Short answer: the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen. It ranks #5 of 20 powered desktop speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $297.71; the Marshall Stanmore IV ranks #8, rated 3.8/5, and costs $429.99, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
The case for the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen: 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. It streams over Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth, which the Marshall Stanmore IV cannot. Watch for: 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.
What the Marshall Stanmore IV does well: A 5 inch woofer on a 60W amplifier and two 0.75 inch tweeters on 25W each, now with waveguides and a redesigned bass port, and Marshall rates it down to 36Hz. It keeps a wired aux input, which the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen lacks. The tradeoff: No independent measurements or side by side comparisons against speakers we rank have been published yet, so it can’t be ranked.
Buy the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Marshall Stanmore IV and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Apple HomePod 2nd Gen | Marshall Stanmore IV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $297.71 each | $429.99 each |
| Ranked | #5 of 20 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #8 of 20 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) | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (detachable cable) | AC Power cord |
| Stereo | No | Partially (1 woofer) |
| Weight | 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) | 8.8 lbs (3.99 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | No |
| App | Yes (Apple Home) | Yes (Marshall) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field array, no physical mute switch) | No |
| EQ | Yes (Reduce Bass toggle + automatic room correction) | Yes (bass/treble knobs, app EQ, room calibration) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) | No |
| Drivers | 4in high-excursion woofer, 5x horn-loaded tweeters | 1x 5” woofer + 2x 0.75” tweeters with waveguides |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 | Bluetooth, RCA, 3.5mm 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) | 8”H x 13.8”W x 7.3”D (203 x 350 x 185 mm) |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri | - |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only | - |
| Amplifier Power | - | 110W (woofer 60W, tweeters 2x 25W) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.3 |
| Cabinet Color | - | black, cream |
| Frequency Response | - | 36Hz - 38kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Maximum SPL | - | 97dB at 1m (Manufacturer specified) |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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Prices on this page were last checked October 4, 2026 at 9:58 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: $297.71 each Amazon eBay
Smaller model: the Apple HomePod Mini (rated 3.3/5).
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 →
| 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 JBL Authentics 200
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Audio Pro C5 MkII
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Acton III
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Stanmore II
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Denon Home 250
- See all 37 comparisons
Marshall Stanmore IV: $429.99 each Estimated Amazon eBay
Older models: the Marshall Stanmore III (ranked higher, rated 3.8/5) and the Marshall Stanmore II (ranked lower, rated 3.7/5).
Smaller model: the Marshall Acton IV (estimated 3.7/5).
Pros: A 5 inch woofer on a 60W amplifier and two 0.75 inch tweeters on 25W each, now with waveguides and a redesigned bass port, and Marshall rates it down to 36Hz. Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3, multipoint, Auracast for linking more speakers, and both 3.5 mm aux and RCA inputs for a turntable. The Marshall app adds EQ and room calibration, and the new M-button jumps to a saved EQ or Spotify Tap.
Cons: No independent measurements or side by side comparisons against speakers we rank have been published yet, so it can’t be ranked. One woofer serves both channels, so its stereo is limited to the tweeters. It needs mains power, with no battery, and it has no Wi-Fi streaming and no microphone for voice control.
Full Marshall Stanmore IV review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 110W (woofer 60W, tweeters 2x 25W) |
| App | Yes (Marshall) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Cabinet Color | black, cream |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8”H x 13.8”W x 7.3”D (203 x 350 x 185 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 5” woofer + 2x 0.75” tweeters with waveguides |
| EQ | Yes (bass/treble knobs, app EQ, room calibration) |
| Frequency Response | 36Hz - 38kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Bluetooth, RCA, 3.5mm aux |
| Maximum SPL | 97dB at 1m (Manufacturer specified) |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | AC Power cord |
| RCA Input | Yes |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | No |
| USB Input | No |
| Weight | 8.8 lbs (3.99 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | No |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- No independent measurement review is linked for this model; it is ranked from hands-on listening and comparison against similarly priced speakers.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs JBL Authentics 200
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Edifier D12
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Marshall Stanmore III
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Marshall Acton III
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Marshall Stanmore II
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Marshall Woburn III
- Marshall Stanmore IV vs Sonos Era 100
- See all 11 comparisons