This rugged portable Bluetooth speaker totally defied my expectations for under $100

The land of the compact Bluetooth speaker is a busy one. There are good options, like the UE Miniroll, and the Tribit Stormbox micro 2. There are interesting options, like the JBL clip 5, and there are millions of cheap ones available on Amazon for as little as $10. So to stand out you’ve got to have something that either looks different, sounds phenomenal amongst a sea of sonic mediocrity, or has battery life that outperforms every other option around.

With the tiny Willen II, Marshall might just have a mini Bluetooth speaker that manages to fulfill all three points. Rockin’ good looks? Check. Excellent sound for the size? Check again. Battery life that’ll last a whole camping trip? That’s the trifecta baby, and the Willen punches the air in triumph as it runs across the finish line waving the chequered flag above its rugged shell.

Let’s take you through the ins and outs of the Marshall Willen II — and find out why it's one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy.

Marshall Willen II review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A compact speaker that sounds bigger than its size suggests
• Who is it for? Those looking for a compact, stylish speaker that won’t break the bank
• What does it cost? $99/£99/AU$179
• What we like: Great sound, wicked good looks, solid build
• What we don’t like: The strap feels anaemic, and it vibrates a lot a high volumes

Marshall Willen II review: Price and Availability

The Marshall Willen II isn’t necessarily the most expensive speaker around, but it is slightly more expensive than its competition. Its $99 price point brings it just ahead of the Ultimate Ears Miniroll, which retails for $79. It’s $30 more than the much cheaper Tribit Stormbox micro 2, and a whole lot more than those aforementioned Amazon terrors that lurk in searches for ‘small Bluetooth speakers.’

It is worth the extra cost, however. The design is more inspired, it's more rugged, and it’s arguably better looking than its closest rivals. If you’re on a strict budget then this might be one you have to save up a little for, but you do get the superior speaker when all is said and done.

Marshall Willen II review: Design and Controls

• Marshall's signature in-house design
• Retro cool
• Rugged, solid build

The Willen II looks every bit the part of a funky, small-scale speaker. It’s got that signature Marshall look, all the way down to the leather-looking rubber coating, stiff metal grille, and brass Marshall logo on the front. I love how it looks like the bottom cab of a Marshall stack that you might find adorning the stage alongside the likes of The Black Label Society or Eric Clapton.

The color options portray different parts of the Marshall legacy, which is a fun touch. The Black model, which I’ve got here, just screams ‘heavy metal’, while the alternative cream design takes you back to the inception of the brand in the 60s and the 70s. It’s nice to have options that fit different rock and roll fans, and both colorways look excellent when sitting next to each other.

The highlight though is the overall build and quality of the little speaker: It weighs more than any other small speaker that’s come through my testing space, with a study construction underneath its rubbery coating. The grille on the front feels like it could take a beating, to the point that feels like it might come on top should it come at odds to a flying guitar volleyed by a rockstar under the influence. The only slight tarnish on the build is the slightly loose and stretchy feeling rubber strap on the back of the device that’s supposed to hold it onto anything from a tree to the crossbar on a bike. Knowing Marshall, it’s been tested to within an inch of the end of its life, but I am cautious and it feels a little delicate for my liking.

Overall though, the Willen II is a very solid, extremely well-made, and handsome speaker that stands out amongst its peers thanks to its retro rock 'n' roll aesthetic.

Controlling the device is extremely simple. There’s a power button and a Bluetooth connection button across the top, flanked by lights showing you how much battery the speaker has left. The main control method continues to be one of my favorite controls around — the brass Marshall clicky joystick. Click it in to pause, left and right to skip tracks, and up and down to change the volume. These are excellent, intuitive controls that work a whole lot better in a smaller footprint than just about another control method around.

Marshall Willen II review: Connectivity

• Bluetooth 5.3LE
• USB-C for charging
• Solid Marshall app

The Willen II features Bluetooth 5.3, bringing very close to an up-to-date Bluetooth standard. That makes sure that latency is kept to a minimum and it uses much less battery life than older versions. Sadly there's no support here for higher-resolution files, but that’s not something you’re going to notice on something small like the Willen II. The only other connection method on board is the USB-C connector on the side, which works for charging and nothing else — no wired audio here unfortunately, either. Although, there would likely be neither audio improvements or better battery life for either if there was. Sadly, it does cross out using it with older devices though. Lament, all ye ancient iPod users.

