Review on Marshall Kilburn Portable Bluetooth Speaker by Gary Revils

UPDATE: Downgraded from 5 stars to 3 stars because the speaker stopped working a few weeks ago. I'll update this review based on Marshall's response to the warranty, but none of my purchases get 5 stars if they break within a year let alone 6 months. Another annoyance is that this thing turns off automatically after a few minutes of silence. This makes sense when it's on battery, but it's VERY annoying when I plug it in and use it as a home entertainment center speaker. I could forgive this quirk, because the sound is really great for such a small speaker, but not at all acceptable given the lack of inclusion. Come on Marshall - you're better than that! I was looking for a waterproof upgraded BT speaker to replace an old Braven brand speaker for my boat. While the Braven impresses with its size, it lacks some bass and volume. I listened to several speakers at my local Best Buy including 3 from Marshall. The Kilburn 2 stood head and shoulders above the others - very clear highs, smooth mids and punchy lows without being bright or boomy. Back in the boat, it remains impressive down in the cockpit - the sound can best be described as "transparent". and unpainted. I'm both a musician and a "recovering audiophile" so I know good sound and good sound reproduction. I also have Grado SR 60 headphones and in my opinion this speaker matches or exceeds the accuracy of these legendary cans. It really is something for an all-in-one speaker. The frequency response is pancake-flat, stretching from 40Hz to 20,000kHz, putting you almost within the limits of human hearing at either end. It's important to note that this little beast packs 36 watts of audio power into its tiny size. Many think that high power is important for high sound pressure levels, but this is only a small part of the benefits of powerful amplifiers combined with well-chosen and matched loudspeakers. What high performance really means is headroom and the dynamic range that comes with it. Plug in a cheap set of weak speakers that are loud enough to hear the quiet passages in the music, and when the loud parts hit, the speakers crack, distort, and sound brittle and harsh. There's none of that here. Turn the volume up to 11 and the sound is as clear as 2 or 3. This is the hallmark of a well-designed and balanced audio system. Ironically, Marshall is known for making tube guitar amps that distort badly at high volumes lol. The other part of the sonic equation here is the subwoofer pulling 20 watts out of those 36 watts. The waveguide-type resonant horn, rebuilt and vastly improved by Bose Drek. The bass is really incredible. It can easily be adjusted along with the mids and highs, but I've found the best sound is to leave both sounds at zero. This is a solid kit. It's heavy and solid, which is very reassuring. This is necessary to prevent resonances, chatter and "bass walk" due to its low frequency. It's heavy enough that you won't want to lug it too far - it's more of a trunk animal than a camping buddy. The last joy is ANALOGUE HANDS. Whoever invented push button control of volume and tone should be sent straight to hell where they will be forced to adjust the volume with those knobs forever and endure the overshoot, undershoot and slow response of such a brainless idea. Handles where you need them - simple and effective, easy to find in the dark. Yes, and they are waterproof. I wouldn't use it in the shower or leave it out in the rain, but a spilled beer or a few drops of water won't fry it instantly, as opposed to two - count them, two boxes of Jawbone Jam that were killed instantly from minor splashing water collisions on my boat. . This $400 tutorial taught me that any BT speaker used on a boat or outdoors should be waterproof, and Marshall got it right. I was so impressed with the sound of this thing that I bought a pair of Marshal BT headphones. I don't know what's going on, but it sounds like shit, so they're coming back. I haven't been impressed by Marshall's other BT speakers either, but this one is a gem.