29 Mar
Blog

Marshall Tufton Bluetooth Speaker Review: Bold Block Rocker

Marshall Tufton

Marshall Tufton Bluetooth Speaker Review: Large, bold rocker

"The Marshall Tufton is an accomplished party speaker and belongs to your next meeting."

  • Beautiful authentic design

  • Very solid construction

  • Sounds great at high volumes

  • Very good battery life

If you want a really good bluetooth speaker, there are many good options – and even more if you're not that picky. Most of these speakers are rather small and emphasize the personal but portable sound. If you want something with a little more power – a Bluetooth speaker that powers an entire terrace party as easily as mood music at home, your choices are much more limited.

One of these options is the Marshall Tufton, a $ 400 Bluetooth speaker that doesn't apologize for its main job: it's a serious party machine that strikes a fine line between performance and portability. Given the high price and some very capable competitors, is it the right Bluetooth speaker for your next meeting? We put it to the test to find out.

Classic design

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Marshall brand is of course best known for its legendary guitar amps and speaker stacks that have shaped the stages and garages of the music world for decades. When the British brand entered the personal audio sector, it naturally retained this appearance and gave its products an authenticity that few other companies can claim. I've always liked the look, but smaller products like headphones lack the same presence of live music equipment.

That's why I love the tufton. As a large Bluetooth speaker (over a meter tall), it can use the Marshall design legacy in a way that few other personal Marshall audio products can. From its crisscross metal grille with the italic Marshall logo to the textured body surfaces and top-mounted knobs, it's the best you can get from a real Marshall amplifier. Some people who saw me with it asked if it was a small guitar amp.

I am also a big fan of the internal power supply. You shouldn't have to carry a large power stone around with you when you drive off, and the tufton doesn't make you. A simple and easily replaceable 2-pin power cord is all you need.

Built like a brick …

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

These classic Marshall design features are not just cosmetic. The tufton is big, heavy and very solid. At just over 10 pounds, you don't want to carry this beast long distances, although the leather-like detachable strap is ideal for that.

One has the impression that one could take the tufton almost anywhere and it would survive well.

This weight is the result of four separate amplifiers that power four separate drivers, a battery, a built-in power supply, and some apparently very robust materials in the cabinet walls.

With corners that are protected by rounded plastic end caps and a set of solid rubber feet, you get the impression that you could take the tufton almost anywhere and it would survive well. It even has low water protection: An IPX2 rating means that you don't have to fear the occasional encounter with rain – just don't make it a habit and definitely try not to spill your beer on it everywhere.

Do one thing and do it well

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Everything about the Marshall Tufton indicates that he is primarily and exclusively a speaker. You can choose between Bluetooth (with aptX if your device supports it) or a 3.5mm line-in connection on the back, but that's all for you. You will not find a USB port to play music from a USB stick or to charge your phone. There is no microphone that could turn the tufton into a large speakerphone.

For those who yearn for an easier time without sacrificing today's amenities, the Marshall Tufton is a dream come true.

You won't even find the play / pause button, which has become almost universal in the world of Bluetooth speakers. What you will find are three old school controls for power / volume, bass and treble. They turn with perfect resistance. I don't know if something really analog is going on beneath the surface, but Marshall has mimicked the feel of a real analog speaker so well that I just don't care.

Pairing the Tufton with your device couldn't be easier. If the speaker doesn't switch to Bluetooth pairing mode the first time you turn it on, just press and hold the corresponding Bluetooth button for 3 seconds and the speaker will appear in your list of Bluetooth devices. Tap on it and you're done. You can use the same button to switch to using the line-in input.

Marshall claims only 30 feet of radio operation for the Tufton, but I was able to walk over 100 feet from the speaker outdoors and the music continued to play on my iPhone 11.

The rechargeable battery of the Tufton is suitable for an alleged operating time of 20 hours. As far as I can see, this is about right. However, expect to get less of it if you use the full volume.

For those who yearn for an easier time without sacrificing today's amenities, the Marshall Tufton is a dream come true.

More power than precision

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Given the visual similarity of the Tufton to Marshall's live music devices, its audio chops are best appreciated in spacious rooms. It can get remarkably loud. Loud enough to make neighbors you haven't invited aware of what a good time you are having. This is done without any signs of distortion or unwanted vibrations in the housing up to the maximum setting.

With a total output of 80 watts, it just gets louder and sounds better at higher volumes than with the Sonos Move.

With the bass and treble controls set to the midpoints, the tufton creates a good balance between lows, mids and highs. The bass is as full and sovereign as you would expect from a cabinet of this size, which is equipped with a generous reflex connection for air movements. But this bass never overwhelms and can be easily adjusted to your liking with the bass button. The vocals are crisp and clear, and the tufa prevents them from getting hard at higher volumes, which is often the case with fewer speakers.

Thanks to the dedicated rear-end full-range driver, the Tufton has an admirable 360-degree coverage. The front certainly sounds better, but not as much as you'd think if you just looked at it. Unfortunately, this arrangement does not add much to the stereo separation. Not that a single speaker would ever make excellent stereo – especially a speaker with a high rectangle – but it is something to be aware of.

