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 Stanmore III ranks #6, rated 3.8/5, at $334.79, $14.21 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
The HomePod 2nd Gen is the smarter, room-adaptive speaker. A 4-inch high-excursion woofer and five horn-loaded tweeters give natural, spacious sound that What Hi-Fi rated five stars, and its chip measures the room and retunes the output as you move it. It plays Dolby Atmos and two units stereo-pair. It streams only over AirPlay, with no Bluetooth playback or wired input.
The Stanmore III is the traditional stereo speaker with inputs. A 5-inch woofer, a midrange and two tweeters on 80W play over Bluetooth, RCA or aux, with bass and treble controls, and Marshall rates it down to 45Hz. It has no Wi-Fi or room correction, and its classic amp styling is a big part of the appeal.
Buy the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $14.21 saving on the Marshall Stanmore III is not enough to make up the difference.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Powered Home rankings.
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.
Amazon $349.00 eBay
At 4.4 kg, Marshall Stanmore III combines 5” (midrange/woofer), 1x 5” midrange, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters with Bluetooth, RCA, Aux.
Amazon $334.79 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 17, 2026 at 6:04 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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Specifications Side By Side
| Apple HomePod 2nd Gen | Marshall Stanmore III | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $349.00 each | $334.79 each |
| Ranked | #5 of 28 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #6 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) | AC Power cord |
| Stereo | No | Partially (1 woofer) |
| Weight | 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) | 9.7 lbs (4.4 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 | 5” (midrange/woofer), 1x 5” midrange, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 | Bluetooth, RCA, Aux |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | No | Yes |
| 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) | 13.8” x 8” x 7.4” (350 x 203 x 188 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 | - | 80W (Woofer: 50W, Tweeters: 2x15W) |
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