The speaker connects to the solid Marshall app, although it is slightly restrictive. You can choose between three different EQ presets — Marshall signature, Push (which boosts the bass and highs for a scooped sound) and Voice (which boosts the mids for podcast and audiobook listening with crystal clear dialogue). Beyond that you can dial in battery health options, and… that’s about it. It works, but at least a 5-band EQ would be nice.

Marshall Willen II review: Sound Quality

• Clear highs
• Solid, punchy mids
• Impressive bass for the size

When a speaker fits in your palm, you can’t really expect it to line up against the larger competition that have the space for larger, and more, drivers. So it might not sound as good as the Marshall Emberton III or the UE Boom 4, but for the size? The Marshall Willen II sounds better than everything else in its size and price range.

The high frequencies receive plenty of attention from the speaker, with great drum cymbal reproduction. The mids are punchy for crunchy guitars and clear vocals, and the bass is well defined. You’ll only really notice how the size of the speaker affects the bass frequencies the speaker puts out when you really up the volume, but even then it stays clear. There’s not as much distortion as I was expecting — although it does start to vibrate a lot. That’s to be expected, of course, but you’ll soon find the spoon from the potato salad on the picnic table start to vibrate its way onto the floor if the Willen II is nearby at high volume.

The volume, despite the lacking low end, is impressive as well. It doesn’t get earsplittingly loud, but loud enough for a small campsite or to create some nice background noise for a large room. It easily filled my small office space with music with three quarters of the volume cranked — a win in my book.

The Wereworm’s Feast from The Black Dahlia Murder showed some significant sonic promise, with some lovely mid-range promise from the well defined distorted guitar line. Instrument separation isn’t spectacular, as you might expect from something so small, but it still sound great with the growled vocals cutting through the bass drum and precise guitar solos well. The bass guitar was well defined, but lacked some impact — but I’m not going to complain too much. I could still very much have a good, headbanging time.

Modern DnB from Sub Focus and Go Back struggled a little more to really keep the bass going, but the mid-bass did an admirable job of bringing the pulse. This is not going to shake the floor, or make you feel like you’re inches from a massive speaker in the Boiler Rooms, but it’s going to do its best with the rest of the frequency range — the drums are quick and accurate, the vocal clear and crystalline. The highs are exemplary with some great clarity to the hi hats through out. It is a little one-dimensional, but you can’t expect much from something so small.

Get some jazz spinning and the little Marshall does surprisingly well. Charles Mingus’ recording of Goodbye Porkpie Hat is a stellar display, with accurate low end on display that doesn’t bring the wobble, but shows how controlled the speaker is. The sax line over the top is clear and smooth, while the piano in the background is well separated. It’s a relaxing performance that could almost have you believe you where in a smoky jazz club with a posh coffee in your hand — when you’re probably sitting in bed, in your underwear, with a cup noodle.

Marshall Willen II review: Battery Life

• 17 hours of battery life

Generally, small speakers like this top out at around 10-12 hours. I’ve generally believed that was about all I could expect from small speakers, given everything you have to pack into tiny shells that still have to sound good. The Willen II defied my expectations, bringing a mighty impressive 17 hours of battery to the table. That’s a whole load of staying power, outperforming the likes of the UE Miniroll and the JBL Clip 5 which both last for about 12 hours.

Are those claims true? Through my testing, I’ve found the speaker lasts (depending on genre and volume) for pretty much bang on that 17-hour mark. In fact, I’ve managed to eke out even more battery life from the speaker over today's 7-and-a-half-hour work day — as I round out my day with the speaker playing constantly at mid volume, I’m at about 65% remaining — so there could even be more if you don’t listen too loud.

Marshall Willen II review: Verdict

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

The Willen II defied my expectations for a small speaker. It’s got sound that outweighs its otherwise diminutive size, an incredibly rugged build, and it looks every bit as cool as you’d expect a small Marshall speaker to look. The battery life is truly exemplary however, and if you’re looking for something that’s going to last all camping trip long and not take up too much space in your backpack, then this is the little portable music companion for you.

It’s not all perfect in Willen II land mind you. The speaker does lack some bass, so if you want a fatter low-end (and who doesn’t) you might want to go for something slightly larger like the Marshall Emberton III. You’ll pay a bit more, but you’ll get more punchy bass for the money. It also vibrates at higher volumes, but that’s the same with all small form factor Bluetooth speakers.

Either way, this is a little stunner of a speaker, and well worth the $99 asking price.

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