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- Marshall has launched the Acton IV and Stanmore IV home speakers in Australia.
- Acton IV is priced at AUD$499, while Stanmore IV is priced at AUD$679.
- Both models add upgraded tweeters, redesigned bass ports and Dynamic Loudness.
- Built-in Auracast supports multi-speaker listening through compatible devices or Marshall’s Heddon hub.
- RCA and AUX inputs, bottom-placed cables and app-based placement compensation make them easier to fit into a home setup.
Marshall has always made speakers that look like they wandered out of a rehearsal room and into your living room. The guitar-amp look, leather-style wrapping, brass controls and salt-and-pepper grille are very much the point. Either you’re air-punching along to rock ‘n’ roll with the volume set to 11, or you’re looking for something cleaner and more minimal to stream your music.
But that’s the thing with Marshall. They don’t really care whether you’re into the aesthetic or not. With the new Acton IV and Stanmore IV, Marshall hasn’t even attempted to make its home speakers look less like guitar amps. What it has done with these fourth-generation speakers is make them easier to live with: easier to place, easier to connect and far less dependent on you understanding the difference between frequency response curves and soundstage.
By leaving the familiar amp-inspired design alone, Marshall has spent time reworking the parts that affect everyday use: upgraded tweeters and waveguides for wider dispersion, redesigned bass ports for cleaner low-end performance, bottom-placed cables so the speakers can sit closer to a wall, and an RCA input for anyone who still wants to run a turntable through something that looks the part, provided there’s a preamp in the chain.
Marshall Acton IV & Stanmore IV Features
The main changes are where they probably should be: inside the cabinet and around the back. Marshall says both the Acton IV and Stanmore IV use upgraded tweeters and waveguides to push sound across a wider area of the room, rather than firing everything straight ahead and hoping your couch is in the right place.
There’s also a redesigned bass port, which is meant to improve airflow and deliver cleaner, more controlled low-end performance, particularly at higher volumes.
Marshall has also moved the cabling to the bottom of both speakers, which may sound boring at first, but it’s one of the most useful upgrades day-to-day. It means the Acton IV and Stanmore IV can sit closer to a wall without the usual awkward gap at the back.
Dynamic Loudness has also been added to both speakers, which adjusts the tonal balance based on volume, alongside an updated brass control panel, an improved media jog, a signature power switch and a customisable M-button. Plus the usual physical controls for volume, bass and treble.
Multi-Speaker Audio For the Whole House
The other big feature is Auracast. Both Acton IV and Stanmore IV can join a multi-speaker setup, letting you play music across several compatible speakers around the home. Living room, kitchen, same track, no juggling separate Bluetooth connections.
There’s just one small catch: you’ll need something to broadcast the audio over Auracast. You can use a compatible Auracast device or Marshall’s Heddon streaming hub. Heddon can also bring Acton III and Stanmore III speakers into the setup, which is handy if you already have a previous-generation model and don’t want to start from scratch. But without a compatible streaming device, you’re looking at another AUD$299 to unlock the full multi-speaker setup.
Marshall Acton IV & Stanmore IV Price & Availability
Across both models, the main differences are size and output. Acton IV is the smaller option at AUD$499, while Stanmore IV steps up to AUD$679 with a larger woofer, higher max SPL and a bigger cabinet. Both speakers also support the Marshall app and feature replaceable parts, including the knobs, feet and grille.
Marshall Acton IV
- Price: AUD$499
- Colours: Black, Cream
- Drivers: 1 x 4-inch woofer, 2 x 0.75-inch tweeters
- Frequency range: 37Hz to 38kHz
- Max SPL: 95dB SPL @ 1m
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, Auracast, AUX, RCA
- Weight: 2.65kg
- Dimensions: 171 x 150 x 260mm
Marshall Stanmore IV
- Price: AUD$679
- Colours: Black, Cream
- Drivers: 1 x 5-inch woofer, 2 x 0.75-inch tweeters
- Frequency range: 36Hz to 38kHz
- Max SPL: 97dB SPL @ 1m
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, Auracast, AUX, RCA
- Weight: 3.99kg
- Dimensions: 350 x 203 x 185mm
They’re not exactly impulse-buy Bluetooth speakers, but that’s never been what Marshall is about. You pay for the guitar amp look as much as the tunes that come out of them. With Acton IV and Stanmore IV, Marshall has made some practical improvements beyond the aesthetic: easier wall placement, more flexible inputs, multi-speaker support and enough app control to make the whole thing work outside a pretend rehearsal room. The look isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’ve already invited Marshall into the house, these should be easier to live with.
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