Marshall, a renowned audio company known for producing guitar amplifiers and audio for live music, is now entering the TV audio category with the launch of its first soundbar, the Heston 120.
The soundbar comes as Marshall looks to reinvent itself as a higher-end audio manufacturer, building in hi-res streaming via Tidal to the soundbar and eventually adding other home audio solutions to the lineup, including a subwoofer.
Heston 120 Shakes Up 60-Year Old Audio Brand’s Portfolio
The 60-year-old audio company describes the Heston 120 as delivering “a colossal audio experience” for both TV and music. The soundbar features Dolby Atmos and DTS-X, 11 drives facing in different directions, and spatial audio to disperse sound throughout the space.
Like most soundbars, Marshall’s $999.99 Heston 120 integrates with TVs and other video sources with HDMI eARC or external devices through the HDMI Pass-through. It can also easily connect to music streaming services like Spotify or Tidal via Wi-Fi.
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Bluetooth mode allows access to the company’s latest LE-audio technology, including Auracast. The Heston 120 also comes with an analog RCA input for external music players.
Musicians or fans of the company’s product style will enjoy the Heston 120’s design, which features the company signature logo. The soundbar features knurled metal knobs, wrapped leather trims and brushed mental panel, inspired by the company’s amp heritage. The soundbar can be repaired with replaceable parts including the fret, caps, drivers and circuit boards, the company says.
The soundbar also features an old school analog control panel with tactile settings in yet another nod to Marshall’s amp heritage. The bass and treble can be controlled through the panel, and users can set presets for quick access to a playlist or radio station.
The Heston 120 soundbar also features four different default sound modes, including Music, Movie, Night and Voice. The soundbar can also be adjusted from anywhere in the home using the new Marshall app, controlling everything from volume to and EQ. The app also features room calibration to help find the perfect acoustic fit for any space.
Heston 60 and Heston Sub 200 Arriving Later This Year
“We know that soundbar owners use their soundbar to listen to music, yet most soundbars are not built for both music and TV. This gave us a reason to exist and an opportunity to really shine with our legacy in music and audio” says Anders Olsson, Senior Product Manager at Marshall Group.
“We spent hundreds of hours fine tuning Heston 120. It was important to us that we spent equal time and effort on both TV and music, not one over the other. Everything inside is tailored and engineered to have very specific roles to give you an optimal audio experience, no matter what you’re watching or listening to” added Ed Camphor, Audio Technology and Tuning Lead at Marshall Group.
Later this year, Marshall will add the Heston 60 and the Heston Sub 200 to the TV sound range.
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