Short answer: the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove. It ranks #90 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $89; the Marshall Emberton III ranks #99 and costs $165.04, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove offers: Pretty balanced sound. Distinctive mid-century design with real wood veneer and a woven grille, unlike most plastic/rubber portables. ~8 hour battery life. Watch for: Not stereo. Bass doesn’t go as deep as others its size. Gets distorted at higher levels. Wouldn’t generally recommend these old speakers as they can’t compete with modern speakers for bass performance and features.
What the Marshall Emberton III offers: 30 hour battery life - among the best in its class; a 20 min quick-charge gives 4 hours. IP67 rated, durable rubbery build using 50% recycled plastic. Watch for: Strange unnatural echo-like sound coloration, bass not as deep as competitors. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear. Not very loud. Not really any different from the Emberton II except having the treble turned down a little bit.
Buy the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Marshall Emberton III and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
Battery life favors the Marshall Emberton III: rated for 32 hours against 8 hours for the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove.
Water resistance is not close: the Marshall Emberton III is rated at IP67 (brief submersion), well ahead of the Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove at IPX4 (Groove), none (Heritage Groove) (splashing).
Specifications Side By Side
| Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove | Marshall Emberton III | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $89.00 | $165.04 |
| Ranked | #90 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #99 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 32 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 (Groove), none (Heritage Groove) | IP67 |
| Power Input | Micro USB | USB-C |
| TWS | No | No |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 770 g | 1.5 lbs / 673 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.0 | 5.3 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| Dimensions | 5" x 6" x 2.6" (127 x 152 x 67 mm) | 6.3" x 2.7" x 3" (160 x 68 x 76 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 3" full-range driver + 2x side-firing passive radiators | 2x 2" full-range cone drivers + 2x 2" passive radiators |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| App | No | Yes |
| EQ | No | Yes (3 presets via app) |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Output Power | 10W RMS | 20W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 62Hz |
| Stereo | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- Klipsch Nashville vs Marshall Emberton II
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Sony ULT Field 3 vs Bose SoundLink Color II
- Tribit Stormbox Pro vs Marshall Emberton III
- Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 vs Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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
Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove: $89.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: Pretty balanced sound. Distinctive mid-century design with real wood veneer and a woven grille, unlike most plastic/rubber portables. ~8 hour battery life.
Cons: Not stereo. Bass doesn’t go as deep as others its size. Gets distorted at higher levels. Wouldn’t generally recommend these old speakers as they can’t compete with modern speakers for bass performance and features.
Full Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.0 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 5" x 6" x 2.6" (127 x 152 x 67 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 3" full-range driver + 2x side-firing passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IPX4 (Groove), none (Heritage Groove) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 10W RMS |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 770 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Sony SRS-XE300
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Tribit Stormbox
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Sony SRS-XB20
- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- See all 70 comparisons
Marshall Emberton III: $165.04 Amazon eBay
Pros: 30 hour battery life - among the best in its class; a 20 min quick-charge gives 4 hours. IP67 rated, durable rubbery build using 50% recycled plastic.
Cons: Strange unnatural echo-like sound coloration, bass not as deep as competitors. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear. Not very loud. Not really any different from the Emberton II except having the treble turned down a little bit.
Full Marshall Emberton III review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 62Hz |
| Battery Life | 32 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.3" x 2.7" x 3" (160 x 68 x 76 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2" full-range cone drivers + 2x 2" passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (3 presets via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Output Power | 20W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs / 673 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Emberton III vs Bose SoundLink Color II
- Marshall Emberton III vs Marshall Emberton II
- Marshall Emberton III vs Yamaha True X Speaker 1A
- Marshall Emberton III vs Teufel Rockster Go
- Marshall Emberton III vs Sony SRS-XB20
- Marshall Emberton III vs Sony SRS-XB30
- Marshall Emberton III vs Tribit Stormbox
- Marshall Emberton III vs Soundcore Flare 2
- See all 74 comparisons