Marshall Stanmore III vs. II – Do we recommend upgrading your speaker?

We recognize that Marshall speakers are one of our weaknesses, because we like their design proposal and the personality they have so much, that we would always keep them. But do you know how to choose from the wide variety of options that the brand itself has? In this article, we compare two of the speakers in the Stanmore range, the models II and III. A priori, we tend to think that there will be more similarities than differences, but is this really the case? We check it!

The design of both speakers follows a fairly similar line, with the difference that the Marshall Stanmore III is somewhat smaller and lighter. Additionally, the gold-colored lower band, which is thicker on the Marshal Stanmore II, becomes much thinner on the III. Beyond the aesthetic differences, we look at whether there are differences in sound quality. There are, but don’t expect big variations.

In fact, the Marshall Stanmore III has slightly better sound quality which is basically due to the placement of the speakers. The tweeters are positioned at a wider angle on the model III, allowing the sound to come out more freely and clearly. Now, the difference is quite small, and you will only be able to identify it if you compare the two almost at the same time. On the other hand, the Marshall Stanmore III has a minimally wider frequency range, with a low limit of 45 Hz compared to the 50 Hz of the model II.

If you want to know more details to know which of the two speakers is more worth staying with, we encourage you to continue reading!

Marshall Stanmore III vs II – Comparison Table

In the following table you can check the most important technical specifications of each speaker. This will help you see the most relevant differences between them, very useful information to decide which one is most similar to what you are looking for:

The vintage aesthetic continues to be the protagonist

Marshall speakers are very easily identifiable by their vintage-style design, which is also one of their biggest draws among users. For this reason, we do not see very significant changes in the aesthetics of these two speakers, which are not only from the same brand, but also from the same range. The biggest change is that the bottom gold band is much thinner on the Marshall Stanmore III. Likewise, this speaker is a little smaller and about half a kilo lighter.

Another aesthetic difference has to do with the number of buttons each speaker has. Both have buttons to control volume, bass, treble, play or pause, a source button and the lever to turn on the speaker. The Marshall Stanmore III adds a seventh button that we do not find on the Stanmore II, the jump back or forward control button .

The sound quality is optimal on both speakers

Although the aesthetic issue is more important in the Marshall than in other speakers because it is so iconic, the priority aspect remains the sound quality. And we must say that both speakers have very good quality, with some differences, so small that they are barely noticeable. The Marshall Stanmore III has a slightly wider frequency range, because it supports frequencies from 45 Hz, while the Stanmore II supports them from 50 Hz.

When it comes to speakers, both the Stanmore III and Stanmore II have woofers and tweeters, which are powered by amplifiers. In total, they give them a power of about 80 watts, which is not bad at all. However, when playing the music, we noticed more details on the Marshall Stanmore III. For what is this? Because the tweeters are placed at a wider angle in the model III, which makes the sound emitted more clearly even when they are barely perceptible sounds, such as the singer’s breathing.

If you are wondering if there are differences when it comes to the sound power of the speakers, the truth is that there is no. Both Marshall Stanmores have 50-watt bass and 15-watt treble amplifiers.

Bluetooth Compatibility

The two protagonists of our review are Bluetooth speakers, but they do not have exactly the same compatibility conditions. The Marshall Stanmore II is compatible with Bluetooth version 5.0, while the Stanmore III is compatible with version 5.2. In addition, this model is also compatible with Bluetooth LE audio. Therefore, the brand has updated Bluetooth compatibility in line with the rest of the market, but it really does not have a very relevant practical significance. In fact, the Bluetooth range is the same in both cases, about 10 meters.

Can they be synchronized with an app?

Actually, yes. Both speakers are compatible with the Marshall Bluetooth app, available for both iOS and Android. Through the app it is possible, for example, to modify the sound equalizer settings, so it is interesting to know that both have this possibility. Of course, they are not WiFi speakers, so pairing, both with smartphones and other devices, must be done using Bluetooth.

No microphones or built-in assistants

We are increasingly accustomed to technological devices, whatever they may be, having an integrated voice assistant that simplifies their operation. In this case, neither of the two Marshall Stanmores have this type of assistants, nor do they have a microphone.

Connection ports

In this type of speakers, it is important to know what input ports they have to know what devices we can connect. In this case, there are no differences. Both models have a 3.5 mm input, or jack connector, and an RCA connector.

Do I upgrade the Marshall Stanmore speaker?

At this point, we only have to decide if it is worth betting on the Marshall Stanmore III or sticking with version II. And, to do this, as we always do, we look at the price difference. The Marshall Stanmore III has a higher price, but this may be because it is more recent, while the Stanmore II has been on the market for longer.

Now, in terms of real and practical differences, there are few. In fact, the Stanmore III is practically the same model as the Stanmore II, just with a slight improvement in sound quality and a more updated version of Bluetooth. However, the technical difference related to the speakers is so small that we can barely notice it unless we concentrate. Nor do we see any other innovation that could make us consider switching to the new version, such as the addition of a microphone or something similar.

Therefore, if you have the Marshall Stanmore II, it is not worth upgrading to the Model III. At least, as long as they do not implement any functionality that is truly differentiating. If you don’t have either, you can opt for the Marshall Stanmore III if you get a good cheap deal. Be that as it may, both have a Marshall quality guarantee.