In the event you look too shortly, you may suppose the Edifier MP230 Bluetooth Speaker is definitely a bedside radio from the ‘60s. Whereas visually, that’s by design on Edifier’s half, the efficiency of this good-looking little Bluetooth speaker is greater than its surface-level aesthetics.
On the whole, Edifier has carved out a pleasant little house for itself out there — growing high-design audio system that punch fairly properly above their value level when it comes to audio efficiency. Whereas the model is understood for distinctive designs going way back to 2014’s e25 Luna audio system that seem like one thing out of a Jetsons episode, the MP230 is taking a web page out of the outdated and making an attempt to do one thing fairly new.
I’ve used my justifiable share of Edifier merchandise — most notably bookshelf audio system together with the fairly priced 1700BTs — so I had some expectations after I bought my palms on the MP230. We’ve reviewed numerous Edifier’s headphones right here at DailyTech, together with Stax Spirit S3, so I used to be curious to see an on-the-go Bluetooth speaker within the combine. After a couple of week of basic use, right here’s how the MP230 gala’s.
Design and construct: It actually ties a shelf collectively
Edifier is being fairly intentional about this speaker’s design. The advertising and marketing web site clearly states that they’re impressed by traditional radios of the ‘50s and ‘60s, and whereas there are some facets of this I discover to be true, the look of the MP230 is decidedly a merger between trendy and retro.
The downward-toggle-style buttons scream Mad Males to me, and I’ll admit {that a} highball glass appears to be like fairly good proper subsequent to this speaker, however the shiny virtually rose-gold badge on the modern-looking grille positively seems like one thing from 2022. The rubber toes elevate the MP230 simply sufficient to make it really feel midcentury trendy, however positively in a Crate & Barrel type of manner, not in an “I discovered this at a consignment store” type of manner.
None of that could be a unhealthy factor, as a result of I believe it’s fairly clear that Edifier goes for a modern-retro method right here. The remainder of the wood-style chassis, as an illustration, positively feels modern and properly manufactured. The enclosure is made from medium-density fiberboard (widespread enclosure materials recognized for resonance and sturdiness) lined with a nice-looking veneer to mimic the solid-wood cupboards of yore. I notably like how this feels within the hand because it’s bought a density and a weight that’s consistent with high quality. The buttons, although they’re designed to look like they clunk downward, even have little or no vary of movement and act extra like trendy membrane-switch buttons.
The decision on the bodily construct of this speaker is that the majority listeners gained’t be upset. It appears to be like nice on a bookshelf, in an workplace, or certainly on a bedside desk. And since it’s so small (measuring nearly 6 by 3 by 4 inches) it doesn’t occupy an excessive amount of of a footprint alongside the remainder of its shelf-mates. It doesn’t, nonetheless, take a look at dwelling on a blanket within the park. It’s good that there’s the pliability of a battery so you may take this speaker with you, however there’s one thing valuable in regards to the design that makes me really feel far more snug with it in my dwelling than out on this planet.
Sound high quality: proper down the center
The MP230 is, briefly, a succesful little speaker with rather a lot to supply on the sound high quality entrance. Contained in the enclosure are twin 48-millimeter drivers to ship true stereo sound. That is refreshing to see in such a small speaker, and in reality, many different Bluetooth audio system from well-liked manufacturers like JBL or Final Ears don’t at all times supply dual-matched audio system for stereo unfold — opting as a substitute for bigger elliptical drivers for quantity and bass.
Every of the MP230’s drivers is powered by 10 watts of energy by way of a category D amp, offering a reasonably affordable quantity of headroom for many listeners’ wants — notably at this dimension. The frequency response goes as little as 70Hz which, when coupled with the resonance of the wood-style enclosure, provides a reasonably good bass response. In truth, that is what shocked me most in regards to the sound high quality; whenever you hearth it up, it’ll mission sound within the low and low-mid frequencies fairly properly.
So what does this all imply in follow? Effectively, in the event you’re listening to “typical music” with common compression — Prime 40 mixes or official Spotify playlists — the MP230 is fairly properly optimized. The richness within the decrease finish of the spectrum does wonders for including fullness to the sound. It does, nonetheless, come throughout only a bit muddy on the vocal aspect. So, in the event you take heed to podcasts or acoustic music, you may discover it a contact distracting.
The whole lot else: only a few bells and whistles
Edifier appears to have spent fairly a little bit of concentrate on the design of the speaker and attaining at the least first rate sound high quality. Because of this, there actually aren’t a ton of “extras” to talk of right here. There are not any high-end codecs like AAC or aptX, and Bluetooth 5.0 is as trendy because the connectivity will get on the MP230.
There’s a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary port in the event you’d favor to wire in as a substitute of utilizing Bluetooth connectivity. There’s a USB-c enter that doubles as a port for charging and for streaming to your PC, and Edifier has even included a micro SD card slot for taking part in native recordsdata proper from the speaker itself.
There’s a 2,500 milliamp-hour battery constructed into this speaker, which Edifier guarantees will ship 10 hours of steady playback on a single cost. I ran this speaker for the complete battery and I bought nearer to eight or 9 hours of playback at fairly loud volumes (I used to be testing the speaker, in spite of everything). I believe 9 hours is a reasonably affordable complete, although … far more than people will doubtless want in a single sitting.
Verdict: Who can purchase it?
The battery life level brings me to my last thought right here: Who is that this speaker for? Certain it has battery performance, however due to its wood-tone end and design-forward options, it feels odd to throw this in a bag and take it to the park. Plus, the rectangle form is a bit awkward for this use-case anyway because it doesn’t sit flat in a backpack.
No, this speaker is far more at dwelling on a shelf in a sitting room and even within the nook of your kitchen. It tasks fairly wealthy, stereo sound for its dimension, and it does so by wanting actually slick. It’s not competing with the JBLs and the Final Ears of the world however isn’t fairly reaching the echelon of a Sonos or Bose speaker. On the whole, I believe there’s first rate worth right here at an MSRP of $150 (and it may be had for $130 on third-party websites like Amazon), however if you’d like additional options like high-end codecs or waterproof sturdiness, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Editors’ Alternative