Tag: Speaker review

Edifier R20BT Speakers

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Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

The Edifier R20BT speakers are a compact pair of desktop speakers designed to give your laptop, tablet or PC monitor a worthwhile sound upgrade without taking over your desk. If, like many of us, you have been relying on the rather tinny speakers built into your monitor, these are certainly worth considering. 

The R20BTs feature 2.75-inch full-range drivers, with each speaker producing 2.5W for a total 5W RMS output. That might not sound particularly impressive on paper, and I certainly wasn’t expecting them to turn my desk into a nightclub, but they actually produce surprisingly good sound for such a compact set.

The MDF cabinets help reduce resonance and distortion, while the bass reflex ports do their best to add some much-needed depth to the lower frequencies. The result is clear, enjoyable audio with considerably more presence than the speakers built into most laptops and monitors.

The first thing I did was plug them into my Android phone (as it was the first USB-C device I thought of) and the sound came through immediately. It was very easy to connect, with no complicated setup required.

Connectivity is one of the R20BT’s strengths. You can use USB plug-and-play for both power and audio, Bluetooth 6.0 or the 3.5mm AUX input, so there is plenty of flexibility depending on what you are connecting.

As I have come to expect with Edifier speakers the Bluetooth pairing was completely painless. The speakers support multipoint pairing, allowing two Bluetooth devices to be connected which is great as I can switch between my phone and laptop without having to go through the whole pairing process every time.

There is also an app, of course, because apparently these days even a pair of speakers needs its own software. The EDIFIER ConneX app and TempoHub desktop software allow you to customise the sound and lighting, including choosing between three built-in EQ modes: Classic, Dynamic and Vocal, or creating your own EQ settings.

Personally, I found the app more of a nice extra than a necessity. Most of the everyday controls are conveniently located on the speakers themselves.

The touch control panel gives you access to the power, volume and input selection, as well as the ambient lighting. The lighting effects can be customised to suit your setup and, thankfully for anyone who doesn’t want their desk looking like a small music festival, they can also be switched off completely.

The speakers are impressively compact, measuring just 12.1cm deep, 8.3cm wide and 17.7cm high, so they don’t demand much desk real estate. A 1.8m cable between the speakers also gives you plenty of flexibility when positioning them, while the 1.5m USB cable provides a decent amount of room for connecting them.

THe speakers are available in either black or white and with their smart, understated appearance they will fit easily into most home-office or entertainment setups.

My only gripe is that they’re powered from a USB-C port rather than the more common USB-A. I know this is the direction we’re heading in but my laptop only has a single USB-C port and that is in use for charging. Maybe the solution is to supply a simple adapter that could allow connection to an alternate power supply? 

Verdict

Overall, the Edifier R20BT speakers are a neat little pair of speakers that offer a noticeable improvement over built-in laptop and monitor speakers without taking up too much desk space.

The sound quality is better than you might expect from such compact speakers, while Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C audio, AUX and multipoint connectivity give you plenty of options for connecting your devices. The EQ settings, app controls and customisable lighting are useful extras, although you certainly don’t need the app for everyday use.

For anyone looking for an affordable, compact sound upgrade for their desk, the R20BTs are a very capable little package. They may not shake the windows, but they don’t need to. They’re designed to make everyday music, videos, gaming and general computer use sound considerably better, and they do exactly that.

Marshall Emberton III Bluetooth Speaker

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Disclaimer: We received this product as a review sample but all thoughts and opinions are our own

Let’s talk about the Marshall Emberton III Bluetooth speaker. If you’re familiar with the Marshall brand, you already know they embrace a rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic, and the Emberton III is no exception, resembling a mini guitar amp, earning full marks for style. The classic black and brass design is timeless, looking just as at home on your coffee table as it does out in the wild. That’s key because you’re buying this speaker as much for its visual appeal as its sound quality.

Speaking of sound, the Emberton III delivers an impressive performance for its size. It won’t shake the room, but for a compact speaker, it packs a punch. The bass is rich without being muddy, and the highs are clear and crisp. It avoids the common pitfall of small speakers where everything turns into a flat mess at high volumes. Does it rival professional studio monitors? No, but that’s not the point, you’re not mixing tracks in your bathroom, you just want great sound while you shower. Maybe the Emberton III is overqualified for such casual listening, but that’s part of the fun.

The battery life is a respectable 30 hours on a full charge, and it only takes 2 hours to recharge and the simple 10-bar LED gauge keeps you aware of the remaining battery.

The IP67 rating means it’s dustproof and water-resistant. While I wouldn’t suggest tossing it in a pool, it can handle sawdust in the garage or a splash from a drink on the patio without missing a beat.

Control-wise, the brass joystick on top lets you adjust volume and skip tracks with a tactile, old-school feel, like turning a radio dial, which is far more satisfying than a touchscreen. It features Bluetooth 5.1 with Bluetooth LE support, and in my tests, it maintained a stable connection throughout the house. The speaker also comes with a companion app, and whilst not essential, it does offer firmware updates, EQ settings, and battery management.

So final thoughts? The Marshall Emberton III is like that tool in your workshop you don’t necessarily need but really want. It’s not the cheapest option, but you’re paying for the cool factor as much as the audio quality. It’s got style, it’s tough and has enough sonic oomph sound to keep you energised while working on those endless DIY projects.

Is it overkill for casual listening? Probably. Would I still recommend it? Absolutely. Because sometimes, you just want to blast some tunes and feel like you’re backstage at Woodstock – even if in reality you’re just doing a spot of DIY in the garage!!

RRP £149.99