Marshall Tufton Bluetooth Speaker Overview: Daring Block Rocker
Marshall Tufton Bluetooth speaker evaluate: Huge, daring block rocker
MSRP $400.00
“A consummate social gathering speaker, the Marshall Tufton belongs at your subsequent get-together”
Professionals
- Beautiful genuine design
- Very strong development
- Sounds nice at excessive volumes
- Superb battery life
In order for you a very good Bluetooth speaker, there are many nice decisions on the market — and much more in the event you’re not that choosy. Most of those audio system are on the small aspect, emphasizing private but moveable sound. In order for you one thing with a bit extra oomph — a Bluetooth speaker that may energy a complete patio social gathering as simply as it could possibly present temper music at residence, your decisions are way more restricted.
A type of decisions is the Marshall Tufton, a $400 Bluetooth speaker that makes no apologies about its major mission: It’s a severe social gathering machine that walks a fantastic line between energy and portability. Given its hefty price ticket and a few very succesful rivals, is it the correct Bluetooth speaker to your subsequent get-together? We put it to the check to seek out out.
Basic design
Simon Cohen/Digital Traits
The Marshall model is, in fact, best-known for its iconic guitar amps and speaker stacks which have festooned the phases and garages of the music world for many years. When the U.Ok. model entered the private audio house, it naturally stored that appear and feel, lending an authenticity to its merchandise that few different corporations can declare. I’ve all the time appreciated the look, however on smaller merchandise like headphones, it lacks the identical commanding presence of the dwell music gear.
That’s why I like the Tufton. As an enormous Bluetooth speaker (it stands over a foot tall) it’s capable of embrace that Marshall design heritage in a approach few different Marshall private audio merchandise can. From its diamond crisscross metallic grille emblazoned with the cursive Marshall brand to its textured cupboard surfaces and top-mounted knobs, it’s the closest factor you may get to an precise Marshall amp. A number of individuals who noticed me with it requested if it was a small guitar amp.
I’m additionally an enormous fan of the interior AC adapter. You shouldn’t have to lug an enormous energy brick round with you when head out, and the Tufton doesn’t make you. A easy and simply changed 2-prong energy wire is all you want.
Constructed like a brick sh…
Simon Cohen/Digital Traits
These basic Marshall design cues aren’t simply beauty. The Tufton is massive, heavy, and really strong. At simply over 10 kilos, you received’t wish to carry this beast lengthy distances, despite the fact that the leather-like detachable strap is ideally suited to doing so.
One will get the impression you might take the Tufton nearly wherever and it will survive simply fantastic.
That weight is the results of 4 separate amps powering 4 separate drivers, a battery, a built-in AC adapter, and what seems to be some very heavy-duty supplies within the cupboard partitions.
With corners protected by rounded plastic endcaps and a set of strong rubber ft, one will get the impression you might take the Tufton nearly wherever and it will survive simply fantastic. It even has a small quantity of water safety: An IPX2 score means you don’t have to worry the occasional encounter with rain — simply don’t make a behavior of it, and undoubtedly attempt to not spill your beer throughout it.
Do one factor and do it effectively
Simon Cohen/Digital Traits
All the pieces concerning the Marshall Tufton factors to the truth that it’s a speaker first, foremost, and solely. You may select between Bluetooth (with aptX in case your system helps it) or a 3.5mm line-in connection on the again panel, however that’s it for bells and whistles. You received’t discover a USB port for taking part in tunes from a thumb drive or for charging your telephone. There’s no microphone to show the Tufton into an enormous speakerphone.
For individuals who lengthy for an easier time with out sacrificing immediately’s conveniences, the Marshall Tufton is a dream come true.
You received’t even discover the play/pause button that has turn out to be nearly common within the Bluetooth speaker world. What you can find are three old-school knobs for energy/quantity, bass, and treble. They flip with an ideal diploma of resistance. I don’t know if there’s something really analog taking place underneath the floor, however Marshall has finished such job of mimicking the texture of a real analog speaker, I discover I simply don’t care.
Pairing the Tufton together with your system couldn’t be simpler. If the speaker doesn’t enter Bluetooth pairing mode whenever you first flip it on, merely press and maintain the devoted Bluetooth button for 3 seconds and the speaker will seem in your Bluetooth gadgets record. Faucet it and also you’re finished. The identical button enables you to change to utilizing the line-in enter.
Marshall solely claims 30 ft of wi-fi operation for the Tufton, however I used to be capable of stroll over 100 ft from the speaker outdoor and the tunes stored enjoying from my iPhone 11.
