Latest news with #Marshall
Tom's Guide
6 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I test Bluetooth speakers for a living — here are my top picks for every budget
I love a Bluetooth speaker. They allow me to take my music on the go, so that I can annoy everyone around me with my... interesting... music taste. Of course, when it comes time to shop for one, it can be a little confusing. You could just buy one of the best Bluetooth speakers from our guide, but those can be costly. To help you stick to your savings goals, I've laid out some budgets, and picked one of our favorites in each tier so you can get the best performance without spending more than you should. The WonderBoom 4 brings some great features to small package. Not only does it look unique with its funky, rounded shape, but it sounds pretty good as well thanks to some clever audio trickery. The shape and the way that the driver inside is situated means that you can hear the sound no matter where you are around the device. The battery life is pretty good as well, giving you 14 hours of life so that you can take the lil' guy on the road. It's also nice and cheap, crucially coming in at that sub-$100 price point. Even better? You'll often find it for even less thanks to some fairly permanent deals I've seen at Amazon and other retailers. With its small size and useful strap, this little speaker is easy to hang off a hiking backpack when you go off for a long walk. It sounds pretty good for the size as well, and its 14 hour-battery is going to last you a long time. Marshall's Willen II is a pocket powerhouse. It's no bigger than your hand, and it'll easily fit into a cargo pants pocket, and then blow you away with sound you might expect from something much, much larger. I mean, just look at it — how cute! Then BAM, rock n' roll baby, and spades of it. Of course, it's not going to hold a candle to some of the larger and more expensive speakers on the list, but I'm consistently impressed by the Willen II's sound signature. There's a surprising amount of bass on offer from the tiny speaker, and the mids and highs are very well represented. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Add in the wonderful little brass control clicker from Marshall's headphones and 17 hours of battery life, and you've the recipe for a little Bluetooth powerhouse. The Willen II is a tiny powerhouse of a speaker that packs quality sound and good battery life into a compact package. It'll last for 17 hours, which is longer than some of the larger competitors. This little speaker is well worth the pickup. If you want something that's not too expensive but will power pool parties all summer long, then the JBL Charge 6 might just be Bluetooth speaker for you. There's a 28 hour battery on board to keep the speaker going, and you can use the USB port on the back of the speaker to charge your phone. That's why it's called the 'Charge.' The sound is big and loud too, thanks to its 'AI sound boost' feature. I found that the speaker sounded its very best just before you hit the upper volume ceiling, so you likely won't want to crank the noise all the way to the top. It is loads of fun watching the passive bass radiators wiggle on the sides, though. The JBL Charge 6 is a great speaker with plenty of battery life and some great sound quality. 28 hours of staying power means the tunes will keep on coming. The color options are wicked too, letting you really show off (or blend in) as much as you want. The EpicBoom lives up to its name — it's a big sounding speaker with massive impact. It also floats, so you won't have to worry about it taking a terrible tumble into the pool. It's designed from the ground up to be durable piece of tech, with IP67 dust and water resistance keeping it safe no matter where it finds itself. The strap on the back, held in place with magnets, also makes the speaker easier to cart around from party to the beach and back — just make sure you don't forget it while it's floating in the pool. It can swim, but you don't want to leave it in there too long. The EpicBoom is cool because it can float, making it a good companion for the pool or beach. There are 17 hours of battery life as well, so it'll last a long time. The sound is big and loud as well, perfect for keeping the party going. I am a sucker for Marshall's design language, and the Kilburn III distills it into a package that looks like a practice amp. A practice amp it is not, however. Instead, it's one of the best Bluetooth speakers I've ever tested with excellent sound quality, a wicked retro style and some truly ridiculous battery life — 50 hours at mid volume, I discovered. I love the Kilburn III so much that it's now going to take center stage in the best Bluetooth speakers guide — if that doesn't show how much I love it, I don't know what will. Marrying it? Not entirely sure where I'd put the ring... The Marshall Kilburn III brings rock n' roll style to match some super impressive sound quality. There's a mad 50 hours of battery life available, matched with some of the best controls on any Bluetooth speaker, like, ever. The Sonos Move 2 still has a permanent home on my nightstand, waking me up every morning with my favorite tunes. I love the speaker and its epic sound quality, but it's the little things that Sonos have packed in which keep it a permanent part of my life: the easy-to-use charging cradle, the Sonos app support, the helpful controls across the top. It's not a cheap Bluetooth speaker, but you absolutely get what you pay for if you add one to your audio arsenal. I love mine, and I think that anyone else that buys one will too — just remember that it's weightier than the other entries on this list and it's not a good pick for the hike you've got coming up this weekend. The Sonos Move 2 is Sonos' portable option, but it packs in some smarts to make sure it fits in with the rest of the line. It sounds excellent, has great battery, and looks great with its simple design. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I was pumped to review Marshall's first Dolby Atmos soundbar, but I ended up disappointed
