Marshall Kilburn II Bluetooth Portable Speaker - Black & Brass

First of all, I did a LOT (weeks really) of research while looking for a really good sounding, totally portable, Bluetooth speaker that wouldn't break the bank. That is when I came across this amazing Marshall Kilburn II portable Bluetooth speaker. Actually, I was also considering the Marshall Acton III Bluetooth speaker, (and possibly a couple of Klipsch Bluetooth speakers) due to the great reviews of the Acton III everywhere, but since the Acton III is not fully portable, I went with the Kilburn II instead. I am definitely not disappointed at all with my decision. I have been a guitar player for over 45 years now, and I have owned a LOT of great Marshall products during this time. Marshall makes very high quality guitar amplifiers, so I figured why not check out their portable Bluetooth speakers. However, the original British Marshall amplifier company, founded by Jim Marshall back in the 60s, has now been sold to Zound Industries in Sweden. This Marshall Kilburn II Bluetooth speaker is actually designed and manufactured by Zound Industries, and the "Marshall" name is licensed for their portable Bluetooth speaker lineup. This Marshall Kilburn II is a great sounding "little" Bluetooth speaker. However, take the "little" description with a grain of salt, as this Kilburn II has some heft and big sound to it. This Kilburn II is 9 inches wide, 5-1/2 inches deep, and 6-1/2 inches tall (including the control knob height). The Kilburn II also weighs 5-1/2 pounds, so it is probably not something that can be carried around in a backpack for very long. However, if big, clear sound is what people want, then this Kilburn II fits the bill perfectly. The main reason that I don't like most portable Bluetooth speakers is that they sound like an AM transistor radio from the 70s. This Kilburn II does not sound like that at all. It plays loud and clear. This Kilburn II has one front firing 4 inch woofer, and two separate front and rear firing 3/4 inch tweeters, so it produces real 360 degree room or outdoor filling stereo sound. It is not flat mono sound like most other portable Bluetooth speakers. There is one 20 watt class 'D' amplifier that drives the woofer, and two separate 8 watt class 'D' amplifiers that drive the two tweeters. While that may not seem like a lot of power, trust me, this Kilburn II plays loud and clear. It also produces really tight (not boomy) bass down to 50hz, and treble up to 20khz (the case is also rear ported). The mids are also very clear and pronounced, especially vocals. The output rating of this Kilburn II is 100db/1 watt at 1 meter, so yes it can get fairly loud. Also, it does help to have a good EQ App on the device that is connected to this Kilburn II in order to help taylor the sound to the listener's liking. Also, while the bass produced by this Kilburn II is clear, deep, and tight, it is more suited to rock and pop music than the booming bass of rap or techno music (just my honest opinion). This Kilburn II has three control knobs (power/volume, bass, and treble), and one multifunctional push button for Bluetooth pairing (hold down 3 seconds), Bluetooth/AUX switching (push once quickly), and factory reset (hold down 7+ seconds). There is a LED bar charge status indicator on the far right of the three knobs. There is also a 3.5mm AUX-IN port on the rear of this Kilburn II for direct connecting music playback devices. This is still a great feature to have, as a hard-wired connection is always better than a compressed Bluetooth connection for Hi-Def sound quality and battery life, especially when listening to higher bitrate WAV, AAC, FLAC, etc. music files. However, this Kilburn II does support Bluetooth 5.0, and a Qualcomm aptX higher bitrate connection for connected devices that also support it (mainly android based devices). Most other portable Bluetooth speakers only support the standard 1mbps standard Bluetooth bitrate, so having Qualcomm aptX is a real plus if listening to higher bitrate quality music over Bluetooth. This Kilburn II can also remember two Bluetooth devices connected simultaneously for added convenience. The Bluetooth connection also has very good range, and it is very stable, using my Samsung Galaxy S22 phone. The phone connects immediately to this Kilburn II, and I have actually had the distance stably out to about 50 feet or more, as long as there are not any other 2.4ghz range devices in between to interfere with the connection. This Kilburn II has an included old-school two prong (removable) wall outlet power cable (yay!), and it is capable of fast-charging fully in 2-1/2 hours (or 4 hours of use in 20 minutes of charging). I much prefer this charging method over the slow, inconvenient USB connection charging method of most electronic devices these days. The charging cable port is covered by a weatherproof rubber flap for protection, and the Kilburn II case is mildly waterproof (IPX2) and dust rated, but it is not submersible rated. This Kilburn II is rated at 20 hours playback time at medium volume. However, in reality, at the volume that most people will listen to the Kilburn II at most of the time, the playback time will probably be more like 10 to 15 hours, as is with the case of all portable Bluetooth speakers. The good news is that the Kilburn II fast-charges, and it can be also used while charging. This Kilburn II will automatically go into standby mode to save battery life, after 10 minutes of non-use. Just push the Bluetooth pairing button quickly to wake it up. The old-school adjustment knobs are really nice, and they function smoothly. However, these knobs are the only way to adjust this Kilburn II, as there is no Marshall App that works with the Kilburn II. This is fine with me however, as not all of us want or need a battery power robbing, personal data mining App that must be used with every device that we own these days. I have no problem just turning the adjustment knobs when necessary. However, the volume can be controlled by the connected music listening device (just turn the volume on this Kilburn II all the way up), and the music can be played and tailored through any third-party music playing/streaming and/or EQ App. Personally, I have used the Android Poweramp Music App/EQ, as well as SiriusXM, Amazon Music, Pandora,etc. with the Kilburn II, and they all work very well. I don't use the ever-popular Spotify, as the streaming quality and bitrates on Spotify are just not that great, so I don't have any experience with that music streaming service to comment on for use with this Kilburn II. Overall, I am very impressed with this "little" Marshall Kilburn II Bluetooth speaker. It sounds great, and it plays loud when necessary. Just remember that this speaker is not an ear-shattering JBL or Peavy PA system and everything will be more than fine for normal everyday usage. The removable carrying handle is also very convenient if this Kilburn II needs to be carried long distances (remember, it may be small, but it weighs 5-1/2 pounds). The quality vinyl wrapping and recessed corner bumpers on the case should make the external structure last a long time. The mild weather-proofing will also help with durability. Hopefully, the internal electronic components hold up just as long, but only time will tell. I am a huge Marshall fan, and hopefully this Kilburn II keeps up with the quality reputation of Marshall's other great products. Pick up one of these great little Kilburn II portable Bluetooth speakers today. The retail price of these devices may seem a bit high, but they are always on sale somewhere at a steep discount. Have fun and enjoy!

