Marshall Takes On Sonos With Its First Soundbar

Moving into a new product category is a nervy undertaking for any company, and the current climate of tariff roulette only adds another level of uncertainty. But Marshall, manufacturer of iconic guitar amps and a growing portfolio of consumer audio products, is marching on regardless, with the launch of its first soundbar. And at $1000, the Atmos-capable Heston 120 is an ambitious first entry.

“This is our most expensive product. And honestly, that’s a little bit scary,” Gustaf Rosell, Marshall’s chief product and innovation officer, tells WIRED in an interview. “But since it's a new segment for us, we made the decision that we wanted to start at the high end. We don't always do that, but in this case we thought it was important to make a statement—to show that we are really serious about it.

The idea of adding a soundbar to its line up is one that has been kicking around company discussions for the past five years, Rosell says, but been in production for about three of them. The result is the Heston 120, a 5.1.2-channel Atmos and DTS X soundbar, with 11 separate drivers positioned to offer a wide and high soundfield from a single box.

Tuning a product for so many channels has been a new challenge for Marshall, and it brought new expertise on board to help—even pulling in talent from the automotive industry for their multi-channel experience. “Right now we have two PhDs in house, it's that level of competence,” Rosell adds. “We also worked really closely with Dolby to help us with some difficult measurements, to ensure that we are placing objects of sound accurately in a room.”

However, a particular focus for the sound team, Rosell tells us, has been about getting the balance right between sounding good for TV and also good for music—a common difficulty for multi-channel audio products. The Heston 120 certainly comes with plenty of music options to put it to the test, including AirPlay 2, Googlecast, and Bluetooth LE Audio, plus Tidal and Spotify Connect.

“Music playback is an area where we have been able to lean into our current expertise, and use some of the modelling from our portable speakers to ensure all of the drivers in the Heston 120 are working just as well together in a more classical stereo setup too. And if I'm to be a little bit bold, we've beaten everything we've heard from competitors. It's one of the things I am most proud of with this product."

Another key focus for the team was the product’s design, but not perhaps in the way that anyone familiar with Marshall products might think. While its speakers are well known for their distinct look, reminiscent of the brand’s famous amplifiers, Heston 120 dials back that approach, just a bit.

“Many products in this area look pretty much the same, they’re trying to blend in, and when TVs are doing their best to hide themselves more and more, you do need to find the right tone.

“But Heston is a conscious design choice for people who want something different, we are not trying to hide. It’s a bold statement, but not as bold as we could have been. I think we’ve found a balance that feels authentic.”

Rosell is under no illusion that Heston is launching into a busy, and competitive space. He concedes that the Heston 120 is not aimed at audiophiles who might want a more involved setup, but believes it can compete with the big names at its premium price point.

“We benchmarked against the Sonos Arc Ultra, against Sennheiser, against Sony, even against Devialet—I mean it's a lot more expensive, but we really wanted to match it and I think we are doing in most areas, despite the price difference." Does Heston represents a step up in performance for Marshall, and how it is positioning itself in the market, we ask? “Yes I would say so,” Rosell replies.

The Heston 120 is focused on a single box performance at the moment. Rosell says he has had feedback about the complexity of some soundbar setups now, and that he believes that Marshall customers prefer simplicity. With Heston, ease of use was paramount.

However, that isn't to say there isn't more in the pipeline for the company, for those who want it. The company plans to release a smaller soundbar, the Heston 60, and a wireless subwoofer, the Heston Sub 200, later on this year, plus there are plans to be able to add satellite speakers too—and not just from Marshall's product catalogue.

“We have been very keen from early on about using Bluetooth LE {Low Energy} and Auracast,” adds Rosell. “That means our customers can use any other compatible products—subwoofer or satellites—to add to their experience. So yes, you can use something like Acton or even one of our portable speakers as satellite speakers, or you can use something from Sennheiser, for example. We are not for building proprietary environments when there is a good open standard. That's the way we think things should go."

The Marshall Heston 120 can be pre-ordered on the company's website now and will be available from June 3. The rest of the Heston family will follow later this year, with release dates still to be confirmed.