Marshall Bromley 150 Review

Design

• Classic amp-inspired design
• IP55 dust and water resistance
• Replaceable battery and a music-reactive LED lighting system

The Marshall Bromley 150 looks a lot like Marshall’s other party speakers, but this one’s much smaller. In essence, that means it looks like a classic guitar amp, just miniaturised. It looks like a cube from the front, measuring about 12 inches tall and 12 inches wide, but it’s not quite as deep, measuring only 8.2 inches.

The top and sides have a leather-effect covering, while the front has a mesh grille complete with a large brass Marshall logo in the centre. There’s a brushed metal plate running along the top of the speaker grille, and a red LED indicator that shows your current battery level, neatly tucked in the upper right-hand corner.

On the right-hand side, there’s an array of six different knobs which control the volume, bass, treble, and the microphone input effects. These knobs all have little red LED indicators to show you the current level, just as there are on Marshall’s other party speakers. It’s a small touch, but one that I really appreciate.

There’s also a large backlit power switch, a mode switch, and a little toggle that controls play/pause and song skipping. There’s a customisable M-button and finally, a button that cycles through the lighting effects.

The lights are all neatly hidden behind the mesh grille, and they’re positioned in a grid-like pattern. They glow in a warm white colour by default, and it reminds me of Christmas tree lights. The various modes are all music reactive, which makes for an eye-catching effect when listening to some tunes, without looking too tacky.

On the left-hand side there’s a large flap, and underneath, you’ll find a removable battery. It’s very similar in size to an electric drill battery, and it has a classy burgundy fabric strap for easy removal.

I really like this, as it means that if you want to have this speaker running for longer sessions, you can always bring a second battery, rather than worrying about the internal one running out. It’s also great for longevity, as if the original battery starts to wear out, you can get a new one and replace it without needing any tools.

On the back, you’ll find another flap which hides all your inputs. There’s a USB-C input, AUX-in, AUX-out and twin XLR ports, which you can use for either microphones or instruments. It’s well equipped, whether you’re looking to put on a performance or you just want to have a party.

While the speaker is small, it’s still pretty heavy. It tips the scales at 6.3kg, so you won’t really want to carry it over long distances. That said, it does have a neat integrated carry handle on the top, as well as two locations where you can attach an over-the-shoulder strap. You don’t get a strap in the box, though, so you might have to nick one off of your guitar.

The Bromley 150 isn’t fully waterproof, but it does have an IP55 rating. This means a bit of dust and splashes of water shouldn’t prove much of a problem, but you can’t submerge it fully. And if the rain starts pouring, you should probably bring this speaker back inside.

The speaker itself feels fairly rugged, but if you do happen to damage it, you don’t need to worry too much. Marshall is one of the few brands that offers spare parts on its website. If anything gets dinged up you can probably just replace it.

I’ve loved the design of all of Marshall’s party speakers so far, and I feel the same way about this one. The main difference is that it’s smaller, which makes it even more adorable. If you’re a rock ‘n’ roll fan, you’re sure to fall in love with this, and if you’re not, the satisfying tactile controls might win you over anyway.

Features

• Marshall Bluetooth App
• Wireless syncing via Auracast
• Up to 40 hours of battery life

The Marshall Bromley 150 works with the Marshall Bluetooth app for Android and iOS. I would treat this app as an optional experience, as it really doesn’t add any features over the physical controls. The only exceptions are the ability to customise the M-button on the side of the speaker, and apply firmware updates.

Most competitors will give you more options for adjusting the EQ or changing the lighting effects, but this app is really just for basic settings. You could treat it like a wireless remote, but otherwise, everything can be controlled on the speaker itself.

Speaking of the lighting effects, there are three options to choose from. Every option cycles between warm white and cool white with the LEDs on the front panel. The first mode slowly fades the lights on and off in a random pattern. The second flashes in square grid patterns, and the third displays stripes across the front panel in sync with the beat.

