RANKING

Rank 49 out of 55 Summarized in this category Rankings based on: • Pros-to-cons ratio • Number of reviews • Category average

Marshall

Heston 120

Name: Heston 120
Brand: Marshall

around $799

All prices are estimates and may vary from actual prices.

82 Pros

69%
9 reviews (1h 27m)

36 Cons

Experience powerful, room-filling sound with the Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. Its 11-driver configuration, including upward-firing speakers, delivers impressive 3D audio and clear dialogue, making movies and music come alive. The distinct Marshall design, inspired by their iconic amps, adds a touch of rock 'n' roll to your living room. Enjoy eas...

Summary of pros and cons from human reviewers, put together by AI

69%

24 vs 11

Sound Quality

89%

17 vs 2

Features

89%

17 vs 2

Connectivity

75%

6 vs 2

Ease of Use

67%

8 vs 4

Design

Reviewer verdict

Across 9 YouTube reviews, the Marshall Heston 120 earns an Index score of 3.8/5, ranking #49 among Soundbars. Reviewers most often praise its sound quality, features, connectivity, while the most common criticisms concern sound quality, subwoofer performance.

The Heston 120 is widely praised for its strong, clear sound and surprisingly effective 3D/surround presentation, a point mentioned repeatedly across reviews (24 pros). Reviewers also consistently note its rich feature set and internal driver count, including Dolby Atmos and DTS support and various sound modes (17 pros), as well as generous connectivity options like multiple HDMI ports, analogue inputs, Bluetooth and streaming support (17 pros). Its Marshall-styled design, tactile controls, and solid build quality were frequently highlighted (8 design mentions, 3 build quality mentions), and several reviewers called out easy setup and a usable app for customization (6 ease-of-use mentions).

Criticisms center on limitations of low-frequency output and the lack of an included subwoofer, which reviewers said reduces punch and ultimate bass performance (multiple subwoofer and bass complaints across cons). Some found the mids or certain details lacking compared with dedicated systems, and several noted that the Heston 120 cannot match full multi‑speaker surround setups (11 sound-quality cons). Price and value were also questioned by a number of reviewers given the €999/$1,000 price point and the additional cost to add sub/rear speakers (4 price/value cons), while a few mentioned design choices (faux leather, single color) and manual calibration or mounting inconveniences (design and ease-of-use cons).

Analysis based on 9 YouTube reviews (1h 27m of video) with 82 pros and 36 cons extracted.

Pros (82)

Sound Quality (24)

You get a powerful sound with decent bass, always clearly understandable voices and actually a surprising amount of 3D sound from this all-in-one. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 2:52
listening to just the music I was like it still sounds really really good ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 6:52
sound is still very punchy ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 2:46
The Marshall Hesten 120 can handle everything from movies to music at the next party to podcasts the next day, and you don't have a boring black bar in front of the TV. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 8:07
Good clarity ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 4:17
the 3D surround sound and the Hesten 120 does a really good job of placing sounds in the room. It really is one of the best all-in-one soundbars out there. Sounds can also be heard behind us. Only a few soundbars can reproduce what is going on above our heads with such precision. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 4:36
a sound bar that really sounds very good for music ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 2:53
similar sound all the way around you. Yeah, it's a good volume of sound ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 4:36
All of this is accompanied by a powerful sound that can perfectly reproduce dialogue and create a feeling of being right in the middle of things. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 7:09
Marshall comes from music and it actually sounds very balanced on the Hesten 120 in the appropriate music mode. Both the instruments and the voices are usually given enough space to shine. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 3:20
The Nakamichi Dragon does sound better ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 8:35
Voices are very positive, whether in music or film, because they always sound absolutely natural, powerful and are easy to understand even in hectic film scenes. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 4:00
in terms of the treble performance The Nakamichi is kind of awesome ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 6:47
musical aspect ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 6:22
pretty big sound from a sound bar ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 4:26
quality numerous adapting ▶ Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So @ 5:40
sounded Eau de la vie vegan Mashhad injustice Mike Medina gamut mapping Paris Exhibition ▶ Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So @ 5:31
really surprised us, especially when it comes to 3D sound ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 0:19
nice big surrounds is great ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 4:31
Medina my opinion audio quality non-martial happened ▶ Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So @ 7:27
very powerful soundbar ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 1:01
phenom event on quality non speaker ▶ Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So @ 8:39
around 150 watts of peak power ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 2:20
it could literally get you through the rest of the show ▶ Could this TINY MARSHALL AMP get you through a GIG EMERGENCY @ 3:55