I've been using the Marshall Kilburn II for a few weeks now, and it's quickly become my go-to speaker for just about everything—whether I'm working around the house or relaxing outside. The sound is impressively full for its size, with solid bass and clear vocals. It handles a wide range of music genres really well, from acoustic to electronic, without losing detail or balance. One thing I really appreciate is how simple it is to use. The physical knobs for volume, bass, and treble are a nice touch—feels much more tactile and satisfying than tapping through app menus. Bluetooth pairing was quick and seamless, and the connection stays strong even when I walk away with my phone. The design is classic Marshall—cool, bold, and eye-catching. I went with the black, but I was really hoping to get the white version. Sadly, it wasn’t in stock at the time. If it ever comes back, I might just grab a second one! But for the price, it can't be beaten for the value. Battery life has been excellent so far—I've used it for long stretches without needing to recharge. All in all, I’m very happy with this speaker. It’s powerful, stylish, and built to last. Weight a little bit. Definitely not for holding all the time. The package is perfect on arrival.

The Marshall Kilburn II completely exceeded my expectations! The sound quality is phenomenal—crisp highs, deep bass, and impressive volume for its size. Whether I’m listening to music indoors or outside, the audio stays rich and clear without distortion. The design is another major win. It has that signature Marshall look with a retro vibe that fits beautifully in any room. It’s sturdy, well-built, and the leather strap makes it super easy to carry around. Battery life is excellent—I’ve gotten well over 20 hours on a single charge, and Bluetooth connectivity is fast and stable. It pairs easily with my devices and holds the connection even at a decent distance. If you’re looking for a stylish, powerful, outdoor friendly, functional and reliable portable speaker, the Kilburn II is absolutely worth the investment. I’d buy it again in a heartbeat!

