Need a small Dolby Atmos soundbar? The Marshall Heston 60 is easily one of the best options I’ve ever tested

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Marshall Heston 60: two-minute review

The Marshall Heston 60 is a small Dolby Atmos soundbar that aims to deliver immersive sound for movies and music alike – something that’s proven to be quite the challenge for a number of rivals in this size-class.

But luckily, the Heston 60 has risen to that challenge. Sure, it may be limited in size, but its performance would suggest otherwise. It nails the basics, with ultra-clear dialogue and a nice variety of sound modes to suit whatever content you’re consuming. But it also gets those tricker elements right too.

best Dolby Atmos soundbars in its weight class, I’d argue. It isn’t going to wow you with the incredible width of the Marshall Heston 120 or other larger rivals, but the Heston 60 still creates an impressive sense of height while watching Atmos movies, and the width of the soundstage is strong given the bar’s physical confines.

Like its larger sibling, the Heston 60 is also musically astute. It separates out instruments and positions them beautifully in the Atmos format, and takes a relatively impactful, nuanced approach to stereo.

Something that a lot of smaller soundbars struggle to do, is muster up weighty, hard-hitting low-end output, but the Heston 60 certainly bucks that trend. I was taken aback by the rumble of jet engines and roar of explosions when watching movies, and pumping bass in my favorite tracks.

You won’t get the same room-swallowing bass the Heston 120 serves up, and you may want to add the Marshall Heston 200 or a separate sub for enhanced low end, but for a model of this size, it sure packs a punch.

If you want to adapt the Heston 60’s sound, you can do so via the Marshall app. This opens up a range of features, like EQ adjustment, sound mode alteration, room calibration, and so on. I did encounter a few issues with setup, with a few bugs rearing their head from time to time. But for the most part, the app felt intuitive and easy to use – pretty important, given the omission of a physical remote.

(Image credit: Future)

Something that really makes the Heston 60 stand out is its design. Like the Heston 120, this has a gorgeous, amp-inspired aesthetic with frets and stunning golden details. However, the Marshall logo and control panel are now magnetic, meaning you can optimize the look of this model for wall-mounted use. Parts are also repairable, making this bar worth investing in for the long-haul.

And I don’t use the term ‘invest’ lightly here – this is a pretty pricey option. The Heston 60 comes in at just under $700 / £500 / AU$1,000. In the US, that’s quite a bit more than its clear competitor, the Sonos Beam Gen 2, but you do get DTS:X compatibility, a far more premium look, and a wider range of connectivity options.

It’s worth noting that you could get a strong multi-box soundbar at a similar cost to the Heston 60 – including models that support HDMI passthrough (unlike Marshall’s smaller soundbar).

But if you’re a little tight on space or using a smaller-sized TV, then the Marshall Heston 60 is one of the best soundbars in its class. It delivers on Dolby Atmos and punchy audio, it’s a classy looker, and it’s built to last. Combine all of that, and the Heston 60 is easy to recommend.

(Image credit: Future)

Sonos Beam Gen 2, which has a list price of $499 / £499 / $799.

(Image credit: Future)

Marshall Heston 60 review: features

5.1 speaker configuration with seven active drivers
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support
App opens up strong set of features

The Marshall Heston 60 has a 5.1 speaker configuration, but is powered by seven active drivers. There are two 25W and five 5W class D amplifiers on board, and the soundbar is capable of a 56W maximum power output.

This is an all-in-one offering from Marshall, you won’t get a subwoofer or rears included from the off. However, you are now able to purchase the Heston Sub 200 – a wireless sub that I tried pairing to the Heston 60, and this can give you some extension below the 45Hz mark – the lowest the soundbar can go.

Sonos Beam Gen 2, making the Heston 60 an attractive option for cinephiles.

On top of that, there are a number of ways to connect up to the Heston 60. Of course, there’s HDMI eARC, which I used for the majority of my testing time. However, you can also connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, as well as USB-C and 3.5mm, plus RCA – which can be used to add a third-party subwoofer.

Unfortunately, there’s no HDMI passthrough here, something that was included on the larger Heston 120. This would be a nice touch for those who want to unlock extra space for an HDMI-reliant device like a PS5 or Nintendo Switch 2, though it is pretty common for smaller models to leave this out.

If you head on over to the Marshall app, you’ll also discover that there’s Auracast compatibility – a type of Bluetooth technology that enables you to tune into an audio broadcast transmitted from a phone, TV or similar device without any pairing.

But there’s more! Marshall has once again integrated a wide range of music services, such as: Google Cast; Spotify Connect; Internet Radio; Tidal Connect; and Apple AirPlay 2. If you’re going to return to Internet Radio or Spotify on the reg, you can set the ‘Prog’ button to a specific service and gain easy access.

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Let’s talk a little more about the Marshall app – this is revamped, but separate to the software used for Bluetooth speakers including the Marshall Kilburn III and Marshall Bromley 750. It supplies a five-band equalizer, AV sync to adjust audio delays, and Room correction, which cycles through an array of sounds to optimize performance for your listening space. It also lets you change between the Movie, Music, Voice, and Night modes – all of which are very well differentiated.

