The Stanmore 3 Offers Stylish Wireless Home Audio With Superior Sound To Its Predecessor
Marshall’s Stanmore series showcases the classic Marshall design style, offering a sleek and aesthetic choice for home audio with Bluetooth connectivity. The Stanmore III is the latest in the series and sees minor improvements from the previous generation, particularly around sound quality. These speakers are designed for those looking to dip their toes into audiophile sound without the full financial commitment. Let’s look at how these two speakers compare head to head.
Winner
Stanmore III
Marshall’s Stanmore III is a better speaker than the Stanmore II, offering improvements to sound quality, particularly soundstage, and dynamics, while also supporting lower latency and more range in its wireless connections.
Stanmore 2 vs Stanmore 3 Specs
| Model | Stanmore II | Stanmore III |
| Release Date | 2018 | 2022 |
| Water Resistance | None | None |
| Output Power | 80W | 80W |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.2 |
| Bluetooth Profiles | A2DP, AVRCP | A2DP, AVRCP |
| Battery Life | AC-Only | AC-Only |
| Frequency Response | 50 Hz to 20 kHz | 45 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Woofers | 1x 50W woofer | 1x 50W woofer |
| Tweeters | 2x 15W tweeters | 2x 15W tweeters |
| Multispeaker Pairing | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Weight | 10.25 lbs | 9.37 lbs |
| Dimensions | 13.78 x 8 x 7.4″ | 13.78 x 7.7 x 7.3″ |
| App Support | Marshall Bluetooth | Marshall Bluetooth |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Design, Build, & Durability
The Stanmore 3 features an eco-friendly approach to its design, moving away from PVC and towards recycled materials. It still retains much of its original aesthetics, but has a slightly larger grill design. It’s slightly lighter than the Stanmore II, but still lacks a built-in handle and relies on AC power, which limits portability.
Design
Winner: Tied
Visually there is little difference between the designs of the Stanmore II and Stanmore III, with both speakers being made with the same high-quality materials and a refined focus on subtle design elements that make them look and feel unique. However, the Stanmore III adopts a more eco-conscious approach to its design using 70% recycled plastic and only vegan materials.
They both have a classy and mature design to them. There are some small differences to the front of the speaker, most noticeable of which is the larger grille on the Stanmore 3, which reduces the gold trim along the lower front of the speaker.
Durability
Winner: Tied
Both speakers have the same levels of durability, which should provide years of reliable use. The exterior is well made and the controls feel sturdy. However, unlike most modern Bluetooth speakers, neither is waterproof nor has an IPX rating. This means the Stanmore 2 and Stanmore 3 should be used carefully and preferably indoors, as neither speaker has dust protection.
Portability
Winner: Tied
A key consideration with both speakers is their lack of built-in battery, necessitating an AC connection to be used, this greatly reduces overall portability. Both speakers weigh around 10 lbs and are relatively easy to pick up, but neither has a built-in carry handle. The Stanmore 2 is slightly heavier than the Stanmore 3 (10.25 vs 9.37 lbs), making the Stanmore 3 slightly more portable – but not to a degree where it’s worth announcing one as better than the other. These speakers aren’t made to be carried around and are best suited to use around the home.
Controls, Connectivity & App Support
The Stanmore 3 retains the same controls as its predecessor, which are both intuitive and comprehensive. By upgrading Bluetooth from 5.0 to 5.2, the Stanmore 3 can provide reduced latency and improved range. The companion app is somewhat limited but allows for minor EQ changes and placement corrections for improved acoustics.
Inputs & Outputs
Winner: Tied
The Marshall Stanmore 2 and 3 have the same inputs and outputs, consisting of a 3.5mm auxiliary input on the top of the speaker and an RCA input on the back. This allows the Stanmore to be connected to turntables and other common home audio devices, further strengthening its appeal and blending the versatility of a Bluetooth speaker with that of a traditional speaker setup.
Multi-Speaker Pairing
Winner: Tied
Unlike some other Marshall speakers, such as the Middleton – neither speaker supports multispeaker pairing, which Marshall calls ‘stacking’.
Controls
Winner: Tied
The Stanmore 3 has the same general control design as the Stanmore 2, which is great news. The controls of these speakers are outstanding, with flexible audio controls that allow for the independent adjustment of volume, bass, and treble, along with track control buttons and source toggle (Bluetooth, RCA, and Aux).
The power button resembles that of an amplifier and needs to be flicked on and off to toggle the speaker’s power. This button varied on the Stanmore II, with some variants having a switch and others having a button. A subtle but cool feature of both speakers is the backlit LED markers along the main controls that light up and show you which levels the settings are on.
A unique approach is taken for the track skipping, with a slider that can be moved to the left to skip tracks backward or to the right to jump forward. It can also be pushed down to toggle the play and pause feature.
The controls are extremely easy to use, with an intuitive design that will have you listening to your favorite tracks within just seconds.
