Marshall Bromley 750

"As you will see, it required an exciting cardboard solution," said the email from the friendly PR contact. And yes, shipping a 24 kilo speaker obviously requires a bit of ingenuity, so two classic moving boxes enclosed the beauty when it, thankfully, arrived via home delivery right to my door. When you unpack the beast, it's easy to mistake it for a classic Marshall amplifier because that's the design they've gone for here. This is Marshall's first party speaker, and although there are some larger Bluetooth speakers from the same manufacturer, none are as powerful as this one in terms of size or sound.

Let's start with the design. As mentioned, it's very reminiscent of an amplifier and has the classic Marshall look that we recognise from their entire product range. In addition to functioning as a speaker, it can also be used as a more or less complete amplifier, as it has inputs for dual microphones, for example. There are RCA, XLR, mini jack, and USB-C ports on the back if you want to connect your phone instead. You can also adjust the balance of each of these inputs individually, so if you want to use it as a karaoke machine, or perhaps a complete set-up for a troubadour with instruments and vocals, it's very versatile.

However, it's mainly as a speaker that it has been interesting to me. Pairing with a mobile phone is quick, however, it should be mentioned that the first two or three seconds often tend to stutter a little. I have tested it with three different phones and the same thing has happened on all of them. It's nothing that bothers me, and after a few seconds, the connection works perfectly and it's time to start listening properly. I haven't noticed anyone else mentioning this in their reviews, so I'll take a bit of a reservation here and think that I've just been a bit "unlucky" and, as I said, it only happens at the very beginning.

The first thing you notice about the sound is the bass. It's like a perfect rumble or a light punch in the stomach at higher levels. You can turn it up properly, definitely high enough to make the neighbours bang angrily on the wall. But the thing is, regardless of the volume, it sounds extremely good. Sure, having this as a little background noise feels almost like an insult. This needs to be turned up. And not only are the bass tones among the most prominent I've heard a speaker produce, the bass cabinet also takes centre stage and thumps in a way I don't think I've ever heard a speaker manage. It's at its best when pure party music fills the room. But my favourite band, the Swedish Kent, also sound sweeter than ever in their pulsating melodies. Putting on "Don't Stop Believin" by Journey is like experiencing a small concert at home, and the fantastic, muffled synth-heavy "Bäst i Sverige" by Junior Brielle is a perfect track to demonstrate how melodious the speaker is, regardless of genre or melody.

Thanks to the multiple speakers around it, the soundstage is wide and expansive. The speaker has dual bass elements and tweeters on the sides but also on the back and top to create 360-degree sound. Sure, it doesn't sound quite as clear and powerful in all directions, but at least the sound doesn't disappear as it tends to do when it's only directed from the front. If you place this in the middle of a room, more people can enjoy the sound regardless of where they are.

I've thrown everything I can think of at this and have been impressed every time. The sound really fills the room, and it's fantastic to discover new nuances, especially in the bass, in songs you've heard thousands of times. It's hard not to tap your foot to a prominent bass drum that seems to pulsate across the floor, bass tones that sound like the bassist is standing there in the room, and an interplay between everything that feels lively and uplifting.

Is there anything negative about it in terms of sound? No, not really. I find it a little difficult to believe that the "Dynamic/Loud" function actually does much more with the sound profile than raise and lower it slightly. To my ears, it doesn't create the contrast or difference that it's probably intended to, and feels a bit superfluous. Another thing that is both an advantage and a disadvantage is that because everything is comprised of physical buttons - which admittedly looks incredibly stylish - the app suffers a little. It's simply not possible to adjust any EQ or do much else in it. Sure, it feels incredibly nice to adjust the controls, but it would have been nice to be able to do a little more than just raise/lower the volume via the phone.

The black rock design is stylish and attractive, and you can even spice it up with a light show. The speaker has 36 LEDs on the front, which may seem like a gimmick, but they actually look really good when they flash in their three different modes. Of course, it's just a mood enhancer for a party and nothing else, but as a light show it's still pretty cool, even if it would have been great to have a few more variations than the ones available. This beast is also surprisingly easy to move around thanks to its wheels and handle. On the back, there is a compartment for the sturdy battery. It promises 40 hours of use, and a big plus is the ability to remove the battery and insert another one. If you are at a festival or similar event where there is no access to power, you can use an extra battery to run it for several days.

The Marshall Bromley 750 weighs 24 kilograms and costs £900, which is obviously not a small amount of money. So, if you want to listen to music at home or have a small party, there are alternatives for significantly less money that also provide superb sound. However, I have to review this based on its intended purpose and if you want to fill a large garden or other large space with sound, there is no doubt that it can do the job, and then some.