Image: Zound Industries
The Marshall Uxbridge Voice is the latest Bluetooth speaker from Zound Industries, and it adds AirPlay 2 support to the lineup for the first time. Along with Apple’s streaming technology, the speaker also supports regular Bluetooth and Spotify Connect, and you can control it using the Alexa voice assistant. The speaker will be available starting on April 8th for $199 (£169.99 / €199).
Unlike previous Bluetooth speakers released under the Marshall brand, the Uxbridge’s physical controls consist of a series of volume rockers, rather than guitar amp-style knobs. Across the top, there are rocker buttons to turn its volume, bass, and treble up and down, there’s a play / pause button, and also a button to disable the speaker’s Alexa-enabled far-field microphone.
AirPlay 2 and Alexa support mean the Uxbridge Voice can also be paired with other speakers that use the same technologies to build a multiroom setup.
Along with support for Alexa, Zound is also promising to add support for Google Assistant to the Uxbridge Voice lineup on June 11th. However, unlike Sonos, which added support for Google Assistant via an update to its existing Alexa speakers, Zound is releasing an entirely separate version of the Uxbridge Voice with support Google’s voice assistant. It’s similar to the approach it took with its first two Alexa-enabled Marshall speakers, the Stanmore II and Acton II, which also received separate Google Assistant models later on.