I took a chance on this Marshall Bluetooth speaker - its audio quality and design delivered | ZDNET

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The Marshall Woburn 3 commands a premium price, and while it's not the best value on specs alone, its rich, powerful sound and iconic design make it a standout for die-hard Marshall fans and audiophiles alike.

If you've been considering the brand's flagship Bluetooth speaker, now might be the time to splurge -- discounts are rare, and any price drop makes it a far better deal than paying full retail.

One of the latest speakers from the audio company features a stylish design and loud output.

The Woburn 3 sports the signature Marshall look inspired by the company's old guitar amplifiers. At 7.5kg in weight and 12.5 x 15.8 x 8.0 inches in measurement, it's a big speaker. With its timeless look and feel, the Woburn 3 in Black would blend into any room decor.

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On the top, you get a faux leather finish with brass control knobs for Volume, Base, and Treble. They're accompanied by a power switch, a playback control slider knob, an aux port, and another button to switch between Bluetooth, aux, RCA, and HDMI input. The front is made up of a cloth speaker grille with the company's branding that completes the classy and elegant look.

Connectivity options include Bluetooth v5.2, HDMI, RCA, and a 3.5 mm jack. You also get a cavity on the back side to make it easier for you to pick up and move the speaker when needed.

The Marshall Woburn 3 isn't as feature-rich as some other speakers in this price range. There's no Wi-Fi or voice assistant support, and you miss out on AAC, AptX, LDAC, and other hi-res capable codecs. Marshall has put a lot of effort into the hardware but has done a poor job by limiting wireless source support. If you can look past it, the speaker does a fantastic job at what it's made for.

Also: This unassuming Bluetooth speaker caught me off guard with big bass and clear mids

The Woburn 3 features a 90 W Class D amplifier that powers a 6-inch woofer and dual 15 W amplifiers. Two 15W Class D amplifiers drive the two 0.75-inch tweeters. These are all highly capable drivers.

I had the treble and bass knobs set to neutral throughout my testing. The speaker delivers strong bass with the woofer's low-end power. It has a bass-forward DSP, which delivers details even at low volumes. You can feel the sub-bass thumps at 30% volume or more. Go louder, and the bass stays clean and detailed.

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You'll enjoy listening to rock, punk, and heavy metal equally as much as acoustic music. The drums feel headbanging-worthy, and the acoustic strums also sound bright and detailed. The vocals are clear, and the mids are detailed with sparkly highs. However, the higher frequencies tend to distort a bit at loud volume. The sound signature is very enjoyable, and the speaker can fill a big room at 70% volume.

If the physical controls are out of reach, the Woburn 3 can be paired with the Marshall Bluetooth app to adjust in-app EQ. You can also use the Placement Compensation feature to set the speaker at the best place in your room, and it'll adjust the sound accordingly. To get the most out of your speaker, you just need to answer two basic questions.

The Marshall Woburn 3 isn't the best value for money -- it costs more than it offers. The drivers are capable of supporting hi-res codecs, but if you want a speaker for its performance and timeless aesthetic, the Marshall Woburn 3 is a great deal at $515.

The big Marshall home speaker offers strong and clean bass with a rumble alongside bright highs and detailed mids. It's superb for big rooms. But if you want something smaller from the house of Marshall, the Stanmore 3 is great too. You can get it for around $399, where the missing codec support is still formidable.

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