Below the surface are 11 individually driven speakers, including two five-inch woofers, two midrange drivers, two tweeters, and five “full-range” drivers. The collection includes both side-firing and upfiring drivers to bounce sound off your walls and ceilings for surround sound and 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
On the back, you’ll find solid connectivity, including HDMI eARC/ARC for seamless connection with modern TVs, an HDMI passthrough port for connecting a streamer or gaming console, Ethernet, RCA analog connections for older devices like a turntable, and a traditional subwoofer that lets you side-step Marshall’s available wireless subs. There’s no optical port, but since optical doesn’t support Dolby Atmos or DTS:X spatial audio, that’s a moot point.
Setup is pretty simple, but the bar’s heavy size adds some complications. At three inches tall, it fits under many TVs. By contrast, the rubber feet that extend its 43-inch-long frame from your console provide almost zero clearance at the edges and, unlike bars like Sony’s Bravia Theater 9 or System 6, there’s no way to extend it. This makes it difficult to install the bar properly with all but the thinnest pedestal TV stands, which is becoming common even with inexpensive TVs. That said, there’s a good chance you’ll need to mount your TV to use the Heston.
Like the Sonos Arc Ultra, there’s no remote, meaning adjusting settings relies primarily on the Marshall app. The app is relatively stable, but for me it froze during a firmware update, and it usually takes a while to connect when opening it for the first time. These are minor quibbles, and your TV remote should serve as your main controls for power and volume.
The Wi-Fi connection unlocks music streaming via Google Cast, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and internet radio stations, with Bluetooth 5.3 as a backup. Automatic calibration adjusts the sound to your room (with fun guitar tones), and in-app controls like multi-band EQ offer more in-depth options than physical knobs.
premium touch
Photograph: Ryan Vaniata
The sound profile of the Heston 120 was impressed by the first video I turned on, which was an episode of bob’s burgersThe bar immediately displayed a sense of clarity, openness and overall definition that is unusual even for the major players in this field,