ted@byteddyk.com (Ted Kritsonis)
2025-05-20 12:57:00
www.androidcentral.com
What you need to know
- Marshall is launching its first soundbar, the Heston 120, with support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
- Designed for both TV and music, it features 11 drivers for cinematic sound with multi-mode settings (Movie, Music, Voice, Night), including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE with Auracast, HDMI eARC, and RCA inputs.
- The Heston 120 matches Marshall’s signature style with leather and tactile controls, and control via the Marshall app.
- It’s available in June 2025 for $999.99 and only comes in black.
Marshall has been making amplifiers, speakers, headphones, and earbuds for 60 years, but never tried its hand at a soundbar — until now. The Heston 120 marks its first official attempt at building something for the TV and home theater space, taking on the likes of Sonos, Sony, Samsung, Denon, and many others.
Built for both TV audio and music playback and selling for $999.99, Marshall’s first soundbar measures 43.3 x 5.70 x 2.99 inches (width x depth x height). It will work as a connected device, meaning you will be able to stream audio to it from your phone, tablet, or computer. With Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, spatial audio is part of the mix as well.
Marshall styling and tuning
The Heston 120 has 11 “strategically placed” drivers facing in different directions to spread sound out, much like other similar soundbars do. Marshall claims special effects will sound more “lifelike” while deep bass will give both TV audio and music a resonant rumble unto itself.
Not surprisingly, the brand references both explosions in an action film and the ambience of a live concert recording as key examples of what sets this new soundbar apart from others. Total peak output is 150 watts, so this thing can get pretty loud.
Marshall also ensures that the Heston 120 stays close to the family as far as how it looks. The wrapped leather trim and brushed metal panel are not unlike its existing speaker lineup, along with the metal knobs designed to emulate the look of an old school Marshall amp.
Interestingly, the soundbar will have a form of modularity in that you can repair or replace the fret, end caps, drivers, and circuit boards to extend its lifespan in case anything malfunctions down the line. What’s not clear is how long Marshall intends to offer these replacement parts, especially if it chooses to exit the TV audio category later on.
The Heston 120 has an HDMI eARC port and HDMI pass-through for TVs and external devices, plus classic RCA analog inputs in case you want to try it with a turntable or legacy components. There’s even an output port for a subwoofer.
An Ethernet port enables wired access to the home network, though the soundbar can also connect via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (with LE Audio and Auracast support) to stream music wirelessly.
Control through Marshall app
The retooled Marshall app lets you control the Heston 120 in much the same way as its other speakers. Settings and features appear to remain similar, where you can manage volume, adjust EQ settings, and customize sound profiles. The app will also offer room calibration to optimize the Heston 120’s acoustics and sound output for whatever space you put it in.
Outside of the app, Spotify, Tidal, and Airable internet radio will integrate into the app and connected devices as well. For example, the Heston 120 will appear as a streaming option in the Spotify and Tidal apps, along with preset buttons you can apply to it in the Marshall app for quick playback. This way, you can start a playlist or radio station without opening any of those three streaming apps. AirPlay 2 and Chromecast connections also apply here, adding another way to push content over to the soundbar.
Notably missing in this layout is voice control. The two onboard microphones only serve the room calibration feature, so at least for now, you won’t be controlling smart home devices or telling the Heston 120 what you want to hear.
The Marshall Heston 120 goes on sale starting June 3, 2025 from Marshall.com, for $999.99. It only comes in black, and while you can wall-mount it, the mounts don’t come in the box, so you’ll have to buy them separately. Marshall will also release related products, called Heston 60 and Heston Sub 200 at a later unspecified date.
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