Short answer: the Minirig 4 with subwoofer. It ranks #5 of 78 large speakers by sound quality at $290; the Marshall Middleton II ranks #28 and costs $330, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Marshall Middleton II offers: Very deep bass for the size/weight. Watch for: Bass boosted which drowns out the midrange. Dip around 200hz, peak at 1khz, dipped at 1.6khz. Strange frequency response through the mids.
What the Minirig 4 with subwoofer offers: Very balanced sound. Finally USB-C charging. Deeper, more impactful bass than the old Sub 3. Subwoofer pairs wirelessly and can be placed anywhere in the room for extra bass. Fine-grained tuning via the app - 5-band EQ plus separate bass/treble and subwoofer controls. Sounded more accurate than the JBL Xtreme 5 in a side-by-side comparison, and the whole 2.1 setup is smaller and lighter than it. Watch for: Not stereo, app is buggy. Not easy to carry on the go, no handle and there’s 2 pieces. Calls itself splash resistant but has no official water rating. A bit expensive. Has reliability issues more often than any other speaker. Default out-of-the-box tuning sounds off and needs a custom EQ to sound its best.
Buy the Minirig 4 with subwoofer. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Marshall Middleton II and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
If water resistance matters to you, the Marshall Middleton II at IP67 (brief submersion) holds up far better than the Minirig 4 with subwoofer at Splash resistant (splashing).
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Middleton II | Minirig 4 with subwoofer | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $330 | $290 |
| Ranked | #28 of 78 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #5 of 78 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (5 band) | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 | Splash resistant |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Weight | 4 lbs (1.8 kg) | 3.2 lbs (1.44 kg) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Stereo | Yes | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Pointing up |
| TWS | Yes | Yes (Bluetooth or cable) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.9" x 4.3" (230 x 98 x 110 mm) | 4" x 2.9" (101.6 x 73 mm) (diameter x height) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625" tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 70mm custom driver |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 60Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Amplifier Power | 80W | 50W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Aux Latency | - | 0ms |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 60ms |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Minirig 4 with subwoofer compares with other leading options:
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Vifa Helsinki
- JBL Xtreme 5 vs Minirig 4 with subwoofer
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Tribit Stormbox Lava
- Brane X vs Minirig 4 with subwoofer
- Minirig 3 with subwoofer vs Minirig 4 with subwoofer
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 Middleton II: $330 Amazon eBay
Pros: Very deep bass for the size/weight. Measured bass extension of 38Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Bass boosted which drowns out the midrange. Dip around 200hz, peak at 1khz, dipped at 1.6khz. Strange frequency response through the mids.
Full Marshall Middleton II review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 80W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.9" x 4.3" (230 x 98 x 110 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625" tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (5 band) |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 4 lbs (1.8 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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Minirig 4 with subwoofer: $290 Minirigs eBay
Pros: Very balanced sound. Finally USB-C charging. Deeper, more impactful bass than the old Sub 3. Subwoofer pairs wirelessly and can be placed anywhere in the room for extra bass. Fine-grained tuning via the app - 5-band EQ plus separate bass/treble and subwoofer controls. Sounded more accurate than the JBL Xtreme 5 in a side-by-side comparison, and the whole 2.1 setup is smaller and lighter than it.
Cons: Not stereo, app is buggy. Not easy to carry on the go, no handle and there’s 2 pieces. Calls itself splash resistant but has no official water rating. A bit expensive. Has reliability issues more often than any other speaker. Default out-of-the-box tuning sounds off and needs a custom EQ to sound its best.
Full Minirig 4 with subwoofer review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 50W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 60ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 4" x 2.9" (101.6 x 73 mm) (diameter x height) |
| Drivers | 70mm custom driver |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | Splash resistant |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes (Bluetooth or cable) |
| Weight | 3.2 lbs (1.44 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Minirigs 4 with Sub 4 vs JBL Xtreme 5 - 1st impressions More from Oluv’Sone →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Minirig 2.1 or the Brane X or the Harman Kardon Go Play 3? More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Game changer! Minirig wireless portable subwoofer mk4 goes boom!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Minirig 4 vs Minirig 3, stuff they tell you, stuff they don’t! 😂
- Beautiful Zar DJ: MINIRIG 4 Vs MINIRIG 3 (50-100%Volume Audio Test)
- Alan Ross Reviews: A true story: Minirigs 4 with Sub 4 vs JBL Xtreme 5 - 1st impressions
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Brane X
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Minirig 3 with subwoofer
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Tribit Stormbox Lava
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Minirig 2 with subwoofer
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs JBL Xtreme 5
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Vifa Helsinki
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Soundcore Boom 2
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Marshall Stockwell 2
- See all 36 comparisons