REVIEW – If you are like me and hate the built-in speakers that come with TVs, you have been looking at external speakers. over the years I reviewed several soundbars and I did find a few that I liked. However, I was very excited when I got the offer to review these Edifier R1280DBs Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers because I think they will be a step up from the soundbars I have been using. Let’s see!!
What is it?
The Edifier R1280DBs Active Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers can be connected via RCA cables or optical cable, or wirelessly to your phone, tablet, and laptop by the latest Bluetooth technology. It features 42W RMS and a Subwoofer Line Out.
What’s included?
- 1 x Edifier R1280DBs Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers
- 1 x Speaker connecting cable
- 1 x RCA to RCA audio cable
- 1 x 3.5 mm-RCA audio cable
- 1 x Fiber optic audio cable
- 1 x User Manual
Tech specs
Design and features
- BLUETOOTH 5.0: Pair the speaker with your smartphone, tablet, Mac, or laptop to play music wirelessly, no need to deal with messy wires.
- SUB OUT AND OPT/COAX INPUTS: Subwoofer output with automatic detection and built-in crossover. Optical and coaxial inputs ensure a lossless connection to TVs and computers.
- DISTORTION-FREE SOUND: Fill your room with beautiful sound with its 42W continuous undistorted power, 13mm silk dome tweeter unit, and 4-inch sub-woofer unit. Enhance your listening experience with Soundfield Spatializer.
- UPDATED REMOTE CONTROL: Wireless remote for easy volume control, mute/unmute, switch to OPT/COAX mode, line-in, and Bluetooth modes. Bass, treble, and volume control are located on the side panel.
- 2-YEAR WARRANTY: Guaranteed high quality and reliability with hassle-free parts and labor warranty for two years in the USA and Canada.
The Edifier R1280DBs Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers are well built and feature the speakers on the front with a removable grille, the speaker connections on the back, and the connectivity on the main speaker on the back. On the side of the main speaker are the controls. A full-featured remote control is included.
Performance
Video overview of the hardware:
The Edifier R1280DBs Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers are attractive and well made. The 2-tone finish adds a look that will fit in with most decors. I tested the connection via Optical, RCA cables, and Bluetooth.
All the connections were easy and worked well. I also connected these speakers to an existing Presonus subwoofer in my studio. While the Bookshelf speakers sound acceptable for use with watching regular TV, the addition of a subwoofer is necessary for music and movies if you want the full audio spectrum. There is a green LED on the front of the main speaker that shows the connection, it is steady when the speaker is on and being used and blinks when the speakers are muted. It is nice that all that is needed to power the second speaker is a speaker cable. This makes positioning easy and only limited by the room layout and the length of the speaker wire.
Overall, the sound is well represented in the mids and highs but needs a bit of help in the lows if that deeper bass is desired. The separation of the frequencies is great, making dialogue clear for TV and movies as well as for focusing on individual instruments when listening to music.
The functionality of the side controls is also great and the controls work well:
What I like about the Edifier R1280DBs Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers
- The build quality
- The sleek design
- The connectivity options
- The sound
What needs to be improved?
- They should be offered with a matching subwoofer
Final thoughts
The Edifier R1280DBs Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers are well-built and attractive enough to blend with any decor. They sound nice and the connectivity options make them versatile. While I believe that a subwoofer is a must to obtain adequate lows that match the mids and highs that the speakers produce, they are still awesome speakers. Well done again Edifier!
Price: $159.99 – Amazon; $149.99 – Edifier
Where to buy: Amazon, Edifier online
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Edifier. Edifier did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
