Marshall Stanmore II Voice review

Smart speakers from the likes of Amazon, Google, and Apple, have fast become commonplace in many households, and this growing popularity has led to a demand in popular speaker brands combining iconic styles with modern features.

One such brand is Marshall, which now has a range of speakers that incorporate smarts from Google Assistant and Alexa. The Marshall Stanmore II Voice offers users all of the best features of these voice assistants, along with its style and reputation for great audio.

Note: be careful when looking at the Stanmore II, as the device is available as both a smart speaker and a Bluetooth speaker.

Below we review the Marshall Stanmore II Voice to determine whether it deserves a place in your home. And to see how it measures up against our other favorites, take a look at our guide to the best smart speakers.

Marshall Stanmore II Voice: Specs & Features

• Smart platform: Google Assistant, Alexa (depending on purchase)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
• Inputs: 3.5mm, RCA
• Dimensions: 7.6 x 13.8 x 7.2in
• Weight: 10.5lbs

Setting up the Marshall Stanmore II Voice is relatively simple, though we had trouble connecting the Google Assistant to our account via our iPhone. The microphone, however, is strong and had no issue hearing commands even while music was playing.

Note: while the speaker is more widely available with Alexa integration, we tested a model with Google Assistant. 

You can do everything with the Stanmore II that you can do with other Google speakers, such as setting routines, alarms, and reminders, in addition to asking questions and checking the weather. Just say the wake word, 'Okay Google,' or use the app on your mobile device to delve into the options.

Music sounds good through the speaker, too, though it's not quite as outstanding as you might expect from a brand like Marshall. Nevertheless, the adjustable knobs on top of the device are a brilliant touch, allowing you to adjust bass, treble, and volume to your heart's content. 

Marshall Stanmore II Voice: Design

It's hard to fault the look of the Marshall Stanmore II Voice, and we're not going to here. The speaker is truly beautiful and adds a gorgeous classic rock aesthetic to a bookshelf or side table. 

The Stanmore II is one of Marshall's larger smart speakers, so you will need to make sure you have a spot for it somewhere, and its bulk also makes it a bit tricky to move around with ease. Placed in a living room or office, however, it's as much a design piece as it is a speaker.

As said, the speaker smartly includes the classic dials on top, which you can use to control the bass, treble, and volume levels to your taste. In addition, red LED lights indicate which mode the speaker is in, and you'll also find a privacy control to mute the microphone on the top panel.

The outer casing gives it a premium feel, set off by the logo on the front and other gold touches.

Marshall Stanmore II Voice: Our Verdict

Despite a few connectivity issues (which could have been down to a bad Wi-Fi connection, rather than the speaker itself), the Marshall Stanmore II Voice's performance matches up to its aesthetic and would be a great addition to any home that wants to incorporate a smart assistant into their home but might not be enthusiastic about how speakers from Amazon, Google and Apple look.

It's definitely not designed to be portable, but the additional sound controls make it friendlier to audiophiles than many other speakers prioritizing a minimal design over function.

Overall, we loved the Stanmore II Voice, scoring it highly in both looks and performance.