Short answer: the Soundcore Boom 2. It ranks #10 of 77 large speakers by sound quality at $99.99; the Marshall Middleton ranks #31 and costs $220.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
On the Marshall Middleton side: Very deep bass for the size/weight. Watch for: 5db dip at 1.7khz and 6.3khz.
What the Soundcore Boom 2 gets right: Pretty deep bass for the size. The tradeoff: 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 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Marshall Middleton | Soundcore Boom 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $220.99 | $99.99 |
| Ranked | #31 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #10 of 77 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz | 47Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Max Volume | 99dB | 105dB |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) | Yes (PartyCast 2.0 up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-A) |
| Weight | 4 lbs / 1.8 kg | 3.7 lbs / 1.68 kg |
| App | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | No |
| EQ | No | Yes |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX7 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes | Partially (1 woofer) |
| 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 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 | 50W | 80W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 125ms |
| MicroSD Playback | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Marshall Stockwell 2 vs Soundcore Rave Neo 2
- Marshall Stockwell 2 vs Harman Kardon Citation 200
- Marshall Stockwell 2 vs Soundcore Motion Boom
- Soundcore Motion X500 vs Marshall Middleton
- LG Xboom Bounce vs Marshall Middleton
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 |
| 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 😊 More from alanrossreviews →
- Mateusz Cholewa: BOGASING S8 Pro MAX HiFi ?🆚 MARSHALL🎸MIDDELTON More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Mateusz Cholewa: Marshall Middleton👌🎶 🆚 JBL Xtreme 4 🎶📢
- Oluv Patreon: Marshall Middleton - first impressions More from Oluv’Sone →
- Danny Pops: Is it Any Good? - Marshall Middleton Review More from DannyPops →
- Smart Home Sounds: Best Premium Bluetooth Speakers: Sonos Move, JBL Xtreme 3, Marshall Middleton & More…
- Storytripper HD: Marshall Middleton vs Klipsch Detroit More from storytripperhd →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bass Check 💣 Treblab HD-360, Ultimate Ears EpicBoom, Marshall Middleton & JBL Pulse 5. Boom or Bust? More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- 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 JBL Xtreme 4
- Marshall Middleton vs Sonos Move 2
- Marshall Middleton vs Soundcore Motion X500
- See all 29 comparisons
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.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- JOY‘s 3D Audio Show: Tribit StormBox Lava vs SoundCore Boom 2 - sound quality demo More from Oluv’Sone →
- JOY‘s 🎧3D🔈Audio-Show: JBL Charge 6 vs SoundCore Boom 2 - David vs Goliath
- Mateusz Cholewa: TRIBIT StormBox LAVA vs Soundcore BOOM 2 More from Mateusz Cholewa →
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose SoundLink Max & SoundCore Boom 2 - indoor soundtest
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose SoundLink Max & SoundCore Boom 2 - outdoor soundtest
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Best portable speakers 2025 - get the best bang for your buck $$$
- Oluv Patreon: SoundCore Boom 3i - first impressions & EQs
- Alan Ross Reviews: Ultimate Soundcore Boom 2 Review - Is It Worth The Hype? More from alanrossreviews →
- Oluv Patreon: Anker Soundcore Boom 2 - first impressions
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Soundcore Boom 2 💣vs Mifa Wildbox 🪇 Basement Battle of the Bluetooth Boombox Welterweights ⚖️ More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: New Release! Soundcore Boom 2 😯 Bluetooth Boombox Speaker 🔊 Unboxing, First Look & Sound Demo
- CEONTHEMAKING: Soundcore Boom 2 - HANDS DOWN The Best Speaker Under $150!
- Josh’s Gadgets and More: Budget Monster ZZA K8 vs Soundcore Boom 2
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Sony ULT Field 5 vs Anker SoundCore Boom 2 - listening test
- Reddit Search for Soundcore Boom 2 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Mifa Wildbox
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Marshall Stockwell 2
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs B&O Beosound A5
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Harman Kardon Citation 200
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Soundcore Motion Boom
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Soundcore Select Pro
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs Brane X
- Soundcore Boom 2 vs B&O Beoplay A2 active
- See all 33 comparisons