Marshall Kilburn II review: Stunning portable speaker is sure to be a favourite with Rock 'n' Roll fans
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Loading... - Alice Winston
- 03 Sep 2021
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If you’re a fan of Rock ’n’ Roll and in the market for a new portable speaker, Marshall may have just answered your prayers.
The firm has launched its Kilburn II speaker - a wireless Bluetooth speaker that strongly resembles an amp.
As the name suggests, the Kilburn II is a follow-up to the Kilburn speaker, which was released in 2015.
With over 20 hours of playtime and water-resistance, the speaker has many impressive features, as well as a stunning retro design.
I got my hands on the new Kilburn II speaker - here are my thoughts.
Design
The Kilburn II is one for the best looking Bluetooth speakers I’ve seen.
It features a solid metal grille that resembles the mesh grille seen on microphones and amps and instantly gives it that Rock ’n’ Roll vibe.
Adding to this vibe is the leather carrying strap, which features a plush red velvet lining, giving it a luxurious feel.
While it looks like it could be fairly weighty, the speaker is surprisingly light, weighing in at just 3kg.
This makes transporting it around easier than I expected - although it’s not exactly the kind of thing I’d chuck in my bag on the move.
I also appreciate the fact that it’s water-resistant, meaning you wouldn’t be nervous of spillages.
Sound quality
Measuring just 243 x 162 x 140 mm, the speaker is fairly compact - but that’s not to say that it doesn’t pack a punch.
The Kilburn II is the loudest speaker in its class, with one 20 Watt Class D amplifier for the woofer
, and two 8 Watt Class D amplfiers for the tweeters.
Together, these amplifiers produce impressively clear midrange tones, as well as a deep base and extended highs.
While I didn’t quite push the speaker to its volume limit (I don’t want my neighbours to hate me!), the Kilburn II is sure to meet your volume needs, without obscuring the quality of the music.
Battery life
The speaker boasts over 20 hours of portable playtime on a single charge.
Though I didn’t test the speaker for 20 hours in one go, I think it’s an extremely appealing feature.
There’s nothing worse than having to constantly remember to charge your speaker, or lug a charger around with you - which somewhat defeats the purpose of having a wireless speaker in the first place.
Other features
One of the features I liked the most was the ability to customise the sound, thanks to three control knobs on the top of the speaker - one for volume, one for bass and one for treble.
This allows you to customise the sound based on where you are - for example, you can crank up the bass when using it at a party.
Another fun feature is the ability to connect to multiple Bluetooth devices at once.
This could be really useful at a party, allowing multiple people to choose songs.
Price
The Kilburn II costs £269, which is fairly pricey for a portable speaker of its size.
However, given the excellent sound quality, as well as the retro design, I think this is a fair price to pay for the speaker.
Verdict
Overall, the Kilburn II is one of the best portable speakers I’ve tested.
Both the design and sound quality are fantastic, and I think the Kilburn II could easily take pride of place in your living room - let alone on the go.
