Marshall Kilburn Bluetooth Speakers Review

Marshall Kilburn Introduction:

The Kilburn portable active stereo speaker takes the unmistakable look and sound of Marshall, unplugs the chords, and takes the show on the road….

Weighing in at a taut 3 kg, The Kilburn is a lightweight piece of vintage styled engineering. Setting the bar as one of the loudest speakers in its class.

The Kilburn is a compact stout-hearted hero with a well-balanced audio which boasts a clear midrange and extended highs for a sound that is both articulate and pronounced. The analogue knobs allow you to fine tune the controls to your personal preferences while the guitar-influenced leather strap enables easy and stylish travel.

Bluetooth compatibility and the 3,5mm jack input means easy connectivity, while the simple amplifier styled construction with classic Marshall logo means it will look as good as it sounds. A built-in battery life of up to 20 hours means the jams will be kicking for as long as you are.

Now charge it up, plug it in, crank it up, and take pride in your new piece in a long line of Marshall’s unwavering legacy of loud.

Introduction

Marshall has been making audio equipment designed to recreate the old school looks of speakers and guitar amps that were famous a few decades ago. But don’t let the retro style design fool you – what lies inside their products is probably the best we’ve seen.

The Marshall Kilburn is a good example – it’s a Bluetooth speaker that not only sounds great, but even includes various functionalities to tailor your favorite tunes. The retro style design is a plus, and it’s portable too!

Manufacturer’s Specification:

  • Absolute min/max: 90-264VAC
  • Battery playing time: Up to 20h (50% volume)
  • Bluetooth: Standard V4.0
  • Class D amplifier: 2X5W+1X15W5W
  • Crossover frequency: 4200Hz
  • 3/4″ dome tweeters: 2x
  • Frequency range: 62-20.000HZ
  • Input 1 – 3,55 mm: 1x
  • Mains frequency: 50-60HZ
  • Mains input voltage: 100-240VAC/70W
  • Max output: 100DB SPL@1M (Ground plane 300HZ, 1%THD)
  • Max peak power consumption: 70W
  • 4″ woofers: 1x
  • Weight: 3 kg
  • Size: 242 x 140 x 140 mm

Design and Specifications:

The Marshall Kilburn reminds you of those older guitar amps in terms of design. Knobs and the materials give it a nice classic look. It weighs almost 3 kilograms, but that gives it a more solid feel that you know this isn’t just any ordinary speaker.

The leather handle comes with the Marshall Kilburn and features two 0.75-inch tweeters plus a 4-inch woofer. The main controls are located at the top – giving you access to the volume, bass and treble controls. Also located on top of the speakers is the power switch, source/wake button, the pair button plus the LED lights letting you know of the current speaker status. Wired devices can also be connected to the Marshall Kilburn using the 3.5 mm audio port.

Our only quip is that the Marshall Kilburn does not include a speakerphone function considering it supports Bluetooth. If you get a call when playing tunes from your smartphone, you may have to disconnect it first before answering.

Setup

Setup is completely simple since the Marshall Kilburn has a dedicated pairing button. Just press it and turn on Bluetooth from your audio device and you are good to go.

As mentioned, the Marshall Kilburn also lets you connect legacy audio devices using the 3.5 mm audio jack – a coiled cable to complete the retro feel is also included in the package.

I didn’t have a problem hooking up the device with all my devices: iPhone, Android, and even on a MacBook using Bluetooth.

Performance:

Using Bluetooth, I’ve streamed various tunes from my devices to the Marshall Kilburn with EQ settings on the device turned off so I can properly use the bass and treble functions on the speakers.

I tried Ray Parker Jr.’s all time classic Ghostbusters and vocals are well represented on all channels. Trebles are spot-on, especially after tuning it to suit our ears.

I moved on playing Mike Posner’s I Took a Pill in Ibiza and it gave a clear representation of mids, highs and lows. The beat was enough to get your ears pumping but not too much that it can be overwhelming. It also managed to register various instruments like strings that overall gave a wonderful listening experience.

Even with a small compact speaker like the Marshall Kilburn, stereo separation is still present, and there was little to no distortion heard even when the speakers are places in full volume.

The internal battery can last for almost 20 hours on a single charge. Translated to a real-world scenario, the Marshall Kilburn managed to last about a week of regular usage before it needed to be charged again.

Overall, the addition of bass and treble knobs is what makes the Marshall Kilburn stand out. It’s easily one of the best performing Bluetooth speakers we’ve used.

Supplied Accessories:

  • Marshall Kilburn speakers
  • User manual
  • 3.5 mm coiled cable
  • Power cord

Pros & Cons:

Pros

  • Retro style design
  • Excellent sound output
  • Adjustable bass and treble

Cons

  • Does not support a speakerphone function
  • Might be too heavy for some, considering it’s supposed to be a portable speaker

Conclusion:

The Marshall Kilburn combines the excellent retro style look combined with a powerful audio performance and gives us one of the best sounding Bluetooth speakers available.

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