Short answer: the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen. It ranks #5 of 28 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $349. The Marshall Acton III ranks #11, rated 3.7/5, at $274.40, $74.60 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
The HomePod 2nd Gen is the more refined, smarter speaker. A 4-inch high-excursion woofer and five horn tweeters give natural, spacious sound, and it measures the room and retunes itself continuously. It plays Dolby Atmos and two units stereo-pair. It streams only over AirPlay, with no Bluetooth playback or wired input.
The Acton III is the classic-looking Bluetooth speaker with an input. A 4-inch woofer, a midrange and two tweeters on 60W play over Bluetooth or aux, with bass and treble knobs, and Marshall rates it down to 45Hz. It has no Wi-Fi or room correction, and its amp-style design is much of the appeal.
Buy the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $74.60 with the Marshall Acton III does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Apple HomePod 2nd Gen | Marshall Acton III | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $349.00 each | $274.40 each |
| Ranked | #5 of 28 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #11 of 28 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | Yes (AirPlay 2 multi-room) | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (detachable cable) | - |
| Stereo | No | Partially (1 woofer) |
| Weight | 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) | 6.3 lbs (2.85 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | No |
| App | Yes (Apple Home) | Yes |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field array, no physical mute switch) | - |
| EQ | Yes (Reduce Bass toggle + automatic room correction) | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) | No |
| Drivers | 4in high-excursion woofer, 5x horn-loaded tweeters | 4” (midrange/woofer), 1x 4” midrange, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 | Bluetooth, Aux |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 6.7” x 5.6” x 5.6” (170 x 142 x 142 mm) | 10.2” x 6.7” x 5.9” (260 x 170 x 150 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri | - |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.2 |
| Frequency Response | - | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported |
| Amplifier Power | - | 60W (Woofer: 30W, Tweeters: 2x15W) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Apple HomePod 2nd Gen compares with other leading options:
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Audio Pro C5 MkII
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Woburn III
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Stanmore III
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Edifier D12
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Stanmore IV
Prices on this page were last checked October 15, 2026 at 5:41 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Apple HomePod 2nd Gen: $349.00 each Amazon $349.00 eBay
Older model: the Apple HomePod (ranked lower, rated 3.5/5). See every Apple HomePod generation.
Pros: What Hi-Fi gave it a perfect 5 stars for sound and a What Hi-Fi Award, calling it natural, solid and energetic with a spacious, three-dimensional presentation on Dolby Atmos content. A 4-inch high-excursion woofer moves 20mm of travel, paired with five angled horn-loaded tweeters, and the S7 chip continuously measures the room and re-tunes the output in real time, even as you move the speaker. “Hey Siri” is reliably heard from across a room even at full volume, and two units can be stereo-paired for a genuinely bigger sound.
Cons: What Hi-Fi’s own comparison found the pricier Sonos Era 300 has more power, punch and detail, and Siri cannot launch Spotify, Tidal or other non-Apple services directly, only Apple Music by voice; everything else has to be sent over AirPlay from a phone. There is no way to stream to it over Bluetooth at all, no 3.5mm or other wired input, no battery, and no IP rating, so it’s an AC-only speaker for an already-committed Apple household.
Full Apple HomePod 2nd Gen review and specifications →
| Released | Jan 2023 (3 years ago) |
|---|---|
| AES Input | No |
| App | Yes (Apple Home) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field array, no physical mute switch) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.7” x 5.6” x 5.6” (170 x 142 x 142 mm) |
| Drivers | 4in high-excursion woofer, 5x horn-loaded tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (Reduce Bass toggle + automatic room correction) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (AirPlay 2 multi-room) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (detachable cable) |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri |
| Weight | 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Stanmore III
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Edifier D12
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Woburn III
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Stanmore IV
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Audio Pro C5 MkII
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs JBL Authentics 200
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Stanmore II
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Denon Home 250
- See all 39 comparisons
Marshall Acton III: $274.40 each Amazon $274.40 Marshall $299.99 eBay
Newer model: the Marshall Acton IV, estimated 3.7/5, released Jul 2026. It adds party mode, AAC, LC3 and LDAC.
Older model: the Marshall Acton II (ranked lower, rated 3.5/5). See every Marshall home speakers generation.
Same family: the Marshall Stanmore III (larger model, ranked higher, rated 3.8/5) and the Marshall Woburn III (larger model, ranked higher, rated 4.1/5).
Pros: At 2.85 kg, Marshall Acton III combines 4” (midrange/woofer), 1x 4” midrange, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters with Bluetooth, Aux. Ac-powered operation and limited-stereo playback make its feature set practical for its intended room or portable use.
Cons: Bass is limited by its 45Hz to 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) specification.
Full Marshall Acton III review and specifications →
| Released | Oct 2022 (4 years ago) |
|---|---|
| AES Input | No |
| Amplifier Power | 60W (Woofer: 30W, Tweeters: 2x15W) |
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10.2” x 6.7” x 5.9” (260 x 170 x 150 mm) |
| Drivers | 4” (midrange/woofer), 1x 4” midrange, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| Frequency Response | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Bluetooth, Aux |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | No |
| USB Input | No |
| Weight | 6.3 lbs (2.85 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | No |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Stanmore II
- Marshall Acton III vs JBL Authentics 200
- Marshall Acton III vs Denon Home 250
- Marshall Acton III vs Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
- Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Stanmore IV
- Marshall Acton III vs Edifier D12
- Marshall Acton III vs Marshall Stanmore III
- Marshall Acton III vs Sonos Era 100
- See all 20 comparisons