I’ve tested more than 40 Bluetooth speakers during my time here at TechRadar, and I always get most excited to test the party speakers. They’re large, powerful and — for someone who loves house music like I do — ideal for pumping out tunes with impactful and immersive bass.
This is an area where JBL has been pretty dominant. In 2025, JBL launched more of its high-performing PartyBox speakers, and its owner, Harman, claimed that the brand had “solidified its position as the number one portable and party speaker brand”. It’s hard to dispute that. Not only is JBL shipping a whole lot of units, but its party speakers come with impressive power, AI-optimized audio, modern features such as Auracast, and generally moderate pricing.
However, JBL has competition on its hands from another brands that’s used to putting on a show. Marshall recently took launched to two models to know JBL off its perch: the Bromley 750 and Bromley 450 models.
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Why has Marshall decided to scale this mountain, and how is it differentiating itself from rivals like JBL? I put these questions — among others — to Marshall, so here’s what it has to say about the world of party speakers.
Standing out in a homogenous market
Marshall’s amp-making heritage certainly makes it seem at home in the realm of party speakers.
That was a clear focus for Hanna Wallner, Product Manager at Marshall Group, who told me: “We have a long history of bringing sound to the stage, and in more recent years, to homes through our Bluetooth speaker range, headphones, and TV sound. It was a natural next step to move into the party speaker category, and we saw an opportunity to bring something different to a uniform market.”
But how exactly do the Bromley speakers stand out in a segment full of generic boxes with colorful lighting? For Wallner, this had a lot to do with “staying true to our identity and what we are great at — prioritizing iconic design and superior acoustics”.
That involves considering every element of design through this lens. “Everything is thought through in such great detail, from the PU-leather cabinet wrapping and tactile control panel, right through to the light sequencing patterns that are inspired by stage lighting,” said Wallner. As someone who’s tested both the Bromley 750 and 450, I have to say that the white, stage-inspired lights are a stand-out aspect of their design, offering an alternative to the swathe of RGB-light-adorned rivals.
And nailing that lighting was crucial for Marshall. Wallner explained: “When we first introduced the idea of lights, we were hesitant as the different colored LEDs that we see on competitor products didn’t feel quite right. But we managed to find our own unique way of integrating lights whilst staying true to our heritage. This is a speaker with ‘party’ at its core and in parallel puts the Marshall stamp on the party speaker category.”
The ‘Marshall stamp’ is clear in just about every part of the Bromley speakers, not only through their lighting, but also through their sound signature. A lot of party speakers — at least in my experience — put a lot of their eggs in one basket, with very heavy bass and limited attention placed elsewhere. Sure, that can open up loud, attention-grabbing audio, but it’s less satisfying for those of us who want a more refined, well-rounded listening experience.
However, the Bromley 750 and 450 are able to paint a fuller picture. Yes, they plate up hard-hitting low-frequency audio, with a serious dosage of output power. But they also manage surprisingly detailed, well-separated mids, and snappy and responsive treble. They also offer a great soundstage — Marshall’s ‘true’ 360-degree stereophonic sound really saps the blind spots out, meaning you don’t get the overly directional sound that some rivals supply.
Learning from the past
Interestingly, though, Marshall’s entry into the world of party speakers doesn’t mark its only adventure into a new segment of late. For instance, the audio specialist decided to try its hand at the TV audio market in 2025, and released three new products: the Marshall Heston 120 and Heston 60 soundbars, as well as the Heston Sub 200 subwoofer. With those releases, Marshall undertook a considerable amount of market research when producing its entrant models.
And that appears to have been the case with the Bromley 750 and 450 too, with Wallner sharing: “When we started this project, we wanted to really deep dive into the different behaviors in the category. Together with consumer insights and our design research team, we did a qualitative user study globally, where we focused on people that owned and bought a party speaker in a similar size and price. From this, we learned that this category is all about setting the right environment for a party.”
But how do you translate an abstract concept like a party ‘environment’ into something tangible? “Acoustics are naturally very important,” said Wallner, “but more than that, this product needs to trigger your senses and add that extra layer to the party. It needs to work as a social lubricator, and also a showoff piece.”
This seems to be a sensible approach. While Marshall may not be able to offer its products as cheaply as the dominant player, JBL, the brand has an instantly recognizable aesthetic that turns its audio gear into statement pieces.
That’s evident in the Bromley speakers’ gorgeous faux-leather casing, golden details, and metal grilles — but also in the design of its other models, such as the Marshall Kilburn III, Middleton II, and Emberton III. Buying one of these speakers will provide impressive audio, yes, but there’s an undeniable sense of cool to these designs built on the the guitar amp and live music heritage that other speakers just don’t match.
Marshall beyond the stage
So, Marshall has delivered a couple of party speakers that set themselves apart, not only in terms of sound and features, but in terms of design, but they still have to be good, right?
In my review of the Marshall Bromley 750, I described it as “a great-sounding party speaker debut, packed with plenty of power, connectivity options, and an extensive battery life”. I also raved about its premium build quality, iconic look, and repairable parts.
OK, the Marshall app is a little under-equipped and the high price — compared to JBL’s PartyBox line — could be a dealbreaker for some. But I still felt that the Bromley 750 was a strong party speaker debut for Marshall.
The Marshall Bromley 450 was revealed a little later, and just released in March 2026. Wallner revealed a little about its inception: “Early into that project [the Bromley 750], we saw a great opportunity to bring all the great pieces from 750 into something smaller and more accessible. We actually started the 450 project before 750 hit the market.”
And in my four-and-a-half star Marshall Bromley 450 review, I praised how Marshall compressed so much of the 750’s talents into a more portable, affordable model, talking up its immersive sound and tasteful lighting, among other things.
But that’s only one side of the coin. I was curious to hear about consumer uptake and feedback, and gauge whether Marshall is starting to make a splash in the party speaker world.
While the company refused to delve into specifics on sales figures and the like, Wallner stated: “The response so far has been fantastic. Our launch into TV sound and the party speaker category in 2025 proved there is a real and growing appetite for Marshall beyond the stage.”
When I asked if more party speakers were on the way, Marshall declined to say, but did add that the company is looking forward to “bringing the unique Marshall experience to returning fans and new audiences alike”.
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harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan)
