Why the Marshall Heston 60 Soundbar Is Struggling to Find Buyers

Explore the ups and downs of the Marshall Heston 60 soundbar and why it’s a tough sell despite its striking design and features.

A New Player in the Soundbar Arena

If you’ve been keeping an ear out for the latest in soundbar tech, you’ll know giants like Samsung soundbars have been the reigning champions for a while now. Samsung’s innovations, like this year’s model featuring a built-in gyroscope that lets you rotate the soundbar without sacrificing audio quality, have set a high bar.

Enter Marshall, a brand better known for its rock-and-roll heritage than home audio, stepping into the soundbar ring with the Heston 60. Borrowing some ideas from Samsung’s playbook but adding its signature style, this newcomer promises flexibility and power. I spent a whole month living with the Heston 60, and if you’re considering ditching your Sonos or Samsung setup, here’s what you’ll want to know.

Compact Size, Big Ambitions

The Marshall Heston 60 soundbar settles in a sweet spot size-wise—larger than the Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar but smaller than Samsung's HW-QS700F. Inside, it boasts a 5.1 speaker configuration with seven Class D amplifiers, five 1.25-inch full-range drivers, and a pair of 3-inch woofers.

The sound? Rich and powerful for its size. It’s a step down from the larger Heston 120 but perfectly suited for small to medium rooms. The catch? The Heston 60 lacks upward-firing speakers. Though it supports DTS:X and Dolby Atmos, the immersive 3D audio experience suffers without those ceiling-directed drivers.

That said, absence of upward-firing speakers isn't a dealbreaker. Even premium models like the Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar or Samsung HW-Q900F soundbar, which pack four of these drivers, rely heavily on room setup and ceiling height for optimal sound bouncing.

Where the Heston 60 does shine is in horizontal surround sound. Watching The Equalizer 3, I could clearly hear footsteps and cars zooming past, with sounds crisply moving across the screen. It nailed the spatial audio effect on the flat plane.

Connectivity is generous. You’ve got Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6 with Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect for wireless streaming. Wired options include 3.5mm Aux In, Sub Out, and USB-C. Audiophiles will appreciate its support for multiple codecs like FLAC, WMA, LC3, and MPEG4.

Design Is the Heartbeat of Marshall

Marshall’s obsession with design is no secret—it’s as iconic as their amplifiers. Unlike Samsung’s gyroscope trick, the Heston 60 achieves directional sound control using angled drivers and waveguides that steer sound precisely where it should go.

But peel back the design layers, and you’ll see Marshall’s unmistakable logo steals the spotlight. Remove it, along with the boldly accented control panel, and the Heston 60 would look like just another sleek soundbar. That logo and the magnetic control panel are more than just aesthetics—they’re a bold statement of the brand’s identity, setting it apart from the sea of understated Sonos and Sony devices.

Therefore, the logo and control panel can be detached and repositioned magnetically to match the orientation of the soundbar. These subtle but striking details give the Heston 60 a distinct edge over competitors with more subdued designs.

The $600 Subwoofer That’s Not Quite a Showstopper

Alongside the Heston 60, Marshall introduced its first external subwoofer, the Sub 200, designed to match the soundbar’s rock ’n’ roll vibe. Its standout feature is the way it connects—it uses Bluetooth LE to sync with the Heston 60, unlike Sonos subs that rely on Wi-Fi. It also sports an RCA Sub In port for hooking up to other audio systems.

Setting it up was a bit bumpy at first, but once connected, it stayed rock solid.

However, the bass performance was a bit of a letdown. With two 120-watt Class D amplifiers driving two 5.25-inch woofers in a ported enclosure, the Sub 200 should pack a punch. Yet, compared to the thunderous Sonos Sub 4 subwoofer in my living room, it fell short on power, tightness, and richness.

To get truly noticeable bass, I had to crank the volume or max out the crossover frequency. But hey, it does allow for more hands-on customization than Sonos—users can adjust the crossover threshold to fine-tune the bass handoff between the sub and soundbar.

Final Thoughts: A Tough Crowd to Please

The Heston 60 is available in black and cream for around $700. For a compact soundbar, its audio chops and connectivity options are impressive—covering nearly every wireless and wired standard you could want.

That said, with a $700 price tag, you can snag a Samsung soundbar and subwoofer combo that holds its own. The Heston 60 is a fantastic pick if you want more than just a simple eARC device. Its codec support, diverse connectivity, and unique design give it a distinct personality in a crowded market.

The Sub 200 complements the setup well, with its rock-inspired look and Bluetooth LE connection pushing Marshall’s home audio ambitions forward.

Yet, when you stack it up against the performance and pricing of Sonos’ flagship Arc Ultra and Sub 4—often discounted to just a bit more than Marshall’s new gear—it’s hard to justify the premium.

“Compact yet packed with features, the Heston 60 is a bold move by Marshall—but does it make the cut against seasoned heavyweights?”

FAQ

• What makes the Marshall Heston 60 stand out from other soundbars?
  Its combination of distinctive Marshall branding, angled drivers for sound control, and support for a wide range of wireless and wired formats distinguishes it from more generic competitors.
• Does the Heston 60 support Dolby Atmos?
  Yes, it supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, but without upward-firing speakers, the 3D audio immersion is limited.
• How does the Sub 200 compare to other subwoofers like Sonos Sub 4?
  While the Sub 200 adds bass and offers customizable crossover settings, it doesn’t quite match the power or depth of the Sonos Sub 4, especially at moderate volumes.
• What connectivity options does the Heston 60 offer?
  It includes Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6, Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and wired inputs like 3.5mm Aux In, Sub Out, and USB-C.
• Is the Heston 60 worth the price tag?
  For audiophiles who value design and versatile formats, yes. But for those seeking the best bang for their buck, other soundbar and subwoofer combos might offer better value.

If you love the Marshall aesthetic or want to celebrate your favorite albums in style, why not shop for iconic album cover posters at our store? They’re a perfect match for any music lover’s sanctuary.

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