
Marshall Heston 120 – The first soundbar in the Marshall TV Sound Series
Marshall, a brand that has been primarily active in the consumer electronics sector with headphones and Bluetooth speakers, is now presenting a soundbar for the first time that promises great things. The new Marshall Heston 120 should not only provide rich TV sound, but also serve as a flexible, powerful solution for music.
- With the new Marshall Heston 120, Marshall is presenting a soundbar for the first time, which is not only ideal for TV but also for music.
The Marshall Heston 120 soundbar was developed to provide the perfect acoustic accompaniment to the action on the screen, but also to be able to play music in the best quality even after the credits have rolled, as the Marshall Group AB promises for the first soundbar that is now being presented. With impressive features such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, it should even provide immersive and room-filling sound and be able to access a wide variety of sources.
Another important point is probably that the new Marshall Heston 120 has been designed in such a way that it is based on the design language typical of the Marshall brand, thus once again reminiscent of the legendary guitar amplifiers from Marshall.
Eleven integrated speakers
Equipped with eleven speakers that radiate in different directions, the Heston 120 utilises spatial audio** to place the sound exactly where it has the greatest impact. Specially tuned for powerful, deep and rich bass, it makes special effects seem even more realistic and impressive.
“We know that many soundbar owners also use their devices to listen to music – but most soundbars are not made for both. That’s what drove us to create something that excels at both music and TV.”
Anders Olsson, Senior Product Manager at Marshall Group AB
Flexibility thanks to the latest standards
Thanks to the latest technologies, the Marshall Heston 120 can be seamlessly connected to TVs via HDMI, including eARC and HMDI CEC, or to external devices via HDMI pass-through. Music streaming is easy via Wi-Fi or an R-J45 Ethernet interface over the network, with Google Cast, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and TIDAL Connect available. The second option away from the network with smartphones and tablets as a source is Bluetooth, whereby the latest standards such as Bluetooth 5.3 with the codecs SBC, AAC and, above all, Bluetooth LE with Auracast are used. For classic music sources, there is also an analogue input, designed as a pair of RCA sockets.
Typical design line from Marshall
With the typical Marshall design, the Heston 120 brings a pinch of rock “n” roll to the world of TV soundbars – with a combination of haptics and high-quality materials. Metal knurled knobs, inspired by Marshall’s legendary amplifiers, are combined with skilfully crafted imitation leather and brushed metal surfaces. According to the manufacturer, these striking design elements make the Marshall Heston 120 a real eye-catcher in the living room. This solution is also impressive in terms of sustainability, as the soundbar is repairable and has replaceable components such as grilles, end caps, drivers and circuit boards.
Simple operation
The Marshall Heston 120 combines the best of analogue tradition and modern technology, according to the manufacturer’s promise. The analogue control panel with tactile controls pays homage to Marshall’s heritage – functional and playful at the same time. Bass and treble can be adjusted in no time at all, and favourite playlists or radio stations can be saved as presets.
Various sound modes such as Music, Movie, Night and Voice offer the right sound for every situation. Alternatively, the sound can be conveniently controlled via the new Marshall app, including volume control and advanced parameters such as EQ settings. It should also be emphasised that the app also offers room calibration to adapt the sound reproduction perfectly to any room.
“We have invested hundreds of hours in fine-tuning the Heston 120. It was important to us to treat music and TV content with the same care. Each individual component fulfils a precisely defined role in order to provide an optimal sound experience in every situation.”
Ed Camphor, Audio Technology and Tuning Lead at Marshall Group AB
Technical specifications of the Marshall Heston 120
The Marshall Heston 120 measures 1.100 x 145 x 76 cm and weighs 7,04 kg. The soundbar comes in a discreet black colour with typical Marshall accents in gold. The front and top are adorned with a textile fabric behind which the drivers are located.
Eleven of them are powered by a Class D amplifier, with two 50-watt plus nine 30-watt outputs. It is a 5.1.2-channel configuration with two 2 x 5-inch bass drivers, two 3-inch midrange drivers and two 0.8-inch tweeters plus five 2-inch full-range drivers. As already mentioned, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are used for immersive surround sound.
Prices and availability
The new Marshall Heston 120 is already available on the manufacturer’s website and is expected to be available from specialist retailers shortly. The price is listed at € 999,-.
Getting to the point
The Marshall Heston 120 is the first model in the new Marshall TV Sound Series. Further products – including the Marshall Heston 60 and the Marshall Heston Sub 200 subwoofer – are to be launched on the market in the course of the year, thus forming a broad-based product line in the soundbar system sector from the Marshall Group AB‘s Marshall brand.
Product | Marshall Heston 120 |
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Price | € 999,- |
Brand | Marshall |
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Manufacturer | Marshall Group AB |
Distribution | Marshall Group AB |
More about this manufacturer at HiFi BLOG |