Marshall London: An Elegant Treat For Android Audiophiles

Music is essential for most of us, and to some, having a device that plays professional-quality sound is crucial. This is why Apple has been so successful with its iPod line: With crisp, clear audio rendered from top-notch hardware, at a price that’s right for a music player and almost-smartphone, no other device has come close. Samsung has tried with its Android music players in the past, but the market has since fizzled out.

The MP3 player market has also dwindled, thanks to the inclusion of high-quality audio on smartphones. The iPod still leads with a 70% market share in the US, though this doesn’t stop other manufacturers from taking a swipe at Apple’s market. Sony has released professional-quality digital Walkmans, and now, Marshall, famous for their top-notch headsets and audio gear, has released the London: A $585 music behemoth.

The Goodies:

The Marshall London comes in an elegant gold and black color scheme, one of Marshall’s trademark designs for its audio devices. It boasts of possibly the loudest smartphone speakers on the market. So loud, they promise to be able to let a user—and a friend—watch movies together without the aid of earphone splitters and the headsets to match. Its Wolfson WM8281 Audio Hub aims to deliver audio in higher resolutions, something that audiophiles may find a treat. A dedicated “M-Button” on the top of the device leads to the user’s favorite music app, while a gold scrolling wheel on the side serves as the volume rocker.

The Specs:

The music phone comes loaded with an Android Lollipop 5.0.2 OS, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC processor and 2GB RAM. It comes with 16GB of internal storage, and can be extended via microSD. As for display, it has a 4.7in IPS screen capable of rendering 720p. And if you have to have your selfies and casual mobile photography as you listen to your music, its 8MP main camera and 2MP front camera should suffice. All that will be juiced up by a 2500 mAh battery.

The Extras:

The Marshall London comes with dedicated DJ mixing apps, as well as a global equalizer, so you can fine-tune the device’s sound to your preferences. GSM Arena names these apps as “DJ-APP” and “LoopStack.”

The Wrap:

Audiophiles and Marshall fans should be excited with this new offering from Marshall. While the price tag is definitely steeper than an iPod Touch, if you’re an Android loyalist who values steering clear of anything Apple, this might be the device for you.