Short answer: the Marshall Middleton. It ranks #31 of 77 large speakers by sound quality at $220.99; the Sony SRS-XG300 ranks #55 and costs $225, 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. 9khz treble peak.
What the Sony SRS-XG300 offers: IP67 dust/waterproof rating. Watch for: Overly expensive.
Buy the Marshall Middleton. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Sony SRS-XG300 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Middleton | Sony SRS-XG300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $220.99 | $225.00 |
| Ranked | #31 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #55 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz | 54Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Max Volume | 99dB | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-A, 5V/1.5A) |
| Weight | 4 lbs / 1.8 kg | 6.6 lbs / 3 kg |
| App | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | No |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX7 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 9.1" x 3.7" x 4.3" (230 x 95 x 109 mm) | 12.5" x 5.4" x 5.4" (318 x 138 x 136 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625" tweeters + 2x passive radiators | 2x X-Balanced woofers, 2x 20mm tweeters |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Output Power | 50W | 16W RMS |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Marshall Kilburn II vs Ultimate Ears Everboom
- Klipsch Detroit vs Sony ULT Field 5
- JBL Xtreme 4 vs LG Xboom Bounce
- Sony SRS-XG300 vs Zealot ZE41
- Marshall Middleton vs Zealot ZE41
The Two Speakers In Full
Marshall Middleton: $220.99 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 |
| 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
Sony SRS-XG300: $225.00 Amazon
Pros: IP67 dust/waterproof rating. Bluetooth 5.2 with multipoint pairing, LDAC codec support. Retractable carry handle for easy portability. Big boomy bass-forward sound, excellent for parties. Fast-charging: 10 minutes gives 70 minutes playback. Stamina mode optimizes battery.
Cons: Overly expensive. Bass not as deep as competitors. Upper mids peak. Hollow sounding. Rolled off treble. Not much clarity. Does not float. Speaker will not remain at max volume and will turn itself down automatically.
Full Sony SRS-XG300 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 54Hz |
| Battery Life | 25 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 12.5" x 5.4" x 5.4" (318 x 138 x 136 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x X-Balanced woofers, 2x 20mm tweeters |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Output Power | 16W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/1.5A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 6.6 lbs / 3 kg |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- DLX Willington: Who Sounds The Best Of Sony XG300, XB43 & JBL XTREME3 With Sound Sample BLIND CHALLENGE Reveal.
- Techder Audios: SONY XG300 VS SOUNDCORE MOTION BOOM
- GYMCADDY: JBL Xtreme 3 Vs Sony XG300 - Its Not Even Close
- GYMCADDY: Sony XG300 Review & Compared To Sony XB43
- New Stuff TV: Sony SRS-XG300 Vs JBL Xtreme 3
- Reddit Search for Sony SRS-XG300 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons


