominating the room that Alexa controls. It’s additionally a typical Marshall design, and wouldn’t look misplaced built-in into one of many model’s well-known stage amps.

This speaker is boxy and brassy, with a set of no-nonsense knobs to twiddle, and we adore it. None of that touch-sensitive management garbage or a sci-fi look that’s solely appropriate for the ultra-minimalist right here. Alexa might be able to do a lot of the on a regular basis changes for you, however if you need extra bass, it’s also possible to twist an enormous knob on the highest. Doing so illuminates a scale across the edge, telling you immediately what degree you’ve reached in a delightfully retro approach.

Along with the amount, bass, and treble controls is a small button to alter the enter supply, starting from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth, and a 3.5mm Aux enter jack. The remainder of the speaker has no controls, and when it’s plugged in it’s on completely. On the lookout for a microphone mute management? It’s proper subsequent to the controls so that you received’t must search for lengthy.

With a voice assistant inside, it’s the definition of large-and-in-charge. Marshall’s.

The speaker is roofed in Marshall’s signature textured vinyl, the grille over the entrance is a mottled gray, and the emblem and base plate are brass-colored, which seems actually incredible. The Marshall Kilburn II seems like a toy when put alongside, when it comes to each measurement and supplies. The Stanmore is heavy at 10.5 kilos (4.75kg), and the footprint is sizeable, so that you want an honest floor to put it on. Be sure you put aside a powerful shelf for the Stanmore II Voice in order for you one. As soon as it’s there, it’ll keep, because it doesn’t have a battery for transportable use.

Briefly, the Marshall Stanmore II is a intelligent piece of design. It’s eye-catching, but it would slot in with most decisions of decor with out trying out-of-place — though you undoubtedly realize it’s a speaker. You’ll have to simply accept this, as to get essentially the most from the Stanmore II Voice, it has to have the ability to hear you, so hiding it away is just not actually an choice. Not that the Stanmore II is sufficiently small to be hidden away anyway. Measurement apart, we just like the speaker’s brass look, the illuminated controls, and the durability. It seems and sounds each inch of a high quality piece of audio gear.

Sound

There’s a motive the Stanmore II Voice is huge. It has a 50 watt Class D amp for the woofer, and a pair of 15 watt Class D amps for the 2 tweeters contained in the bass-reflex cupboard. Inside a modestly sized residence, it shakes the ground, blows your eardrums, and suitably irritates the neighbors. Pleasingly, at full quantity there isn’t a distortion till you whack the bass degree to most, when it does get messy because it falls over itself attempting to take care of management.

Andy Boxall/Digital Developments

Such anti-social conduct isn’t crucial. At three-quarters quantity it’s loads loud sufficient and nonetheless requires you to lift your voice to have a dialog. The bass is nice and punchy, and the vocals stay outstanding. Listening to Strangest Factor, by The Conflict on Medicine (a FLAC file over Bluetooth), the hovering guitar sections sing superbly, elegantly conveying the emotion you anticipate from not simply the track, however the rock-orientated Marshall model itself. Sure, we stated elegantly. Don’t move Marshall audio system off as bass-obsessed containers — the Stanmore II Voice may be very musical, with shiny and exact mids and trebles, and a wealthy general tone. It’s a speaker that’s appropriate for all rooms, and most sorts of audio too, very like the design suggests.

Huge, daring, and brassy, the Stanmore II Voice can also be very musical.

Vocal-driven, pop-heavy songs resembling Iz*One’s La Vie en Rose sparkle too, because of with the ability to manually regulate the bass and treble on the speaker or by voice. Such straightforward, on-the-go tweaking of the sound makes a distinction you probably have different tastes. We needed to listen to the group sing, greater than the bass right here, for instance.

Due to the benefit with which you’ll stream music out of your telephone — extra on this in a second — we additionally listened to many podcasts and spoken phrase sounds nice too. We did tweak the bass ranges, because it added an excessive amount of depth to male voices; however we liked the amount it might create making listening as you moved round the home easy.

Connectivity

There are numerous ports and connection strategies on the Stanmore II Voice. We performed audio from a Sony NW-A45 music participant via the three.5mm Aux jack, however didn’t just like the sound — which got here throughout as strained — as a lot as we did listening over Bluetooth. Bluetooth is marketed as model 5.0 and with aptX on the non-Alexa enabled Stanmore II, whereas the  Stanmore II Voice affords Bluetooth 4.2 and aptX.

Andy Boxall/Digital Developments

It has Wi-Fi built-in, however no Ethernet port or USB port both. There’s an RCA jack on the again to attach a an analog output. You could use Alexa, or your telephone when linked by way of Bluetooth to manage music playback on the Stanmore II, and it additionally helps Spotify Join. Supplied Spotify is linked with Amazon Alexa, it’s simply managed utilizing voice.

Alexa

The Marshall Stanmore II has a set of long-field microphones inside so you’ll be able to chat to Amazon’s Alexa, simply as you’d an Echo speaker. The Expertise are all the identical, the voice is identical, and the sensible house controls are the identical. Alexa is a wonderful, succesful digital assistant. Ask Alexa to connect with your telephone utilizing Bluetooth and it’s carried out, turning on or off sensible lights is easy, and taking part in music via Spotify is a breeze. It’s all extremely conversational too, with much less want to concentrate to your phrasing than with Google Assistant.

The far-field microphones can hear you at an incredible distance, even with tunes blaring.

Nonetheless, it’s attending to this stage that’s irritating. Alexa’s iOS app isn’t excellent, and also you typically even have to make use of it to pair new Bluetooth units, along with utilizing it all through the preliminary setup. We repeatedly tried to hyperlink our Philips Hue and Spotify accounts in it, however it consistently failed. In the long run, we turned to the desktop and Alexa’s internet interface. Not splendid. Marshall’s Voice app has an equalizer and some different speaker changes, such because the brightness of the amount management lights. It’s dependable, if bland, and it’s a must to set up it to make the speaker work.

Marshall says the far-field twin microphones are designed to listen to you at nice distance even when loud music is taking part in. How did we get on? It’s astonishing, however with the amount at 8 (out of 10), which is the loudest you’d realistically need in a modest room, we barely needed to elevate our voice to get Alexa to reply, even when standing on the opposite aspect of the room. The amount is decreased drastically after the wake phrase, and Alexa was fast to answer requests.

Andy Boxall/Digital Developments

Nonetheless, the microphones didn’t decide up our voice after leaving the room, even in a connecting hallway. This isn’t an enormous concern, and offered you’re in the identical room with the speaker, we doubt you’ll must repeatedly yell to get Alexa to concentrate. Spectacular.

Google Assistant

Our Stanmore II Voice overview unit helps solely Amazon Alexa, not Google Assistant. Marshall claims it would launch a separate model of the Stanmore II Voice with Google Assistant in December 2018 via its on-line retailer, with retailers stocking the speaker from March 2019. It’s disappointing an choice won’t be accessible as a software program replace for anybody desirous to swap from Alexa to Google Assistant, although this could be on Google or Amazon, quite than Marshall. In the event you’re not settled on a digital assistant, we suggest selecting fastidiously, as this example reveals you’ll must reside along with your alternative sooner or later.

Worth, guarantee, and availability

The Marshall Stanmore II Voice is $400, or 350 British kilos, and will be bought now via Marshall’s personal web site, or retailers together with Amazon. Marshall supplies a one yr guarantee on its merchandise, which covers defects and faults, however not beauty harm or that brought on by misuse.

Our Take

The Marshall Stanmore II has the amount ranges to match its rock n’ roll seems, however don’t assume it’s all in regards to the decibels, it’s a surprisingly musical speaker with an magnificence you don’t anticipate. Amazon’s Alexa has been expertly built-in, and can simply hear you if you say, “Alexa, flip it down!”

Is there a greater different?

The world is just not missing Bluetooth audio system, nor these with voice assistants. Amazon’s personal Echo Plus is $150 with bigger drivers than the unique Echo Plus. It received’t be as succesful because the Stanmore II Voice, however it’s half the worth. The Sonos One is a superb mixture of worth and audio high quality for $200, too. You might even purchase a $50 Echo Dot or Echo Enter and connect with any speaker with a 3.5mm Line-in, as much as and together with the wonderful $500 Sonos Play:5.

If Google Assistant is your digital assistant of alternative, and also you don’t wish to watch for the Assistant-powered Stanmore II Voice, check out the $400 Google Dwelling Max. Whereas Siri is just not as succesful as both of those voice assistants, Apple’s $350 HomePod has robust audio, however is designed for Apple-fans solely.

How lengthy will it final?

The Marshall Stanmore II Voice stays the place it’s positioned, so there’s not a lot concern about it breaking or being dropped. Be careful for liquid spills although, if it’s positioned someplace accessible. Amazon’s Alexa is among the greatest voice assistants accessible, the skillset is continually rising, and it’ll proceed to enhance via software program updates. You received’t have to consider changing the Stanmore II Voice any time quickly.

Do you have to purchase it?

Sure, when you just like the type of the Stanmore II Voice. The audio received’t disappoint, and Alexa operates nicely. There are many choices on the market if the design doesn’t do it for you, although, and undoubtedly look elsewhere when you assume Google Assistant is the higher voice assistant choice on your house.

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