Short answer: the Minirig 4 with subwoofer. It ranks #5 of 85 large speakers by sound quality, rated 4.6/5, at $290. The Marshall Middleton ranks #34, rated 4.0/5, at $214.87, $75.13 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
Why pick the Minirig 4 with subwoofer: Very balanced sound. Watch for: Not stereo, app is buggy.
Why pick the Marshall Middleton: Very deep bass for the size/weight. Watch for: 5db dip at 1.7kHz and 6.3kHz.
Buy the Minirig 4 with subwoofer. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $75.13 saving on the Marshall Middleton is not enough to make up the difference.
If battery life is a priority, the Minirig 4 with subwoofer is rated for 30 hours versus 20 hours for the Marshall Middleton.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Marshall Middleton at IPX7 (brief submersion) against the Minirig 4 with subwoofer, which has Splash resistant (splashing).
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Minirig 4 with subwoofer | Marshall Middleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $290 | $214.87 |
| Ranked | #5 of 85 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #34 of 85 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms | - |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | Splash resistant | IPX7 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 60ms | - |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| TWS | Yes (Bluetooth or cable) | Yes |
| Weight | 3.2 lbs (1.44 kg) | 4 lbs (1.8 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 4” x 2.9” (101.6 x 73 mm) (diameter x height) | 9.1” x 3.7” x 4.3” (230 x 95 x 109 mm) |
| Drivers | 70mm custom driver | 2x 75mm woofers, 2x 0.625” tweeters + 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 50Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Amplifier Power | 50W | 50W |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 39Hz |
| Maximum SPL | - | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Strap | - | Yes (detachable strap) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Minirig 4 with subwoofer:
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Vifa Helsinki
- JBL Xtreme 5 vs Minirig 4 with subwoofer
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Tribit Stormbox Lava
- Brane X vs Minirig 4 with subwoofer
- Minirig 3 with subwoofer vs Minirig 4 with subwoofer
Prices on this page were last checked September 29, 2026 at 3:43 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
Minirig 4 with subwoofer: $290 Minirigs eBay
Older models: the Minirig 3 with subwoofer (ranked lower, rated 4.6/5) and the Minirig 2 with subwoofer (ranked lower, rated 4.5/5).
Pros: Very balanced sound. Finally USB-C charging. Deeper, more impactful bass than the old Sub 3. Subwoofer pairs wirelessly and can be placed anywhere in the room for extra bass. Fine-grained tuning via the app: 5-band EQ plus separate bass/treble and subwoofer controls. Sounded more accurate than the JBL Xtreme 5 in a side-by-side comparison, and the whole 2.1 setup is smaller and lighter than it.
Cons: Not stereo, app is buggy. Not easy to carry on the go, no handle and there’s 2 pieces. Calls itself splash resistant but has no official water rating. A bit expensive. Has reliability issues more often than any other speaker. Default out-of-the-box tuning sounds off and needs a custom EQ to sound its best.
Full Minirig 4 with subwoofer review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 50W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 60ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 4” x 2.9” (101.6 x 73 mm) (diameter x height) |
| Drivers | 70mm custom driver |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | Splash resistant |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes (Bluetooth or cable) |
| Weight | 3.2 lbs (1.44 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Minirigs 4 with Sub 4 vs JBL Xtreme 5 - 1st impressions More from Oluv’Sone →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Minirig 2.1 or the Brane X or the Harman Kardon Go Play 3? More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Game changer! Minirig wireless portable subwoofer mk4 goes boom!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Minirig 4 vs Minirig 3, stuff they tell you, stuff they don’t! 😂
- Beautiful Zar DJ: MINIRIG 4 Vs MINIRIG 3 (50-100%Volume Audio Test)
- Alan Ross Reviews: A true story: Minirigs 4 with Sub 4 vs JBL Xtreme 5 - 1st impressions
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Brane X
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Minirig 3 with subwoofer
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Tribit Stormbox Lava
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Minirig 2 with subwoofer
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs JBL Xtreme 5
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Vifa Helsinki
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Soundcore Boom 2
- Minirig 4 with subwoofer vs Marshall Stockwell II
- See all 50 comparisons
Marshall Middleton: $214.87 Amazon eBay
Newer model: the Marshall Middleton II, ranked higher, rated 4.1/5.
Pros: Very deep bass for the size/weight. Measured bass extension of 39Hz (-10dB).
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 →
| Amplifier Power | 50W |
|---|---|
| App | No |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| 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 |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Marshall Stack) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (detachable strap) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 4 lbs (1.8 kg) |
- 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… More from Smart Home Sounds →
- 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 →
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Marshall Middleton vs Ultimate Ears Everboom
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- Marshall Middleton vs Marshall Kilburn II
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- See all 72 comparisons