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. I can't tell you how excited I was to get the Marshall Heston 120 in for review. My very first guitar amp was a Marshall, and I've had an affinity for the British brand ever since. I no longer play guitar, but I am a home cinema addict, so Marshall's first Dolby Atmos soundbar caught my attention from the off. The brand has astutely leaned into its classic aesthetic flourishes with its headphones and wireless speakers, which look great, but applying them to a soundbar has resulted in a unique design that stands out superbly against the sea of aesthetically similar, all-too-subtle bars. The thick woven cover, brass accents and tactile knobs do a great job of tugging at the nostalgia glands, and the soundbar acts as a great conversation piece while not being so outlandish as to drag too much attention away from your TV. The listening experience didn't start badly, either. As you would very much hope of any soundbar, let alone one costing £900 / $1000 / AU$1799, the Heston 120 is a huge improvement on the sound of pretty much any TV. Weighty, smooth and fairly tonally balanced, it will be a huge upgrade if you're going straight from the lightweight, shrill speakers that are built into your TV. But as we watched Alex Garland's brilliant Civil War in Dolby Atmos, I felt curiously unenthused. Where was the punch to the gunfire, the guttural depth to the explosions and the ramping up of tension through the soundtrack? They were all missing. And as we switched between our favourite tried and tested Dolby Atmos scenes, these traits remained consistent. The Marshall just isn't very good at defining the leading edges of notes, so effects sound a little soft. And while there is a reasonable amount of bass, it doesn't reach deep enough to provoke a particularly emotional response. More of a problem, though, is the lack of dynamic expression – the difference between the quiet and loud bits. Turn the volume up on the Heston 120 and it's really quite loud, but its volume levels remain quite flat – so a steadily swelling score doesn't swell as it should, and an exploding Humvee doesn't audibly leap from the rest of the soundtrack as intended. There are other, smaller issues with the Heston 120 (some treble brightness and sibilance, for example, and a lack of projection to the Dolby Atmos presentation), but it's the way this lack of punch, bass depth and dynamics combines to rob a movie of much of its excitement that is most disappointing to me. Home cinema is all about excitement, so arguably the worst thing that any home cinema product can do is sound dull – and that, unfortunately, is the trap into which the Heston 120 has fallen. I really wanted to love Marshall's first Dolby Atmos soundbar, but alas, I have to continue recommending the far less novel, but much more accomplished, Sonos Arc Ultra instead. MORE: These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy right now Check out our Marshall Heston 120 vs Sonos Arc Ultra comparison
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gerald Harrison named athletic director at Marshall after 7 years at Austin Peay
HUNTINGTON, (AP) — Marshall named Gerald Harrison as its athletic director on Monday. Harrison spent the past seven years as AD at Austin Peay and replaces Christian Spears, whose contract with the Thundering Herd was not renewed. Under Harrison, Austin Peay won 13 sports championships, including three in football. He guided the Governors' move from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Atlantic Sun in 2022. The school recently announced it will join the United Athletic Conference for all sports in 2026. 'Gerald Harrison embodies the values and vision we hold dear at Marshall University,' Marshall president Brad D. Smith said in a statement. 'His track record of championship performance, strategic innovation, and people-first leadership stood out at every step of our national search. What impressed me most was Gerald's unwavering belief that athletics is not just about wins and losses; it's about building a culture of excellence, elevating student-athletes and uniting a community." Prior to Austin Peay, Harrison held various roles in the athletic departments at Duke and Tennessee. He is a native of Florence, South Carolina, and earned his bachelor's degree from Tennessee in 2001. 'I could not be more excited to be a member of the Herd and the Huntington community,' Harrison said. 'I'm honored to stand on the shoulders of so many great leaders and work together to use our rich tradition and history to build a bright future — not just for Marshall athletics, but for the entire university and our community.' Spears was hired at Marshall in 2022 and led the school's transition from Conference USA to the Sun Belt. The Thundering Herd won the Sun Belt football championship last December. ___ AP college sports:
Associated Press
