Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Bose - SoundLink Max | Marshall - Emberton III |
|---|---|---|
| Output power | 120 W | 20 W |
| Battery | 20 h | 32 h |
| Low-end response | 45 Hz | 60 Hz |
Between the SoundLink Max and Emberton III, the SoundLink Max comes out ahead in output power / low-end response, while the Emberton III wins on battery. Overall, the SoundLink Max scores 80.7 and the Emberton III scores 79.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (80.7 vs 79.3). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the SoundLink Max if you care most about output power / low-end response. The biggest gaps in its favor are output power, low-end response. The single most decisive one: Output power — 500.00% more. 120 W vs 20 W.
Pick the Emberton III if you care most about battery. Its strongest claims are battery. The single most decisive one: Battery — 60.00% more. 32 h vs 20 h.
Both ship with comparable water resistance, stereo pairing, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Bose - SoundLink Max or Marshall - Emberton III?
Bose - SoundLink Max leads the current Mars Score by 1.4 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare output power, battery against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Bose - SoundLink Max if…
Bose - SoundLink Max has the measurable edge on output w, frequency low hz.
Choose Marshall - Emberton III if…
Marshall - Emberton III has the measurable edge on battery h.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Bose - SoundLink Max wins
- ▲Output power — 500.00% more. 120 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Low-end response — 15.00 Hz less. 45 vs 60.
Why Marshall - Emberton III wins
- ▲Battery — 60.00% more. 32 h vs 20 h.
Spec comparison
Audio
| Spec | Bose - SoundLink Max | Marshall - Emberton III |
|---|---|---|
| Output power | 120 Wlead | 20 W |
| Low-end response | 45 Hzlead | 60 Hz |
| Stereo pairingⓘ | true | true |
Durability
| Spec | Bose - SoundLink Max | Marshall - Emberton III |
|---|---|---|
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP67 | IP67 |
| Weight | 2360 g | 700 glead |
Battery
| Spec | Bose - SoundLink Max | Marshall - Emberton III |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | 20 h | 32 hlead |
| USB out (powerbank) | truelead | false |