I’ve tested over 40 Bluetooth speakers in my time here at TechRadar, and I’m always more than happy to test party speakers. They are big, powerful and – for a house music lover like me – perfect for pumping out songs with impactful and focused bass.
This is an area where JBL has been very dominant. In 2025, JBL launched some of its most powerful PartyBox speakers, and its owner, Harman, said the brand had “consolidated its position as the leading portable and party speaker brand”. It’s hard to argue with that. Not only does JBL ship a bunch of units, but its party speakers come with incredible power, AI-optimized sound, modern features like Auracast, and mid-range prices.
However, JBL has competition on its hands from another brand that is used to putting on a show. Marshall recently introduced two models to the JBL lineup: the Bromley 750 and the Bromley 450.
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Why did Marshall decide to scale this mountain, and how does it differentiate itself from competitors like JBL? I put these questions – among others – to Marshall, so here’s what he had to say about the world of party speakers.
Standing in the same market
Marshall’s amp-making heritage makes it seem right at home in the club speaker arena.
That was clearly the focus of Hanna Wallner, Product Manager at Marshall Group, who told me: “We have a long history of bringing sound to the stage, and in recent years, to the home through our range of Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and TV sound. It was a natural next step to enter the group speaker category, and we saw an opportunity to bring something different to the same market.”
But how exactly do the Bromley speakers stand out in a field full of standard boxes with colorful lights? For Wallner, this had a lot to do with “staying true to our identity and what we know best – prioritizing iconic design and high acoustics”.
That involves considering every aspect of design through this lens. “Everything is thought out in great detail, from the PU-leather folding panel and the tactile control panel, to the light sequence patterns inspired by stage lighting,” says Wallner. As someone who has tested the Bromley 750 and 450, I must say that the white lamps, inspired by the stage, are a prominent part of their design, offering an alternative to rivals decorated with RGB lighting.
And nailing that lighting was important to Marshall. Wallner explained: “When we first introduced the lighting concept, we were hesitant as the multi-colored LEDs we see in our competitors’ products didn’t feel right. But we managed to find our own unique way of combining the lights while staying true to our heritage. This is a speaker with ‘party’ in its essence and accordingly puts the party speaker stamp on Marshall’s category.”
The ‘Marshall stamp’ is evident in almost every aspect of the Bromley speakers, not only in their lighting, but also in their sound signature. Most party speakers – at least in my experience – put too many of their eggs in one basket, with heavy bass and limited attention being placed elsewhere. Sure, that can turn on a big, attention-grabbing sound, but it’s a little unsatisfying for those of us who want a more refined, well-rounded experience.
However, the Bromley 750 and 450 are able to paint the full picture. Yes, they combine low-frequency sound with a powerful punch, with a serious amount of power output. But they also carry incredibly detailed, well-spaced mids, and snappy and responsive treble. They also offer an excellent soundstage – Marshall’s ‘true’ 360-degree stereophonic sound eliminates blinders, meaning you don’t get the directional sound that some competitors deliver.
Learning from the past
Interestingly, Marshall’s entry into the world of party speakers does not mark the end of his journey in the new segment of late. For example, the audio specialist decided to try his hand at the TV audio market in 2025, and released three new products: the Marshall Heston 120 and Heston 60 soundbars, and the Heston Sub 200 subwoofer. With that release, Marshall did a huge amount of market research when producing the incoming models.
And it seems that was the case with the Bromley 750 and 450 as well, with Wallner sharing: “When we started this project, we wanted to delve deeper into the different behaviors in the segment. Together with consumer data and our design research team, we conducted high-level user research around the world, where we focused on people who own and buy this segment of the same size and learned to set the size of the party in terms of the right speaker. event space.”
But how do you translate a concept as vague as the ‘space’ of a party into something concrete? “Acoustics are naturally very important,” says Wallner, “but more than that, this product needs to awaken your senses and add that extra layer to the party. It needs to serve as a social lubricant, as well as a display piece.”
This seems like a reasonable approach. While Marshall may not be able to offer its products at a lower price point than the major player, JBL, the brand has an instantly recognizable aesthetic that turns its audio gear into statement pieces.
That can be seen in Bromley’s excellent leather crawl, gold details, and steel grilles – but also in the design of some of its models, such as the Marshall Kilburn III, Middleton II, and Emberton III. Buying one of these speakers will provide impressive sound, yes, but there’s an undeniable sense of cool in these designs built into the guitar amp and live music values that other speakers can’t match.
Marshall offstage
So, Marshall delivered several group speakers that distinguish themselves, not only in terms of sound and features, but also in design, but they still have to be good, right?
In my review of the Marshall Bromley 750, I described it as “the first party speaker, packed with power, connectivity options, and extensive battery life”. I also raved about its premium build quality, iconic look, and adjustable components.
OK, the Marshall app isn’t well equipped and the high price – compared to JBL’s PartyBox line – could be a deal breaker for some. But I still felt that the Bromley 750 was the start of a strong Marshall team.
The Marshall Bromley 450 was revealed later, and has just been released in March 2026. Wallner revealed a little about its inception: “Early on that project. [the Bromley 750]we saw a great opportunity to bring all the great pieces from the 750 into something small and accessible. We started the 450 project before the 750 hit the market.”
And in my four-and-a-half-star Marshall Bromley 450 review, I praised the way Marshall squeezed the 750’s many talents into a portable, affordable model, talking about its focused sound and tasteful lighting, among other things.
But that is only one side of the coin. I was eager to hear about consumer take-up and feedback, and gauged that Marshall is starting to make a splash in the party speaker world.
Although the company declined to delve into details of sales figures and the like, Wallner said: “The response so far has been very positive. Our launch in the TV audio and party speaker category in 2025 proved that there is a real and growing desire for Marshall beyond the stage.”
When I asked if more band speakers were on the way, Marshall declined to say, but added that the company was looking forward to “bringing the unique Marshall experience to returning fans and new audiences alike”.
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