Marshall just launched refreshed versions of their Acton and Stanmore lines that are actually worth paying attention to — both the Acton IV ($299.99) and Stanmore IV ($399.99) hit stores today with serious hardware upgrades across the board. The smaller Acton features a 4-inch woofer paired with two 0.75-inch tweeters, while the larger Stanmore steps up to a beefier 5-inch woofer and keeps the same tweeter setup for room-filling sound. They both got redesigned bass ports that Marshall claims have "more aerodynamic" shapes for cleaner, more powerful low end, along with upgraded tweeters in each model. But here's what makes me genuinely hyped: they made important parts replaceable. The knobs, feet — and even the front grill carrying the iconic logo - can all be swapped out if damaged instead of junking the whole thing, which is honestly a win I didn't expect from this category at all.
Beyond the hardware there are practical design wins that make these much easier to live with than previous generations. Each has rear connections on its underside so you can position them flush against a wall, plus they now plug into a bottom-mounted power cord rather than the back — an essential fix for anyone who wants to tuck them in tight cabinet space without cable management nightmares. They carry forward Bluetooth Auracast support so you can sync multiple units together wirelessly and both play off Marshall's Heddon Wi-Fi streaming hub (which launched this past January). The hub connects directly to Spotify Connect and Tidal, while Apple Music still routes through your phone app; regardless the ecosystem is much broader than before. If you need a portable unit that actually lasts instead of being disposable on day one these are worth checking out seriously at their online store.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/961601/marshall-acton-stanmore-iv-bluetooth-wireless-speakers-repair
Beyond the hardware there are practical design wins that make these much easier to live with than previous generations. Each has rear connections on its underside so you can position them flush against a wall, plus they now plug into a bottom-mounted power cord rather than the back — an essential fix for anyone who wants to tuck them in tight cabinet space without cable management nightmares. They carry forward Bluetooth Auracast support so you can sync multiple units together wirelessly and both play off Marshall's Heddon Wi-Fi streaming hub (which launched this past January). The hub connects directly to Spotify Connect and Tidal, while Apple Music still routes through your phone app; regardless the ecosystem is much broader than before. If you need a portable unit that actually lasts instead of being disposable on day one these are worth checking out seriously at their online store.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/961601/marshall-acton-stanmore-iv-bluetooth-wireless-speakers-repair