There are various speakers, headphones, earphones, air pods, wireless, and otherwise, but the Marshall Kilburn portable speakers are here for the win.
These portable speakers can handle contemporary music like hip-hop and pop, and Blues and Jazz are better enjoyed. The sound is balanced, versatile, and without much electric static.
Marshall Kilburn One and Two are portable speakers with a vintage look but very modern sound designs.
Key Takeaways
- Kilburn I offers a classic design, analog knobs, and a carry handle; Kilburn II has a more modern look, water resistance, and a multidirectional sound feature.
- Kilburn II has improved battery life, offering 20+ hours compared to Kilburn Iโs 15-20 hours.
- Kilburn II includes Bluetooth 5.0, enhancing connectivity and range; Kilburn I uses an older Bluetooth version.
Marshall Kilburn I vs II
Marshall Kilburn I is a portable speaker with a vintage design. It has a battery life of up to 20 hours and an audio performance of 20 watts for woofers and tweeters. This model is not water-resistant. Marshall Kilburn II is a new speaker version with more than 20 hours of battery life and an improved multi-directional sound. It has sound quality with 30 watts of power for woofers and tweeters. This speaker is water-resistant.

Comparison Table
Parameters of Comparison | Marshall Kilburn I | Marshall Kilburn II |
---|---|---|
Battery Life | The battery life is of 20 hours. | The battery life is of 20 plus hours |
Audio Performance | It only has 20 watts in total for woofers and tweeters. | It has a multi-directional sound and 36 watts in total for woofers and tweeters. |
Connectivityย | There is no such facility. | It can connect to two devices simultaneously |
Frequency Range | 62 โ 20,000 Hz | 52 โ 20,000 Hz |
Water resistance | No such feature. | Somewhat water-resistant and thus can handle a little bit of drizzle. |
What is Marshall Kilburn I?
If you like retro and vintage designs, the Kilburn series is custom-made.
The mesh, woven grille, and the Marshall logo on the front make it stand out among its competitors.
The gold piping on the surroundings is beautiful in both black and cream colour variants.
The control panel is all analogue, and they are waiting to be probed and tweaked, the toggle switch and the knobs for adjusting bass, treble, and volume.
There are no wifi or internet connection features here; it only has a Bluetooth connection to oneโs phone; thus, it is pretty old school in most ways.
The nearly 2300 mAh battery lasts for 20 hours; thus, it is enough juice for long party hours.
Coming to sound quality, it has a good balance of volume, bass, and treble and also enough crispy sound quality to enjoy the blues and jazz. The price tag as of 2021 is pretty affordable, given the features it packs.ย
The disadvantages include the no internet connection facilities, given that now most things are controlled over the internet or streamed from there, it certainly is a major drawback.
The weight of three kilograms is not appealing to younger consumers either. However, it is perfect for those looking for an old-school, vintage music system that can play their favourites loud, clear, and long.

What is Marshall Kilburn II?
The newer version of Marshall Kilburn has seen improvements in major areas as compared to the older version.
The major improvements are the 20-plus hours of playtime and the power of having 3 hours for just a 20 minutes charging session.ย ย
The next one is the best improvement, which is multi-directional sound, and it is sure to immerse you in music indoors or outdoors.ย
The sound quality is significantly better, with 36 watts distributed among 20 watts for the woofers and the remaining 8 watts for the tweeters.
The Bluetooth here is the fifth generation APTX and can connect to two simultaneous devices up to a distance of 30 feet. The colour option here is more with the grey variant added to the existing black and cream.ย
Even though the Kilburn II is bigger than its predecessor, it is also lighter, and the design is slightly improved upon, with the sleek, old-fashion look remaining the same.
The water resistance may not be top-notch, but it can withstand some water with its IPX2 water-resistant technology.ย
However, any app does not support it, and the controls are all analogue with the knobs for changing the volume or bass, etc., at the top, just like the older version.
There is no internet support, so there is no music streaming or smart voice assistant.ย

Main Differences Between Marshall Kilburn I and II
- The battery life is longer with the Kilburn II than the Kilburn I, and it also recharges quicker than the Kilburn I and can give a playtime of 3 hours in just 20 minutes.
- The water resistance, Marshall Kilburn II, is somewhat water-resistant, but the Kilburn I has no such feature.ย
- In Audio Performance, the Kilburn II has 36 watts in total for the woofers and tweeters and the Kilburn I has only 20 Watts.
- The connectivity facilities are better in the Kilburn II and can connect to two devices simultaneously compared to the Kilburn I.
- The Kilburn II is lighter than the Kilburn I even though it is bigger concerning height.ย
- The colour variants on the Kilburn II are more than the Kilburn I, which only has black and cream colours to choose from, while the former one has grey as well.

Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.