I’ll speak more about my experience with the app in the ‘Setup & usability’ section, but I will say that it was a little buggy. When it got into gear, I was very pleased with the options on offer, though.

As we saw with the Heston 120, there’s no physical remote control lumped in the box – you’re going to be using the app only. The app lets you adjust volume, manually switch between different sound modes or sources, and view whether Atmos or DTS:X are in-use or not. If you’re connected to the soundbar via HDMI eARC, you can also use your standard remote to ramp up or dampen volume too.

(Image credit: Future)

4K UHD Blu-Ray of Top Gun: Maverick, I was struck by the separation of voices in a large open space, as well as the natural replication of echo and breathy details.

Even when layered with a grand score and booming sound effects, voices remained clear-cut throughout the movie’s runtime, making for a great viewing experience.

Another area the Heston 60 held its own, was in the bass department. For such a lil’ guy, this soundbar can produce pretty imposing low-end sound. Sticking with Top Gun: Maverick, and the roar of jet engines firing up was both impactful and attention-grabbing.

Sure, it wasn’t that room-swallowing bass that the Heston 120 offers, and when I paired up the Heston Sub 200, rumble was considerably enhanced. But for its size, the Heston 60 performs pretty well in the bass department. For instance, when watching The Batman, an explosion during a chase scene erupted with intent, despite the soundbar’s confined physical form.

I was really hoping the Heston 60 would deliver on the Dolby Atmos front, especially as a lot of small models either struggle here or skip on it entirely. Luckily, Marshall has done a good job here once more, and the soundbar whipped up a very solid spatial impression.

With The Batman, I flicked to a scene with bats flying towards me, and the sense that they soared over my shoulder was captured with commendable accuracy. Back to Maverick, and the classic scene of the jet flying overhead came through effectively, and provided more vertical extension than you’d expect from such a compact product.

In The Boy and the Heron on Netflix Premium, the Atmos effects were pretty convincing too, with the flight of the Heron mapped fairly well. The Heston 60 didn’t have the pinpoint accuracy of its larger sibling – but I was still well immersed in the on-screen action.

Let’s also take a moment to speak about music – something that Marshall’s audio engineers paid close attention to on the Heston 120. Performance is very good in this area, again, and I enjoyed a range of my favorite tracks in both the Dolby Atmos and standard stereo format.

Let’s start with Atmos, and although I don’t always love these mixes, a few tracks impressed me on the Heston 60. For instance, in Song for my Father by Horace Silver, I was satisfied with the positioning and separation of various instruments, with percussion playing rhythmically on the right side, while keys panned across the left side of the bar.

In I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby by Barry White, I enjoyed deft keys and well-balanced percussion, as smooth vocals oozed from the center. Guitars weren’t as prominent in the mix as I’d like, and didn’t have the expansive quality I experienced with the 120. Bass was perhaps a touch overeager too, though luckily EQ options can be accessed in the app to tailor audio to your taste.

Moving over to the stereo format, I was instantly hit by pumping bass in Never Would by M-High, although lighter electronic elements were a touch overshadowed. The soundbar produced controlled audio, however, even at higher volumes. On tracks where sub-bass came into the equation, those ultra-low notes didn’t come through with all too much force. Of course, if you pair the soundbar with the Heston Sub 200, you’ll get the low-end extension required for that, but the soundbar still sounded strong overall.

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)

Marshall Heston 60 review: design

Gorgeous fret-infused aesthetic
Simple yet effective button controls
Magnetic features for wall mounting

If you read my Marshall Heston 120 review, it won’t surprise you to find that I love the look of this soundbar too. The Heston 60 is, in essence, the same as its sibling, just smaller. I’m a huge fan of the amp-inspired look and eye-catching golden details, and it’s nice to see the option to grab this in cream – a nice break from the homogeneous swathe of plain black competitors.

One key difference on the Heston 60, though, is that the tactile control knobs from the Heston 120 have been ditched. This time around, there are simple button controls. These are easy to use and effective, and although they’re not as satisfying to use as the Heston 120’s physical controls, they’re less prone to catching reflections from the TV.

Another is the inclusion of a magnetic Marshall logo and control panel. This enables you to optimize the look of the soundbar for a wall-mounted configuration,which is highly practical and considered. Wall mount grommets are also included in the box, which I was glad to see, as rivals will often sell these separately.

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Unlike its larger cousin, the Heston 60 is a lightweight, highly compact option. It’s just 28.7 inches / 730mm wide and 6.1lbs / 2.8kg in weight, making it easy to install and slot beneath smaller-sized TVs. All in all, it’s an ideal pick for those working with limited space, or if you’re not looking for a full-length behemoth.

One more thing – I also liked the inclusion of a panel on the reverse side, which protects the various ports and enables improved cable management. It’s an all-round great effort from Marshall, and I’ve never tried a small soundbar with so much style and care injected into its design.

(Image credit: Future)

Marshall Heston 60 review: setup & usability

Plug and play setup
Companion app could be improved
Wide variety of connectivity options

The initial part of the setup process here was as easy as it comes. I simply plugged the Heston 60 into the power, and connected an HDMI lead from the soundbar to a TV. Using the HDMI eARC connectivity option, you’ll be able to use your standard TV remote to alter the soundbar’s volume, which is very convenient.

