Home Speakers / Sonos Five vs Marshall Acton IV
Sonos Five vs Marshall Acton IV
Sonos Five
The best-sounding single-box Sonos — on six-year-old hardware.
Wins overall by 1.0 points
Quick Verdict
A 1.0-point gap makes the Sonos Five the straightforward choice here. The best-sounding single-box Sonos — on six-year-old hardware.
The Sonos Five and Marshall Acton IV are both closely matched home Speaker models, and the Marshall Acton IV is $269 cheaper than the Sonos Five ($329.99 vs $599). On Multiroom, the Sonos Five leads (9.5 vs 3.0/10) — how well it groups with other speakers around the house. On Smart Home, the Sonos Five leads (5.0 vs 3.0/10) — matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability. On Design & Build, the Marshall Acton IV leads (9.5 vs 7.5/10) — materials, finish and how it looks in a room. Overall, the Sonos Five scores 6.6/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 5.6/10 for the Marshall Acton IV. Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Sonos Five | Marshall Acton IV |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $599.00 | $329.99 |
| Release Year | 2020 | 2026 |
| Voice Assistant | None — the Five has no microphone | None |
| Drivers | Six drivers — three tweeters (one centre, two angled) plus three midwoofers | 1x 4-inch woofer plus 2x 0.75-inch tweeters |
| Power Output (W) | Sonos publishes six class-D digital amplifiers but no wattage | 110W total — 1x 60W Class D for the woofer plus 2x 25W Class D for the tweeters; maximum SPL 95dB at 1m |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11a/b/g/n (Wi-Fi 4), plus Ethernet | None |
| Bluetooth | None — deliberately omitted | 5.3 with Auracast and multipoint; codecs SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 |
| Streaming Protocols | Sonos app, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect | None — no AirPlay, Chromecast or Spotify Connect. Spotify Tap via the customisable M-button only |
| Multiroom System | Sonos | None natively — Auracast broadcast only; Marshall's Heddon hub is required for a proper multi-speaker setup |
| Stereo Pairing | Yes; two can also serve as home-theatre rears | Marshall documents Auracast and Bluetooth multipoint but not a true two-unit stereo pair |
| Smart Home Hub | No | No |
| Spatial Audio | No | No |
| Line In | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Black, White | Black, Cream |
Category Scores
Sound Quality
The Sonos Five leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.5 — a 0.5-point margin on tonal balance, clarity and detail for the size. If that is what you are buying for, the Marshall Acton IV does not close the gap elsewhere.
Bass
The Sonos Five leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.0 — a 1.0-point margin on low-end weight and extension. If that is what you are buying for, the Marshall Acton IV does not close the gap elsewhere.
Smart Home
The Sonos Five leads clearly here, 5.0 against 3.0 — a 2.0-point margin on matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability. If that is what you are buying for, the Marshall Acton IV does not close the gap elsewhere.
Multiroom
The Sonos Five leads clearly here, 9.5 against 3.0 — a 6.5-point margin on how well it groups with other speakers around the house. If that is what you are buying for, the Marshall Acton IV does not close the gap elsewhere.
Connectivity
The Sonos Five leads clearly here, 5.5 against 5.0 — a 0.5-point margin on Wi-Fi standard, Bluetooth, streaming protocols and physical inputs. If that is what you are buying for, the Marshall Acton IV does not close the gap elsewhere.
Design & Build
The Marshall Acton IV leads clearly here, 9.5 against 7.5 — a 2.0-point margin on materials, finish and how it looks in a room. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Five does not close the gap elsewhere.
Voice Assistant
The Sonos Five and Marshall Acton IV are level here, at 1.0/10 each. which assistants are built in and how well they work is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Value
The Marshall Acton IV leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.0 — a 1.0-point margin on performance and features relative to price. If that is what you are buying for, the Sonos Five does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Sonos Five if…
- • Multiroom matters most to you — the Sonos Five scores 9.5/10 here (how well it groups with other speakers around the house).
- • Smart Home matters most to you — the Sonos Five scores 5.0/10 here (matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability).
- • Bass matters most to you — the Sonos Five scores 9.0/10 here (low-end weight and extension).
- • Your main use case is multiroom.
Choose the Marshall Acton IV if…
- • Design & Build matters most to you — the Marshall Acton IV scores 9.5/10 here (materials, finish and how it looks in a room).
- • Value matters most to you — the Marshall Acton IV scores 7.0/10 here (performance and features relative to price).
- • You want to spend less — it's $269 cheaper.
Pros & Cons
Sonos Five
Pros
- +The best pure sound and deepest bass of any single-box Sonos
- +The only Sonos here with a native 3.5mm line-in, no adapter required
- +Smart orientation sensing switches between stereo and mono automatically
- +No microphone, which some buyers actively want
Cons
- −Six-year-old hardware at a price that has gone up rather than down
- −Wi-Fi 4 and no Bluetooth at all
- −No voice control and no Atmos
- −Trueplay tuning is still iOS-only on this model
- −Widely expected to be the next Sonos product replaced
Marshall Acton IV
Pros
- +110W published power and genuinely good sound for the size
- +RCA and 3.5mm inputs make it the easiest speaker here to connect a turntable to
- +LDAC hi-res over Bluetooth
- +Beautiful FSC-certified wood cabinet
Cons
- −No Wi-Fi at all — if you want a network speaker, this is not one
- −No voice assistant and no network multiroom
- −Marshall does not document a true stereo pairing mode
- −Its sibling the Stanmore IV offers a bigger woofer for $100 more
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Sonos Five or Marshall Acton IV better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Sonos Five comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Multiroom, the Sonos Five or the Marshall Acton IV?+
The Sonos Five scores higher on Multiroom (9.5/10 vs 3.0/10) — how well it groups with other speakers around the house.
Which is better for Smart Home, the Sonos Five or the Marshall Acton IV?+
The Sonos Five scores higher on Smart Home (5.0/10 vs 3.0/10) — matter, Thread, Zigbee and hub capability.
Which is better for Design & Build, the Sonos Five or the Marshall Acton IV?+
The Marshall Acton IV scores higher on Design & Build (9.5/10 vs 7.5/10) — materials, finish and how it looks in a room.
Which is better for Bass, the Sonos Five or the Marshall Acton IV?+
The Sonos Five scores higher on Bass (9.0/10 vs 8.0/10) — low-end weight and extension.
Is the Sonos Five worth the price difference over the Marshall Acton IV?+
The Marshall Acton IV is the cheaper option at $329.99 versus $599. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Multiroom.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Sonos Five is the better fit if you mainly care about multiroom. The Marshall Acton IV is the better fit for music or home.
What's the warranty on the Sonos Five vs the Marshall Acton IV?+
The Sonos Five ships with a 12-month warranty; the Marshall Acton IV ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Sonos Era 100 — $219.00
Premium Option
JBL Authentics 500 — $749.95
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.