Short answer: the Marshall Acton III. Both are rated 3.7/5 for sound quality (#11 and #3 of 29 powered desktop speakers), and the Marshall Acton III costs $298.99 against $329.99 for the Marshall Acton IV, so with nothing between them on sound quality, price settles it.
The case for the Marshall Acton IV: A compact home speaker with classic Marshall styling, LDAC Bluetooth, Auracast, an aux input and app EQ with room calibration. It supports LDAC Bluetooth, which the Marshall Acton III lacks. It links with other speakers (Auracast), which the Marshall Acton III cannot. The tradeoff: No independent measurements or side by side comparisons against speakers we rank have been published yet, so it can’t be ranked.
The case for the Marshall Acton III: A compact home speaker with classic Marshall amp styling, Bluetooth and an aux input for a small room or desk. Watch for: Bass is limited by its 45Hz to 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) specification.
Buy the Marshall Acton III. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $31 less than the Marshall Acton IV.
Worth knowing: the Marshall Acton IV has not been measured yet. Its rating is estimated from related models, with a likely range of 3.5 to 3.9, so treat this verdict as provisional.
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Prices on this page were last checked November 14, 2026 at 6:17 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
| Marshall Acton IV | Marshall Acton III | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $329.99 each | $298.99 each |
| Ranked | #3 of 15 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers Estimated | #11 of 29 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Amplifier Power | 110W (woofer 60W, tweeters 2x 25W) | 60W (Woofer: 30W, Tweeters: 2x15W) |
| App | Yes (Marshall) | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| Cabinet Color | black, cream | - |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| Dimensions | 6.7”H x 10.2”W x 5.9”D (171 x 260 x 150 mm) | 10.2” x 6.7” x 5.9” (260 x 170 x 150 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 4” woofer + 2x 0.75” tweeters with waveguides | 4” (midrange/woofer), 1x 4” midrange, 2x 0.75” Dome tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (bass/treble knobs, app EQ, room calibration) | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| Frequency Response | 37Hz - 38kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Inputs | Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux | Bluetooth, Aux |
| Maximum SPL | 95dB at 1m (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Power Input | AC Power cord | - |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| TWS | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| Weight | 5.8 lbs (2.65 kg) | 6.3 lbs (2.85 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | No | No |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | ported |
| XLR Input | No | No |
Where the Ratings Come From
- Marshall Acton IV: manufacturer specifications and listening comparisons; no independent measurement has been published yet.
- Marshall Acton III: reviews by Danny Pops.
This comparison is generated from the ratings, specifications and measurements on each product’s own page, and it updates when that data changes. How we rank explains how each rating is decided.
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