Notice: Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
Notice: Big Spring Sale Deal: The Amazon Echo Pop has dropped by 25% on Amazon.com. See all Speaker Big Spring Sale deals.
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Pictures
    2. Style
    3. Portability
    4. Build Quality
    5. Controls
    6. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Frequency Response Accuracy
    2. Raw Frequency Response
    3. Soundstage
    4. Dynamics
  6. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. Voice Assistant
    3. App
  7. Connectivity
    1. Wired
    2. Bluetooth
    3. Wi-Fi
  8. Comments

Sony SRS-XE300 vs Marshall Middleton

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Sony SRS-XE300
Marshall Middleton

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Aug 17, 2023 06:24 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Mar 26, 2025 01:32 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sony SRS-XE300 Picture
Marshall Middleton Picture

Variants

  • SRS-XE300 (Black)
  • SRS-XE300 (Blue)
  • SRS-XE300 (Light Gray)
  • Middleton (Black/Brass)
  • Middleton (Cream)

Our Verdict

Sony SRS-XE300

Marshall Middleton

The Sony SRS-XE300 and the Marshall Middleton are both portable Bluetooth speakers with similar performances. The Sony is the more versatile of the two since it supports voice assistants, unlike the Marshall. It has a graphic EQ, giving you more control over its sound than the Marshall's bass and treble adjustments. Plus, its battery lasts longer, and it's rated for impact resistance. That said, some users may prefer the Marshall's retro design. The Marshall has a better soundstage, too.

0 

Check Price

Black/Brass
Middleton
Searching
Finding store
Light Gray
SRS-XE300
Searching
Finding store
 

Main Differences for
Music

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

6.7
7.2

Soundstage 
 

6.6
9.0

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

Sony SRS-XE300 Style Photo
Marshall Middleton Style Photo

RGB Lights  

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

9.0
8.9

Dimensions Photo  

Sony SRS-XE300 Dimensions Photo
Marshall Middleton Dimensions Photo

Volume 
 

165 in³ (2,698 cm³)
142 in³ (2,325 cm³)

Weight 
 

2.6 lbs (1.2 kg)
4.0 lbs (1.8 kg)

Power Source 
 

Battery & USB
Battery & USB

One-Hand Carry 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.8
7.9

Build Quality Photo  

Sony SRS-XE300 Build Quality Photo
Marshall Middleton Build Quality Photo

Material Quality 
 

Great
Good

Water Resistance 
 

Submersible (IPx7)
Submersible (IPx7)

Dust Resistance 
 

Dust-Proof (IP6x)
Dust-Proof (IP6x)

Impact Resistance 
 

Yes (IK rating unspecified)
No

Floats In Water 
 

Unspecified
Unspecified
Show Text 

Controls 
 

9.0
7.0

Controls Photo  

Sony SRS-XE300 Controls Photo
Marshall Middleton Controls Photo

Controls Photo 2  

Sony SRS-XE300 Controls Photo 2
Marshall Middleton Controls Photo 2

Ease Of Use 
 

Great
Great

Feedback 
 

Great
Great

Music Play/Pause 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Call Answer/End 
 

Yes (Physical)
No

Volume Up/Down 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Track Next/Previous 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Microphone On/Off 
 

Yes (Physical)
No

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Sony SRS-XE300 In The Box Photo
Marshall Middleton In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.9
7.0

Frequency Response Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Slope 
 

-0.68
-0.24

Std. Err. 
 

3.78 dB
3.36 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

51.9 Hz
49.7 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

17.5 kHz
12.0 kHz
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw Frequency Response Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Binaural Recording @ 1m 
 

Binaural Recording @ 2m 
 

Soundstage 
 

6.6
9.0

Directivity Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Directivity Index 
 

6.48 dB
1.90 dB

Stereo 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Dynamics 
 

6.0
5.9

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

90.5 dB SPL
88.9 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

4.56 dB
4.38 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

9.0
6.7

Battery Life 
 

16.9 hrs
7.4 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.8 hrs
3.7 hrs

Power Saving 
 

Yes
Yes

Charging Port 
 

USB-C
USB-C

Battery Powered 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Voice Assistant 
 

5.7
0.0

Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

Yes (Requires Smartphone)
No

Speakerphone 
 

Yes
No

Siri 
 

Yes (Requires Smartphone)
No

Voice Assistant 
 

Yes
No

Voice Activation 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

No
No Microphone

Far-Field Performance 
 

Excellent
No Microphone

Ambient Noise Performance 
 

Excellent
No Microphone
Show Text 

App 
 

7.9
6.0

App Picture  

Sony SRS-XE300 App Picture
Marshall Middleton App Picture

App Name 
 

Sony Music Center
Marshall Bluetooth

iOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Android 
 

Yes
Yes

EQ 
 

Graphic
Bass/Treble

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

Yes
No

Party Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Multi-Room 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

No
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Other Ports 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Bluetooth 
 

9.3
8.9

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.2
5.1

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

15 ms
57 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

79 ms
93 ms

Bluetooth Range 
 

334.6 ft (102.0 m)
334.6 ft (102.0 m)

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
2 Devices
Show Text 

Wi-Fi 
 

0.0
0.0

Wi-Fi Version 
 

No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Frequency Band 
 

No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 
 

No
No

Apple AirPlay 
 

No
No

AirPlay Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Google Chromecast 
 

No
No

Chromecast Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Check Price

Black/Brass
Middleton
Searching
Finding store
Light Gray
SRS-XE300
Searching
Finding store
 

Sony SRS-XE300

Marshall Middleton

Comments

  1. Comparison

Sony SRS-XE300 vs Marshall Middleton: Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.

PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
No comments yet, refresh to see new ones