Marshall has launched its first-ever soundbar, the Heston 120. It's set to deliver an "immersive and spacious sound" with "powerful, deep and rich bass", which all sounds good to us.
But can it dethrone the best soundbars we have tested? Until we get it in for review we can't say, but it does come with some impressive hardware. The soundbar has a 5.1.2 speaker configuration, comprising 11 drivers in total.
While the amplifier-turned-home-audio company hasn't mentioned specifics regarding driver placement, we know that there are five full-range drivers, two tweeters, two mid-woofers and two subwoofer units in total, and they are "facing in different directions".
These are backed by 11 Class D amplifiers, two of which are 50W (we presume for the subwoofers) while the remaining nine are 15W. That creates a total peak power output of 150W.
The Heston 120 supports both of the major immersive audio formats currently available, too. Both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are supported, which gives the Heston an edge over its Sonos rival.
Ed Camphor, audio technology and tuning lead at Marshall Group, says: “It was important to us that we spent equal time and effort on both TV and music, not one over the other.”
The soundbar is fitted with 11 drivers facing different directions in an effort to “throw sound out to the places that have the best impact on your experience.”
In terms of connectivity, the new ‘bar integrates with TVs with HDMI eARC, and it also features HDMI pass-through for connecting other devices such as Blu-ray players and games consoles.
Marshall has confirmed that this HDMI passthrough socket supports up to 4K/120Hz signals with Dolby Vision HDR, which is handy if your TV only has two HDMI 2.1 sockets.
Wireless connectivity includes Google Cast, AirPlay, Spotify, or Tidal via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and the 'bar sports an Ethernet connection for wired network connectivity.
Notably, this soundbar supports the Bluetooth LE codec and Auracast, making it a solid option for those looking for a soundbar that's primed for music streaming.
Black is the only colour option here, and the UK brand says the soundbar’s design “brings rock ‘n’ roll flair to the TV-sound category.”
This refers to the retro knobs on the top of the ‘bar which can be used to adjust the audio, including the bass and treble levels. You can also save presets for quick access to your favourite playlist or radio station.
The Marshall app can be used to customise the sound by adjusting channels, volume, and the EQ settings. The soundbar also comes with a range of different sound modes to fit the moment, including Music, Movie, Night and Voice.
Furthermore, the Heston 120 features two microphones, used for the on-board room calibration system, which can also be accessed via the app.
At a launch price of £900 / $1000 (around AU$1875), the Heston 120 is up against some stiff competition.
The Sonos Arc Ultra is a little more expensive, but it currently occupies the top spot in our best Dolby Atmos soundbars list. We praised its “clean, precise, spacious and three-dimensional sound” during testing as well as its overall excellent performance, which earned it a five-star review.
There’s also the Sony Theatre Bar 9 to contend with, which earned a five-star rating from us and went on to take a coveted spot at our yearly Awards.
The soundbar launched at the higher price of £1399 / $1400 / AU$1795, but we have seen regular price drops that bring it down to a more comparable price to the Heston 120.
With two big hitters at a similar price point, the Heston 120 has got its work cut out. We are yet to hear the soundbar perform, but we will keep you updated.
Interestingly, this appears to be the first product in a full range of Marshall home cinema audio lineup, as the brand has also referenced the Heston 60 (potentially a cheaper soundbar to rival the Sonos Beam Gen 2 or Sonos Ray) and the Heston Sub 200, which appears to be an optional subwoofer akin to the Sonos Sub.
The Heston 120 is available for pre-order now on Marshall's official online store and will go on sale from the 3rd of June. The soundbar will be available at select retailers from the 16th of September.
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Here is our review of the Sonos Arc Ultra
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