This iconic Marshall speaker has changed how I listen to music

I've just come out of a long period in which I only listened to music via my Echo Dot. I'm not proud of it, but it was down to convenience and a linked Spotify account. It wasn't until I redid my patio and was considering how to get a wireless Alexa that I realised something had gone horribly wrong with my listening habits. What I actually needed was a decent Bluetooth speaker, but one that looks as good as my new garden – and also one that I could take from room to room as I escaped my children playing Alvin and the Chipmunks incessantly.

My eye was caught by the Marshall Middleton II – an upgraded version of the original that's just been released. It looks iconic and promised great things from its audio – the signature Marshall signature v-shaped sound, with deep bass and high trebles (a view on whether that is true comes later). Plus it is waterproof – ideal for my lofty patio ambitions as we go further into Autumn. I've been using it constantly for the last couple of weeks and I'm a bit obsessed. It's audio kit designed well enough to fit with the aesthetic of the most beautiful headphones and, crucially, it sounds great – especially for a compact speaker.

This speaker has delivered exactly what I wanted – how I listen to music has changed for the better. Not only am I able to take the speaker with me wherever I go, it has significantly better sound than many of the ways I was listening to music before and has encouraged me to listen more and to break out of my music choice habits, too to try out different styles and genres to see how they sound.

• Shop Marshall Middleton II at Amazon

The design

• Black (also comes in cream)
• Classic

The Marshall Middleton II has a classic black design. It's exactly what you'd imagine if you imagined a guitar amp scaled down, with a canvas strap replacing the previous version's rubber one. The iconic 'Marshall' logo is in its script font on the front of the speaker, and the rest is pretty understated with small buttons on the top – one for power, another for Bluetooth and (crucially) two buttons that allow you to adjust the treble and bass. There's a lovely gold joystick button in the middle to control the volume, which this feels extremely satisfying to use. There are red LED lights to indicate volume and battery life. The device feels premium in the hand (as well it should for its $329 price tag).

The speakers are on every side of the unit, which not only contributes to the brilliant soundstaging (more on that in a minute) but also looks great with the criss cross Tolex design covering most of the body of the device.

You'll get an impressive 30 hours of battery life out of the Marshall Middleton II, and that seems accurate to me after hours of playing. The 5.3 Bluetooth connection is strong – with every one of those 60 metres of connection distance holding up under testing.

A big plus point is it has IP67 rating for dust and water, which is perfect if you're planning beach days or outdoor use – my family will definitely be taking advantage of its outdoor specs.

The sound

Marshall's Middleton II speaker delivers punchy sound, and the True Stereophonic 360° (how the drivers are placed internally) means there is equally good sound front and back – ideal for a party speaker. To get technical, the two 7.6cm woofers offer 60 watts of Class D amplification, while the 15mm tweeters deliver 20 watts of power. This gives an impressive level of sound and depth.

The soundstaging is impressive for a speaker of this size, with true breadth – something I wasn't expecting (though spatially they don't compare to my new AirPods Pro 3). I first used it in the middle of my living room when a few friends came over and I didn't think it would compete with the size of the space and multiple conversations happening at once.

The individual layers mostly blend well with an impressive bass that's clear; strong, detailed mids and clear highs. I'd say the speaker sings at its best and crispest when at a mid volume – there was a hint of distortion and a merging of layers when the volume got louder. It isn't a speaker that comes into its own at higher volumes – you might need something bigger for that. If you're planning on using it outdoors though, the neighbours will certainly thank you for not wanting to push it too hard.

Now I just have to stop my children from comandeering it. They can have Alexa.

If you're a true audiophile, you'll want to read about these Sennheiser headphones that converted one of our team to high-end audio kit.