Marshall Emberton III Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Sage

Yes. The Emberton III has a built-in microphone, so it works as a speakerphone for calls from a connected phone. Push the control knob once to answer or end a call and twice to reject it. Pressing the Bluetooth button during a call moves the audio between the speaker and your phone. It has no voice assistant of its own.

Marshall rates it at more than 32 hours per charge, and the real figure depends on volume and music, so expect less at high volume. Twenty minutes of charging adds about 6 hours, and a full charge takes 2 hours with a 5V, 3A USB-C supply. The 10-segment indicator on top shows the charge level. The Marshall Bluetooth app has battery preservation settings, and Marshall advises against charging it in places at 45°C or hotter, such as a parked car.

Yes. It is rated IP67, so it is dust tight and can stay in 1 m of water for up to 30 minutes. Let it dry completely before you connect the charging cable. For cleaning, Marshall suggests a soft brush or a slightly damp cloth on the removable silicone sleeve and says not to rinse the speaker under running water.

Both share the same 160 x 68 mm footprint and an IP67 rating. Going by Marshall's figures, the Emberton III adds a built-in microphone for calls (the Emberton II has none), moves from Bluetooth 5.1 to Bluetooth 5.3 LE with a stated range of up to 100 m against 10 m, and is LE Audio-ready for Auracast. Playtime rises from 30+ to 32+ hours, 20 minutes of charging gives 6 hours instead of 4, a full charge takes 2 hours instead of 3, and maximum loudness goes from 87 to 90 dB. Stack Mode, which links Emberton II speakers, is not listed for the Emberton III.

Yes. Two Bluetooth devices can stay connected at once, and the speaker remembers up to 8 paired devices and reconnects to the last one when it is in range. To pair another device, hold the Bluetooth button until the light pulses slowly in blue. Walls, doors and devices such as microwave ovens or Wi-Fi routers can shorten the range.