Marshall’s boldest soundbar yet has me rethinking my entire Sonos setup

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In the soundbar world, Samsung’s options are often at the front lines of innovation, performance, and value. This year, Samsung unveiled a soundbar equipped with an internal gyroscope, enabling you to adjust the soundbar’s orientation to suit your room’s specific needs without compromising sound quality.

Also: The best soundbars of 2025: Expert tested and recommended

Although Samsung wasn’t the first to integrate a gyroscope into its soundbar, its execution of the feature was remarkable. However, home entertainment newbie Marshall also recognized that consumers want a soundbar that is sonically consistent regardless of its orientation. Marshall’s Heston 60 soundbar<!–> builds upon the lessons learned from Samsung, adding its own design-first twist to the technology.

I’ve been using the Heston 60 for a month, and if you’ve considered straying from mainstream names like Sonos and Samsung, here’s what you should know.

Small frame, big sound

Marshall’s Heston 60 soundbar’s size falls between that of the Samsung HW-QS700F and the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). It features a 5.1-channel configuration, comprising seven Class D amplifiers, five one-and-a-quarter-inch full-range speakers, and two three-inch woofers. 

The Heston 60’s sound output is full and robust, and despite its more compact size compared to Marshall’s Heston 120, the Heston 60 is well-suited for small to medium-sized rooms. Still, the Heston 60 doesn’t have dedicated height channels, and despite its DTS:X and Dolby Atmos compatibility, the lack of upfiring speakers diminishes the immersive effects.

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I won’t hold the lack of upfiring speakers against the Heston 60; even a soundbar like the Sonos Arc Ultra or the Samsung HW-Q900F with four height channels, performance is heavily dependent on the soundbar’s position relative to your TV and the distance between the soundbar and your ceiling.

Still, the Heston 60’s horizontal immersive audio performance is excellent. While watching “The Equalizer 3,” a clear separation and movement of sounds across the screen were evident, such as footsteps or the sound of cars driving past. 

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You can access the Heston 60’s Bluetooth 5.3 or Wi-Fi 6 capabilities for wireless streaming, with support for Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect. Or, plug into the soundbar’s 3.5mm Aux In, Sub Out, or USB-C ports for wired connectivity. Music fans can appreciate the Heston 60’s array of compatible codecs, including FLAC, WMA, LC3, and MPEG4.

Design is Marshall’s first language

Like all of Marshall’s products, design is equally important as audio performance. Although the Heston 60 doesn’t have an internal gyroscope for sound consistency, it does include waveguides and angled front drivers to achieve a similar outcome. Waveguides control the direction of the speakers’ sound dispersion, and the angled drivers also aid in sound localization.

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But unlike its competitors from Sonos and Sony, Marshall’s logo is the most stressed syllable in its design language. Without its logo front and center, and without eye-catching accents, Marshall’s Heston products would resemble its modern and muted counterparts, which is the antithesis of its visual mission.

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As a result, you can remove the Heston 60’s Marshall logo and the soundbar’s control panel casing and magnetically reattach them to match the soundbar’s orientation. Its subtle yet noticeable design choices set the Heston 60 apart from its peers, whose design elements are much more subdued and nondescript.

A $600 subwoofer to pull it all together

Alongside the Heston 60, Marshall debuted its first external subwoofer, the Sub 200. It follows the same design language as its soundbar counterparts, and its primary technical allure lies in its mode of connectivity. 

Unlike Sonos’ offerings, Marshall’s Sub 200 connects to a Heston soundbar via Bluetooth LE instead of Wi-Fi. Additionally, the Sub 200 has an RCA Sub In port for connection to other systems. I encountered a few connectivity issues during setup, but once it was up and running, everything went smoothly.

Also: My Sonos Arc Ultra faced an unexpected challenger – and the soundbar met its match

Although a subwoofer has one job – to elevate your soundbar’s bass response – the Sub 200’s bass output isn’t as powerful, tight, or robust as I’d hoped. Considering my living room sub is Sonos’ Sub 4, I had high expectations. The Sub 200 is fitted with two 120W Class D amplifiers and two five-and-a-quarter-inch woofers. Its ported design helps with amplifying low-frequency sounds, and its bass performance is on par with Samsung’s subwoofers found in its boxed sets.

The movie theater-esque thunder and rumble of the Sub 4 is unmatched; Marshall’s Sub 200 certainly adds an additional layer of bass to the Heston 60, but it’s harder to feel unless you’re listening at high volumes, or max out the Sub 200’s split point.

However, Marshall’s sub allows for more personalization than Sonos, specifically allowing users to adjust the Sub 200’s crossover threshold. With this feature, users can configure the bass split point between the Sub 200 and their Marshall soundbar.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Marshall’s Heston 60<!–> compact soundbar is a great option for people who want a soundbar that does more than simply connect to your TV’s eARC port. Its compatibility with an array of Bluetooth codecs, wired options, and spatial audio formats sets it apart from its competitors, along with its unique design and flexibility with other sound systems.

The Sub 200–> is a great addition to Marshall’s soundbars, and its rock ‘n’ roll-inspired design, coupled with its execution of Bluetooth LE, makes it another impressive step from Marshall into the home audio market.

Still, for their size and performance, the Heston 60 and Sub 200 are expensive. When Sonos’ flagship Arc Ultra<!–> and Sub 4–> are on sale, they’re only $180 and $120 more than the Heston 60 and Sub 200, respectively. 

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