Loudness, clarity, music clarity, sound quality, overall quality. Sounds better than my Bose.

Well and tastefully constructed, good sound , supplied with separate mechanical volume, bass and treble control. Love the standard 120 power cord instead of USB, USB would be a nice add on but between the two I want 120. Good battery life, only bare minimum water resistance. Volume in a nut shell , sucks. Sounds great but lacks volume for a $200 speaker. And it wasn't the volume control on my phone. One more mention, good Bluetooth. If it played louder I'd have given it a 5 star rating

The Marshal Kilburn II sounds great right out of the box. Charge her up and she’s ready for service. After the delivery arrived, I sat down and listened to music from the last 5 decades in awe. Before I knew it, 5 hours had passed and I was frozen in anticipation of the next track to start. The sound quality doesn’t break down when the volume is turned up. The sound is crystal clear and clean. When I situate the box in the corner of my bedroom, the bass from the little box is more than expected. Yes, it doesn’t have more than blue tooth 5.0, and cannot be “stacked” with other units, but if good quality clean music is your goal, Marshal has you covered. I’m very impressed and happy with my purchase and am thinking of buying another one for my spare bedroom. The looks are great and the retro amp look is classic and never gets old. Got it in sale and couldn’t be happier. 10/10.

Es un producto de excelente calidad tanto en audio, volumen y nitidez del sonido; comparada con la Bose revolve soundlink por el precio y porque también la tengo, no hay punto de comparación, es mucho mejor está Marshall, es muy muy superior. Yo compre la color Latón y he visto la negra, pero sinceramente se ve más clásica y retro la latón. En relación al tamaño la comparación más parecida es a una batería de carro, has de cuenta que estás cargando un casco con agarradera.. Dentro de los únicos peros que le puedo poner es que la batería no te va a durar las 20 hrs que dice, en un volumen alto no durará más de 8 hrs; la conectividad Bluetooth no es la mejor, si te alejas o hay muchos obstáculos entre la bocina y el celular se cortará fácilmente el audio, también si hay dos equipos conectados puede entorpecer la conexión; y por último la carga del equipo que forzosamente es por medio de cable a la corriente, pero por la demanda que exige el equipo, supongo que no pudieron considerar la carga usb. El audio es el mejor tanto en interior como exterior, de verdad vale la pena adquirirla si eres alguien que se fija más a detalle en una mejor calidad de audio.

El audio es buenísimo, me gusta que tenga las perillas análogas para controlar volumen, bajo y ganancia, al estilo de un amplificador de guitarra, es muy práctico. Todo ese look de amplificador, en general, luce muy bien y llama la atención. Los materiales y ensamble son de muy alta calidad. Puedes conectar dos dispositivos a la vez. Es muy portable, excelente para llevar a reuniones o sacar a la cochera mientras lavas el auto. No se distorsiona nada teniendo el volumen máximo, aunque tampoco es taaaan alto, aunque para su tamaño creo que está bien y es suficiente para reuniones en casa o en quintas no muy grandes o con mucha gente. El precio se me hace poco alto pero vale la pena

Speaker stopped working after 1 st time of use, then trying to repare under warranty, Amazon say's it's not possible, only return, DHL is asking for almost 1000 dh ! And they say it's not covered by Amazon!

Good as new

Review update: Feb 04 2023 The battery gets drained very quickly, the ad says that the battery should last 20 hours, the battery does not last 20 hours, it barely last 1-2 hours and the it requires a re-charge again! Contacted the seller - still waiting for a response and a resolution. Update: Feb 14, 2022 - I’ve decided to return this item. No help of support from the seller. Initial Review - read review updates. I was very skeptical in buying this “Used-like new” refurbished item. This is the first time I’m doing this. I have always bought new items from Amazon. I received this item today, I must say that it is as good as new. I’m happy with the awesome sound of this speakers. It looks brand new as well. Very handy, portable and loud. I will keep an eye on the performance of this product and update this review if necessary.