Tag: Speaker

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.

JLab Pop Party Ultra-Portable Bluetooth Speaker

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Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Here’s a great gift for the teenagers or when you’re travelling – a portable Bluetooth speaker that lights up and connect to other JLab speakers to create a wall of sound!

Imagine being out on a picnic, or camping, and having a team of these JLab Pop Party Bluetooth speakers all playing the same music at the same time from the same device. Each of the speakers lights up so that not only can you find them easily amongst all your stuff, but as night falls, you can see each other in the glow or red, green and blue lights.  They each have 8 hours of power in them; enough for a whole day outside or a night time party.  The JLab Pop Party Ultra-Portable Bluetooth speakers are only £24.99, and make excellent birthday gifts, stocking fillers or gifts for children and teenagers.

With 5 watts power and a 2 year warranty, the speaker is only 7.55 inches tall and has a 2 inch driver and 2 inch woofer. It has various mounting options and a detachable magnetic loop, which you can hold in one hand or mount on a bicycle handle or in the backseat of a car. It has IP55 waterproofing so you can take it outside (it’s rain protective, not water protective so you can’t submerge it!) It’s lightweight so you can carry it in hand luggage or just over your wrist.

Charging is with a C to C cable in the USB-C port and takes around 3 hours to fully charge. Syncing is with Bluetooth 5.3. There’s approximately 30 foot range of connectivity. You get the most out of t he RGB lights if you use the JLab App to control the frequency, pattern and create the light show from it.

This is the first time I’ve seen these ‘Pop Party’ speakers and ever got to use them. They’re really useful for just taking out for the day and for children to play with in the garden or for teenagers to take out with them.  The sound quality is excellent and connection to my phone was super easy one I turned on the speaker and it was ‘findable’.  The JLab Pop Part Ultra-Portable Bluetooth speaker is ultra-easy to get along with and use, making it a perfect gift for anyone!

JLab Pop Party UltraPortable Bluetooth Speaker for £24.99 at: https://www.jlab.com/en-gb/products/pop-party-ultra-portable-bluetooth-speaker-black?srsltid=AfmBOoqK6kuF00xfCjWpXLHOKF0Unr3Tr9WJdnI1K9qK1ksBeALP11zW

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

Edifier MF200 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

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

We live in a world where most people use electronic devices for entertainment and a good quality set of speakers can really enhance the experience. Edifier is a well-known audio brand that produce a wide range of speakers and are known for their high-quality audio and sleek designs. They recently sent me the MF200 portable speaker, and I was really impressed with both the build quality and sound.

At 490 grams it isn’t heavy, but it is well built and the solid aluminium construction gives a luxury feel to the speaker. It is a simple device and comes with a USB-C input / charging cable and a handy cloth bag for taking it out and about.

At one end of the speaker is a USB-C connection, used for both charging and as an input source and a 3.5mm socket for the AUX input. On the other end is the power switch which doubles as an input selector. There are three options for connecting to the speaker, Bluetooth 5.0, the 3.5mm AUX socket and the USB-C connection for smartphones and PCs. (Edifier does say that it is PC only, but I’ve had no problems connecting my Android phone).

On the front panel are three discreet touch / push controls to adjust the volume, skip tracks or pause playback.

Once connected the sound quality is excellent, producing a rich sound with no distortion, even at full volume and the soft rubber feet efficiently prevent vibrations moving through to the furniture. Internally there are two 4w 36mm full-range drivers and whilst they’re not going to shake the foundations, they’re great as a portable speaker.

This speaker is not just for connecting to your smartphone, it makes a great option for anybody who’s fed up with sub-par sounds from their laptop, just connect and play!

If using the speakers wirelessly, you should get up to 10 hours of use from the built-in 2200mAh high-capacity lithium battery.

I’m really pleased with this speaker, it has a quality feel that is matched by the clear sound of its speakers and its distinctive triangular design looks great wherever I take it.

RRP £69.99