Features (17)

well equipped in terms of speakers. So there are 11 speakers anyway, four passive ones for bass ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 2:28
compatible with the biatmos ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 3:11
having no microphone, while it does mean that the calibration is more manual and tedious, means that there's no support for voice assistants, which some people might actually consider to be a plus ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 8:15
supports both major immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTSX ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 2:24
various sound modes (music, movie, night) ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 2:04
11 drivers for widespread and even sound ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 1:22
This is one of the few sound bars at this bud that also supports Dolb Atmos. ▶ Best Soundbars 2025 @ 6:47
first ever Dolby Atmos soundbar ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 0:06
supports Dolby DTS ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 1:10
achieve oval assistant or young voice command ▶ Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So @ 5:44
5.1.2 speaker configuration ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 0:55
11 drivers inside ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 0:58
11 drivers are being powered by class D amplifiers ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 1:51
range of different sound modes to fit your genre. There is music, there is movie, there is night, and there is voice ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 4:54
Spotify ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 3:54
Tidle ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 3:54
atmos DTSX, and 11 drivers, including upwards and sideways firing ones ▶ SHS News: Sony XM6, Sonos Update, Marshall Heston 120, & BIG @ 9:14

Connectivity (17)

two HDMI sockets, and RCA of course to potentially connect an external source, microphone or other device. Ethernet, Ethernet jack, uh Bluetooth, a USBC jack and a small output for a subwoofer ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 4:04
RCA port ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 3:05
I just want to take this moment to acknowledge how good the I/O is on the Nakamichi ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 7:56
Bluetooth 5.3 in modular form (replaceable) ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 1:43
supports Dolby Vision HDR ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 3:36
4K 120 Hz pass through ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 3:32
The connections at the back are also different: instead of a digital optical input, which hardly anyone needs anyway, there is a stereo connection for analogue sources such as record players or CD players in addition to the standards. There's HDMI E-Ac for connecting to the TV, and the second HDMI port can also be used to pass through 4K at 120 Hz . ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 1:25
Nakamichi doesn't have any Wi-Fi, but it does have a bajillion inputs ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 8:06
HDMI pass through ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 3:18
HDMI 2.1, RCA, Bluetooth, Line-in, Wifi 6, AirPlay 2, Google Connect/Cast, HDMI eARC ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 1:48
HDMI ERC ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 3:16
HDMI pass through ▶ SHS News: Sony XM6, Sonos Update, Marshall Heston 120, & BIG @ 9:09
support for Google Cast ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 3:48
Bluetooth LE codec and Orocast ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 4:09
Apple Air Play support ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 3:51
phono input, which we absolutely love to see ▶ SHS News: Sony XM6, Sonos Update, Marshall Heston 120, & BIG @ 9:11
wireless support like Bluetooth ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 4:03