Bluetooth
Winner: Stanmore 3
The Stanmore 3 has upgraded Bluetooth over the previous generation, moving from Bluetooth 5.0 to 5.2. The result is that Bluetooth 5.2 allows for higher-quality audio with more effective and efficient compression. It also improves on the range, allowing you to retain a stable connection while standing further away from the speaker. Though not as important as with battery-powered speakers, Bluetooth 5.2 also reduces power consumption, making the speaker more efficient. The lower latency is a benefit that can be most noticeable when pairing the Stanmore 3 to play audio from a video, which helps reduce sync issues.
App Support
Winner: Tied
Both speakers are supported by Marshall’s companion app on Apple and Android, however, features are somewhat limited.
The strongest feature of the app is the placement compensation feature. When you place a speaker up against a wall or in the corner of the room, you should be aware of reflective acoustic properties. This helps you reduce the impact of such reflections.
A two-band EQ allows for the adjustment of bass and treble, in the same way that the physical controls do, but compared to other companion apps which often have 5-band or even 7-band EQ, it can feel a little limiting.
Audio Performance
The Stanmore 3 is a better-sounding speaker, with a broader frequency response range, improved soundstage, and better dynamics that allow it to retain more detail at high volume. These differences are somewhat subtle but audible for most listeners when paired side by side. The Stanmore 2 has a foot up in terms of volume, however, producing 4 dB more volume (SPL @ 1 meter) than the Stanmore 3.
Frequency Response
Winner: Stanmore 3
The Marshall Stanmore 3 has a broader frequency response range (45 Hz – 20 kHz) than the Stanmore 2 (50 Hz – 20 kHz) in part due to its new woofer design, which results in a theoretically lower bass potential. In practice, there isn’t a big difference in the lows between either speaker, with both producing deep and powerful bass that sounds tight and doesn’t bleed into the midrange. The bass is further enhanced by the rear bass reflex port which is present on both speakers.
These are balanced speakers intended for those who enjoy their music to sound natural. The combination of balanced mids and highs work in unison with its authoritative bass to produce a speaker that sounds accurate without sounding boring, like many reference speakers. Whether you’re using the Stanmore for casual listening, critical listening, or for a small party, it’s got you covered.
Soundstage & Dynamics
Winner: Stanmore 3
Marshall has adjusted the way the tweeters are positioned and they now face outwards to improve the soundstage and broaden the dispersion of sound. The Stanmore 2, in contrast, has a very narrow soundstage and limited spread. This means that if you’re off to the side of the Stanmore 2, you may miss out on subtle details that are clear when facing the speaker directly.
The improvement to the soundstage is something that Marshall featured in their promotional material running up to the release of the Stanmore 3, and could be considered one of the speaker’s most notable upgrades over its predecessor.
Similarly, the Stanmore 3 has improved dynamics that allow it to retain its high-quality sound even when the volume is pushed up and allow subtle nuances in the music to shine through more noticeably. Comparatively, the Stanmore 2 is still the louder of the two speakers, able to reach an SPL of 101 dB at 1 meter, while the Stanmore 3 produces an SPL of 97 dB at the same distance. SPL stands for sound pressure level and is the industry standard for measuring a speaker’s loudness.
Battery / Power
Winner: Tied
Both models of the Stanmore are AC-only and do not have a built-in battery. This limits their use outside of the home and reinforces their position as a dedicated in-home speaker with Bluetooth capabilities.
Price & Value
The Stanmore 3 retails for around $365, while the Stanmore 2 has been frequently available for just under $300 since the new version dropped. Considering it’s only a $60 difference between the two speakers, the Stanmore 3 is a better buy. Its improvements in sound quality and improved Bluetooth latency and range justify the additional cost. However, with these two speakers being so close in many other categories, if you find a good deal on the Stanmore 2, it is also a viable option.
Conclusion
Overall, the Marshall Stanmore 3 is a better speaker than the Stanmore 2. While minimal, there have been small changes to the design, which includes an eco-friendly non-PVC approach. It retains all the positive qualities we got from the Stanmore 2 but with enhancements to the soundstage, dynamic range, and Bluetooth connectivity. The lack of a built-in battery limits its overall use but remains an excellent choice for a Bluetooth home audio speaker.
Winner
Stanmore III
Marshall’s Stanmore III is a better speaker than the Stanmore II, offering improvements to sound quality, particularly soundstage, and dynamics, while also supporting lower latency and more range in its wireless connections.
I bought a Marshall Stanmore I and am now considering upgrading to a Stanmore II or III.. Other than being able to control the speaker through and APP and slightly better Frequency Response, I’m not sure that it would be much of an improvement.. The Stanmore I does everything I want and it does it very well. I’ll probably keep the Stanmore I until newer versions go on sale.
One of the biggest differences between the first generation and the third generation is the volume, the Stanmore III is significantly louder with a broader soundstage. But otherwise there isn’t too much separating them, the improved Bluetooth reduces latency which is useful when using it for videos, but for some won’t be a noticeable change. Waiting for a good discount on the Stanmore III certainly makes sense.