Short answer: the Marshall Middleton. It ranks #31 of 77 large speakers by sound quality at $224.90; the JBL Xtreme 4 ranks #37 and costs $380, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Marshall Middleton offers: Very deep bass for the size/weight. Watch for: 5db dip at 1.7khz and 6.3khz.
On the JBL Xtreme 4 side: Removable battery. Set against that: High priced.
Buy the Marshall Middleton. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL Xtreme 4 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Middleton | JBL Xtreme 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $224.90 | $380 |
| Ranked | #31 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #37 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Max Volume | 99dB | 106dB |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-C) |
| Weight | 4 lbs / 1.8 kg | 4.6 lbs / 2.1 kg |
| App | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | Yes (5 band) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.7" x 4.3" (230 x 95 x 109 mm) | 11.7" x 5.9" x 5.6" (297 x 149 x 141 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625" tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 2x 70mm woofers, 2x 19mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 44Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 50W | 100W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 220ms |
| Removable Battery | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Sonos Move vs Marshall Kilburn II
- JBL Xtreme 5 vs Marshall Kilburn II
- Marshall Middleton II vs Marshall Kilburn II
- JBL Xtreme 3 vs JBL Xtreme 4
- Sonos Move 2 vs Marshall Middleton
The Two Speakers In Full
Marshall Middleton: $224.90 Amazon
Pros: Very deep bass for the size/weight.
Cons: 5db dip at 1.7khz and 6.3khz. 9khz treble peak. Not a very smooth frequency response. A lot of Marshall’s added dsp echo which cannot be turned off, very distracting and annoying. It’s like forcing you to listen to your music in an echo chamber. Bass is reasonably deep but artificial sounding and flabby, with no attack and no dynamics. Treble is rolled off.
Full Marshall Middleton review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.7" x 4.3" (230 x 95 x 109 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625" tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 50W |
| 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
- Alan Ross Reviews: 3 minutes ago….. Marshall Middleton Review, true stereophonic, no honestly 😊
- Mateusz Cholewa: BOGASING S8 Pro MAX HiFi ?🆚 MARSHALL🎸MIDDELTON
- Mateusz Cholewa: Marshall Middleton👌🎶 🆚 JBL Xtreme 4 🎶📢
- Oluv Patreon: Marshall Middleton - first impressions
- Danny Pops: Is it Any Good? - Marshall Middleton Review
- Smart Home Sounds: Best Premium Bluetooth Speakers: Sonos Move, JBL Xtreme 3, Marshall Middleton & More…
- Storytripper HD: Marshall Middleton vs Klipsch Detroit
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bass Check 💣 Treblab HD-360, Ultimate Ears EpicBoom, Marshall Middleton & JBL Pulse 5. Boom or Bust?
- Reddit Search for Marshall Middleton Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Middleton vs Ultimate Ears Everboom
- Marshall Middleton vs LG Xboom Bounce
- Marshall Middleton vs Marshall Middleton II
- Marshall Middleton vs Sonos Move
- Marshall Middleton vs Marshall Kilburn II
- Marshall Middleton vs Sonos Move 2
- Marshall Middleton vs Soundcore Motion X500
- Marshall Middleton vs Devialet Mania
- See all 21 comparisons
JBL Xtreme 4: $380 Amazon Bhphotovideo
Pros: Removable battery. Slightly deeper bass than Xtreme 3. Use this EQ for the best sound quality.
Cons: High priced. Some bass boost. Dip in the upper bass to midrange makes it sound strange which cannot be EQd out. Some upper mids and treble boost at high levels.
Full JBL Xtreme 4 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 220ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 11.7" x 5.9" x 5.6" (297 x 149 x 141 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 70mm woofers, 2x 19mm tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (5 band) |
| Frequency Response | 44Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 106dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 100W |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Removable Battery | Yes |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 4.6 lbs / 2.1 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6, Xtreme 4 & Earfun UBoom X - taking sound to the top
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6 vs JBL Xtreme 4 - outdoor test
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6 vs JBL Xtreme 4 - basstest (bigger=better?)
- Alan Ross Reviews: JBL Xtreme 4 vs Flip 7 vs Charge 6 – The ULTIMATE JBL Speaker Showdown!
- Oluv Patreon: SoundCore Boom 3i - first impressions & EQs
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA Deep BASS 🆚 JBL XTREME 4
- Mateusz Cholewa: Marshall Middleton👌🎶 🆚 JBL Xtreme 4 🎶📢
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Xtreme 4 - sound analysis
- Oluv Patreon: JBL Xtreme 4 - unboxing & first impressions
- Oluv Patreon: Harman Kardon go+play 3 vs JBL Xtreme 4 - first impressions
- Dominik Reviews: JBL Xtreme 4 vs JBL Xtreme 3 Sound Test 😍 Best upgrade in the history? 😂
- Reddit Search for JBL Xtreme 4 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons