Edifier R1850DB Active Speakers Reviewed
During the brutal lockdowns in 2020, I was caught out and displaced outside my country. I bought a speaker because I couldn’t get home for a year to my apartment. I bought the Edifier R1700BT with little expectation to pass the time but now formed a bond of sorts with this company. Today I get the chance to review the R1850 DB model in their line of active speakers. It’s a little bigger, a little more expensive but also from what I have heard it punches well above its weight.
The Concept
Active bookshelf speakers are much maligned in the audiophile world but anyone doing so doesn’t quite get the point. For a lot of people the world of pairing, matching, and even setting up speakers with amplifiers is a pain in the rear end. Believe it or not people like just being able to plug something into the wall and start listening. I’m not going to sit here and argue about active vs passive speakers. I’m going to review this set of R1850DB for what they are, active powered speakers with an in-built amp.
With those terms set out, the Edifier Line is something to really look out for. It challenges more established brands like Sony and JVC by creating products like the 1700 and 1200 that punch way above their price point. They offer lots of functionality, and performance and have decent build quality. Many people say the 1850DB is the one to go for, I myself had purchased the 1700 because it was all that I could source locally at the time. I’m not mad because that thing was a cracker, but I have been curious to try the big boys and yet again I walk away impressed. Let’s get into the review.
Specifications
Woofer: 4" inch
Tweeter: 19mm silk dome
Power: RMS 16Wx2 + 19Wx2
SNR: ⩾85dBA
THD : 0.5%
Inputs: AUX, RCA, Bluetooth, optical, coaxial
Remote: Yes
Equalizer: Yes three-level adjustment pots for treble, gain, and bass
The specifications are where I do a double take, then a triple, and a fourth before I realize what I’m seeing on paper is real. How can you possibly put so many features into a speaker at this price point, box it and deliver it? The value proposition, the functionality, and as we will find out in the sound portion of our review is all there.
Build and Aesthetic Impressions
Let’s start with the style of the R1850DB which with the grill on looks like any other Bookshelf or desktop monitor. Nothing to see here. Take off the grill and things get a whole lot better with the woofer and tweeter exposed. It makes for a more modern take and mounting the speakers on their own board sets it apart from the cabinet.
There is a lot going on here, no Swedish-inspired design, if anything it’s aggressive rather than Scandinavian. A tweeter stacked on a woofer is not uncommon, but then below there is a bass port. Bass ports are usually placed on the back but this can negatively impact sound when placed against a wall. Given the size and likelihood of 1850 being used on real bookshelves or tables and desks, it’s a good choice.
The other thing you notice about the design is the lack of symmetry on the faces due to the presence of an IR receiver for the remote. It kind of needs to be there but maybe placing a fake cover on the opposing speaker would have tidied it up a little
Overall the build quality is good but it’s not going to compete with something like a Q Acoustics 3010i It’s well made but it’s not a premium product, it’s not meant to compete in those realms! Yet everything feels sturdy and robust, good material choices have been made and implemented well.
Connectivity
The connectivity is ridiculous. When you flip the control speaker around you are left with a host of options to hook up your music. PC input, AUX input, Coaxial, Optical, and Bluetooth are all offered. Granted Bluetooth is at an older standard (v4.0) but the speaker has been on the market for a few years making it have to expect the latest versions.
For me, I hooked them up via Aux-in and Bluetooth for this review and it just worked. The bluetooth range was stable in large rooms with open spaces and only broke connection when trying to pass the signal through walls.
The speakers are not wireless between each other. You do need to attach the included cable to make them work together but the main speaker will work independently if not connected to the control unit.
The control unit also has three control pots that give you some control of the treble bass and volume. I’m not going to say it is a perfect EQ solution but it was damn handy to just turn that knob and crank the bass when switching genres.
Sound
Expectations really have to be tempered when talking about active speakers vs what you can get in a passive setup. You balance the convenience and simplicity and let’s not forget all the features on this speaker and that the price is RRP $200. Is it the best-sounding $200 speaker? No. Is it the best sounding ACTIVE speaker for $200? Yes, probably.
So what does it sound like? Well remarkably natural. Bass is punchy and controlled rather than trying to elevate the low end and distorting itself at higher volumes a focus is on speed. A wise tuning choice because at only 4 inches there is only so much air this woofer can move so why make it unusable when played over 75% volume? Instead, 85% - 95% is where this becomes loose and deformed which I think is really good because it gets loud enough to easily fill medium-sized rooms.
They sound good with almost any genre and a very inoffensive in nature with smooth treble and some warmth to the tonality. Projection and energy are just average and that is probably down to the quality of the internal application. It sounds good and that’s what counts, pure audiophiles would pick it apart but for the type of person that is going to buy these for some party music, use in bedrooms kitchens, etc I really can’t think of something betters sounding for the money.
If I was to compare them to anything else it would have to be speakers from inside Edifier’s own line. The R1700BT costs a little less, it has more refinement overall but struggles when you try and but the volume in a way that these R1850DB do not. The other one is in the line, and the cheapest is 1280 which are stunning performers at their price but the sound is just better again on these. To get a significant jump up in fidelity you are looking at almost $100 more for the amazing Edifier S1000DB which I highly recommend if you can afford them.
Negatives
A passive speaker plus amp for the same money sounds better
Only one color option (Black)
Asymmetrical design
Not using latest bluetooth codec
Positives
The best active speaker for around $200
Ability to connect via multiple inputs
Remote Control
Price
Final Thoughts
Edifier really stands out as a brand that is hard to compete with. They offer highly functional active speaker systems that are hard to beat. If anything they pose questions on which is the right Edifier speaker to buy and for me, the R1850DB sits right in the sweet spot. More money and I’ll strongly start advising you to consider Emotiva B1+ and an amplifier, if your budget is a little less id advise you to save another $30 to buy these over the 1280 or 1700. They just hit right and tick a lot of boxes for a good sounding, if a slightly limited speaker that has a tonne of connectivity. If I had one piece of advice to Edifier it would be also to make a version of this with a light color scheme, I think they would look great in a light ash or stormtrooper white.
Official Website of Edifier R1850DB: www.edifier.com
