Marshall's first-ever soundbar thinks outside the black plastic box

Founded by Jim Marshall in 1962, Marshall made a name for itself with powerful guitar amps in its early years. Nowadays, the audio specialist has expanded beyond audio equipment for guitarists, establishing a presence in the consumer segment with its range of home speakers, portable Bluetooth speakers, and headphones – all while embracing its its rock’n’roll roots. Check out our review of the Monitor III ANC headphones (priced at approx. $350 on Amazon).

After conducting research, Marshall discovered many of its customers want a soundbar from the company. Motivated by these insights, its audio engineers began developing the Heston 120 about four years ago, simulating and optimising the product along the way. 

The Marshall Heston 120 boasts an impressive array of eleven drivers. The engineers are particularly proud of their in-house developed woofer, with two located on the back of the unit. The soundbar features three front-firing tweeters complemented by two side-firing tweeters and two up-firing tweeters, intended to reflect sound off the ceiling and towards the listener. Completing the setup are two mid-range drivers.

The different drivers are designed to work in harmony to deliver a full-bodied sound. We recently had the opportunity to demo the Heston 120 at the Marshall Group (previously known as Zound Industries) and will be reviewing it soon. Naturally, the soundbar showcases the signature Marshall aesthetic, complete with textured control knobs featuring a brass-like finish, setting it apart from the conventional black plastic boxes found on so many of its competitors.

The Marshall Heston 120 is set to launch on 20 May 2025 at a price of $999.