What We Like
- Gorgeous looking speakers which feel far more carefully designed than most.
- The build quality is phenomenal which affects both form and function.
- Delivers a phenomenal listening experience.
What We Don't Like
- Would have been nice to see a USB port. Not a huge deal.
Established in Beijing in 1996, Edifier has quickly grown into a global brand selling in more than 70 countries and consisting of some 3000 employees. Specialising in consumer electronics, they also deal extensively with PC multimedia applications.
Design
The first thing we noticed when unboxing the S2000 Pro is that the build quality of the speakers vastly (and we mean vastly) outdoes the overwhelming majority of studio monitors in this price range. They are heavy, weighty units coming in at around 9kg per cabinet which is definitely on the heavier side for this kind of form factor. They feel very solid, well braced, robust and, as is important for any audio device, inert. You aren’t going to have to worry about a lot of background vibration interfering with the overall sound.
Another fairly novel feature for a pair of studio monitors is that the visual design has been carefully considered. Instead of the standard, all black MDF cabinets with a vinyl finish, Edifier has opted to buck the trend and, you know, actually try something new. Crazy, we know, but it certainly makes a nice change! The cabinets are an interesting, angular shape which has both an aesthetic and practical purpose in terms of propagating the sound. The side panels are solid wood in a natural finish, and they look gorgeous.
Our only gripe with the design was the fabric covered plastic grilles which felt a little out of place relative to the premium feel of the rest of the device. This may well be an unfair criticism, however, given that it would not be worth mentioning had the rest of the cabinet not been so nicely designed.
Features
On the master speaker, you will find a back panel that is particularly well laid out and does a good job of cramming a lot of functionality into a relatively small space without being cluttered and disorderly. Inputs include RCA, XLR, coaxial, and optical. All the usual suspects, all included together. And there’s the added bonus of Bluetooth connection which supports Apt-X should that be of use to you. All in all, this adds a whole lot of flexibility and just serves to extend the set of use cases far beyond what you may usually have on offer at this price point. It would have been nice to see a USB connector, but this is by no means a deal breaker.
As well as the standard volume dial, you have two others which help you to shape the sound signature to your own preferences and to reflect the needs of whichever room or placement position you end up using the studio monitors within. The treble and bass levels can be adjusted via these dials, and it allows for a whole host of different sound profiles to be customized and invented on the fly.
A small touch which we particularly enjoyed comes alongside the very well crafted, high quality remote control which is included. When connected by Bluetooth (streaming from your phone, for example), you can use this remote control to skip through tracks just as you would if you were controlling a device that was physically attached to the speakers. This little detail is a very nice feature to include.
Performance
The overall character of the S2000 Pros would best be described as broadly neutral with a tendency towards a pleasant warmth, especially in the mids. The ribbon tweeter works some kind of magic at the top end of the mix to deliver a crisp, soaring feel that you would expect of a much more expensive pair of speakers. Mids are detailed and natural; the articulation is very dynamic and responds well to even the busiest tracks.
We can’t quite believe we’re saying this about a pair of studio monitors which, given their form factor, are notorious for under delivering in this regard, but the most impressive single element of the performance is, without a doubt, the bass response. Despite only packing a 5.5” woofer on each speaker, the heavy, robust cabinets and the sheer build quality of the unit as a whole squeezes out every bit of performance you could hope for. The net effect is powerful, punch, and deep whilst retaining a good deal of musicality and tone.
The Rumble:
Without a doubt, Edifier have managed to create one of the most compelling arguments to buy a pair of studio monitors in this price bracket that we have reviewed to date. Gorgeous design, incredible build quality, and thoroughly amazing sound.
