Short answer: the Marshall Middleton II for better sound quality, the Zealot S97 for the lower price. The Marshall Middleton II ranks #28 of 77 large speakers at $330. The Zealot S97 ranks #46 at $65.86, $264.14 cheaper.
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 Zealot S97 offers: There is nothing else for $48 with that deep of bass and a reasonable tuning Watch for: Doesn’t get very loud compared to other speakers in this class. Short battery life. Pretty heavy. Many say the S67 has deeper bass, but also gets more distorted
Buy the Marshall Middleton II if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Zealot S97 if the price matters more than sound quality.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the Marshall Middleton II is rated for 30 hours, the Zealot S97 only 12 hours.
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Middleton II | Zealot S97 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $330 | $65.86 with coupon YZZL10 |
| Ranked | #28 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #46 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | Yes (5 band) | 3 EQ presets |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX6 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) | Yes (PartyAdd up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-A + USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Weight | 4 lbs / 1.8 kg | 7.3 lbs / 3.3 kg |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.9" x 4.3" (230 x 98 x 110 mm) | 12.6" x 7.3" x 5.9" (321 x 185 x 151 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625" tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 2x 76mm (3") woofers + 2x 38mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Output Power | 80W | 80W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| MicroSD Playback | - | Yes |
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- Soundcore Rave Neo 2 vs Sonos Move
- Sonos Move vs LG Xboom Bounce
- Sonos Move vs Treblab HD-360
- Marshall Middleton II vs W-King D9
- Marshall Middleton II vs W-King D8
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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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The Two Speakers In Full
Marshall Middleton II: $330 Amazon eBay
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 |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Middleton II vs Sonos Move
- Marshall Middleton II vs LG Xboom Bounce
- Marshall Middleton II vs Sonos Move 2
- Marshall Middleton II vs Marshall Middleton
- Marshall Middleton II vs Ultimate Ears Everboom
- Marshall Middleton II vs Soundcore Motion X500
- Marshall Middleton II vs Bose SoundLink Plus
- Marshall Middleton II vs Teufel Rockster Cross
- See all 38 comparisons
Zealot S97: $65.86 with coupon YZZL10 Aliexpress eBay
Pros: There is nothing else for $48 with that deep of bass and a reasonable tuning
Cons: Doesn’t get very loud compared to other speakers in this class. Short battery life. Pretty heavy. Many say the S67 has deeper bass, but also gets more distorted
Full Zealot S97 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 12.6" x 7.3" x 5.9" (321 x 185 x 151 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 76mm (3") woofers + 2x 38mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | 3 EQ presets |
| IP Rating | IPX6 |
| MicroSD Playback | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 80W |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyAdd up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A + USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs / 3.3 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons