Edifier ES20 Portable Bluetooth Speaker review – Keep 'em coming, Edifier. We're listening.

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REVIEW – Earlier, I reviewed the retro-styled (and great-sounding) Edifier ES300 wireless tabletop speaker. The ES300 is the pinnacle of a line of three ES speakers. Both the E20 and ES60 Portable Bluetooth Speakers are portable versions that follow the style of their ES300 cousin, at a smaller scale and price. The E20 is the “baby” ES speaker, which still sounds larger than it is—much like a real baby. The question is, does it sound better than other mini-speakers in its price range?

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $89.99
Where to buy: Edifier and Amazon

What is it?

The Edifier ES20 Portable Bluetooth Speaker is a small (tiny?) square speaker that resembles a tiny amp. It is covered in either Black or Ivory soft patterned leatherette with control buttons positioned at the top. A ring of ambient light circles the rear of the ES20 speaker.

What’s included?

Speaker
Lanyard
Quick start guide
Safety sheet

Tech specs

Driver: 1.7″ full range
Bass: 2″ Passive radiator
Dimension: 3.6 x 3..7 x 2 inches
Weight: 11.5 oz.
Color: Black
Waterproof rating: IP67
Power: 6W
Battery life: 12 hours
Charging time: 4-5 hours
Charging: USB-C

Design and features

As much as I like large speakers that can shake a room, I also get a kick from small portable Bluetooth speakers. They are super-convenient and sound way better than small speakers did just a few years ago. Kudos to audio companies for making music sound the best it ever has, no matter the circumstances. Edifier is one of the better speaker makers in the mid to high-end range. More importantly, they are improving each year. The ES20 is a prime example of how good small speakers can sound.

All the control buttons are at the top of the ES20. From left to right: Lighting, Volume down, Volume up, and Bluetooth pairing. Below these buttons are Mic (for hands-free phone calls), Battery indicator, and Input light to indicate pairing, play, or pause. Pressing and holding down the volume buttons will skip forward or restart a song. The Bluetooth button will perform various phone speaker functions.

One side of the speaker houses the USB-C charging port (cable included) while the other side has a place for a lanyard/strap (also included). The ES20’s size is perfect for carrying around with or without the included lanyard. Four tiny feet sit at the bottom, keeping the speaker’s vibrations from resonating into whatever surface it sits on.

The speaker grill feels like painted aluminum, but it isn’t easy to tell. Because it was painted, it could be plastic. Either way, the construction is solid. Plus, the slightly padded exterior can protect it from drops.

Using the ES20 as a phone speaker is hit or miss. If I were speaking close to the mic, the other party could hear me clearly. But if I moved 3-5 feet away, my voice kept cut in and out. Maybe it’s a problem with most small speakers, because I’ve yet to have a good conversation using any small speaker as a phone mic. Oh, well.

The ES 20 uses the Edifier ConneX app (iOS and Android) to control its functions. Each of these functions can also be done using the speaker’s buttons. However, lighting controls are easier to use in the app than on the speaker itself.

There are 4 pre-programmed equalizer (EQ) settings in the ConneX app: Music, Game, Movie, and Outdoor. I’m not sure they work. I cannot hear any difference between them at all. It may be that this function is meant for a firmware upgrade. One other function that doesn’t work in the app is what Edifier calls “Sound Effects File”, a marketing term for a manual Equalizer. No matter what slider I press or drag on the screen, nothing happens. As it stands, the audio that the speaker makes is what you get. I’m not complaining because it does sound good, but I would appreciate some customization.

The lights are programmed to play different patterns/colors: Breathing, Rainbow, Static, Glittering, and Emergency Light. The Emergency Light setting repeatedly flashes a bright red light. These lights are not as disco/tacky as some speakers’ light shows. Lights on the ES20 are slower and soothing.

What about the sound? This tiny marvel manages to push out impressive audio with competent bass—not easy with this size speaker. The passive radiator allows the lower frequencies to kinda rumble while vocals are kept front and center. Since vocals are prioritized, the ES20 is also excellent playing spoken media, such as audiobooks and podcasts.

Distortion can creep in at max volume, so I try to keep it at about 75% max volume, which is plenty loud for a tiny speaker. If s fuller sound is desired, I suggest the ES60 (I have not reviewed), a larger, more rectangular version of the ES20.

Can the ES20 compete with its cousin, the ES600? Of course not—it’s not designed for that. Because of its small size, the ES20 is more of a near-field speaker than one used to fill a room. Keep it close, and it will deliver what is expected.

Final thoughts

The Edifier ES20 sounds quite good for its size. But it’s competing in an increasingly crowded field of good-sounding small speakers. Other tiny speakers, such as the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 or the JBL Clip, also sound good, yet cost less than the ES20. Despite how good the ES20 is (and it is), it may need to be less expensive to really compete.

What I like about the Edifier ES20 speaker

Solid build
Good audio quality
Attractive
Great water and dust proofing
Cool ambient lighting

What needs to be improved?

Expensive for a tiny speaker
Some parts of the companion ConneX app don’t work with the ES20

Price: 89.99
Where to buy: Edifier and Amazon
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.