The new Marshall Bromley 750 is a party speaker with a trick or two up its sleeve

Marshall is a brand that flourishes in the cyclical ecosystem of the music industry. Founded to supply amplification to the nascent pop and rock industries back in 1962, it specialised in PA systems and guitar amps, with Jim Marshall’s script branding becoming one of the most familiar logotypes of the pop cultural era. The company’s influence waned as demand for guitar-based music tailed off in the noughties, before enjoying a resurgence, along with other heritage rock brands like Fender and Gibson.

But Marshall had another second act up its sleeve. There was clearly scope to parlay its amplification know-how into the new market for portable sound, one that has grown inexorably since the dawn of the streaming era and the widespread uptake of Bluetooth.

Toes were first dipped in the world of Bluetooth speakers and headphones back in 2010, when the Marshall Amplification brand teamed up with Sweden’s Zound Industries to bring the latter’s experience to bear on the new market. After Zound transitioned into the Marshall Group in 2023 (which is in turn majority owned by China’s HongShan Capital Group), the shift brought investment along with the desire (and need) to broaden the brand’s horizons.

Now we have another first for the company, in the shape of the Marshall Bromley 750, the first ever ‘party speaker’ from Marshall. If this category, with all its bells and whistles and OTT styling, feels a little counterintuitive for a brand built on solid, no-nonsense design, Marshall are keen to demonstrate otherwise.

To find out more about this new Marshall, we spoke to Andreas Enquist, Marshall’s Chief Design officer, about the new speaker and what it means for extending the brand while also keeping the heritage alive. Enquist heads up a team of 30 overseeing the company’s Stockholm-based product design team. ‘Marshall products have four characteristics,’ he tells us over Zoom, against an appropriate backdrop of wall-mounted guitars. ‘There is simplicity, longevity, community and tactility.’

That first quality is closely related to the literal plug and play qualities of Marshall’s early guitar amps. ‘Things should just work,’ Enquist explains, ‘with quick access to music features and sound settings, along with physical buttons.’ The aesthetic parallels with the black and gold palette of the original amps are clear to see, as is the basic, geometric form factor of the Bromley – a monolith-like rectangular box. ‘A lot of our design is based on textures and finishes,’ Enquist continues, adding playfully that ‘we own the box [form factor].’

This confidence comes from that long heritage and the parallel longevity of Marshall products – early amps are still highly prized for their sound. ‘We love long-lasting, durable products,’ says Enquist, simply. After longevity comes community, a value that benefits from Marshall’s long, inseparable link with amplified music.

The latter also manifests itself in physical venues, such as the recently opened Marshall Livehouse in Bangkok’s Charoenkrung neighbourhood, a small music venue and rehearsal space that trades on the enduring global popularity of exported Brit pop and rock.

On a purely practical level, this heritage connection manifests itself in subtle ways in the new product lines and the Bromley is no exception. The etched anodized brass, gnarled connectors and even the power switch are all direct quotes from Marshall amps, while little details like the carry strap fasteners on small speakers (derived from guitar strap buttons) and the plush velvet lined carry case (a nod to guitar hardcases) are clearly a delight for Enquist and his team to assemble and deploy. ‘If you know, you know,’ he says simply, pointing out how heritage also leads directly to ‘tactility’.

‘This is such a strong thing for our brand,’ the designer continues, ‘we’re about creating an amplified user experience through textures and finishes.’ The chunky corner caps, built-in carry handle and deep sculpted grill, along with the PU leather effect surface finish hark right back to Marshall’s earliest amplifiers, designed for a tough life on and off the stage and – most importantly – all points in between. And then there’s the legendary logo, making an unmissable statement about sound and volume.

That’s why a party speaker seemed like such a good fit. ‘We still wanted a different approach,’ says Enquist, describing the Bromley as rugged but still ‘living room friendly.’ Use cases for this sizeable are extensive. With twin physical inputs (1/4” as well as XLR for microphones), in addition to Aux, USB-C and wireless connectivity options, the speaker also has onboard delay and reverb and a removable battery pack.

Crucially, the Bromley also provides a full 360-degree soundscape thanks to drivers located on every available surface, ensuring it'll become a favourite festival accessory as well as a handy device for camping, glamping and garden parties (although please use all those watts responsibly). The introduction of a ‘sound character’ knob enables one to dial in a more bass-heavy sound or acoustics that are better suited to a smaller indoor space.

The feature that makes it party as hard as rivals though is something decidedly un-Marshall – in-built lights. Concealed behind the grille are a set of bright LEDs that can run through three different cycles, a general mode and two that are responsive to the music being played. ‘We wondered if having lights was a bit gimmicky,’ Enquist admits, ‘some of our competitors are like lava lamps! But I looked at stage lighting from 1920s, as well as things like marquee signage, with logos and names picked out in lights.’ The end result sparkles in a glam rock kind of way, eschewing the candy-hued neon visuals of equivalent devices.

At 24kg, the Bromley isn’t exactly pocketable – that’s why there are carry handles and an extendable airport-bag style handle and a tough pair of wheels. A fully charged battery should deliver over 40 hours of playback, enough for a full weekend event. And the name? The company’s recent foray into the soundbar space, the Heston 120, took its name from a service station renowned as a late night stop off for bands returning from gigs around the country. Bromley?

The south-east London suburb doesn’t exactly scream rock and roll today, but Andreas Enquist cites the Bromley Contingent, the ragtag band of Sex Pistols fans who went on to make their own mark on punk and post-punk music and fashion. Those who went on to get their name in lights include Siouxsie Sioux, Steve Severin, and Billy Idol.

Thanks to the Marshall Bromley 750’s power, presence and flexibility, it can even be used with an electro-acoustic guitar or keyboard, in addition to microphones, making it an all-in-one stop for the more gregarious musician.

Marshall Bromley 750 Party Speaker, £899.99, available from 23 September 2025 at Marshall.com, @Marshall