Tarun Verma
Table of Contents
Harman-Later Kardon’s wireless speaker is without a doubt one of the most innovative in wireless speaker history, defying the traditional box shell (have you seen the Philips Shoqbox SB7220?)
The Aura may resemble Charles the Brainchild’s glass skull from The Tick or a food blender to comic book fans.
The Marshall Stanmore II speaker pays homage to the iconic Marshall amps of the digital era, which are still used by today’s crop of guitar heroes, rather than Jimi Hendrix’s analogue period. The wooden box, textured vinyl covering, and manual control knobs of the Stanmore II add to the retro vibe, but the Stanmore II can now be operated and changed via Bluetooth connectivity and voice commands via Google Assistant.
Harman Kardon Aura vs Marshall Stanmore: Comparison Table
| Features | Harman Kardon Aura | Marshall Stanmore |
| Launching Year | 2021 | 2019 |
| Brand | Harman Kardon | Marshall |
| Model Name | Aura | Stanmore |
| Connector Type | Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
| Available Colors | Black | Black |
| Average Battery Life | 20 hours | 20 hours |
| Charging Time | 3 hour | 2.5 hour |
| Compatibility | Smartphone, Tablet, PC, All Bluetooth Devices | Smartphone, Tablet, PC, All Bluetooth Devices |
| Bluetooth | Version 5.2 | Version 5.0 aptX |
| Connection Distance Range (Bluetooth) | 72 feet | 12m |
| Online Price Ranges | Rs.24,800 | Rs.33,949 |
| Customer Ratings | 4.2/5 | 4.0/5 |
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Harman Kardon Aura vs Marshall Stanmore: Detailed Analysis
Design
The translucent polycarbonate dome-shaped shell of Harmon Kardon’s SoundSticks desktop speakers is unmistakably unique. The central reflex port, which descends into the dome and meets a spherical coil-like structure at the basin’s bottom, is one of the speaker’s most striking features. If you look closely, you can see the back end of the 11.5cm bass driver.
Marshall’s Stanmore, on the other hand, weighs 4.7 kilograms and measures 350x185x185mm, making it a monster. It’s a little on the small side for a guitar amp in terms of Bluetooth and multi-room speakers. The Stanmore is all about massive sound, which we can appreciate. After all, this is a Marshall product.
The Stanmore is wrapped in wood and black vinyl like an amp, with familiar rounded corners, a flexible speaker grille with gold edging, and retro brass knobs at the top. Despite the lack of a remote, Stanmore’s volume, bass, treble, and source knobs are visually appealing.
Performance
We were able to play David Bowie’s Life On Mars from our NAS system thanks to Aura’s multi-directional sound and the company’s stereo-widening DPS technology. It takes up no space in our testing facility.
After a quick scan, we discovered that our playlist had a narrow and loud sound. However, a weekend of practice smoothed out the rough edges, resulting in a more confident and well-rounded performance.
On the inside The harsh folk music of Llewyn Davis: Original Recording Soundtrack is made much more appealing by the sound’s balanced tones.
Dense music recordings reveal the first flaw in the copybook. Overly busy compositions tend to become clogged and disorganized as a result of a lack of focus and attention to detail.
Whereas was assessing Marshall Stanmore’s performance. Despite its iconic appearance, the Stanmore is all about sound quality. Because of its WiFi capabilities, the Stanmore excels in terms of sound quality.
Audio from an iPhone via AirPlay and Spotify played through the Stanmore sounded exceptionally rich, with singers rendered clearly and bass lines have given a powerful lift, but Bluetooth music falls short in both depth and width.
We were impressed by how little the bass and treble dials changed the overall sound, indicating the manufacturer’s confidence in the device’s overall harmony. They produce a very accurate sound field regardless of what you’re listening to if you turn them all the way down.
It’s set to 11, just like the volume. Even if no distortion exists, the volume is simply too loud for any room in your house. Some AirPlay songs begin slowly on Stanmore, and there are a few instances of double-starts (but that could have been our WiFi network).
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Features
Music can be wirelessly streamed via Bluetooth, and files on your home network can be discovered and played back via DLNA or AirPlay. It has both 3.5mm and optical ports for wired connections.
There is a USB port on the back, but it is marked for service. Because the machine is powered by the mains, a power supply input completes the cluster of connections on the back of it.
A narrow band in the center of the speaker controls power, volume, and the source of the music. You can feel the 3.5mm headphone jack by running your fingers along it.
You can press or, as with the volume, slide your way through your music with a clean design and responsive controls. However, because there is no specialized remote control, changing input sources is only possible on the device itself.
However, you can use the free ‘Harman-Kardon remote’ app for Android and iOS smartphones to stream music from your home network.
Despite its retro appearance, the Marshall Stanmore is all about connectivity on the inside, with WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2 complementing the existing Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity.
You can control the Stanmore’s Chromecast, Spotify Connect, and AirPlay capabilities, as well as its Internet radio, using the Marshall Multi-Room app. The Stanmore features a 50-watt class D subwoofer amplifier and two 15-watt class D tweeter amplifiers. With that much power, we’re expecting a lot of noise.
Setting-up
If you want to get the Stanmore up and running right away, select Bluetooth. To get started, simply select Bluetooth from the top dial and perform a simple pairing. As it successfully pairs, the Stanmore’s speaker emits an audible guitar riff. This is a good length, despite being a little cheesy.
AirPlay took a little longer to connect, but a 2.4 GHz WiFi connection eventually worked. Following that, the emphasis was solely on the mobile application. The program requires seven presets, each of which contains a shortcut to a specific Internet radio station, podcast, or Spotify playlist.
Harman Kardon Aura vs Marshall Stanmore: Quick Result
| Particulars | Harman Kardon Aura | Marshall Stanmore | Which one is the best? |
| Battery Life | Good | Amazing | Any |
| Deep Bass | Great | Good | Both |
| Sound Quality | Better | Best | Marshall Stanmore |
Harman Kardon Aura vs Marshall Stanmore: Final Verdict
If the evaluation criteria were solely based on appearance, this speaker would have received a perfect score.
It’s a striking focal point for any room that’s sure to get people talking. Unfortunately for the Aura, our depths aren’t quite as deep. We’re also not thrilled with the sound.
This will suffice if you’re looking for some light entertainment. To compete in this price range, you must do more – and do it better – than your competitors.
Despite the lack of a remote control, the Marshal Stanmore Brass buttons on the device are both physically pleasing and functional. We were smitten by them.
The 80W Stanmore, on the other hand, will be too powerful for your living room or kitchen and thus expensive – not overpriced, but overspecified. In terms of power and aesthetic appeal across multiple rooms, the Stanmore is unrivaled.