Unfortunately, I did experience a few issues when pairing the soundbar to the Marshall app, though. I wasn’t getting a pairing request on my phone, and neither the wireless or Bluetooth methods functioned at first. After trying again the following day, these woes were resolved, and I was able to proceed with room correction, play around with EQ options and more, but I did encounter a few other small bugs and loading issues with the app.

For the majority of my testing time, everything worked just fine, thankfully. And when the app behaves itself, it’s a fantastic tool, filled with plenty of personalization settings, and integrated services.

This soundbar has a range of connectivity options too, and it’s very easy to stream songs over Wi-Fi, connect to a phone over Bluetooth, or hook up devices using RCA or an analogue method.

Setup & usability score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future)

Marshall Heston 60 review: value

Priced competitively against Sonos – albeit less so for US buyers
Though you can still get a great multi-box option at a similar cost
Repairability ensures long-term return on investment

I suspect that the sticking point a lot of people will have with the Marshall Heston 60 is its price, which – for a small model like this – is undoubtedly high. It comes in at $699.99 / £499.99 / AU$999, so US buyers are proportionally splashing out a fair bit more, although I still think there’s plenty of value here.

Firstly, this soundbar is priced competitively against the Sonos Beam Gen 2 – the Heston 60’s clear and obvious competition. The Beam Gen 2 comes in with a list price of $499 / £499 / $799, and although it has a higher peak power output, it doesn’t support DTS:X, Bluetooth connectivity, plus we felt that the height of its Atmos effects were lacking.

Meanwhile, the Heston 60 still has plenty of power and effective Dolby Atmos effects, but it also supports DTS:X and Bluetooth. In my view, it also has a more premium design, and many will appreciate its RCA sub out port.

Marshall’s ramped-up sustainability efforts are also being demonstrated with the Heston 60, which is largely repairable. Head over to the manufacturer’s site, and you can access repair services and get spare parts, including frets, end-caps, and drivers. This gives additional longevity to the soundbar, which will make your investment more worthwhile in the long run.

Samsung HW-QS700F, which comes with a full length bar, as well as a dual-driver sub.

If we’re talking about soundbars in this weight class, though, few can compete with the Heston 60. Its surprisingly good Atmos performance, imposing bass, and ultra-clear dialogue make it a real standout. Pair that with a pretty exterior and admirable repairability, and I’d still argue it’s a good value pick.

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Marshall Heston 60?

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Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Atmos and DTS:X, feature-rich companion app, good connectivity options but no HDMI passthrough.	4.5/5
Sound quality	Clear dialogue, larger bass than you’d expect, fairly expansive Atmos effects.	4.5/5
Design	Beautiful appearance, effective controls, compact build.	5/5
Setup & usability	Easy to install, app is feature-rich but has a few bugs.	3.5/5
Value	It’s undoubtedly pricey, but still competitive against the Beam Gen 2 and feels worth the investment long-term.	4/5

Marshall Heston 60 review: also consider

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Header Cell – Column 0	Marshall Heston 60	Sonos Beam Gen 2	Samsung HW-QS700F
Price	$699.99 / £499.99 / AU$999	$449 / £449 / $699	$699.99 / £749 / AU$999
Dimensions	28.7 x 4.9 x 2.7 inches / 730 x 124 x 68mm	25.6 x 2.7 x 3.9 inches / 651 x 68 x 100mm	Main soundbar: 43.7 x 2.4 x 4.7 inches / 1110.7 x 60.4 x 120mm; subwoofer: 8.3 x 15.9 x 15.9 inches / 210 x 403 x 403mm
Speaker channels	5.1	5.0	5.1.2
Connections	HDMI eARC, RCA Mono (sub out), USB-C, 3.5mm, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi	HDMI eARC, Ethernet, Wi-Fi	HDMI eARC, HDMI input, digital optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2
Dolby Atmos / DTS:X	Yes / Yes	Yes / No	Yes / Yes
Sub included	No	No	Yes
Rear speakers included	No	No	No

TCL C6K mini-LED TV via HDMI eARC.

In my time with the Heston 60, the soundbar was placed beneath the display at our TV testing space at Future Labs. I watched – and indeed listened – to a variety of content during an intensive testing period. This included a number of movies on both Netflix Premium and on 4K UHD Blu-Ray via the Panasonic DP-UB820. I also listened to music via Tidal Connect in both Dolby Atmos and stereo formats.

I also made extensive use of each listening mode: Movie; Music; Voice; and Night. Of course, I also exhausted the soundbar’s additional settings through the Marshall app, ensuring each feature functioned as advertised.

More generally, I’ve tested tons of soundbars here at TechRadar – everything from ultra-cheap options like the Hisense HS214 through to pricier models like the Samsung HW-Q800D. I also reviewed the Marshall Heston 120, which released earlier this year, and have interviewed audio engineers at Marshall on its home cinema tech, so have a strong understanding of the product.

First reviewed: November 2025
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