When I was growing up, names like Marshall and Fender were synonymous with music gear and music gear only. As it turns out… I am old. Fender now makes portable speakers and wireless headphones that are surprisingly good, and Marshall predates Fender’s foray into that realm with its own slew of similar products , which started in 2012.

Slapping a Marshall logo on something may reek of gimmick, but like previous entries into that category, Marshall’s new Stockwell III portable speaker shows exactly why its pivot to personal audio has turned out to be a lot more than just an exercise in branding.

Marshall Stockwell III

The Marshall Stockwell III is a small speaker with truly room-filling sound.

Sound is big

Battery life is great

Portable and premium-feeling

Software feels a bit laggy sometimes

No stereo pairing

Like the velvet strap but a bit boring to look at

A powerful little black box

On the outside, the $250 Stockwell III may have all the sex appeal of a carton of cigarettes or a dish sponge, but…