If you're the owner of some beefy Marshall Bluetooth speakers, but have been hankering for more streaming features and turntable integration, then we've got some good news for you.
Marshall has launched its Heddon streaming hub – a small device that grants wi-fi and multi-room streaming power to select models in Marshall's Bluetooth speaker family. It's a neat way of keeping your Marshall home speaker products lasting longer and up to date with new features without needing to replace them entirely.
The Heddon is specifically compatible with the Marshall Acton III, Stanmore III and Woburn III Bluetooth speakers. The Heddon uses wi-fi connectivity to stream music, and then uses Auracast technology to broadcast this music to the speakers, including creating a multi-room system if you have multiple Marshall units in play.
Heddon is compatible with Spotify Connect, Tidal, AirPlay and Google Cast, which opens the pool of streaming options to the Bluethtooth-only Marshall speakers. The Heddon also features an Ethernet port at the back for those that prefer a wired connection to your home network.
You can set up the Heddon to your wi-fi and control playback across the speakers using the Marshall app.
What's more, you can also plug a record player directly into the Heddon's RCA stereo line inputs, and stream vinyl records wirelessly across your Marshall speakers. Just note that your turntable should already have a phono preamp built-in to use the Heddon for wireless streaming.
According to Marshall, the aim is to combine modern streaming with Marshall's music heritage roots, with the Heddon offering a "unified listening experience and lets vinyl take centre stage".
The Heddon also works with older Marshall home speakers by using a wired connection to the RCA line outputs on the little device. The Heddon allows for one wired connection to an older-gen model, which can then be synced with the third-generation compatible trio.
The supported speaker models include previous generations of Acton, Stanmore and Woburn speakers, along with Kilburn, Stockwell, Tufton, Acton Voice and Stanmore Voice. The portable models such as Emberton and Willen aren't supported by Heddon.
The Marshall Heddon streaming hub is available now for £180 / $300 / €199. Customers will be able to buy the Heddon at half price if bought in conjunction with the Acton III, Stanmore III or Woburn III speaker, while the hub will be available for free when buying two or more eligible Marshall home speakers.
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