Marshall Acton IV and Stanmore IV are the brand’s new fourth-generation home Bluetooth speakers — same Gen IV toolkit, two room sizes. Both get a redesigned bass port, waveguided tweeters, Bluetooth 5.3 with Auracast, codecs including LDAC and LC3, AUX + RCA for vinyl and legacy kit, and a path into Heddon multi-speaker setups. On the U.S. store, Acton IV lists at $329.99; Stanmore IV at $429.99. Pick by room size, not by feature FOMO.

At a glance: Acton IV = compact home box, 4 in woofer, 95 dB SPL, 171 × 150 × 260 mm, 2.65 kg, $329.99. Stanmore IV = living-room mid-size, 5 in woofer, 97 dB SPL, 350 × 203 × 185 mm, 3.99 kg, $429.99. Shared: 60 W + 2×25 W Class D, bass-reflex, BT 5.3 / Auracast, SBC / AAC / LDAC / LC3, AUX + RCA, Marshall app, Black / Cream. Verify live prices on Acton IV and Stanmore IV.
Marshall Acton IV Black home Bluetooth speaker with salt-and-pepper grille and brass top controls on dark grey background.
Acton IV leads the compact end of Marshall’s Gen IV home stack — same brass-and-grille language as Stanmore, smaller footprint.

What Gen 4 changes in Marshall home speakers

Marshall’s plugged-in home line still ladders by size: Acton for desks and smaller rooms, Stanmore for living rooms, Woburn when you want the big statement box. Gen IV is not a redesign for redesign’s sake — Marshall is aligning both Acton and Stanmore around the same modern stack: better dispersion claims, wall-friendlier bass tuning, current Bluetooth codecs, analogue inputs that include RCA, and multi-speaker sync via Auracast with the Heddon hub.

If you already own Acton III or Stanmore III and the room sounds fine, there is no forced upgrade. Gen IV is for buyers who want vinyl-friendly RCA, LDAC/LC3 on Bluetooth, and a cleaner path into whole-home Marshall setups without leaving the amp-on-a-shelf identity.

Marshall Stanmore IV Black home Bluetooth speaker with salt-and-pepper grille and brass controls on dark grey background.
Stanmore IV: the mid-size living-room partner to Acton IV — wider chassis, larger woofer, same Gen IV feature set.
Full Marshall ladder: Best Marshall Bluetooth Speakers (2026): Every Model Compared →

Acton IV vs Stanmore IV

Feature parity is high. The useful differences are cabinet size, woofer diameter, quoted SPL, and price. Amp wattage on paper is identical: 60 W Class D for the woofer and 2×25 W for the tweeters on both models.

Feature Acton IV Stanmore IV
Best for Desk, bedroom, small room Living room / open plan
Woofer 4 in 5 in
Tweeters 2 × 0.75 in with waveguides 2 × 0.75 in with waveguides
Amplifiers 60 W + 2 × 25 W Class D 60 W + 2 × 25 W Class D
Max SPL 95 dB @ 1 m 97 dB @ 1 m
Frequency range 37–38,000 Hz 36–38,000 Hz
Dimensions (W × H × D) 171 × 150 × 260 mm 350 × 203 × 185 mm
Weight 2.65 kg 3.99 kg
Bluetooth / codecs 5.3 Auracast; SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 5.3 Auracast; SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3
Wired inputs AUX + RCA AUX + RCA
U.S. list (check live) $329.99 $429.99

Acton IV: the compact home box

Acton IV stays under 3 kg and about 17 cm wide — small enough for a desk or bedroom shelf, loud enough for a studio apartment if you are not hosting a party. Marshall quotes 95 dB SPL @ 1 m and a 4-inch woofer in a bass-reflex cabinet with the Gen IV port redesign for cleaner low end and easier flush placement against a wall.

Controls stay hardware-first: brass volume / bass / treble knobs, media jog, source button, customisable M-button (EQ presets or Spotify Tap), and the signature power toggle. Finishes: Black and Cream.

Marshall Acton IV Black speaker in a warm collage-style living room lifestyle scene with a person in an orange cardigan.
Acton IV in a lived-in room: compact Marshall furniture, not a portable cylinder.
Marshall Acton IV brass control panel close-up with treble knob, M-button, media jog, and power toggle switch.
Acton IV brass deck: treble, M-button, media jog, and the amp-style power toggle.
Marshall Acton IV Cream colorway home Bluetooth speaker product shot.
Cream Acton IV for lighter interiors — same Gen IV stack as Black.

Stanmore IV: living-room scale

Stanmore IV is the default living-room Marshall: roughly 35 cm wide, just under 4 kg, with a 5-inch woofer and a quoted 97 dB SPL @ 1 m. It uses the same Class D amp ratings as Acton IV; the larger woofer and wider cabinet are the real differentiators on paper.

Same tactile control language, same Black / Cream finishes, same repairable knobs / feet / grille story. If Acton feels polite for your space, Stanmore is the Gen IV step up before Woburn money.

Marshall Stanmore IV Black home speaker in a lifestyle interior setting.
Stanmore IV is pitched as one-chassis living-room Marshall — furniture scale without a full hi-fi rack.
Marshall Stanmore IV brass control panel close-up with knobs and power toggle.
Stanmore IV controls stay guest-friendly: knobs and a power toggle, not app-only.
Marshall Stanmore IV Cream colorway home Bluetooth speaker product shot.
Cream Stanmore IV — same feature set, lighter visual weight in bright rooms.