They’re all music reactive, and they all look quite impressive, but they don’t have quite the same impact as JBL’s PartyBox speakers, which are much more colourful and in your face. I think this all-white effect looks a lot classier, though, and personally, I prefer Marshall’s approach.

Marshall advertises up to 40 hours of battery life for this speaker, but as mentioned, you can also bring a spare battery, if you need it. That said, given those specifications, you probably don’t. High volume levels and having the lights enabled will lower that battery life considerably, but even if you only get half the advertised life, that’s still 20 hours, far outlasting most parties.

I’ve been testing this speaker for over a week now, and I’ve only needed to charge it once. Plus, there’s always the option to run it off mains power with the AC adapter supplied in the box.

Marshall says 20 minutes on charge will give you 5 hours of playback, while a full charge from flat to full will take 3 hours. Keeping it topped up is a breeze.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where one speaker is not enough, the Bromley 150 supports Auracast. This means it can receive Bluetooth signals from compatible devices to sync up wirelessly. Alternatively, you can use wired daisy chaining to pair up as many speakers as you like.

There are no Wi-Fi options on this device, but as I’ve already mentioned, you get twin XLR inputs, a 3.5mm input and Bluetooth 5.3. This means you can very easily hook this speaker up to just about anything, whether that’s a laptop, DJ decks, instruments, you name it.

Sound Quality

• 6.5-inch 40W woofer
• Twin 2-inch 6W full-range speakers
• 7.5-inch passive radiator

The Bromley 150 might be Marshall’s smallest party speaker so far, but nothing about this speaker sounds small. This pint-sized powerhouse can kick out some serious volume, and I found it was more than I needed in my little terraced house. It sports a 6.5-inch woofer, dual 2-inch full-range speakers and a massive 7.5-inch passive radiator. It’s incredibly bassy considering the size of it.

I was really surprised by this, as it’s the main area that I felt the Bromley 750 was lacking in. It’s a punchy speaker, but the sub-bass response was unimpressive. Weirdly, this significantly smaller speaker really picks up the slack, and adds some of that rumble the 750 left me wanting.

It’s the opposite of what I would expect, and I can only assume it’s down to the tuning. The Bromley 750 needs to be pushed hard to give the desired low-end response, whereas the 150 can do it at lower volumes more suited to at-home listening. That’s my best guess, anyway.

What the Bromley 150 doesn’t have, though, is many EQ options. There’s a bass and treble knob on the side, but there are no further options in the app. Thankfully, the speaker sounds fantastic by default, so I wouldn’t say it needs it, but it’s a pretty stark contrast to the Sony ULT Tower 5.

As you would expect from a Marshall speaker, it’s really good for rock music. The mid-bass punches hard, the treble is crisp and clear, and the vocals are forward and clean. What surprised me, though, is how well it worked across all genres. I listened to everything from jazz and easy listening, to metal and dubstep, and everything sounded fantastic on this speaker. It’s really well balanced, and the extra low-end response helps significantly.

Obviously it’s only a single speaker, so it can’t produce the stereo effect you would get from a hi-fi system, but it does offer omnidirectional sound output (just like its larger sibling). This means you can chuck it in the centre of a room, and it’ll still sound good, even when you’re behind it.

While the design makes it look like you’ll get the best listening experience by standing in front of the mesh grille, it actually sounds almost identical from the rear. It’s only when you’re at the side of the speaker that the audio quality suffers somewhat.

The Bromley 150 isn’t as powerful as the larger Bromley speakers in Marshall’s line-up. But at max volume it’s still incredibly loud. That said, I could listen at about 75% volume at home without fearing hearing damage, and I can’t say the same about some of the larger speakers I have tested.

Whether it’s loud enough depends on your needs. If you’re hosting massive outdoor parties you might need something bigger. But I think for 99% of people this is more power than you will ever need.

Should you buy it?