Kilburn III

Most portable speakers produce stereo only when listened to from directly in front. The Kilburn III arranges its drivers to project sound in 360 degrees, so the stereo image holds regardless of where people are standing relative to the speaker. Marshall calls this True Stereophonic, and it means the left and right channels remain distinct at any angle rather than collapsing into a single blob of sound once a listener moves off-axis.

The onboard controls go further than a simple volume knob. Separate bass and treble dials let the listener shape the frequency balance, and the M-button stores those adjustments as presets so a preferred sound can be recalled without dialling everything back in from scratch. Marshall has also tuned the speaker so that bass, mids, and treble stay proportional across volume levels, which matters because most compact speakers lose low-end definition at low volumes and distort it at high ones.

The Kilburn III carries a USB power output, so it can charge a phone from the same battery that runs the speaker itself. Two Bluetooth devices can be connected simultaneously, and the speaker remembers previously paired devices so reconnecting is automatic. A 3.5 mm AUX input handles wired sources when Bluetooth is not an option. The IP54 rating means dust and water splashes are handled without any case or cover needed. It comes in black and brass or cream.