Edifier S2000 Pro active speakers review. Premium speakers by Edifier, does it make any sense? *hint - Yes it does ;)
Edifier is mostly know for it's versitale budget speakers, so when I was given an opportunity to test newest and most expensive speaker made by them, I was exited to see how they does. The model I am talking about is Edifier S2000 Pro and, when released, it will cost arund 500euro/dollars, which puts it in premium price bracket (at least for me ;)). While testing, I was able to compare them with my desktop "daily" JBL LSR305, and my TV/multimedia speakers, Klipsch R-15PM. How does Edifier S2000 Pro compares to those two well known and well regarded counterparts? Does the quality justifies high price tag? Let's check out! I present You my review of Edifier S2000 Pro active speakers.
Let's talk build quality fisrt, and right off the bat, I have to say that Edifier S2000 Pro is THE best build speakers I tested costing under 500 Euro/Dolars. They are heavy, each cabinet weighs around 9kg and feel dense and inert, build like a tank You may say. Side panels are made of solid wood and look great. The rest of cabinets are satin black and look great as well. I also like the overall shape of cabinets, the angeled front panel are helping to propagate the sound when we use S2000's on desk. The one thing I do not like at all is the plastic grills with thin fabric over it, that looks like a womans tights spread on it. They are flimsy and feel cheap. Suggestion to Edifier, get rid of them, also remove the mounting bolts from the front panels, this way it will look much cleaner and stylish.
Overall, S2000 Pro are very solid speakers, it is also quite big for a speakers with around 5 inch woofers. Edifiers are taller and deeper than both JBL LSR305 and Klipsch R-15PM. Qualitywise, S2000 Pro makes Klipsch R-15PM feel a bit cheap in comparison, precieved build quality is much higher on Edifier's product. I am not even mentioning JBL here, LSR305 looks and feels utilitarian at best, no contest with Edifer here. S2000 Pro comes equiped with remote control and remote itself is also high quality product. It is of size and feel of a good tv remote, much better than flimsy remote from R-15PM. The remote controls every feature of S2000 Pro, and there is plenty of features to control, maybe not as much as in R-15PM, but still this is very universal speaker that will work great nearfield as well as midfield in livingroom next to TV. What is not that great is small display with small status graphics. They are all the same color and differ just in shape, so when You are looking at them from a far, they are hard to distinguish. Color code display used in Klipsch is much easier to read.
Drivers used in S2000 Pro are 5.5 inch aluminium woofer and, to my suprise, planar magnetic ribbon tweeter recessed into waveguide. I am big fan of ribbon tweeters since I had Prodipe Pro Ribbon 8 monitors. I loved their smooth, spacious and detailed signature, so I was happy to see Edifier decided to use this kind of tweeter in S2000 Pro. Each driver is powered by its own amp, woofers use 50W amps each and tweeters use 12W amp each. Signal to amps is directed via active crossover that also incorporates Digital Sound Processing that shapes the sound signature and bring most of the speaker capabilities. Signal to the speakers can be send using digital or analog connections. Digital inputs include coaxial and optical iputs, as well as wireless Bluetooth connection that supports Apt-X. Analog connections include RCA as well as XLR inputs (hence the "Pro" moniker, I guess). Having all those advanced electronics on board, it is pity that Edifier decided to exclude USB input, it would be usefull for users using S2000 Pro in desktop setups build around PC's. Sound signature can be shaped by the user using two dials on the back of the master speaker, one controls treble level and the other controls bass level. Aside of USB input I would like to see subwoofer output, just like in Klipsch R-15PM, but that is nitpcky on my side, especially in the context of sound quality of this speaker, but we will come back to this topic later in the review. Coming back to positives, I really like the fact that when You are connected with the speakers via Bluetooth You can use remote to control the tracks played. You can pause and start the tracks as well change the tracks. That is very convenient! I also like the quality of cables included in the bundle. For example, cable connecting master speaker with slave spaker is really thick and has length of 6 meters! Also included in the box, are two RCA cables, one RCA to RCA and one RCA to 3.5mm jack, as well as one optical cable. Unfortunately, You have to source XLR cables Yourself.
Listetning
As usual I will start this section with describing the self noise of the speakers. Edifier S2000 has very low level of hiss, especially compared to Klipsch R-15PM. Klipsch is unusable in the nearfield setups because of its hiss, while Edifier is very gentle in this regard. Edifier has also audibly less self noise than likes of JBL LSR305, Presonus Eris E5 and KRK RP5 G3, either of these is not terrible with hiss, but S2000 Pro is just that bit more gentle in this regard, so If You plan to use them in the nearfield and have a quiet room than Your ears will be glad that You have chosen Edifier.
