In October 2014 marshall launched the Acton Bluetooth speaker which was the smallest Bluetooth speaker of Marshall to that date. With the 1/4β³ tweeters and 4β³ woofer, It delivered great quality sound. Marshall Acton 1 and Acton 2 are almost similar except for a few differences that we are going to discuss below. Acton 1 was released in 2014 and Acton 2 was launched almost 3 years ago in 2019 with some important upgrades.
If you ask me my opinion about Acton 2 I would happily say that it's awesome. But, of course, it has some drawbacks. like every headphones and speaker has something missing and I am here to tell you the pros and cons. I always ask 2 questions to myself. 1) How is the sound quality? 2) is the audio gear worth the money? So without delay let's go for Marshall Acton ii reviews.
Pros:
Cons:
Sound
Build
Value
Bottom Line:
I reviewed my first Bookshelf speaker which was Q Acoustic 3020i. While reviewing Acton II I was comparing both speakers unknowingly. It's quite clear that both belong to the different categories but still, there are some similarities between these 2. Both of them don't have a battery. Both the speaker looks elegant and sound nice. Both of the speakers can enhance the beauty of your home.
Now let's talk about the technical specifications of each. Q Acoustics has a frequency of (+/- 3 dB): 64Hz - 22kHz while Marshall Acton 2 has a frequency range of 50-20,000 Hz. Both have not great but good Bass but if you compare these 2 then Acton 2 has better Bass. But at the same time Q Acoustics 3020, I overpowers in the treble area. Though I didn't feel much difference still 3020i is the winner marginally in the treble area.
Mids are undoubtedly best in the Marshall Acton 2. Now let's talk about loudness. Here 3020 i won the race. Price is an important criterion to decide the winner. Acton II costs $280 and 3020 i costs $400. you might be calculating the difference between the price of both and you want to declare Acton 2 as the winner. But, let me tell you one thing Audio of 3020 I have rich and Better audio than Acton 2. you are paying those extra $120 for a rich sound experience. but the downside of 3020 i is it doesn't have Bluetooth connectivity.
So what's my opinion? If you want the speaker just for the great sound and appearance and you can spend more, 3020 I should be your choice. but, if you want a compact, great-looking speaker with multiple connectivity options then Acton 2 is the undoubted winner.
How is the Design and Build Quality of Acton 2?
I haven't reviewed many Marshall speakers yet one thing is common in all marshall speakers. They look beautiful. Appearance is the biggest plus side of all marshall speakers and Acton 2 is no exception to that. Acton II has a size of 10.24 x 6.30 x 5.91 inches which is comparatively smaller than Acton I. Acton 2 weighs 2.85 kg which is slightly lighter than Acton I. As I said appearance is the biggest plus of Acton 2. It's like a bookshelf speaker that enhances the beauty of your room.
On the front side, the grill gives pleasant look to Acton 2. Specially used Vinyl not only looks beautiful but is also easy to clean and durable fabric. The golden color strip at the bottom of the front side on which you can see the words "EST 1962". those words indicate the rich journey of Marshall's audio gears. Marshall has used the wooden frame to design and build acton 2. Using a wooden frame is a great idea that helps to keep the sound balanced and natural.
Using wood for the speaker enclosure instead of plastic or metal has a special benefit. wood has a high density and it is resonant which helps to minimize the distortion even at high volume and gives clearer sound and also causes great instrument separation. Using wood for the speaker enclosure shows how much the marshall is passionate to deliver premium quality sound.
on the top side, you will find all the control buttons. Here again, you can feel the beauty and retro classic look of Acton 2. Instead of using buttons, they used knobs for Bass, Treble, and volume control. After so many years I used knobs to control the sound. When I was a kid We used to use a tape recorder that had control knobs.
On the left side, you have a microphone. You can mute or unmute it by just pressing the mic button. Next is the play/pause button to play the music. Next to that, you will get treble, Bass, and volume knobs that I loved the most. It also has an AUX input and source button to change the modes like Bluetooth, wifi, and AUX. Marshall Acton 2 is available in 3 colors. Black, White, and Brown. I loved the Brown but received the Black which also looks cool.
I would love to give full marks for the design, Build, and especially the appearance. Those who love classic retro-looking bookshelf speakers will love Acton 2.
How is the Sound Performance of Acton 2?
Let's go for the technicals first. Marshall Acton 2 is a stereo speaker with a dynamic driver. It has a class D amplifier. Now, what is the class D amplifier? Let me tell you that these class D amplifiers are especially used to generate power. These amplifiers generate more power and they are light in weight. Marshall Acton II has a frequency response of 50-20,000 Hz and it delivers 60-watt output.
I tried various genres and I observed great mids and pretty impressive instrument separation. Bass is also deep and clean but in the treble region, I feel some distortion which isn't expected from marshall Speakers. In the treble region sometime I felt muddy. It lacks clarity in the treble area. maybe it works fine with some other genres but I feel a minor distortion in the treble. Bass lovers will love Acton 2. So I will give 8 out of 10 for the audio performance
Marshall Acton 2
How is the Connectivity of Acton 2?
Marshall Acton 2 doesn't have a battery so it's not for outdoor use. This is strange and unexpected. But it has an added benefit when we discuss the connectivity section. You can connect the Acton 2 with your source by AUX cable or with Bluetooth 5.0 which is the updated Bluetooth version. Marshall Acton 2 doesn't support Aptx and AAC which isn't expected at this price range. Instead, Acton 2 has DSP (Digital Signal Processing). It has a Bluetooth range of 30 ft which practically works.
I didn't face any issues with the Bluetooth connection. Did I forget to tell you about its MULTI-HOST FUNCTIONALITY feature? That means you can connect your speaker to multiple Bluetooth devices in your home and you can switch between them. You also have the choice to order Acton 2 with Alexa voice assistant and Google Voice Assistant feature. I don't like this thing. At this price point it was quite possible for Marshall to add the voice assistant feature.
Whatβs in the box?
- Acton II Bluetooth speaker
- Quick start guide
- Legal and safety information
- Mains lead
Who should Buy Acton 2?
- If you love a cool and retro look with a compact design Acton 2 is for you
- If you want to get a rich audio experience think about Acton 2