I compared the Marshall Tufton to the similarly expensive and similarly equipped Sonos Move for $ 399. Both are designed for use on the street and provide large, open spaces with plenty of full-range sound, but the tufa completely outperforms the move outdoors. With a total output of 80 watts, it just gets louder and sounds better at higher volumes than the Sonos.

If you take these two wireless speakers with you, the script will be flipped. The Sonos Move with its integrated AutoTrueplay EQ system has a deeper and wider sound stage than the Tufton. This is noticeable when both speakers use Bluetooth. Switching the Move to Wi-Fi and adding a lossless audio source like HiFi streaming music from Tidal will make it even clearer.

Jazz standards by artists like John Coltrane and Miles Davis are allowed to breathe through the move in a way that the tufton with its trend-setting and more closed design simply cannot cope with.

Is that a deal breaker? Barely. However, potential Marshall Tufton buyers should know that they are getting an accomplished block rocker, not a precision instrument for critical listening.

Our opinion

With tons of portable energy and a no-frills design that exudes Rock & # 39; roll authenticity, the Marshall Tufton is a great Bluetooth party speaker that you can take anywhere. As long as you don't expect this classic muscle car of a speaker to sound like a hi-fi home system, it will impress those who want to inspire a lot.

Is there a better alternative?

There are several great alternatives to the $ 400 Marshall Tufton, including the $ 399 Sonos move and the $ 400 Ultimate Ears hyperboom. Each has its strengths: The Move is a chameleon that effortlessly switches between wireless home hi-fi speakers and party mode, while the Hyperboom is a bass-heavy beach and pool companion with many connections. But neither have the raw power of Tufton nor its retro charm, which in our opinion makes it a class of its own. To get a more capable crowd-puller, you have to watch heavyweights like the $ 900 Soundboks 2.

How long it will take?

The Marshall Tufton looks very good and I expect it to last a long time if you don't abuse it. The manufacturer's warranty is only one year, which is less than a few (Logitech gives a two-year warranty on the Hyperboom). However, the biggest limitation to the longevity of Bluetooth speakers is the battery. The tuft is not user replaceable. When he's done, he's done. It is worth noting that the Sonos Move battery can be replaced by the user.

Should you buy it

If you are proud to be the person who always brings the music, the Marshall Tufton is your Bluetooth speaker. It sounds great and looks great. If you agree with the almost spartan lack of features and the relatively expensive price, you will indeed be very happy.

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06 Mar
Blog

UE Hyperboom Review: Big Bass in a Bluetooth Speaker

Ultimate ears hyperboom

"The hyperboom will be the life of every party."

  • Easy setup, easy music playback

  • Variety of source options

  • Excellent battery life

  • Impressive low end

  • No Wi-Fi compatibility

  • Less portable than its predecessor

A company needs Moxie to switch from a product that becomes the signature of the brand. In order for such a shift to be justified, the change must be necessary to meet the wishes of the fans. The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom achieves this.

Ultimate Ears & # 39; Hyperboom is a massive Bluetooth speaker and a departure from everything Ultimate Ears has produced so far. The Hyperboom is designed to completely fill your home with music, a contrast to the mantra of its predecessors on the go.

When the $ 399 hyperboom arrives in early March, it will in many ways represent a leap of confidence for the UE and catapult it into a different class of speakers with new competitors and challenges. Fortunately, Ultimate Ears has landed with an impressive new product.

Out of the box

The UE Hyperboom surprised me at first glance. I knew I would have a new UE product to review, but details beyond that were rare. I was expecting a speaker similar to the Megaboom 3, a two-pound, cylindrical unit designed for gripping and walking. But with a whopping 13 pounds, the huge hyperboom was an oversized surprise.

There is a reason for the larger space requirement. During a briefing about the speaker, Doug Ebert, Global Product Manager at Ultimate Ears, said his team had looked closely at how UE speakers are used by customers. Often, he said, they were used in a party setting at home. They worked, but often lacked the level of noise required for a real fiesta.

Ultimate ears hyperboomRiley Young / Digital Trends

"It was a great sound, but not enough to get people off the couch and really dance," said Ebert. "It has to be loud and it has to be quiet."

This gave rise to the UE Hyperboom. The elegantly manufactured device was delivered in its own styrofoam crib with a small cardboard insert with a charging cable and brief instructions. However, you do not need these instructions, because after turning off the speaker and pressing the power button, a clear voice prompts you to download the associated app from UE and follow the setup instructions.

The actual setup was just as it should be. It was to pair my mobile device with the hyperboom via Bluetooth and allow the appropriate permissions. The app also asked me to set up my start music (more on that later) by linking services from Amazon, Deezer or Spotify. Dead easy.

Design and connectivity

The Hyperboom is technically portable, but you won't get far. Ebert said it was designed as "home and next door home" and my experience confirmed this. The hyperboom is powerful, but can be moved from room to room or in the back yard to deliver grill music. However, I do not recommend hiking with it.

