Short answer: the Vifa Helsinki on measured sound quality, the Marshall Kilburn II on price. The Vifa Helsinki ranks #1 of 78 large speakers at $449. The Marshall Kilburn II ranks #36 at $219, $230 cheaper.
What the Marshall Kilburn II offers: 20W Class D amp + dual 8W tweeters. 20+ hour battery with quick-charge (20 min charges 3 hours of play). Rugged design with leather handle and reinforced corners, IPX2 rated. Thrives with rock music. Bluetooth 5.0 with 30ft range. Watch for: Boosted upper bass, not very detailed, not as deep bass as competitors, upper mids peak. Very low IPX2 water rating. AC charging
What the Vifa Helsinki offers: Generally regarded as the best midrange and treble sound quality of any battery powered Bluetooth speaker. Watch for: No TWS pairing, looks like a purse, requires a hacked Vifa app (Android only post #48) to enable night mode to sound good. Not sure I can recommend this one generally these days, the Uboom L has 98% of the sound quality with more features and a way cheaper price. There are mentions that the 2022 “new” version of this speaker doesn’t sound as good as Vifa was purchased by a Chinese company and laid off all the great sound engineers in the Austria office.
Buy the Marshall Kilburn II when the price outweighs sound quality for you, and the Vifa Helsinki when sound quality outweighs the price instead.
If battery life is a priority, the Marshall Kilburn II is rated for 20 hours versus 8 hours for the Vifa Helsinki.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Kilburn II | Vifa Helsinki | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $219.00 | $449.00 |
| Ranked | #36 of 78 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #1 of 78 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~58Hz | 48Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX2 | None |
| Weight | 5.5 lbs (2.49 kg) | 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg) |
| App | No | No (official app is broken, 3rd party android app only) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | aptX, SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | No |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | AC Power brick |
| Stereo | Yes | Partially (shared woofer) |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Amplifier Power | 36W | Specs not published by manufacturer |
| Dimensions | 9.6" x 6.4" x 5.5" (243 x 162 x 140 mm) | 6.1" x 8.3" x 2.8" (156 x 210 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 4" (102mm) woofer + 2x 20mm dome tweeters | 2x 50mm fullrange, 2x 66mm woofers + 2x passive radiators |
| Maximum SPL | 102dB (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 4.1 |
| Frequency Response | - | 58Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Vifa Helsinki:
- JBL Xtreme 5 vs Vifa Helsinki
- Tribit Stormbox Lava vs Vifa Helsinki
- Brane X vs Vifa Helsinki
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Vifa Helsinki
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Vifa Helsinki
Prices on this page were last checked September 16, 2026 at 12:41 AM 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
Marshall Kilburn II: $219.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: 20W Class D amp + dual 8W tweeters. 20+ hour battery with quick-charge (20 min charges 3 hours of play). Rugged design with leather handle and reinforced corners, IPX2 rated. Thrives with rock music. Bluetooth 5.0 with 30ft range. Measured bass extension of ~58Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Boosted upper bass, not very detailed, not as deep bass as competitors, upper mids peak. Very low IPX2 water rating. AC charging
Full Marshall Kilburn II review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 36W |
|---|---|
| App | No |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~58Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.6" x 6.4" x 5.5" (243 x 162 x 140 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 4" (102mm) woofer + 2x 20mm dome tweeters |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IPX2 |
| Maximum SPL | 102dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 5.5 lbs (2.49 kg) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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Vifa Helsinki: $449.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: Generally regarded as the best midrange and treble sound quality of any battery powered Bluetooth speaker. Measured bass extension of 48Hz (-10dB).
Cons: No TWS pairing, looks like a purse, requires a hacked Vifa app (Android only post #48) to enable night mode to sound good. Not sure I can recommend this one generally these days, the Uboom L has 98% of the sound quality with more features and a way cheaper price. There are mentions that the 2022 “new” version of this speaker doesn’t sound as good as Vifa was purchased by a Chinese company and laid off all the great sound engineers in the Austria office.
Full Vifa Helsinki review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | Specs not published by manufacturer |
|---|---|
| App | No (official app is broken, 3rd party android app only) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 48Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.1" x 8.3" x 2.8" (156 x 210 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange, 2x 66mm woofers + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 58Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | AC Power brick |
| Stereo | Partially (shared woofer) |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Vifa Helsinki vs JBL Xtreme 5
- Vifa Helsinki vs Tribit Stormbox Lava
- Vifa Helsinki vs Brane X
- Vifa Helsinki vs Minirig 4 with subwoofer
- Vifa Helsinki vs Soundcore Boom 2
- Vifa Helsinki vs Marshall Stockwell 2
- Vifa Helsinki vs Soundcore Motion Boom
- Vifa Helsinki vs Bose SoundLink Max
- See all 39 comparisons