Marshall Middleton 2 vs Middleton 1 Review - TOTALLY different...😮

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‘Same same but different’. That is NOT how I would describe the Middleton II, because even if it doesn’t look that way, it’s very different from the Middleton 1, especially in terms of sound, but also in terms of features. The differences are mostly improvements, but also some drawbacks which I’m going to get into.

Quick Catch Up

So here’s a quick rundown about what’s different compared to the first version. On the inside we now have up to 30 hours of battery instead of 20, so there’s more endurance. Plus the 2 has battery preservation settings which the 1 didn’t have so potentially, the 2’s battery could last longer than the typical 500 charging cycles.

Buttons are now raised so it’s easier to find, instead of having to feel them with your fingers on the first version, which was annoying. What used to be the battery indicator button used to call up the battery level is now the power button, and the battery level is always displayed now. Middleton 2’s EQ settings are better.

Instead of just bass and treble controls use Marshall’s custom presets on top of bass and treble. You can also create your own preset if you prefer. The Middleton 2 also has a microphone so you can use it as a handsfree speaker, the first version didn’t have that.

👉 Have a listen to the microphone samples

Sound Quality

And as for the sound, it’s got 30W amps powering the woofers instead of 20W. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s louder because at the same 50% volume, the 1st version actually sounds louder for a good reason. But having more amperage means the Middleton 2’s “woofers” have more sonic headroom, and that lets the bass extend lower.

But that’s not all. The Middleton 2 sounds like a completely different speaker. It has a more relaxed signature with cleaner track separation, and it’s generally cleaner in the mids and highs compared to the first version. By comparison, the Middleton 1 has a lot more emphasis on the mids so vocals and instruments sound louder, but it sounds boxy, and somewhat mashed together compared to the 2nd version.

In terms of bass, the Middleton 2 has more extension and gravity whereas the Middleton 1 has bass sounding like… thuds. Not that great. And even if you put them into absolute max bass settings, the 2 still has deeper, louder bass.

The only thing they’re comparable at is soundstaging. Both of them employ the same True Stereophonic processing which creates convincing left and right channels from a single box. This makes them sound bigger than they look.

Overall I definitely prefer the Middleton 2’s sound but maybe you have a different opinion.

👉 Have a listen to the sound quality samples

Body

Now, where the Middleton 1 is better is that it’s a skinnier speaker, less bulky, and it has a proper rubberised strap, whereas the 2nd version has a canvas strap, which looks nice, but I prefer the rugged feel of the 1st version’s rubber strap.

And for most people, the Middleton 1’s Stack feature could be better than the Middleton 2’s Auracast.

Auracast VS Stack

Auracast is the ability to stream audio from one device to any brands or make of Auracast enabled speakers. So, say you have a mix of Marshall, JBL, and Sennheiser products, you can broadcast your audio to all of them at once, including to the Middleton 2.

The drawback is that the transmitting device needs to be Auracast enabled. This could be an Auracast transmitter, or a phone that supports Auracast like the Samsung S25 Ultra or Z Fold7.

What the Middleton 1 has is the Stack feature. You can daisy chain other Middleton 1s to it and stream the same audio, and it can be from any Bluetooth source. But for Stack to work, all the connected speakers have to all be Middleton 1s, or other Stack-compatible MArshall speakers. It can’t be other brands.

So for both methods, Auracast or Stack, there are pros and cons, and it depends on what you think is more convenient to you.

Verdict

Overall, the Middleton 2 is an overwhelming improvement over the first version. If not in terms of sound, then in terms of features, as in you can simply do more with it. But if you still want to get the first Middleton, it’s fine, still a very capable speaker! Just make sure that the discount is big enough to justify.

Check latest prices:

Middleton II - https://amzn.to/4f7bxsE
Middleton 1 - https://amzn.to/3TNkdKM

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