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Experience unparalleled audio excellence with the Marshall Heston 120 soundbar - where iconic design meets immersive sound.

From Guitar Amps to Home Cinema: The Genesis of Marshall's Soundbar

Marshall, a name synonymous with legendary guitar amplification, has ventured into the realm of home audio with its inaugural soundbar, the Heston 120. This new offering extends Marshall's renowned audio expertise beyond headphones, earbuds, and Bluetooth speakers, introducing a powerful Dolby Atmos and DTS-X capable device designed to elevate the home entertainment experience.

Crafting Sonic Presence: The Aesthetic and Build of the Heston 120

The Heston 120 soundbar unapologetically showcases Marshall's iconic design language, drawing heavily from its guitar amplifier heritage. Its 43-inch wide frame, adorned with gold-toned accents and distinctive control knobs, immediately captures attention. The black cabinet features a faux-leather finish, a prominent Marshall logo, and a unique salt-and-pepper fabric grille, which the company playfully terms a 'fret.' This robust construction also boasts replaceable components, including the fret, end caps, drivers, and even circuit boards, highlighting its durability and serviceability. While the top-mounted controls evoke a classic amplifier feel with their satisfying tactile feedback and red LED indicators, their visibility from a seated position can be a minor inconvenience, as the soundbar lacks a front-facing display for these functions.

Effortless Integration: Unpacking and Configuring Your Heston 120

Setting up the Heston 120 is remarkably straightforward. After connecting it to your television via the included HDMI cable and plugging it into a power outlet, the device is largely ready for basic TV audio. For enhanced functionality and to unlock its full potential, users are encouraged to download the Marshall mobile application. This app facilitates seamless Wi-Fi connectivity, enabling support for Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, and other advanced features. The app also guides users through a quick room correction process, optimizing sound performance for the specific acoustic environment. As the Heston 120 does not come with a dedicated remote, the application serves as the primary interface for selecting audio sources (TV, HDMI, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Aux-in) and adjusting sound modes (music, movies, night, voice).

Connectivity Galore: A Detailed Look at the Heston 120's Ports and Controls

The Heston 120 distinguishes itself with an exceptionally diverse array of connectivity options for a soundbar in its class. Beyond the standard HDMI-eARC port, it includes an additional HDMI input that supports HDMI 2.1, Dolby Vision, and 4K/120Hz passthrough. Analog RCA inputs and a mono subwoofer output further enhance its versatility, allowing users to connect a wide range of devices, including wired subwoofers (unlike many competitors that restrict users to proprietary wireless models) and even turntables (with a preamp). A USB-C port is also present, primarily for power delivery to external streaming devices. For network connectivity, the Heston supports both wired Ethernet (10/100) and Wi-Fi 6, along with a comprehensive suite of wireless streaming platforms such as Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, UPnP, Tidal Connect, and Spotify Connect, ensuring high-resolution audio playback from virtually any source. Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC, and LC3 codec support is also provided for mobile device streaming. The physical controls on the soundbar's top surface, while aesthetically pleasing and tactile, emphasize its music-listening capabilities. The source knob also cleverly integrates playback controls for convenience.

Cinematic Immersion: The Heston 120's Performance for Films and Television

Equipped with 11 discrete drivers and amplifiers, the Heston 120 delivers a robust and emotionally resonant audio experience for movies and TV shows. Its integrated subwoofers produce impressive low-frequency response down to 40Hz, providing a palpable depth for cinematic content. While not quite matching the Sonos Arc Ultra's lowest frequency energy, it offers a strong presence. In spatial audio tests with Dolby Atmos content, the Heston 120 demonstrates commendable width, depth, and height, providing clear dialogue in Movie mode, which can be further enhanced with the dedicated Voice mode. However, achieving optimal virtual surround and height effects often requires higher volume levels, and the absence of individual channel level adjustments is a minor drawback. Connecting an external wired subwoofer significantly enhances the low-end performance. The Heston 120 also supports DTS-X, though its decoding capabilities for certain DTS-X formats may be more limited than its Dolby Atmos processing.

A Symphony for the Ears: The Heston 120's Musical Prowess

The Heston 120 stands out as a rare soundbar that excels equally in music playback. Its integrated subwoofers contribute to a warm and rich tonal quality in Music mode, capable of high volumes without noticeable distortion. The soundbar employs sophisticated processing to expand two-channel stereo into a broader soundstage, a feature that, while not adjustable, is generally well-received. For the highest fidelity, lossless Wi-Fi streaming via Google Cast from platforms like Amazon Music or Qobuz is recommended, with Apple Music also supported for Android users and Tidal Connect available across platforms. Music apps on connected streaming devices also deliver excellent results. While Dolby Atmos Music offers an impressive, immersive experience, a notable characteristic is the difference in volume levels compared to two-channel mixes, which can be inconvenient without a remote control.

Tailoring Your Sound: Customizing Audio with the Heston 120

The Heston 120 incorporates built-in room calibration, a feature common in high-end soundbars. This calibration effectively reduces bass muddiness and enhances high-frequency definition, optimizing the audio for your specific room. Users can re-calibrate or disable this feature and further refine the sound using predefined sound modes (Movie, Music, Night, Voice) which remember settings per input. Each mode can be fine-tuned with dedicated bass and treble adjustments via the control knob. For even more granular control, the Marshall app provides a five-band equalizer, allowing for mode-specific adjustments, though these custom settings cannot be saved as distinct profiles.

Future Horizons: The Heston 120's Untapped Potential for Expansion

Unlike many premium soundbars that offer immediate wireless surround and subwoofer expansion, the Heston 120 currently operates as a standalone unit. However, Marshall has announced plans to introduce a dedicated wireless subwoofer and enable compatibility with its third-generation Homeline portable Bluetooth speakers via Auracast technology in a future update. This potential for modular expansion, integrating a range of existing Marshall speakers, could significantly enhance the Heston 120's appeal by offering flexible and scalable home theater configurations, making it a highly compelling option in the market if these promised features come to fruition.

The Verdict: Is the Marshall Heston 120 a Worthwhile Investment?

Considering its design, extensive features, and robust performance, the Heston 120 represents an excellent choice for a standalone home theater sound system. While it may not offer the same precise immersion as some competitors like the Sonos Arc Ultra for movies, its support for DTS:X, integrated HDMI input, and versatile wired subwoofer output distinguish it as a more adaptable option. Furthermore, its exceptional performance as a music speaker, offering high-quality wireless streaming protocols like Google Cast for up to 24-bit/96kHz resolution, surpasses what many rivals can provide. Although audio enthusiasts might desire more detailed control over two-channel stereo and individual channel levels, for users seeking a straightforward yet powerful audio solution, these omissions are unlikely to detract from the overall experience. The forthcoming expansion capabilities via Marshall's Bluetooth speakers through Auracast also hint at a future-proof investment, potentially solidifying the Heston 120's position as a top-tier soundbar.

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