Edifier S350DB overview: 2.1 laptop audio system with true class

The vary of choices out there to these searching for a high quality set of two.1 laptop audio system is pretty restricted today – exterior of placing collectively a Hello-Fi system – however the Edifier S350DB is doing its bit. These audio system ship excellent sound high quality, with enormous quantities of quantity and bass presence when wanted, all whereas wanting elegant and for a very reasonable worth.

The mixture on supply from Edifier right here is sufficient to make these simply the perfect laptop audio system you should buy for those who’re searching for a high quality 2.1 set. The dearth of gaming extras means they miss out on our total choose for the perfect gaming audio system, but when a extra diversified set of makes use of is your major concern, these deserve your consideration.

Specs

Design

Magnificence is within the eye of the beholder, however the Edifier S350DB is to our eyes a extremely handsome-looking set of audio system. Solely out there on this brown or a black end – another Edifier audio system such because the R1280DB have extra coloration choices – their wooden grain impact could not fairly slot in with the extra trendy, modern look of many trendy gaming setups. Nonetheless, as standalone units, these have a timeless high quality to them.

They’re constructed like a tank too. Though the wooden grain is from a vinyl wrap, not stable wooden, it seems and feels excellent. Plus, beneath the wrap, the packing containers for every speaker and the sub are constituted of thick slabs of MDF. Mix this with the standard parts inside and so they all weigh a substantial quantity – the entire set weighs 17.4kg (38lbs). That compares to only underneath 10kg (22lbs) for the in any other case similarly-specced Razer Nommo V2 Professional, for example.

This weight is mirrored within the dimension of the audio system too. Every satellite tv for pc speaker measures 127 x 156 x 222mm, which is definitely a contact smaller than the R1280DB 2.0 audio system however a lot bigger than plenty of 2.1 satellite tv for pc audio system. They use a rear-firing bass port too, so will want a little bit of house behind them to permit the speaker to breathe. With no detachable cloth covers, the S350DB’s satellite tv for pc audio system solely provide the choice of an exposed-driver look.

As for the sub, it’s primarily a 1ft dice, and whereas the Razer Nommo V2 Professional’s sub can also be 1ft tall, it’s noticeably shorter and narrower. What’s extra, the Edifier sub has a forward-firing and utterly uncovered driver which implies you’ll need to watch out about the place you place it, so that you don’t by chance put your foot by way of the driving force (that’s not us jesting, both – it’s a real concern for a tool hidden underneath your desk).

Accompanying the audio system is a hockey puck-sized and formed infrared distant management, which has a pleasingly weighty and curved steel base and plastic prime. It might simply be the distant you discover accompanying a high-end Hello-Fi system.

Options

The Edifier R1280DB has a barely out-of-date set of options in some methods. Whilst you can join Bluetooth units on to it, and it’ll soak up optical (cable offered) or coax digital indicators, you possibly can’t simply plug the entire setup straight into your PC through a USB cable. Whereas loads of motherboards and sound units do have digital audio outputs, it’s not a assure, so that you may have to depend on your system’s analog audio output. As such, in case your motherboard or different sound output machine doesn’t have decent-quality analog outputs, you’ll be barely limiting the standard of the audio from these audio system.

This apart, although, the Edifier R1280DB is full of options. As I discussed earlier, you get Bluetooth and digital inputs, plus there are two additional analog inputs (one twin phono to stereo jack cable offered).

All these ports are on the subwoofer’s rear, which isn’t fairly as handy because the Nommo V2 Professional’s setup the place the USB cable runs from the correct speaker and the subwoofer is then wi-fi (although needing its personal subwoofer energy provide). Plus, the satellite tv for pc audio system each connect through customized cables, slightly than plain speaker wire. That is handy and permits for the correct speaker to incorporate quantity/enter, bass, and treble controls, nevertheless it means a damaged cable can’t be simply changed.

On the distant, you get controls for energy, quantity, enter choice, Bluetooth connection, and Bluetooth playback (play, pause, ahead, again). It’s a responsive distant, with the audio system by no means struggling to answer our button presses (the sensor’s on the correct speaker). We’d desire it to make use of AA or AAA batteries than a button cell, although, given its comparatively chunky dimension.

Outdoors of those core connection options, the S350DB doesn’t disguise every other gaming extras up its sleeve. It’s a straight-up set of two.1 audio system that delivers its gaming and no matter different sonic excellence through sheer sound high quality slightly than encompass sound tips or RGB.