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Gerald Harrison named athletic director at Marshall after 7 years at Austin Peay
HUNTINGTON, (AP) — Marshall named Gerald Harrison as its athletic director on Monday. Harrison spent the past seven years as AD at Austin Peay and replaces Christian Spears, whose contract with the Thundering Herd was not renewed. Under Harrison, Austin Peay won 13 sports championships, including three in football. He guided the Governors' move from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Atlantic Sun in 2022. The school recently announced it will join the United Athletic Conference for all sports in 2026. 'Gerald Harrison embodies the values and vision we hold dear at Marshall University,' Marshall president Brad D. Smith said in a statement. 'His track record of championship performance, strategic innovation, and people-first leadership stood out at every step of our national search. What impressed me most was Gerald's unwavering belief that athletics is not just about wins and losses; it's about building a culture of excellence, elevating student-athletes and uniting a community.' Prior to Austin Peay, Harrison held various roles in the athletic departments at Duke and Tennessee. He is a native of Florence, South Carolina, and earned his bachelor's degree from Tennessee in 2001. 'I could not be more excited to be a member of the Herd and the Huntington community,' Harrison said. 'I'm honored to stand on the shoulders of so many great leaders and work together to use our rich tradition and history to build a bright future — not just for Marshall athletics, but for the entire university and our community.' Spears was hired at Marshall in 2022 and led the school's transition from Conference USA to the Sun Belt. The Thundering Herd won the Sun Belt football championship last December. ___ AP college sports:
Perth Now
a day ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Marshall quizzed on future amid Saints' De Koning chase
St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall would welcome Tom De Koning's arrival from Carlton but is keeping his cards close to his chest on what it would mean for his own future. Marshall was critical to the Saints' record-breaking comeback victory over Melbourne on Sunday, linking with superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera to set up the decisive goal. Wanganeen-Milera's stocks soared on the back of his match-winning display, as the out-of-contract playmaker weighs up huge interest from his home state of South Australia. The Saints will miss the finals for the second straight season and are desperately seeking to improve their list. Whether or not they retain Wanganeen-Milera and lure restricted free agent De Koning from the Blues will have a huge impact on their prospects for 2026 and beyond. Marshall, 29, is contracted to St Kilda until the end of 2027, but the club's pursuit of ruck-forward De Koning has cast a shadow over the incumbent's future. "Obviously he's a great player, so I guess whatever's going to make us better," Marshall said on Monday. "That's what we're trying to do and he'll make us a better team." Pressed on his own future, Marshall was tight-lipped. "This is going to sound so cliche, but I haven't really given it too much thought," Marshall said. "There's four games left and I'm employed by the St Kilda Football Club to rock up each week and perform. "That's just my sole focus at the minute. "My last two or three weeks have been pretty disappointing individually, so I just want to finish the season well with a strong patch of form and go into next year." Marshall has played as a sole ruckman for most of this year and said he wasn't fussed about whether he continued in that role, amid the prospect of a partnership with De Koning. "As long as we're winning games I don't really care," Marshall said. St Kilda have a poor 6-13 win-loss record this year, but are riding high after producing the greatest last-quarter comeback in AFL/VFL history against Melbourne - from 46 points down - to ultimately win by six. Wanganeen-Milera was the hero with 34 disposals and four goals, including two in the final 15 seconds. The 22-year-old star quickly hashed out a plan for the match-winning play with Marshall and Marcus Windhager while Melbourne were caught up in confusion around a 6-6-6 free kick in the dying seconds. "As soon as I got the ball I saw a bit of space and luckily enough the kick came off," Marshall said. "Nas went back with the flight of the footy, it was pretty courageous and I guess the rest is history." This is ESSENTIAL viewing 🍿Watch every goal of St Kilda's 46-point comeback, the greatest three-quarter time deficit overcome in V/AFL history.#AFLSaintsDees AFL (@AFL) July 28, 2025 Footage has since emerged from St Kilda's post-match function at the Hotel Brighton, where coach Ross Lyon hoisted Wanganeen-Milera onto his shoulders in jubilant scenes. "I think Ross tried to get me on his shoulders but I was too heavy," Marshall said. "Nas is a bit lighter. It was good fun." Marshall said the "crazy" win had not sunk in yet, with St Kilda needing to refocus ahead of their match against North Melbourne on Sunday. "The first three quarters were pretty garbage from us and it was disappointing but I think that last quarter just shows what we can do," Marshall said. "It was awesome. I didn't think it was possible until it was probably three goals down and I looked up at the scoreboard and I thought, 'Geez we're in this.' "Then, sure enough, Nas turned it on and it was a crazy finish."