Design (8)

beautiful design ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 0:35
exactly what you get. Well, at least for me. It is exactly the typical Marshal design that is reminiscent of the guitar amplifiers. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 0:47
The fact that the soundbar doesn't have a display isn't really a disadvantage considering the controls on top ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 1:11
convenient physical buttons for volume, sound mode, etc. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 2:50
honestly, the Hesten 120 does n’t need any puppy protection either. Visually, it stands out clearly from the competition. Fortunately, Marshall remains true to its look and feel and continues this concept in its operation. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 6:53
The way they rotate is also really good and it's something different than all the other soundbars out there. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 1:14
metal buttons ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 2:54
retains everything we love about Marshall with the signature design, classic textured finish, brass detailing, and the unmistakable logo splashed across the front ▶ SHS News: Sony XM6, Sonos Update, Marshall Heston 120, & BIG @ 8:55

Ease of Use (6)

The selection of sources and the adjustment with the five-band equalizer are exemplary and you can also set three presets so that, for example, you always have an internet radio station or Spotify channel at hand with a button on the soundbar ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 2:11
microphone Attenborough 100% ▶ Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So @ 8:37
No remote control, no problem at all, because the app is really clear and well designed. The TV remote control also works for the volume, and there are also controls on the soundbar itself. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 1:52
Setup is quick and simple ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 2:04
use the Marshall app to customize your sound settings ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 4:41
two microphones built into it for room calibration setup ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 5:07

Build Quality (3)

everything about the 1.10 m wide soundbar feels really high quality. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 1:04
overall a solid metallic apparatus ▶ Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So @ 3:26
Marshall do tend to make high quality audio products ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 1:03

Subwoofer Performance (3)

supports external sub connection ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 4:09
Marchal is going to release a subwoofer which will go well with it which will therefore work wired or wirelessly ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 4:30
the subs are great. I think that the bass is punchy and it's quite musical ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 5:15

Price/Value (2)

The Dragon provides, I'd say about 80% of the experience that my AV setup provides, at a quarter of the price. That is a massive value. ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 9:27
competitive soundbar against some of the front runners ▶ SHS News: Sony XM6, Sonos Update, Marshall Heston 120, & BIG @ 9:08

Bass Performance (2)

bass adjustment on the speaker ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 0:52
Trevelyan base grabbing 100% ▶ Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So @ 8:48

Cons (36)

Sound Quality (11)

The mids feel a little empty to me ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 4:26
150W power might be too low for a soundbar without a sub ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 1:17
Of course, the Marshall Hesten 120 ultimately cannot compete with real surround sets consisting of a soundbar, subwoofer and rear speakers such as a Samsung HWQ99. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 5:11
Surround is okay. It's not as good as the HTA9's. It's not as good as a dedicated 5.1 ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 5:01
depending on the music genre, a few details are left out. So don't get me wrong, music generally sounds really good, just not as good as on a Sennheiser on the BO Plus or as you would expect from such an expensive Marshall Bluetooth speaker. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 3:36
Pretty darn good in terms of spatial performance, but I've definitely encountered better ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 7:35
hindi no vegan injustice now Mike no DSLR eco young power and sound quality martial art on - para para la Magra an idea negra ordinary nominal Sun ▶ Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So @ 7:31
even the sound signature is smaller ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 8:40
concerned about actual performance given 150W power ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 4:47
That's beside me, that ain't behind me. ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 5:11
it's not ideal at all you would not want to use that as an amp as your first choice ▶ Could this TINY MARSHALL AMP get you through a GIG EMERGENCY @ 3:47

Subwoofer Performance (6)

we don't have it, we tested it without a subwoofer ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 4:21
while Nakamichi advertises performance down to 20 Hertz what we found was actually closer to 30 to 45 before it just rolls off completely ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 7:03
part of the reason that it doesn't punch the way that the SVS subs do ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 6:56
no included subwoofer ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 1:20
You just hear this like when when there is that bass punch just like like you actually feel it. Yeah, which you don't get from the Nakamichi, which is really disappointing considering. They are big subwoofer still ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 6:18
lack of sub impacts the overall sound experience ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 1:36

Price/Value (4)

