Enter a The new product category is a tense cause for any company, and the current tariff roulette climate adds only another uncertainty. But with the launch of the first speaker bar, the maker of iconic guitar amplifiers is also a growing maker of wireless speakers and headphones. For $1,000, the imposing Hurston 120 is an ambitious first entry.
“This is our most expensive product. Honestly, it’s a little scary,” Gustaf Rosell, Marshall’s chief product and innovation officer, told Wired in an interview. “However, since this is a new segment for us, we decided to start at the high end. We don’t always do that, but in this case, we think it’s important to make a statement – showing that we’re really serious.
Rossell said the idea of adding soundbars to company discussions over the past five years was an idea in company discussions, but there were about three in production. The result is the Heston 120, a 5.1.2-channel atmosphere and DTS X Soundbar, with 11 separate driver locations that provide a wide and high sound field from a box.
Tweaking products for Marshall is a new challenge, it brings new challenges to Marshall, which brings new expertise to help – even attracting talent from the automotive industry to gain multi-channel experience. “Currently, we have two PhDs, and that’s the level of ability,” Rossell added. “We also worked very closely with Dolby to help us make some difficult measurements to make sure we put the sound objects in the room accurately.”
But Rosell told us that the sound team’s particular focus is on balancing what sounds like to TV and music, which is a common difficulty for multi-channel audio products. The Heston 120 certainly has a lot of music options to test, including Airplay 2, Googleclast and Bluetooth LE, as well as Tidal and Spotify Connect.
“Music playback is an area where we can lean towards current expertise and use some modeling of portable speakers to ensure that all drivers in the Heston 120 work well together in a more classical stereo setup. If I were to be a little bolder, we’ve beaten everything that competitors have. It’s beaten by the competitors.
Another focus of the team is the design of the product, but perhaps not what anyone familiar with Marshall products might think of. Although its speakers are known for their unique appearance, reminiscent of the brand’s famous amplifier, the Heston 120 dials back this approach.
Courtesy of Marshall
“Many of the products in this field look almost the same, they try to fit in, and when TV goes out of their way to cover itself, you really need to find the right tone.
“But Hurston yes For those who want different things, conscious design choices – we are not trying to hide. It’s a bold statement, but not like we could have been bold. I think we found a real balance. ”