The Tufton’s rechargeable battery is sweet for a claimed 20 hours of use, and from what I can see, that’s about proper — although anticipate to get lower than that in the event you’re making use of its full quantity.
For individuals who lengthy for an easier time with out sacrificing immediately’s conveniences, the Marshall Tufton is a dream come true.
Extra energy than precision
Simon Cohen/Digital Traits
Consistent with the Tufton’s visible similarity to Marshall’s dwell music tools, its audio chops are greatest appreciated in wide-open areas. It’s capable of get remarkably loud. Loud sufficient to make any neighbors you didn’t invite very conscious of what time you’re having. It does this and not using a trace of distortion or undesirable cupboard vibration all the way in which as much as its most setting.
With 80 watts of complete energy, it merely will get louder and sounds higher at these greater volumes than the Sonos Transfer.
With bass and treble knobs set to the midpoints, the Tufton creates steadiness of lows, mids, and highs. The bass is as full and commanding as you’d anticipate from a cupboard of this measurement fitted with a beneficiant reflex port for air motion. However that bass by no means overwhelms and could be simply tweaked to your liking utilizing the bass knob. Vocals are clear and distinct, and the Tufton manages to maintain them from turning into harsh at greater volumes, one thing lesser audio system usually fail at.
Due to the devoted rear-firing full-range driver, the Tufton has an admirable quantity of 360-sound protection. The entrance sounds higher for certain, however not by as a lot as you’d suppose simply by it. Sadly, this association doesn’t do a lot for stereo separation. Not {that a} single speaker will ever excel at doing stereo — particularly one that may be a tall rectangle — nevertheless it’s one thing to bear in mind.
I in contrast the Marshall Tufton to the equally priced and equally outfitted $399 Sonos Transfer. Each are designed to go on the street and energy massive, open areas with a lot of full-range sound, however the Tufton completely eclipses the Transfer when outdoor. With 80 watts of complete energy, it merely will get louder and sounds higher at these greater volumes than the Sonos.
Whenever you take these two wi-fi audio system inside, the script is flipped. The Sonos Transfer, with its built-in AutoTrueplay EQ system, has a deeper and wider soundstage than the Tufton. That is noticeable when each audio system are utilizing Bluetooth, nevertheless it turns into much more pronounced whenever you change the Transfer to Wi-Fi and feed it a lossless audio supply like Tidal’s HiFi tier of streaming music.
Jazz requirements from artists like John Coltrane and Miles Davis are allowed to breathe via the Transfer in a approach that the Tufton, with its extra directional and closed design, merely can’t handle.
Is that this a deal-breaker? Hardly. However potential Marshall Tufton patrons ought to know they’re getting a consummate block-rocker, not a precision instrument for crucial listening.
Our take
With tons of moveable energy and a no-nonsense design that oozes rock and roll authenticity, the Marshall Tufton is a badass Bluetooth social gathering speaker you may take wherever. So long as you don’t anticipate this basic muscle automobile of a speaker to sound like a house hi-fi system, it’s going to impress those that wish to thrill a crowd.
Is there a greater different?
There are a number of glorious alternate options to the $400 Marshall Tufton, together with the $399 Sonos Transfer and the $400 Final Ears Hyperboom. Every has its strengths: The Transfer is a chameleon that switches between hi-fi residence wi-fi speaker and social gathering mode with ease, whereas the Hyperboom is a bass-heavy seaside and pool companion with loads of ports. However neither possess the Tufton’s uncooked energy or its retro allure, which we predict places it in a category of its personal. To get a extra succesful crowd-pleaser, you’ll want to have a look at heavyweights just like the $900 Soundboks 2.
How lengthy will it final?
The Marshall Tufton appears very effectively constructed and I anticipate it ought to final a really very long time in the event you don’t abuse it. The producer’s guarantee is just one yr, which is lower than some (Logitech gives a two-year guarantee for the Hyperboom). Nonetheless, the largest constraint on the longevity of Bluetooth audio system is the battery. The Tufton’s will not be user-replaceable, which suggests as soon as it’s finished, it’s finished. It’s value noting that the Sonos Transfer’s battery is user-replaceable.
Must you purchase it?
Should you take pleasure in being the one who all the time brings the tunes, the Marshall Tufton is your Bluetooth speaker. It sounds nice and appears superb. Should you’re OK with its nearly Spartan lack of options and comparatively costly value, I feel you’ll be very comfortable certainly.
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