Edifier S1000MKII Active Bookshelf Speaker Review

In the world of active bookshelf speakers, my go-to brand recently has been Edifier. In 2 separate houses, I have the Edifier BT1700 speaker and have been looking forward to trying their more premium stuff. Today we are reviewing the Edifier S1000MKII, an active bookshelf speaker. These turned out to be one of the best performing and featured speakers in their price point. They get loud without distortion and have some of the best connectivity available in a small package.

Specification

Model: Edifier S1000MKII

• Dimensions: 8in x 13.5in x 10.5in (WxHxD)

• Tweeter: 1 inch

• Woofer: 5.5 inch

• Output Power: RMS 25W×2(Treble) +35W×2(Mid-range and bass) = 120W）

• Inputs: PC/Auxiliary/Optical/Coaxial/Bluetooth 4.0

• Remote Control: Yes

• Wifi: No

Design & Build

The design of the S1000MKII is nothing short of stunning and leaps and bounds ahead of its own entry-level speakers. I was drooling as soon as I got them out of the box.

The rich wood side panels form a fantastic contrast against the black of the main box. It adds class and elegance to the design and makes them stand out not because of the style but the quality of the materials used.

The speakers are angled back slightly, so they are not a boring rectangular slab. I suspect this was for directional effect in its intended use as a desktop speaker, and it looks terrific like this. I also like the way Edifier implemented the speaker grills. They are transparent enough that you can still see the drivers below while still providing protection to the contest.

That grill isn’t just a rectangular top piece either; it’s cut and shaped to follow the diaphragm's and tweeter's clean lines and is set off the main case a few mm to provide the illusion it is floating above. To see this effect check out the side pictures we include in the review. It’s very cool.

Symmetry takes a hit, however, with only one side having the receiver for the Bluetooth remote built-in. It interrupts the balance of the aesthetic only slightly but is worth noting.

To make this speaker really stand out, I suggest pairing it with a matched wooden base speaker stang or perhaps a thin metal pole stand to contrast. It looks great on a desk also though they are rather large.

The build quality is top draw and easily on par with speakers twice the price. Obviously, given the drivers and amp unit being housed inside, they were going to be heavy, but the recurring weight also comes from the cabinet materials. The wood is dense and well-cut, with no poorly cut seems, and definitely nothing cheap or rattly about them.

Given the combination of excellent build and styling edifier has pulled off, at a price, this feels like excellent value.

Functionality

Now we talked about the design of the Edifier S1000MKII, but what about the functionality? What are the features, and why would you want to invest in an active speaker over a passive one?

Well, for me, despite acknowledging I can build up a better-sounding setup for the same money, I still use active speakers. Why? Well, it’s convenient, and active speakers, especially Edifier’s, have gotten outstanding over the past few years.

With an active speaker, there are no matching amps; there are no purchasing and routing cables; there is no thought; it just works. I also like units like this that have a Bluetooth remote built-in and the connectivity built directly into the speaker. I don’t have to think about where I’m going to position my amps it’s just plugged and play.

Now in terms of connectivity, the S1000MKII is very kitted out. On the back of the left speaker, you will see an array of options to let you connect your music and optimize it.

Left and right RCA connectors are there for both PC and Aux inputs and an optical line in and Coaxial. Bluetooth is also available but is only up to 4.0 and not the latest 5.3 standards. This means you can still play APTX and high-resolution wireless audio but do not have the benefits of efficiency and latency that 5.3 brings.

There is obviously no wifi at this price; it costs so much money to develop software that I think it was wise of Edifier to leave it out to keep the price down on the S1000MKII.

Just as we get with the Edifier R1700 BT on the back, you get three physical EQ dials that let you tune in the treble, mid, and bass response to your preference. I went 1db up on the treble and bass, which brought the speakers to life. They are very receptive, which can also be achieved through your source device’s Equalizer.

Sound

Sound is subjective and very dependent on the environment in which you are listening, but that said, a lot of the stuff I test here is done in the same environment. I have the KEF LS50 Meta setup for reference but mainly put them against the R1700BT for the purpose of this review. I want to repeat again that there are better sound systems if you do not go for an active system. Active systems are excellent, but if you are prepared to mess around with components and cables, get yourself a set of passive speakers.

Now with that said, how to make these sounds. Absolutely fantastic. Neutral with a clear and clean presentation. Minimal distortion and plenty of detail for the money. I must admit I was blown away because many companies put out bloated sound messes at this price point with emphasized bass and a general lack of clarity. Edifier has shown on their cheaper speakers they understand sound and tune the 1000s for a more refined audience.

The highs have a decent extension with emphasis enough to sparkle and swing when called upon on jazz tracks. High hats, crisp and defined, didn’t sizzle into sibilance but held right online, creating an energetic presence.

The upper midrange was open and expansive, with an airy presence, especially on female vocals and strings. Violin sounded spacious and defined, but the midrange as a whole performed well, if not maybe lacking a bit of grain and gravity on male vocals. Guitars may benefit from a little more warmth, especially acoustically, but the overall natural tuning of the speaker meant the different frequencies were working in unison.

The Bass was punchy and tight. Minimal distortion is shown until you get upwards of about 90% of the maximum volume. They will not hit as hard as speakers with larger diaphragms or independent subwoofers, but they display nice texture and plenty of mid-bass detail.

Overall it’s a very impressive sounding speaker, I was a fan of their more budget models, but I can see how they leveled up the performance as well as the design on this flagship.

Final Thoughts

For the money in the active speaker space, I think these are the ones to beat right now. I love the design and was impressed by the build quality and feature set. The sound was the icing on the cake, but it isn’t for people looking for hard-hitting bass.

It is more a neutral studio or audiophile tuning that will appeal to folks like me who want to hear the full range of frequencies and not just be slapped hard with the low-end—fantastic product showing that Edifier does a value like a few others.

Official Website: www.edifier-online.com