Sound, Dynamic Loudness, and placement

Marshall’s Gen IV acoustic pitch is shared. Improved tweeters and waveguides are meant to throw a wider stereo image across the room. The redesigned bass-reflex port aims for cleaner, tighter low end at higher volumes and better behaviour when the speaker sits flush against a wall. Dynamic Loudness reshapes tonal balance as volume changes so quiet night listening and louder sessions do not feel like two different EQ curves.

Treat the SPL and frequency figures as manufacturer ceilings under Marshall’s test conditions. They are useful for comparing Acton IV to Stanmore IV, not as outdoor party guarantees. For portable / higher-SPL Marshall options, start from the lineup guide.

Hand flipping the brass power toggle on a Marshall Acton IV Black speaker with sunglasses and rings on a white surface.
The ritual click: Gen IV still keeps the amp-style power switch that made earlier home Marshalls feel tactile.

Bluetooth, Auracast, AUX, and RCA

Both speakers run Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint and Auracast, plus codecs SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3. Open-space range is quoted at 10 m / 32.8 ft.

Wired I/O is a real Gen IV upgrade for the Acton slot: both models include 3.5 mm AUX and RCA. Vinyl players need a phono preamp unless the turntable has one built in. Brass top panels show Bluetooth / AUX / RCA source LEDs so you can see which path is live without opening the app.

Close-up of Marshall Acton IV brass top panel showing AUX jack, Bluetooth AUX RCA source LEDs, and volume knob.
Acton IV brass plate: front-panel AUX plus source LEDs for Bluetooth / AUX / RCA.
Close-up of Marshall Stanmore IV brass top panel showing AUX jack, Bluetooth AUX RCA source LEDs, and volume knob.
Stanmore IV same I/O story, wider brass deck: AUX + RCA for turntables and legacy kit.

Heddon multi-room and the Marshall app

Both Acton IV and Stanmore IV are Auracast receivers. Marshall’s intended whole-home path uses the Heddon Wi-Fi music hub as broadcaster: put Heddon in setup mode, long-press the speaker’s M-button, and it joins the sync group. Compatible phones can also feed Auracast broadcasts via the Marshall app or native OS tools where supported.

In the Marshall app, both speakers get EQ. Acton IV is pitched with room calibration; Stanmore IV with placement compensation — useful when the box sits against a wall, in a corner, or on an open console. Details on the hub: our Heddon intro.

Marshall Stanmore IV Black speaker in a room listening lifestyle scene.
One primary room now; add more Gen IV boxes later via Heddon + Auracast if you want music that follows you.

Repairability and materials

Marshall lists both models as repairable, with user-replaceable knobs, feet, and grille on marshall.com, plus authorised repair paths that vary by market. Both cabinets use FSC 100%-certified wood (FSC™ C225755) for the wood portion. Recycled content by weight (excluding accessories and packaging): 13% on Acton IV, 16% on Stanmore IV.

Spec table

Spec Acton IV Stanmore IV
Drivers 1 × 4 in woofer; 2 × 0.75 in tweeters 1 × 5 in woofer; 2 × 0.75 in tweeters
Amplification 60 W + 2 × 25 W Class D 60 W + 2 × 25 W Class D
Frequency range 37–38,000 Hz 36–38,000 Hz
Max SPL 95 dB @ 1 m 97 dB @ 1 m
Cabinet Bass-reflex Bass-reflex
Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint, Auracast 5.3, multipoint, Auracast
Codecs SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3
Wired I/O 3.5 mm AUX; RCA 3.5 mm AUX; RCA
App Marshall app (EQ, room calibration) Marshall app (EQ, placement compensation)
Dimensions (W × H × D) 171 × 150 × 260 mm 350 × 203 × 185 mm
Weight 2.65 kg 3.99 kg
Recycled content 13% by weight 16% by weight
Colorways Black; Cream Black; Cream
U.S. price $329.99 (verify live) $429.99 (verify live)
In the box Speaker, mains lead, quick start, legal/safety Speaker, mains lead, quick start, legal/safety

Who should buy which

Choose Acton IV if…

  • You want a compact Marshall home speaker for a desk, bedroom, or small living room.
  • You need RCA + AUX without paying Stanmore money.
  • You plan to grow into Heddon / Auracast later and want the smaller first box.

Choose Stanmore IV if…

  • You want one Marshall box for a medium / living-room space and Acton feels undersized.
  • You want the larger 5-inch woofer and slightly higher quoted SPL in the same Gen IV feature set.
  • You still want tactile knobs and vinyl-friendly RCA without jumping to Woburn.

You can wait if…

  • Your Acton III / Stanmore III still covers Bluetooth + room size at a better sale price.
  • You need battery portability — these are mains-powered home speakers.
  • You need confirmed regional pricing or the occasional “two home speakers + free Heddon” bundle on marshall.com.
Brand primer: What Is Marshall? Amps, Speakers & Headphones Explained →

FAQ

What is the difference between Marshall Acton IV and Stanmore IV?

Same Gen IV feature set. Acton IV is smaller and cheaper (4 in woofer, 95 dB, $329.99). Stanmore IV is the living-room step (5 in woofer, 97 dB, $429.99). Buy by room size.

Can I connect a turntable to Acton IV or Stanmore IV?

Yes on both. Each has an RCA input. Vinyl players need a phono preamp unless the turntable already includes one.

Do Acton IV and Stanmore IV work with Heddon?

Yes. Both are Auracast receivers. With Heddon in setup mode, long-press the speaker’s M-button to join a multi-speaker broadcast.

Are these speakers battery powered?

No. Acton IV and Stanmore IV are mains-powered home speakers (100–240 V). For portable Marshall options, look at Stockwell, Emberton, Kilburn, or the Bromley party line.

What codecs do Acton IV and Stanmore IV support?

Marshall lists SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3 on both, over Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint and Auracast.

Sources