Short answer: the ULT Field 3, and it costs less too. It ranks #126 of 179 medium speakers against the Emberton III’s #71, a 55 place gap, while costing $28.01 less.
The Emberton III’s biggest weakness is its sound signature. Its cons describe a strange, unnatural echo-like coloration and bass that is not as deep as competitors, on top of not being very loud. Its own notes add that it is not really any different from the Emberton II except for slightly reduced treble. The ULT Field 3 has real flaws too, sounding a bit hollow and a bit boosted in the treble, but that measures as a smaller step down than what the Emberton III’s cons describe.
The ULT Field 3 has one notable design quirk worth knowing before you buy. Its custom EQ and its ULT bass-boost button cannot be used together: turning on ULT disables the EQ, and the cons note that bass is very weak with ULT off. In practice that means picking one or the other rather than combining them, and even so the speaker reportedly lost to the JBL Charge 6 in a side-by-side comparison despite being the larger unit.
What the ULT Field 3 adds:
- A 10-band app EQ, well beyond the Emberton III’s 3 fixed presets.
- TWS pairing and USB-C power bank output, both missing on the Emberton III.
- AAC and LDAC Bluetooth codecs, versus the Emberton III’s SBC only.
What the Emberton III keeps in its favor: a longer 32 hour battery rating against the ULT Field 3’s 24 hours, plus a smaller, lighter, omnidirectional design.
Buy the ULT Field 3 for the better overall sound and the lower price, keeping in mind the EQ-versus-ULT-button tradeoff.
Buy the Emberton III only if the smaller omnidirectional shape and longer battery life outweigh its documented sound coloration for you.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Emberton III | Sony ULT Field 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $179.99 | $208.00 |
| Ranked | #126 of 179 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #71 of 179 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 62Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 32 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs (673 g) | 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 6.3” x 2.7” x 3” (160 x 68 x 76 mm) | 10.1” x 4.4” x 3.1” (256 x 113 x 79 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2” full-range cone drivers + 2x 2” passive radiators | 1x 20mm tweeter + 1x 86mm x 46mm woofer |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (3 presets via app) | Yes (App + ULT button) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | Yes | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-C, 5V/1.5A) |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Amplifier Power | 20W | 27W |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | No | Yes (detachable shoulder strap) |
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