What do you think about Sonos Move vs Marshall Tufton?

  • 7 January 2020
  • 13 replies
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I think this is quite a fair comparison because they are both Bluetooth speakers, they are at the same price point ($400), both from big premium sound companies (Sonos & Marshall). 

I’m currently testing between those 2 to decide which one will be my main Bluetooth speaker.

 

I’m leaning toward the Sonos Move because…

  1. It has the Sonos ecosystem and WiFi. I’m currently studying aboard, so when I go back to my country (VN), I can use the Sonos Move as a Sonos speaker with my existing speakers that I have in VN
  2. It has WiFi so I can use Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, it can work independently without having to use a phone or laptop to stream music to it through Bluetooth. And also the music quality on WiFi is better than Bluetooth
  3. The WiFi range on here is pretty strong, I haven’t test the bluetooth range yet so I can’t confirm the range about that. But I’ve test watching video with Bluetooth, everything seems pretty good, there is almost no latency at all even though it doesn’t have 5.0 or aptX.
  4. It also very rugged and water resistant, a good bonus compared to the Tufton. 
  5. It's significantly smaller and lighter (even though it's 6.6 lbs) than the Tufton (10 lbs)
  6. It has Alexa and Google Assistant built in, and also a play/pause button.
  7. I have read some review saying that the Tufton misses some of the mid, I’m not an audiophile so it’s very hard for me to identify the mid so I’m not quite sure about this.

 

I'm leaning toward the Marshall Tufton because….

  1. It seems like the Marshall Tufton has quite a lot more bass than the Sonos Move, it makes sense because the Tufton is both bigger and heavier.
  2. I really like the bass and treble knobs, which I can control “On the go” while listen to music. This is hard to do on the Move because if I’m using the Move in Bluetooth mode, I can’t control the EQ of it, I have to use the WiFi mode then go to the app then change and then go back to Bluetooth, which is not very flexible compared to Tufton.
  3. This thing has Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX which can help a lot which range and latency. I haven’t notice any latency issue on this one.
  4. I think the Tufton is significantly louder than the Move, I’ve never turn the Tufton above 4, and Marshall brand is known for their crazy loud amps so loudness is kind of their specialty here.
  5. I actually like the design of Marshall Tufton because it looks very classic and it looks timeless. And a lot of my friends also prefer the design of Marshall too.
  6. Finally this also have a 3.5 mm headphone jack, this could be helpful when I need to connect to a device without bluetooth.

Sorry for writing a super long comparison. Please let me know your opinion about these 2 speakers! Any opinion would be appreciated


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13 replies

They are not comparable.  A Bluetooth only speaker is not able to be used in a multi-room system.  If you are looking for a “main Bluetooth speaker”, buy the Bluetooth speaker, not the multi-room speaker that has Bluetooth tacked on.

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They are not comparable.  A Bluetooth only speaker is not able to be used in a multi-room system.  If you are looking for a “main Bluetooth speaker”, buy the Bluetooth speaker, not the multi-room speaker that has Bluetooth tacked on.

Ok, thank you for your feedback.

Pick the one that sounds better to you; preferably at home with music you usually listen to.

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Pick the one that sounds better to you; preferably at home with music you usually listen to.

I think to me the Move sounded better overall, but the Tufton have better bass, which I like.

So I’m not sure which one to choose :(

It sounds like you have a pretty good grasp of the pros and cons for each device.  It’s going to be difficult for someone else to give them weight for you, as it’s a rather individual thing.

I personally really like the Move for it’s flexibility.  One thing you didn’t mention is the auto trueplay while in WiFi mode, which is a big factor.  I also don’t have a lot of need for a bluetooth speaker, just rare exceptions, so a speaker that can be used in my multiroom system is a big plus.  However, if you find you listen to bluetooth very frequently, than perhaps a fully dedicated BT speaker makes more sense.

 

And of course, people on these forums are going to be a lot more familiar with the Move than the Tufton, so opinions will lean accordingly.

Pick the one that sounds better to you; preferably at home with music you usually listen to.

I think to me the Move sounded better overall, but the Tufton have better bass, which I like.

So I’m not sure which one to choose :(

Not as silly as it may sound: pick the one that you prefer the looks of.

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It sounds like you have a pretty good grasp of the pros and cons for each device.  It’s going to be difficult for someone else to give them weight for you, as it’s a rather individual thing.

I personally really like the Move for it’s flexibility.  One thing you didn’t mention is the auto trueplay while in WiFi mode, which is a big factor.  I also don’t have a lot of need for a bluetooth speaker, just rare exceptions, so a speaker that can be used in my multiroom system is a big plus.  However, if you find you listen to bluetooth very frequently, than perhaps a fully dedicated BT speaker makes more sense.

