Short answer: the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It ranks #75 of 172 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 3.4/5, at $297.77. The Marshall Emberton III ranks #123, rated 2.7/5, at $179.99, $117.78 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is the better-sounding option. Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Marshall Emberton III lacks. Watch for: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it.
The Marshall Emberton III is the longer-running, lighter option. 30 hour battery life: among the best in its class; a 20 min quick-charge gives 4 hours. It is rated for 32 hours of battery against 12 for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. At 1.5 lbs (673 g) it weighs noticeably less than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker at 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg). It is rated IP67 against IPX4 for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. The tradeoff: Strange unnatural echo-like sound coloration, bass not as deep as competitors.
Buy the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $117.78 saving on the Marshall Emberton III is not enough to make up the difference.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room.
Amazon $297.77 Bose $399.00 eBay
30 hour battery life: among the best in its class; a 20 min quick-charge gives 4 hours.
Amazon $179.99 Marshall $179.99 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 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
| Bose Portable Smart Speaker | Marshall Emberton III | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $297.77 | $179.99 |
| Ranked | #75 of 172 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #123 of 172 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| TWS | No | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 32 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | Yes |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) | 1.5 lbs (673 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) | 6.3” x 2.7” x 3” (160 x 68 x 76 mm) |
| App | Yes (Bose Music) | Yes |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) | Yes (3 presets via app) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators | 2x 2” full-range cone drivers + 2x 2” passive radiators |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | - |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Strap | No | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 62Hz |
| Amplifier Power | - | 20W |
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