Marshall Acton III vs. II – Small nuances that make a difference

If you have read any of the reviews on this page about the speaker segment, you will know that we are very fond of vintage-style speakers. And, if there is a brand that stands out in this aspect, it is Marshall. On this occasion, we compare two models from the Acton range, which is characterized by being the one with the brand’s most compact speakers. Specifically, we compare the performance of the Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Acton II.

From a design point of view, it is easy to see that its size is smaller than the Marshall Stanmore and, of course, the Marshall Woburn. However, both the Acton III and the Acton II maintain a very similar design to each other, with some small, almost imperceptible differences. One of them is that the Marshall Acton III has one more button than the Acton II, which we will explain in detail later. Likewise, refine the golden band located at the bottom, and replace the white color with the cream color.

When it comes to sound quality, the Marshall Acton III has slight advantages over the Acton II, even though they theoretically have the same amplifiers. For example, the Acton III has a slightly lower sound frequency than the Acton II, and this makes it capture bass sounds more clearly. In addition, there is another difference, and that is that, although the tweeters are the same, the Marshall Acton III has them better oriented.

To check out all the differences between the two speakers and decide which one best suits what you’re looking for, read on!

Marshall Acton III vs. Marshall Acton II – Comparison Table

If you are hesitating and don’t know which speaker from Marshall’s Acton range is worth buying, take a look at our table! In it, we compare the main characteristics of models 2 and 3:

Design: are there any changes?

As we mentioned in the introduction, the two Marshall Actons have a very similar design, and it is very clear that we are dealing with two speakers from the same range. However, there are some small variations that are worth highlighting because they are probably not noticeable to the naked eye. The most obvious is that the Marshall Acton III has refined the gold band on its bottom, which is thicker on the Acton II.

On the other hand, the Marshall Acton III replaces the white color in which the Acton II is available with a cream color. Particularly, we are more convinced by this option, because the cream color gives it a much older appearance, in line with the vintage aesthetic that this brand has.

Furthermore, in neither of the two speakers do we see HDMI ports or RCA inputs, but rather they only have a 3.5 mm input.

One button makes the difference

Another difference between the two Marshall speakers has to do with the set of buttons they have. Being vintage speakers, the buttons are physical, and we see one on the Acton III that we don’t see on the Acton II. Specifically, the button to advance or rewind songs. We think it’s an important button, because having the ability to switch songs quickly makes its use much more comfortable.

Apart from this difference, the two speakers have the same buttons: the power lever, the pause button, the source button, the volume button, the bass and treble control, and the playback button.

Does it improve the sound quality?

Theoretically it shouldn’t, since both speakers have the same amplifiers. However, in practice a difference is perceived, especially in the clarity of the bass. The main reason is the frequency range that each speaker supports. While the Marshall Acton II supports frequencies from 50 hertz onwards, the Marshall Acton III supports frequencies from 45 hertz. It seems like a minor difference, but it allows the Acton III to reproduce bass sounds more cleanly and clearly.

Likewise, another technical difference that cannot be seen must be taken into account. The Acton III’s tweeters are positioned at a wider angle and with a more outward orientation, so the sound is transmitted more widely outward, and the quality appears to be better.

Bluetooth version is updated

The differences between the two Marshall Actons are minimal, and, therefore, any small detail that differs is noted down. In this case, we verify that the Marshall Acton III is compatible with Bluetooth version 5.2, as well as Bluetooth LE. On the other hand, the Marshall Acton II is only compatible with version 5.0. Does this represent a big change? Not in use, but the Marshall Acton III includes OTA (over the air) updates, so that all updates are installed and incorporated into the software.

Sound customization, from the speaker or from the app

If you look at the characteristics that the brand itself says, you will see that it refers to a concept: sound customization. This actually means that we can adjust the bass and treble volume as we want, thanks to the control wheels. However, control can also be done through the Marshall Bluetooth app, compatible with both iOS and Android.

Pairing with other devices

If you like to connect the speaker with other devices, since it is a Bluetooth speaker, you can do so without problem. In fact, the Marshall Acton II has the multi-host function, with which you can switch between two Bluetooth devices. However, it is important that you are clear that neither of them has WiFi.

Which Marshall Acton speaker is more interesting?

Now that you know how they are similar and what the differences are between the two speakers in Marshall’s Acton range, it is time to decide which one to choose. The price difference is very small, which is quite consistent with the few differences we have found in our analysis.

Taking this into account, our recommendation would be to go for the Marshall Acton III. For very little more money (and we are not talking about excessively high amounts), it is a speaker that has an additional button that provides you much more comfort. In addition, it improves the clarity with which sound is emitted and has a more updated version of Bluetooth. This is important when we talk about Bluetooth speakers, as is the case.

However, despite our opinion, it is up to you to decide which of the two Marshall Acton speakers you think is more worth it. To do this, he thinks about your needs, priorities and limitations. Be that as it may, being a Marshall, you don’t have to worry about the sound quality, which is excellent on both.