Talking of which, every satellite tv for pc homes a 3.5-inch  major driver and a 0.75-inch tweeter, together with the aforementioned bass port. This combo permits every speaker to assert a mixed 40W RMS of audio energy alone, with RMS being a far stricter measure of true audio energy than the height figures offered for many audio system. These satellites can ship a sonic vary of 160Hz – 20kHz.

As for the sub, it homes a single 8-inch driver with a bass port venting from the correct aspect of the cupboard. It’s rated to an enormous 70W RMS for a mixed system energy of 150W, and its rated frequency vary goes from 40Hz to 160Hz.

Sound high quality

Fairly merely, these audio system blow each different competing set of gaming 2.1 audio system out of the water relating to total sound high quality. The quantity of quantity, the depth and energy of the bass, the readability, and the smoothness of transition between subwoofer sounds and satellite tv for pc sounds is in contrast to every other set of laptop audio system we’ve examined. There’s loads of competitors within the extra Hello-Fi oriented house, however for plug-and-play laptop audio system, there are vanishingly few direct alternate options of this class.

Beginning with that all-important bass, the massive 8-inch driver can dole out enormous quantities of energy, shaking your flooring and desk at adequate quantity. It doesn’t arrive with fairly the in-your-face, bass-heavy tuning to the general setup because the Razer Nommo V2 Professional, however as a substitute, it lets no matter you’re listening to ship the bass when it needs to. It’s so easy and pure sounding.

Crucially, utilizing a system with a sub like this actually makes you notice fairly the place most cheaper 2.0 speaker methods and soundbars simply aren’t capable of ship true bass. You get a thumping decrease mid-range impact with these methods, nevertheless it doesn’t hit you within the chest or make the air really feel prefer it’s vibrating round you. That’s what you get right here (once more, quantity and bass stage dependent) and it’s totally absorbing.

The draw back is that in many homes in additional densely-populated areas it’ll all be an excessive amount of so that you can use, notably on higher flooring. The bass from the sub will roll proper on by way of a picket ground, in contrast to a normal set of two.0 audio system sitting on a desk.

As for the satellites right here, they’re simply nearly as good because the sub. Their total energy with the shared load throughout two totally different drivers means they’ll get very loud and but keep crystalline readability. Once more, there’s a purpose Hello-Fi audio system value a lot cash, however for many listeners, these shall be among the many best-sounding laptop audio system they’ve ever heard.

Together with the readability of those audio system, it’s their skill to ship full, mid-range heat that integrates so seamlessly with the subwoofer that impresses. With so many cheaper 2.1 methods, the satellites and subwoofer deal with excessive and low frequencies nicely, respectively, however they have an inclination to go away a little bit of a hole within the mid-range. That’s simply not the case right here.

So, whether or not you’re listening to rock, EDM, or hip hop, firing up a cinematic recreation with digital encompass sound (which, if it’s software-based, will nonetheless work by way of this setup), or settling in to observe the newest Christopher Nolan audio problem, these audio system deal with the lot.

Value

With a worth of $399.99, the Edifier S350DB isn’t an inexpensive set of audio system. Nonetheless, it affords glorious worth for the options, construct high quality, and sound high quality you’re getting. A number of extra gaming-oriented manufacturers have similarly-priced choices that focus extra on gaming extras than the sound high quality right here.

Options

Razer Nommo V2 Professional

When you’re after the same stage of sonic energy on this worth vary, however need somewhat extra give attention to gaming options and RGB, this Razer Nommo V2 Professional set is good. The audio system don’t sound fairly as sonically achieved, with a barely extra compelled bass sound and fewer readability throughout the sonic vary. Nonetheless, they nonetheless sound respectable, have lots of energy and bass, and their Razer software program options are nice for video games.

Learn our full Razer Nommo V2 Professional overview.

Verdict

For these searching for only a high quality set of laptop audio system that may flip its hand to something you throw at it, the Edifier S350DB is the one. With sufficient quantity to energy a home celebration or drive a house cinema setup, plus readability that places most gaming-brand alternate options to disgrace, they actually can’t be crushed when it comes to bang per buck.

You don’t get lots when it comes to gaming options, although. There’s no RGB, not one of the game-specific audio enhancements of some choices, and maybe most crucially, you possibly can’t simply plug these straight into your system through USB. In any other case, they arrive extremely really useful, as long as you don’t thoughts disturbing your neighbors/family with the thumping bass.