€999. Ah, that's high ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 8:53
Sure, you can connect rear speakers or a subwoofer, but that costs more than the RRP of €999 for the new Marshall soundbar, and the rear speakers might not fit in your room anyway. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 7:24
ito yung Telugu me Joe a pricey ▶ Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So @ 9:46
priced at $1,000 if you're buying in the US around $900 if you're buying to UK ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 5:22

Design (4)

faux leather since it is not real leather ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 1:21
quite imposing ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 1:04
I'm still asking myself the question from a design point of view. Indeed, there is a slightly glamorous side to it, with this very military black side, it's assumed, eh. But as much on a small Bluetooth speaker, I say to myself it's funny it looks like a mini guitar amp as much at the foot of my TV I have trouble seeing a TV or a piece of furniture that will be connected with this with this bar ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 4:55
only color option is black ▶ Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast @ 4:25

Bass Performance (3)

did you hear that just now on the bass line, that walking downwards? It gets a little boomy at the top because it's trying to compensate for the dip where the crossover lies. ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 5:30
The first thing that stands out is the extremely powerful and noticeable bass. They were even a bit too present for us, but they can be easily turned down. However, they were not always completely under control, which is why sometimes a few details were lost. ▶ Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitar @ 3:04
it just doesn't get that low. ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 5:21

Ease of Use (2)

where are you gonna put the Nakamichi Dragon stuff? It doesn't come with mounting hardware. These stands that we got, while nice, are 300 bucks. That's kind of a bummer. ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 9:11
the calibration is more manual and tedious ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 8:15

Features (2)

comes without a base box. It comes without a subwoofer and without a satellite speaker at the rear ▶ MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? @ 9:04
users have reported inadequate Dolby Atmos performance and challenges in wall mounting this sound bar. ▶ Best Soundbars 2025 @ 7:02

Connectivity (2)

lacks advanced technologies beyond basic Bluetooth and wired connections ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 2:12
the skinny negative subdue to stand even in new melon delay seguro maha one second delay ▶ Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So @ 9:10

Build Quality (2)

top-firing air holes might be prone to dust or water damage ▶ Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? @ 3:44
Be honest about it. ▶ I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR @ 7:18

Review sources

I replaced my $13K Home Theatre with a SOUNDBAR by Linus Tech Tips — 12 pros, 13 cons
Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar is Here as a Dolby Atmos beast with 11 drivers plus room calibration by AV Atmos — 21 pros, 2 cons
Marshall Heston 120 im Test - Dolby Atmos Soundbar mit Gitarrenverstärker-Genen by HIFIDE — 16 pros, 4 cons
Marshall Heston 120 mới ra mắt có gì ? by Vua2hand — 11 pros, 6 cons
MARSHALL veut DÉTRÔNER SONOS avec ses BARRES DE SON ? by Unlock Talk — 7 pros, 6 cons
Marshall Acton II Voice - Ang Pinakamalakas Na Nagamit Ko So Far! by Sulit Tech Reviews — 8 pros, 3 cons
SHS News: Sony XM6, Sonos Update, Marshall Heston 120, & BIG Surprise... 👀 by Smart Home Sounds — 5 pros, 0 cons
Best Soundbars 2025 by The Grapevine — 1 pros, 1 cons
Could this TINY MARSHALL AMP get you through a GIG EMERGENCY? by The-Art-of-Guitar — 1 pros, 1 cons

Frequently asked questions

Is the Marshall Heston 120 worth buying?

Based on 9 independent YouTube reviews, the Marshall Heston 120 scores 3.8/5 with 82 positive and 36 negative points mentioned by reviewers, placing it #49 in the Soundbars category.

What do reviewers like most about the Marshall Heston 120?

The most praised aspects are sound quality, features, connectivity — Sound Quality (24 mentions), Features (17 mentions), Connectivity (17 mentions).

What are the most common complaints about the Marshall Heston 120?

Reviewers most frequently criticize sound quality, subwoofer performance — Sound Quality (11 mentions), Subwoofer Performance (6 mentions).

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