Go to The new product category is a nervous business for any company, and the current tariff roulette climate only adds another level of uncertainty. But Marshall, the manufacturer of iconic guitar amps and a growing portfolio of wireless speakers and headphones, is marching with the launch of its first soundbar. And for $1,000, the Atmos-enabled Heston 120 is the ambitious first entry.
“This is our most expensive product. And honestly, it’s a bit scary,” Gustav Rosel, Marshall’s Chief Product and Innovation Officer, tells Wired in an interview. “But because it is a new segment for us, we decided to start at the high end, and we don’t always do that, but in this case we thought it was important to make a statement.
The idea of adding Soundbar to its lineup has been avoiding company discussion over the past five years, says Rosell, but it is produced by around three people. The result is the Heston 120, a 5.1.2 channel Atmos and DTS X soundbar, with 11 separate drivers located to provide a wider, higher sound field from the 11 boxes.
Tuning products in so many channels is a new challenge for Marshall, and even bringing out the talent of the automotive industry for a multi-channel experience has been equipped with new expertise. “Now we have two PhDs in our home, and that’s that level of competence,” adds Roselle. “We also worked closely with Dolby to help us with difficult measurements and ensure we were positioning sound objects accurately in the room.”
But the focus for the sound team is talking about balancing the general challenges of multi-channel audio products, as well as being good for television and sounding good for music. The Heston 120 certainly has plenty of music options to post in your tests, including the AirPlay 2, GoogleCast, Bluetooth LE, and even Tidal and Spotify Connect.
“Music playback is the area where we have been able to lean towards current expertise and use some of the modelling of portable speakers to ensure that all the drivers on the Heston 120 are working together similarly in a more classic stereo setup.
Another important focus for the team was product design, but perhaps not the way people who are familiar with Marshall products think. The speakers are well known for their unique look reminiscent of the brand’s famous amplifiers, but the Heston 120 dials that approach a bit.
Provided by Marshall
“Many products in this space look almost the same. They are about to fuse. When television is increasingly trying their best to hide itself, you need to find the right tone.
“But Heston teeth A conscious design choice for people who want something different – we are not trying to hide. It’s a bold statement, but not as bold as we’ve been. I think I found a real balance. ”
