Edifier R1280Ts Powered Bookshelf Speakers - 2 0 Stereo Active Near Field Monitors - Studio Monitor Speaker -

*Edited to add information about the subwoofer output. **Upgraded rating from 4 to 5 Stars. Explanation at end. This appears to be a slightly updated version of the popular and widely reviewed R1280t speaker. There are hundreds of reviews, both professional and customer, of this speaker on Internet, so I won't rehash them. The primary differences: (1) the addition of a subwoofer connection, with associated circuitry to provide an electronic crossover* when a sub is connected, and (2) addition of a signal-processing feature to create a wider stereo image, and modification of the remote control to add a switch for that feature. I cannot categorically state that the "R1280ts" version sounds identical to the earlier version. The dimensions, driver complement, and design appear to be the same. Specifications also seem to be the same. All indications are that it’s the same acoustically as other “1280” models. Most of the reviews you'll see will conclude with some version of "for the money..." And that's the right way to look at these speakers. They are not the finest powered bookshelf speakers in the land. Not the loudest. Not the bassiest. Not the most extended highs, not the most neutral-sounding. But -- for the money -- they offer more than you might expect. They sound good if you don't turn them up too loud, if you sit reasonably close and don't try to fill the room with sound. They make great computer speakers that will let you hear music without giving up too much bass, or listen to podcasts or news with clarity. **My critique of the sound is that they have a very slightly boxy quality, a lack of the transparency that, to be fair, is usually the hallmark of much more expensive speakers. But at the same time aren't boomy, muffled, harsh, or any of the other flaws that plague most inexpensive speakers. For the money, I believe they offer great bang-for-the-buck. I plan to add a small powered subwoofer soon. If that changes anything about how these speakers sound beyond the obvious, I'll amend this review. *I did add a sub - a Monoprice SSW-8, a "slim" sub with the conventional connections and controls for a home theater sub. I connected the Edifier sub out to the sub's line inputs (requiring a 3.5mm-to-RCA adapter cable; you could use the one that comes with the speakers if you didn't use it already). This setup works well. Extending the bass another octave or more definitely enriches the sound without changing the character of the speakers. It's by no means a necessary or transformative upgrade, but it's worthwhile. *(cont'd) The Edifier sub-out is basically a headphone jack. It is full-range; there is no "crossover." It is affected by all of the controls -- bass, treble, volume -- and, surprisingly, also by the "spacializer." I don't recommend using the spacializer when using a subwoofer. (Using this jack for headphones does not, of course, cut off the speaker sound. There is also something slightly "off" about the full-range sound coming from this port; it seems to lack full separation, and seems somewhat shrill. But it works for the subwoofer just fine.) Because the Edifers lack any way to control the sub out, you will need a sub with volume and crossover-frequency controls, and you probably want to place the sub where those controls remain accessible. I'm using a crossover frequency of about 100Hz, and of course set the volume by ear. Certainly the addition of the sub output at no increase in price is a worthwhile upgrade. It does what it needs to do, and no more. It would have been good to include a low-pass filter, but it's not generally needed. **These speakers seem to benefit very much from extended break-in. After about 50 hours use, the "boxy" quality referred to in the main text has largely disappeared, leaving the sound more natural than it once was. The high end is still just adequate, but overall the sound is acceptably neutral and uncolored, especially for a speaker in this price range. It wouldn't be 5 stars compared to the best bookshelf speakers available, but it doesn't deserve a demerit when compared to its direct competitors. Read more

These speakers are great, I can play all my music from my apps Great sound I may buy another set for another room Definitely worth the price Read more

These come well packaged and protected from shipping damage. The first thing I noticed was the solid feel of the speakers. I picked the wood grain ones and was a bit concerned as to whether the wood color would match the desk. I feel fairly pleased that it is very close, and they look nice just sitting there. Another aspect I liked just viewing pictures are the mirror image arrangement of the drivers and port. The bottom of each speaker comes with some feet to keep them from vibrating or moving around the surface. The controls and connections are pretty straightforward. The only thing you may need is if you are going to connect to a second device you need to consider the cabling. As shown, these come with a 3.5mm to RCA and RCA to RCA as input options. It is getting more and more rare that one would need that latter cable, but I used a converter I had laying around and have both of these connected to different PC. Right out of the box these are, of course, set to zero adjustment on the treble or bass. The volume knob is the type that clicks as you turn. It does not appear to have a stop built in; it will just keep going so far as I can tell. I haven't discovered if there is a way to know when the speaker is at upper limit yet. The speakers have a really decent midrange presence and spatial stereo effect. They give a good sound field with triangle placement and almost feel like there is a center channel. With that said they are quite midrange strong. Where you can adjust the treble and bass with the radial knobs the adjustments have their own detractions. The treble adjusts up fairly linear until you get right near the halfway to the top point. It will then adjust very quickly from almost right to sizzle. The bass adjustment helps a bit for that low midrange punchiness, but this is also hampered by going towards muddy the more adjustment you add. Like many of this type of speaker there is almost an imperceptible balance difference ride side strong. This makes sense given that the amp and controls are on that side. I would mention here that the speakers also come with a little remote control which has a button to turn on some manner of sound adjustment that I have not used. Don't really see a need for it at this point. Bottom line so far is that for the price this is seemingly a decent set of speakers for use with such things as a PC, record player, perhaps a TV if the connections are present (there are better model options in this line for that last use case). In my own opinion this is a good start to what is actually 1/2 of the product you need for this line, and that other half would be the T5 subwoofer. These get plenty loud, and they have a really decent middling sound that is great for music or game consumption and so on. I will be adding some slightly better (gauge) wire for the left speaker. It may well be a waste of time given the distance involved as well as not knowing what gauge is used inside the cabinet. My hope on that is it will reduce or eliminate the slight right-side bias. In addition, I plan to pick up the subwoofer soon. This, to me, will be where we really find out what is going on with these units. I feel like the treble adjustment being so abrupt at the end of the knob travel is likely an answer to the additional bass and presence when a powered sub is connected, and these speakers are band passing. I am not so sure that once the combined cost of the speaker cabinets and subwoofer unit are going to make this really competitive to other units in that higher price point. Will update the review to reflect that soon. Read more

Love these speakers! Very aesthetically pleasing and they work wonderful with my record player. Super easy to set up and I like having the option to attach a sub layer. Mine aren’t Bluetooth but they still plugged into my record player 24/7 anyways Read more

Good quality, good looking powered bookshelf speakers that I bought to replace the worn-out speakers on an older model Sony TV. Able to connect the speakers within minutes of unboxing, and the sound quality is excellent. Everything needed was supplied. The connection was by wires, no Bluetooth, exactly what I needed. Read more