The Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar Is Big and Beautiful, but Does It Rock?

"Marshall's first try at a Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Heston 120, is an ambitious effort. Marshall's consumer arm (once a separate entity) became a success by leveraging the amplifier brand's musical legacy for an expansive line of headphones and Bluetooth speakers that sound nearly as powerful, raucous, and downright fun as they look. Moving into soundbars might seem like a natural succession, but creating an all-in-one distributor of surround sound and spatial audio formats that sits neatly beneath your TV is not without its challenges."

"The Heston 120 is a beautiful reflection of Marshall's design heritage, and there's a lot this 5.1.2-channel system gets right, but it's a surprisingly mercurial performer. It's capable of a premium touch and immersive overhead and side-firing effects. But when it comes to cinematic punch in action scenes and impactful moments, something is holding it back. In other words, this soundbar just doesn't rock."

"It's nearly impossible not to admire the Heston 120's style. My wife-who has endured more soundbar unboxings than any audio civilian should have to-was immediately impressed by its striking design. Tactile touches like long strips of vinyl, coarse amplifier threading on the grille, and gleaming gold control knobs provide an impressive home theater translation of Marshall's original amplifiers, as well as speakers like the Stanmore and Kilburn."

The Marshall Heston 120 is a 5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar that blends classic Marshall styling with modern home-theater features. It houses 11 individually powered drivers, immersive overhead and side-firing effects, and offers analog input, subwoofer output, and app-based settings. The design includes vinyl, amplifier grille threading, and gold control knobs for a tactile premium feel. Dialog and detail reproduction are strong, and topside digital control knobs provide enjoyable interaction. However, the system lacks dynamic punch during action scenes and impactful moments, producing less cinematic weight than rivals. The Heston 120 is also priced toward the top of its class.

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