ryanjsoo
Reviewer for The Headphone List
ryanjsoo's Reviews
Intro -
Edifier is a brand that has become increasingly prevalent in the low-mid end computer speaker market with an array of colorful, minimalist designed speakers that some would argue offer style over substance. However the small company dispels these perceptions with many of their products and their small and overtly colorful aurora speakers slot nicely into this category.
Design -
The speakers follow the tried and tested 2.1 design with a futuristic looking cylindrical sub and two small spherical satellite speakers. I had read many reviews before purchasing these with many noting the appealing aesthetics, design and in some instances great sound quality. I scrolled through these reviews hoping that the item I was about to purchase weren`t designed with those priorities in that order. Dreading that I`d bought an extremely attractive lemon product from a company of which I had never encountered in the audio world I was hesitant to open the package, considering returns and the purchase of a beefier THX certified sound system that would likely have been awkward to install in my diminutive room. However lucky I didn`t because upon opening the box I was confronted with a delightful looking set of speakers that felt great in the hand.
The sub is constructed from a nice matted aluminium with a soft touch base made of heavy plastic. The satellites were unfortunately not aluminium but were constructed from a high quality feeling plastic with a similar texture to the sub (black colored speakers have gloss satellites). I was concerned from the pics that the small stereo speakers would be too light and move around on my desk but they are actually pretty weighty and are bottom heavy to avoid toppling over. A rubber ring runs the circumference of the base which adds further sturdiness to the speakers.
Sound -
Thankfully upon firing up the small speaker system I was met by a lush sound signature which almost seemed to defy the speaker`s size and price. The satellites on their own sound decent, but as many other reviews state they are a bit lacking in the mids, nothing that detracts from movies or vocals but a flaw nonetheless. The sub is surprisingly punchy for a 2" driver and provides ample bass even at low volumes with nice extension reaching into some fulfilling sub bass.
Compared to a home theater system you hear the bass as opposed to feeling it but you can get some kick at higher volumes. You can really feel the air leaving the end of the sub even at moderate volumes which is a surprise. Altogether the sounds blends well and nothing seems to be missing; resulting in a punchy and coherent sound. One problem with the sub however is a lack of clarity. The stereo speakers have nice clarity revealing complex guitar riffs and vocals however the sub gets lost with complex drum beats and bass lines, this doesn`t muddle the sound but it does make the sub sound a little dull. The sub is also slightly boomy at low volumes but clarity and sound cohesion increase with volume. They sound nice at regular volumes however, only revealing flaws at low volumes such as night listening. Max volume is also respectable with no distortion, easily enough to fill a small to small medium room but not enough for a living room. Out of interest I attached them to my TV which has a samsung soundbar and sub installed. Obviously I wasn`t expecting much from a 22W sound system vs a 320W sound system however the sound was unnervingly similar. Volume was fine for TV but compared to the 6 driver soundbar the mids were much thinner and bass wasn`t as prevalent as the dedicated sub. They were however a large improvement over the flat screen`s stock speakers, they simply decimated here.
Conclusion and Rating -
Overall a great package at a great price. I`m a bit disappointed Edifier chose to remove the convenient carry case that came with the old model and are now charging for it however, being powered by AC, they`re probably not going anywhere too soon. The mids are a tad thin, the bass gets boomy at low volume but otherwise the sound is thick, punchy and very full for their size, they retail for anywhere between $35 and $90 but either end of the price spectrum they`re worth it.
They will complement a laptop or small desktop setup beautifully and will look nice in any setting, just keep those cables tucked away. If I had to rate these I would give them a 4 out of 5 for price and size, but honestly around the $50 range, no speaker will sound brilliant and these are definitely in the upper echelon of their respective price category, definitely not a case of style over substance but the best of both worlds.
Edifier is a brand that has become increasingly prevalent in the low-mid end computer speaker market with an array of colorful, minimalist designed speakers that some would argue offer style over substance. However the small company dispels these perceptions with many of their products and their small and overtly colorful aurora speakers slot nicely into this category.
Design -
The speakers follow the tried and tested 2.1 design with a futuristic looking cylindrical sub and two small spherical satellite speakers. I had read many reviews before purchasing these with many noting the appealing aesthetics, design and in some instances great sound quality. I scrolled through these reviews hoping that the item I was about to purchase weren`t designed with those priorities in that order. Dreading that I`d bought an extremely attractive lemon product from a company of which I had never encountered in the audio world I was hesitant to open the package, considering returns and the purchase of a beefier THX certified sound system that would likely have been awkward to install in my diminutive room. However lucky I didn`t because upon opening the box I was confronted with a delightful looking set of speakers that felt great in the hand.
The sub is constructed from a nice matted aluminium with a soft touch base made of heavy plastic. The satellites were unfortunately not aluminium but were constructed from a high quality feeling plastic with a similar texture to the sub (black colored speakers have gloss satellites). I was concerned from the pics that the small stereo speakers would be too light and move around on my desk but they are actually pretty weighty and are bottom heavy to avoid toppling over. A rubber ring runs the circumference of the base which adds further sturdiness to the speakers.
Sound -
Thankfully upon firing up the small speaker system I was met by a lush sound signature which almost seemed to defy the speaker`s size and price. The satellites on their own sound decent, but as many other reviews state they are a bit lacking in the mids, nothing that detracts from movies or vocals but a flaw nonetheless. The sub is surprisingly punchy for a 2" driver and provides ample bass even at low volumes with nice extension reaching into some fulfilling sub bass.
Compared to a home theater system you hear the bass as opposed to feeling it but you can get some kick at higher volumes. You can really feel the air leaving the end of the sub even at moderate volumes which is a surprise. Altogether the sounds blends well and nothing seems to be missing; resulting in a punchy and coherent sound. One problem with the sub however is a lack of clarity. The stereo speakers have nice clarity revealing complex guitar riffs and vocals however the sub gets lost with complex drum beats and bass lines, this doesn`t muddle the sound but it does make the sub sound a little dull. The sub is also slightly boomy at low volumes but clarity and sound cohesion increase with volume. They sound nice at regular volumes however, only revealing flaws at low volumes such as night listening. Max volume is also respectable with no distortion, easily enough to fill a small to small medium room but not enough for a living room. Out of interest I attached them to my TV which has a samsung soundbar and sub installed. Obviously I wasn`t expecting much from a 22W sound system vs a 320W sound system however the sound was unnervingly similar. Volume was fine for TV but compared to the 6 driver soundbar the mids were much thinner and bass wasn`t as prevalent as the dedicated sub. They were however a large improvement over the flat screen`s stock speakers, they simply decimated here.
Conclusion and Rating -
Overall a great package at a great price. I`m a bit disappointed Edifier chose to remove the convenient carry case that came with the old model and are now charging for it however, being powered by AC, they`re probably not going anywhere too soon. The mids are a tad thin, the bass gets boomy at low volume but otherwise the sound is thick, punchy and very full for their size, they retail for anywhere between $35 and $90 but either end of the price spectrum they`re worth it.
They will complement a laptop or small desktop setup beautifully and will look nice in any setting, just keep those cables tucked away. If I had to rate these I would give them a 4 out of 5 for price and size, but honestly around the $50 range, no speaker will sound brilliant and these are definitely in the upper echelon of their respective price category, definitely not a case of style over substance but the best of both worlds.
