Marshall Heston 60: The Home Cinema Rock’n’Roll in a Passe-Partout format

When it entered the home cinema market with the soundbar Heston 120 At the start of the year, Marshall had mentioned the marketing of a more compact version called Heston 60, without giving more details on its price and its characteristics. On the eve of the opening of the doors of the IFA 2025, the British brand finally lifts the veil on this new soundbar, as well as on the heston sub 200, a box of bass developed for the two models.

Compact design and flexible installation

Thought as an alternative to the imposing Heston 120, the Heston 60 stands out above all by much more contained dimensions. Although it is as high as its elder (about 7 cm), its depth of 12.4 cm and its 73 cm width allow it to associate ideally with a 55 “and less television, installed in a small room.

On the form, the Heston 60 takes up all the codes of the heston 120, of its rock’n’roll look emblematic to its premium materials used, between synthetic, plastic and metal leather. There is also a “woven” paper acoustic grid designed in a single block, fully removable in order to easily access its components in the event of a breakdown.

In terms of construction, the Heston 60 stands out from its big sister by a capacity to be installed on a piece of furniture or fixed flat on a wall thanks to supports provided. According to Marshall, thanks to “Special wave guides and inclined facade speakers“, the soundbar is able to deliver sound performance of the same level in the two configurations. However, the brand does not specify if the tone changes depending on the placement.

The aesthetics of the Heston 60 also adapts to its position. Just move the Marshall logo or return its control panel, both magnetized, so that they always appear in the right direction. Although complete (sources, reading, sound modes, volume, preselections, etc.), controls are limited to simple buttons, not taking up the elegant potentiometers of the Heston 120.

Architecture 5.1, 7 speakers and acoustic calibration

Incorporating five medium/acute speakers of 3 cm and two 7.5 cm woofers arranged in a 5.1 configuration and supplied by an amplification totaling 75 W of power, the sound architecture of the Heston 60 is not surprisingly more modest than that of the Heston 120. Thus, even if it takes care of the three-year-fits formats Dolby Atmos and DTS: the absence of vertical channels. Marshall does not specify if the Heston 60 has side speakers, but that would not be surprising in view of its acoustic grids integrated on the sides.

The sound customization of the bar, based on the Marshall app, is carried out using a strip equalizer and predefined sound modes (Movie, Music, Voice and Night), as well as an acoustic calibration system by microphone. In the absence of a remote control included, the Heston 60 is also fully controlled via this application.

Multiple, but restricted possibilities of diffusion

Consistent behind a plastic hatch, the Heston 60 connection is also a little more limited than that of its big sister. It abandons its RCA entrance for a 3.5 mm mini-jack input, and ignores the HDMI entrance dedicated to the Pass-Through. We are then satisfied with an HDMI 2.1 EARC port and an RCA Sub. Connectivity is unchanged, still made up of a 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3 receiver compatible with the audio and a Wi-Fi module (AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect).

Heston sub 200: a compact and versatile subwoofer

Designed to harmonize at the sound bars of the Heston family, the Sub 200 incorporates the usual materials and opts for an angular, almost square design, recalling that of Marshall products. 28 cm wide and 30 cm high, it is average in terms of dimensions. Neither too big nor too small, he should easily find his place in salons of all sizes.

Its sound architecture is based on two 13 cm woofers – potentially oriented on the sides, taking into account the side grids visible in the photos – powered by two class D amplifiers developing a total power of 240 W.

The connection to the bars of his heston is at least original. SUB 200 leaves the user’s choice to use an RCA Sub cable for a wired association, or to establish a wireless link by means of a Bluetooth Audio receiver. In addition to ensuring a minimum of loss, the latter should also offer extremely low latency. Note that the Sub 200 incorporates a volume potentiometer and a button dedicated to Bluetooth pairing.

The Heston 120 soundbar and the subs of Basses Sub 200 will be available from September 23 at the respective prices of € 599 and € 499. The two products will be offered in Black and Cream finishes.

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