 

And of course, people on these forums are going to be a lot more familiar with the Move than the Tufton, so opinions will lean accordingly.

I think I'll go with Sonos Move because they have a pretty good support for their product like at least for the next 10 years so I think the bluetooth function will improve and maybe integrate with the existing system too. I think IllImostly use the Move on Wifi too because I really like the sonos app. Marshall support doesn't seem very good so I guess I'll be safer with Sonos.

Thanks for your opinion! 

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I might seem biased… But I’ll try to share a personal opinion. Firstly, it isn’t easy to directly compare the two. They’re quite different, as jgatie says.

I own the Move and I’ve heard the Marshall. I liked the Marshall a lot and was going to buy one… Then I didn’t. I couldn’t justify owning it in addition to the Move. Given that I have Sonos in every room of the house, having a speaker that sits entirely independent of the rest of my music within the home seems daft. I do very much like the idea of an Aux input, but then I have a PLAY:5… So that would strictly be for the benefit of having portability with an Aux input: Too specific an application to warrant buying it, for me.

“Scooped mids” is pretty characteristic of rock and metal music. Marshall, given their history in these genres is clearly catering to their target demographic. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. I think Sonos speakers are reasonably well balanced in their colouration. Bottom line: Kumar is absolutely right, you’re best off hearing them in person and judging for yourself.

If it’s predominantly to be used as a standalone / portable speaker, I can see why the Marshall would be a better fit. If you plan to expand into your home with a full-fledged Sonos system, the Move is definitely the way to go. 

Good one Edward. As a blues lover, I would well go the Marshall way. Unless, as I am, I was invested in Sonos and/or planned to expand to multi room.

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Exactly that Kumar. I would likely go the Marshall way myself, if I was after just the one speaker and planned to just keep it at that. Plus, it would be a bit of comfort when I find myself reminiscing the JCM 800 I sold a few years back… 

@Edward R : though if I were to go the Marshall route I would pick the cooler looking Kilburn/Stanmore models :relaxed:

Userlevel 1
Badge +5

I might seem biased… But I’ll try to share a personal opinion. Firstly, it isn’t easy to directly compare the two. They’re quite different, as jgatie says.

I own the Move and I’ve heard the Marshall. I liked the Marshall a lot and was going to buy one… Then I didn’t. I couldn’t justify owning it in addition to the Move. Given that I have Sonos in every room of the house, having a speaker that sits entirely independent of the rest of my music within the home seems daft. I do very much like the idea of an Aux input, but then I have a PLAY:5… So that would strictly be for the benefit of having portability with an Aux input: Too specific an application to warrant buying it, for me.

“Scooped mids” is pretty characteristic of rock and metal music. Marshall, given their history in these genres is clearly catering to their target demographic. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. I think Sonos speakers are reasonably well balanced in their colouration. Bottom line: Kumar is absolutely right, you’re best off hearing them in person and judging for yourself.

If it’s predominantly to be used as a standalone / portable speaker, I can see why the Marshall would be a better fit. If you plan to expand into your home with a full-fledged Sonos system, the Move is definitely the way to go. 

So you mean that Sonos would be better for overall general music? Like Pop, Blue, Jazz, and even rock? And Marshall is mainly Rock and Metal? 

I don't listen to rock and metal at all so I think Sonos would be a better experience for me

Userlevel 1
Badge +5

I might seem biased… But I’ll try to share a personal opinion. Firstly, it isn’t easy to directly compare the two. They’re quite different, as jgatie says.

I own the Move and I’ve heard the Marshall. I liked the Marshall a lot and was going to buy one… Then I didn’t. I couldn’t justify owning it in addition to the Move. Given that I have Sonos in every room of the house, having a speaker that sits entirely independent of the rest of my music within the home seems daft. I do very much like the idea of an Aux input, but then I have a PLAY:5… So that would strictly be for the benefit of having portability with an Aux input: Too specific an application to warrant buying it, for me.

“Scooped mids” is pretty characteristic of rock and metal music. Marshall, given their history in these genres is clearly catering to their target demographic. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. I think Sonos speakers are reasonably well balanced in their colouration. Bottom line: Kumar is absolutely right, you’re best off hearing them in person and judging for yourself.

If it’s predominantly to be used as a standalone / portable speaker, I can see why the Marshall would be a better fit. If you plan to expand into your home with a full-fledged Sonos system, the Move is definitely the way to go. 

Do you prefer the Sonos Move sound more than the Tufton? ImI testing the two of them right now. And itsivery clear that the tufton is way louder and more bassier but the voice is kinda hollow IMO. For some reason, the Move feels "weak" compared to the Tufton. I feel like the Tufton is more like a party speaker similar to the boombox. And Sonos is like more casual listening