For decades, Marshall has been the sound and the shape of rock music: their amplifiers and speakers have been the power behind some of the most iconic musicians of all time. The firm's expansion into home and portable audio has been successful too, with products such as the impressively loud Marshall Emberton II. And now there's a special edition of that very speaker.
The new speaker is a collaboration with the streetwear brand Patta, and it replaces the famous black Marshall design with something much more colourful. The collaboration will also feature a campaign focusing on Caribbean sound system culture.
The tough coating of the sides and back is now boasting a wooden print, and the grille is no longer a single shade but a rainbow of colour surrounded by flourescent orange framing. Don't worry, though: the legendary logo remains centre stage.
The Emberton II Patta Edition goes on sale on Friday 23 February and will set you back £179.99. And while the looks may be different and the price slightly higher – the standard Emberton II has a street price of £149 – what's inside is the same as its less colourful sibling.
Marshall Emberton II Patta Edition: key specifications
We really like the Emberton: my colleague Yasmine Crossland says it's been her go-to Bluetooth speaker for two generations of Marshalls and it's one of the best Bluetooth speakers around. Its 700g weight makes it perfectly portable, it's IP67 water and dust resistant and you can get up to 30 hours of playback before it's time to plug it in, so it's an excellent option for taking on your travels.
As you'd expect, the Marshall Emberton excels at the classic rock that its parent company built its reputation on amplifying. But it's pretty great with drum and bass, EDM, hip hop and pop too, and because it pumps sound out in two directions rather than one it's a good room filler. You can also pair two Embertons together in "stack mode" for even more power. As Yasmine said in her review, "it may not be brimming with features but it has everything you actually need. It's easy to use, waterproof and the battery will last for ages."
The Marshall Emberton II Patta Edition will be available from 23 February from Patta.co and from Marshallheadphones.com.