Most of the weight comes from the drivers packed into the 14-inch rectangular cabinet. The Hyperboom features a pair of 4.5-inch woofers, a pair of 1-inch tweeters, and two passive radiators, each larger than one of UE's earlier products, the Boom.

Ultimate ears hyperboomRiley Young / Digital Trends

There is a lot going on on the loudspeaker: an on / off switch, a microphone for the adaptive equalizer of the UE, the standard UE volume keys, a series of keys for switching between sources and what UE calls the “magic button”, one One-touch music controls that let you start playlists, play, pause, and skip tracks. There are several inputs on the back of the speaker, including a 3.5 mm jack, an optical audio input, a USB port for charging mobile devices and a charging port for the speaker.

In addition to the auxiliary and optical inputs, the Hyperboom also offers the option of switching between two connected Bluetooth devices.

portability

I enjoyed the ease of use as I was able to get out of the house, come back and continue the playlist I was listening to without picking up my phone.

My biggest problem, as is the case with most Bluetooth speakers, occurred when my music was interrupted by phone calls all day long. To be honest, it's okay if I'm alone because the music has to wane so I can still take the call. But in a livelier atmosphere with other people, it's annoying.

Ultimate ears hyperboomRiley Young / Digital Trends

That brings me to the one missing feature. The Hyperboom does not have WiFi. Granted, none of the previous boom speakers had WiFi (but UE's blast models did), but for a $ 400 speaker intended for home listening, the lack of WiFi is an enigmatic omission. Wi-Fi provides better sound quality and eliminates the problem of phone calls interrupting a jam session.

The Hyperboom offers 24 hours of battery life depending on how loud you play (I've seen a full day of moderate to loud playback without charging). It also has an IPX4 protection class that protects against spills and splashes, and the ability to connect to other speakers in the boom family. All of this corresponds to the mission of semi-portable music. It's easy to place the hyperboom in a room and not worry about it all day.

Audio performance

The hyperboom sounds good. Really good. Songs like Jolene from the Zac Brown Band or Wish You Were Here from Pink Floyd let the Hyperboom demonstrate its ability to glide elegantly through different frequencies and tones. It is by no means an audiophile quality, but it made for an entertaining listening experience.

The hyperboom was brightest when playing titles with a significantly low end. According to UE, the hyperboom can reach up to 45 Hz, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that it constantly reaches that deep in tracks like Rodeo by Lil Nas X. I also felt it after moving the speaker from my open living room to a closer office. Logics Everyday and Collboy Greens from Schoolboy Q gave me a familiar flutter in my chest. This speaker can rock you. Literally.

Ultimate ears hyperboomRiley Young / Digital Trends

UE uses the speaker's microphone to measure the room it is in and adjusts its EQ to the environment. Probably for this reason, I have not noticed any significant loss of quality when moving from different rooms in my house to the backyard, apart from an expected slump in the lower area outdoors.

The app also has a customizable EQ that allows you to customize the sound to your liking, as well as presets that specialize in cinema, podcasts, and bass boosting. The podcast setting drowned out low frequencies, which was a good help when you heard voices like Dax Shepard's low growl at Armchair Experts.

I haven't spent much time with the hyper boom connected to my TV. It was good. Just don't expect it to produce what a soundbar or home theater system could do. This speaker focuses on music.

Ultimate Ears Hyperboom vs. Sonos Move

In a showdown, I put the UE Hyperboom against a Sonos Move that I had on hand. Despite the obvious size differences (the Move is lighter at 6.61 pounds and just under 10 inches tall), the pair is priced at $ 399.

The hyperboom exceeded the move in bass-heavy songs; The Move just couldn't breathe as much air as the bigger hyperboom. Apart from the lower end, the move turned out to be a clear winner, with a more detailed, refined sound in my ears.

What you prefer depends on what you need. The Sonos Move is more sophisticated, but the UE Hyperboom is more suitable for larger rooms and parties.

Ultimate Hyperboom EarsRiley Young / Digital Trends

Warranty information

The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom comes with a two-year limited hardware warranty.

Our opinion

The UE Hyperboom is a big speaker and an even bigger step for the brand. Almost everything about this speaker, from its selection of functions to its roof noise, is designed to take the Bluetooth landscape of the home by storm. Even without Wi-Fi, competitors may want to close the hatches.

Is there a better alternative?

Although they may not have been direct competitors before, UE and Sonos seem to be shooting with Hyperboom and Move for the same corner of the market. For those who are looking for Wi-Fi functions, multi-room functions and smart home control, the Move is an appealing alternative.

At $ 285, the Riva Festival is currently another solid speaker that hovers in the same price range as the Hyperboom. But don't make a mistake. For the money, UE offers premium performance with the Hyperboom.

How long it will take?

The UE Booms family has proven to be one of the most durable Bluetooth speakers available. Although the hyperboom isn't quite as eco-friendly, I'm confident that this will be another speaker that's built to last.

Should you buy it

Yes. Despite its Wi-Fi shortcomings, the Hyperboom delivers the most dynamic sound we've heard from a Bluetooth speaker, and it's sure to be the life force behind every party.

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