Audio expert Marshall celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2022. Old? The traditional manufacturer from Great Britain only lets the competition look! Marshall has been offering Bluetooth speakers in various sizes for many years. The youngest member of the family is tiny Will. And he wants to know! COMPUTER BILD tested the cute Bluetooth box.
With a length and height of almost ten centimeters and a width of around four centimetres, the will is nice and compact, and at just 310 grams the cube is hardly significant. The back is made of plastic, the sides are made of non-slip rubber with a leather look. This is already known from Marshall models like the Emberton. There is also a rubber strap at the back that can be easily opened and closed. For example, attach the speaker to the balcony railing (the neighbors will thank you!) or bicycle handlebars.
Users control the Marshall will via the small golden joystick.
The front is again typically Marshall: The company’s iconic logo is embedded in golden letters in a metal grille. This looks great and gives the box a certain charm. In action at the front: the golden joystick.
Control with your own will(!)
Marshall also remains true to the controls: Almost everything is done using the golden joystick. Users can use this to jump between songs, pause and start playback or change the volume. You can get information about the battery level or the Bluetooth connection via push buttons under the rubber coating on the edge.
The rubber tab on the back helps attach to objects such as poles.
There is nothing to complain about when it comes to the long battery life. Despite the mini size, there is maxi power. With one charge, the will had almost 17.5 hours of playtime in the test. It charges via a USB-C port on the side. Important: Despite all the openings and controls, the Bluetooth speaker from Marshall is waterproof and dustproof thanks to protection class IP67. A trip to the desert or to the bathing lake including a dive (up to 1 meter deep) is no problem.
Quiet and reserved
While the compact design doesn’t play a role in battery life or takes time off the clock, the sound is different. It is clear and understandable, but the highs are sometimes uncomfortably sharp. The sound is often tinny and tinny, the bass is rather reserved – unless the will is close to a wall or lying on its back. The maximum volume is low. And if you turn it up to the stop, the will booms. In terms of sound, more is possible on this scale, as the Teufel Boomster Go and Bose SoundLink Micro show.
At the top you get information about the battery status and the Bluetooth connection.
App with room for improvement
The “Marshall Bluetooth” app (for Android and iOS) is available for almost all of the company’s Bluetooth devices. The will is no exception. There is little to discover here. For your own sound preferences, Marshall offers three factory-set equalizers: “Marshall” for a proprietary mix, “Press” for emphasized bass and treble, and “Voice” for better speech intelligibility. The so-called stack mode, which connects several Marshall boxes, can also be switched on here. Firmware updates also run via the app.
The Marshall Bluetooth app offers rudimentary changes to the sound and a multi-speaker party mode.
Price, variants and availability
The Marshall Willen is available in cream (Cream) and black (Black and Brass) colors. The Bluetooth speaker is priced at around 100 euros.
processing and design
Simple controls
tinny sound
App with few functions
Marshall will test: conclusion
The will from Marshall is a cute little Bluetooth speaker that is impressive in terms of looks and quality. The sound, of all things, causes some worry lines, and the app is only partially convincing. The powerful battery is right on course, and despite its compact design, it lasted well over 17 hours. test grade: 2.9
