Short answer: the Soundcore Boom 2. It ranks #10 of 77 large speakers by sound quality at $99.99; the Marshall Middleton II ranks #28 and costs $330, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Marshall Middleton II gets right: Very deep bass for the size/weight. The tradeoff: Bass boosted which drowns out the midrange.
What the Soundcore Boom 2 offers: Pretty deep bass for the size. Set against that: Only a single midrange driver, so you only get stereo for the tweeters.
Buy the Soundcore Boom 2. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Marshall Middleton II and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Middleton II | Soundcore Boom 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $330 | $99.99 |
| Ranked | #28 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #10 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz | 47Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | No |
| EQ | Yes (5 band) | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX7 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) | Yes (PartyCast 2.0 up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Weight | 4 lbs / 1.8 kg | 3.7 lbs / 1.68 kg |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Stereo | Yes | Partially (1 woofer) |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.9" x 4.3" (230 x 98 x 110 mm) | 11.7" x 7.3" x 4" (297 x 185 x 102 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625" tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 120mm x 90mm woofer, 2x 20mm tweeters |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 80W | 80W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 125ms |
| Max Volume | - | 105dB |
| MicroSD Playback | - | No |
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More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
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- Soundcore Motion X500 vs Marshall Middleton II
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The Two Speakers In Full
Marshall Middleton II: $330 Amazon
Pros: Very deep bass for the size/weight.
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 →
| 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 |
| Output Power | 80W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 4 lbs / 1.8 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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Soundcore Boom 2: $99.99 Amazon Bhphotovideo
Pros: Pretty deep bass for the size. Cool lights in the side passive radiators. For the best sound quality use Oluv’s EQ or Alan Ross’s EQ. With the stock tuning, this speaker would rank around #24, due to the boosted bass and rising treble.
Cons: Only a single midrange driver, so you only get stereo for the tweeters. Sound processing issues with inconsistent bass notes that disappear at low levels like the Soundcore Boom and Soundcore Boost, not great for listening at low levels. Quite bass heavy with BassUp turned on, I’d recommend turning it off. A little bit of a bright tuning in the treble, about +5db.
Full Soundcore Boom 2 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 47Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 125ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 11.7" x 7.3" x 4" (297 x 185 x 102 mm) |
| Drivers | 120mm x 90mm woofer, 2x 20mm tweeters |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 105dB |
| MicroSD Playback | No |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 80W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyCast 2.0 up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 3.7 lbs / 1.68 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
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