Over the past few years, I’ve reviewed quite a few devices that respond to words like “Alexa” or “OK Google” but none has really taken my fancy. Many were overly large, whereas others were a bit too small and sounded feeble. However, I think I may have found the Goldilocks of Amazon Alexa speakers in the form of the brand-new Marshall Uxbridge. This one is just right.
This is the latest wireless speaker to bear the iconic Marshall logo, the fancy script that’s seen behind virtually every guitar-wielding rock god that’s ever strutted a stadium stage. This dinky little speaker is small enough to sit comfortably on a bookshelf or a desk, yet it has all the power and oomph you’d expect from something bearing Marshall on the front.
The Marshall Uxbridge is about the size of an average bedside alarm-clock radio and features the classic Marshall salt-and-pepper fret of a classic guitar amp as well as that famous Marshall logo in raised gold lettering. Beneath the fabric-covered fret, four LED lights act as a volume level indicator as well as status indicator lights for when Alexa is listening for your commands.
On top of this classy speaker are three brass rocker switches that control volume, bass, and treble. It’s so much better being able to turn the sound up or tweak the tone by using proper controls rather than having to pick up a smartphone and launch an app. Either side of the rocker switches is a tiny little play/pause button on the left and, on the right, a button to mute the speaker’s microphone so Amazon’s Alexa can’t hear what you’re saying. A small red LED glows when Alexa has her fingers in her ears and then you’re safe to talk. At the rear of the speaker is a tiny Bluetooth pairing button so you can stream music or other audio directly from your phone.
Unlike many wireless speakers, the Marshall Uxbridge doesn’t incorporate a rechargeable battery. This speaker is strictly mains powered and the reason for that is because the speaker is always in a listening mode to serve your every whim. And being in a constant state of standby, a battery speaker would soon run out of juice, so Marshall opted to make it mains only and it can cope with any AC current from 100 – 240v.
In addition to Bluetooth, the Marshall Uxbridge also supports Apple’s AirPlay 2 protocol so that it can be used alongside other AirPlay-compatible speakers as part of a multiroom set up all over the home. AirPlay lets you stream audio wirelessly from an iOS or macOS device. You can either beam music to just the one device, or you can beam to all your AirPlay speakers at once, or just a sub-group of them. The choice is entirely yours. Support for Spotify Connect is also included if you want to subscribe to the service.
Built into the Marshall Uxbridge are a couple of far-field microphones that can pick up your commands even if you’re standing on the other side of the room. Once or twice the Uxbridge was set off while I was watching TV and someone mentioned the name “Alex”. This is one sensitive little speaker and it’s always ready to listen and obey.
As an Amazon Alexa-enabled speaker, the Marshall Uxbridge can deal with everyday questions such as “What time is it?” or “Will it rain today?”. You can even ask it harder questions like “What’s the weight of an African swallow?”. (The answer is 0.705 oz if you’re really want to know.) The questions are only limited by your imagination and diction. If you have other Alexa-controlled devices such as lightbulbs, you can even get Uxbridge to turn down the lights and turn up the volume of the music.
The new speaker uses Marshall’s own Voice app which lets you tweak a variety of settings. You can use the app to rename the Uxbridge and call it something else like “Kitchen” or “My Alexa Speaker”. The app also enables firmware updates and can be used to store and recall a custom EQ setting as well as using built-in tone profiles.
The base of the Uxbridge has four sturdy rubber feet and it’s a good job they’re there because this speaker is loud and would rattle off the shelf without them thanks to a 30W Class D amplifier. I was surprised by just how much volume the Uxbridge can pump out and how meaty the bass is.
If you’ve previously been turned off by smaller Alexa-enabled speakers because they sounded thin and weedy, this is definitely the speaker for you. The Uxbridge is small enough to fit on a bedside table, but it has enough power to fill a large kitchen or bedroom with sound. This is a truly impressive performer.
And if you’re wondering why the speaker is called Uxbridge… wonder no more. Every speaker in the Marshall range is named after a borough or district of London. This time it’s the turn of Uxbridge. And who happens to be the current Member of Parliament for the said constituency of Uxbridge? None other than the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom: Boris Johnson.
Verdict: This stylish and compact wireless speaker from Marshall brings Amazon Alexa capability into a compact device that has the classic Marshall signature sound. The Uxbridge can work alongside other Apple AirPlay speakers or it will work with other Alexa devices. There’s nothing to criticize here. The Uxbridge looks great, sounds brilliant, and does as it’s told. What’s not to like?
Price and availability: The Marshall Uxbridge speaker will be available from April 8 and retails at $199 / £169.99 / €199
More info: www.marshallheadphones.com
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 128 x 168 x 123 mm / 5.04 x 6.61 x 4.84 in
- Weight: 1.39 kg / 3.06 lb
- Class D Amplifier: 1 X 30 W
- Max SPL: 96 dB SPL @ 1 m
- Frequency Range: 54-20,000 Hz
- Mains Input Voltage: 100–240 V
