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Google’s largest smart speaker delivers a great overall audio performance, with a good tonal balance, full and precise midrange frequencies , great volume consistency, and realistic distance rendering. Maximum volume is very good, and at loud volumes, punch is particularly impactful, which makes the Google Home Max a very well suited speaker for parties. We put the subwoofer to the test with Kendrick Lamar’s ‘King Kunta’, and it exceeded our expectations. Having bass and treble controls is one of Marshall’s calling cards when it comes to its speakers, and it’s a lovely touch, especially if you like being able to control exactly the way your music sounds. Our spatial tests measure a speaker’s ability to reproduce stereo sound in all directions, taking into account localizability, balance, wideness, distance, and directivity. Please note that wideness is 0 for mono speakers and for speakers that cannot deliver a significant stereo effect.
Attack in midrange frequencies is precise, bass precision is globally very satisfying, and punch at loud volumes is very good. Additionally, the overall dynamics performance is particularly impressive at soft and even quiet levels with sharp attack, precise bass, and good punch. Finally, the Smart Sound technology appears to be fairly efficient, adapting the device’s performance appropriately to its acoustic environment. For example, in our bathroom use case, the overall timbre performance remains highly consistent, despite the room’s strong reverberation.
Google Home Max vs Marshall Stanmore II Voice
DXOMARK timbre tests measure how well a speaker reproduces sound across the audible tonal range and takes into account bass, midrange, treble, tonal balance, and volume dependency. Our artifacts tests measure how much source audio is distorted when played back, along with such other sound artifacts as noise, pumping effects, and clipping. Distortion and other artifacts can occur both because of sound processing and because of the quality of the speakers. With an overall score of 145, the Google Home Max ranks second-best among all speakers we have tested to date, after Harman Kardon’s Citation 200.
If you have the room in your budget and are a fan of Marshall's aesthetic, however, you really can't go wrong with the Stanmore II Voice. Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the Stanmore II Voice's general sound signature. The drums get a robust, powerful presence that doesn't sound overly boosted and sculpted in the lows. Boosting the bass, of course, can give the drums a thunderous, borderline unnatural sound, but there's room to dial in a more natural sound.
¿Por qué es Marshall Stanmore II Voice mejor que Google Home Max?
Spectral artifacts, on the other hand, can appear at quiet, nominal, and maximum listening levels . For example, bass resonances and distortions can manifest on tracks exhibiting powerful low-end frequencies, such as in Electronic music, regardless of the volume. With a volume sub-score of 132, the Google Home Max comes very close to our top-ranking speaker in this category. It performed remarkably well in every use case we put it through, from bedtime to partying, to relaxing at home, friendly gatherings, in the kitchen, the bathroom, and even outdoors. But there’s still room for improvement, especially in the high-ends, where instruments such as hi-hat cymbals lack precision, and at soft volumes , where punch is slightly lacking. The Home Max’s sub-score of 124 indicates very good behavior in the dynamics area.
You’ll know when Alexa has heard you because a row of five LED lights at the bottom of the speaker will glow blue, which is as functional as it is aesthetically pleasing, and then switch it over to the WiFi in your home. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
Google Home Max Speaker test: Powerful and well balanced
In this case, the Googe Home app is your ticket to getting the most out of it. It's also necessary to download for the initial setup of the speaker. However, once setup and connected to your Wi-Fi network, you can more or less get by without the app if you'd like. Around back, the speaker has a stereo RCA input and a connection for the included power cable.
Olivia was previously TechRadar's Senior Editor - Home Entertainment, covering everything from headphones to TVs. Based in London, she's a popular music graduate who worked in the music industry before finding her calling in journalism. In order to use the inbuilt Alexa feature with the Stanmore II Voice, you have to download the Marshall Voice app to your smartphone and follow the steps to setup a connection.
Marshall Stanmore II Voice Specs
Marshall is fast developing a reputation for high quality home speakers, having branched out from the live music and professional studio market over the last few years. The bass and treble controls make it possible to dial in your ideal sound signature. That might seem impossible given the same drivers and amplifiers are being used, but this speaker has a slightly higher maximum sound pressure level of 107dB . Our volume tests measure both the maximum loudness a speaker is able to produce and how smoothly volume increases and decreases based on user input. Despite the promised “clear stereo sound in the entire room,” the sound stage could be much wider. It is actually only when standing close to the speaker that a listener can perceive a stereo dimension.
The vocals on this track are clear and clean without sounding overly sibilant, even with the treble boosted significantly. Most things that can be done in the app, in terms of music playback, can be achieved with vocal commands. You can be 20 feet or more away and mumble something while the speaker is blasting music, and as long as you lead with "OK Google," the music stops and the assistant follows your command. For a better time with Google Assistant, read our guide on how to train it to more accurately recognize your voice.
Notice the horizontal beige stripe at the bottom of this MarshallWoburn II. Base models of both Woburn and Stanmore speakers lack this stripe - which you can use to distinguish them from one another. The extra woofer in Marshall Woburn II will help it product more satisfying sounds compared to Stanmore II. You can see also this being reflected to the technical specs in the lower frequency department. The higher the high-frequency response, the clearer and crispier the treble. Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology that allows sounds to be interpreted as three-dimensional objects. If you have a second speaker of the same type, you can pair them together to create a stereo sound setup. It also owes its good ranking to its great volume step consistency and its excellent maximum volume.
Thanks to acoustic noise cancellation, the Stanmore II Voice can hear you from across the room, without being distracted by any music already playing through the speaker. It’s not just about dials however - there are buttons that allow you to control the input source , play/pause your music, and a microphone button if you want to speak to Alexa. Alternatively, you can simply say “Alexa” to activate the voice assistant.
AirPlay allows wireless connection of Apple devices with external screens or speakers. You may stream computer screen, video and music from iOS devices, play games like on consoles or present your slideshows easily on your TV. The Google Home Max suffers from no perceivable temporal artifacts .