Your ears will be glad not only because of low hiss levels but also because S2000 Pro sounds excellent. Overall tonal balance of Edifer S2000 Pro is quite neutral with just a hint of warmth to it. At the is top, where the ribbon tweeter does its magic. High end is extended and airy with a lot of details, it blends very well with upper midrange. Speaking about midrange, it is sweet as candy yet very detailed and neutral overall, just the way i like it ;) Nothing tries to pirce the ears of listener yet when it is punchy and snappy when needed. Very good high end together with midrange help to create very good soundstage, that is big with lots of width, reaching beyond the speakers, and nice depth. The most impressive part of S2000's preformance is its bass response. S2000 Pro use the rigid, heavy cabinets, DSP processing, powerfull amps and bass reflex posrts to produce really deep and suprisingly toneful bass, especially for a speaker wit 5.5 inch woofers. There is a hint of upper bass boost but it is very well judged and ejoyable. S2000 Pro digs deep, it can reach slightly below 40Hz with authority, which in it self is immpressive. What is nice is that detail is not sacraficed in order to reach so low. Bass of S2000 Pro is suprisingly deep, yet toneful and musical, very enjoyable I must say. Even in my quite big listening room Edifier had authority and depth that was very impressive. Thanks to DSP processing, even on low levels, where most speaker fail to engage (i'm looking at You Presonus Eris E5), they still have the power and depth to draw the listener in to musical experience. What I miss a bit is a low bass punch. Most of bass response below 50Hz comes from bass reflex ports, so there is a enough output, but the punch is not up there with bigger driver speakers or small subwoofer. Another drawback from heavy bass reflex reliance is the audible port noise on high levels with music using a lot of low bass.
Comparison
Describing a speaker performance without puting it in to context of competetive speakers is not very useful to future customers and that is why I test speakers against its direct competitors. Two direct competitors I had for comparisons with S2000 Pro was Klipsch R-15PM and JBL LSR305.
Not so long ago I reviewed, quite favorably, new powered speakers from Klipsch, the R-15PM speakers. In this review I said that I was very impressed with rich set of features, good build quality and good sound quality when used in midfield setups. What I was not so fond of was high level of hiss from internal electronics that makes R-15PM unusable in nearfield, and rather lean and dry bass response.
With the arrival of S2000 Pro I had to revaluate this speaker even fruther. Starting from build quality, S2000 Pro feels more solid and sturdy, the cabinet is even more inert than the one in Klipsch, also Edifeir's remote is higher quality. Feature wise, Klipsch has an advantage with USB input, phono stage input for turntable connection and subwoofer output that is missing in Edifier.
But the most important quality for me is the sound quality and here Edifier puts Klipsch to a shame. Difference between those two is especially visible in the way both speakers do bass. Klipsch is very restrained and dry in bass response, while Edifier has around 15Hz more of reach down low and plays with more punch and groove across the bass frequencies. Advantage in reach and punch doeas not come at the price of being less detailed, quite the contrary I find the bass response of S2000 Pro not only more enjoyable but also more detailed. Going up across the sound range, S2000 Pro has slight upper bass boost and a bit warmer low midrange. Klipsch, overall, has more forward and brighter midrange that helps to project the vocals through to listeners ears, while Edifier is more neutral and warmer in this regions, but it is also almost as clear at the same time and more pleasing to my ears. High end is much better in S2000 Pro, more airy and detailed than in R-15PM. Overall Edifier is a clear winner in this compraison.
Next competitor for Edifier S2000 Pro is JBL LSR305. This comparions will be made only in nearfield. Edifier is almost twice as exesive as JBL, but it is also more premium looking, better build and richer in features than JBL. It is all well understandable because JBL is a budget studio monitor, a proffesional tool You may say, that also happens to work very well as a desktop speaker for music listetning, where Edifier is premium consumer speaker only. JBL is my daily desktop speaker I use to listen to music, watch movies and edit videos for my Youtube channel and I regard JBL as best sounding speaker for under 300 dollars/euro, there is very little I would change in it sonically. The one thing I actually would change is to lower the level of hiss JBL produce, that in quiet rooms becomes audible on idle, and can get a bit annoying. Edifier do not have this issue as it has around half level of JBL's hiss which is great start. Overall sound quality is very close between both JBL and Edifier, they both sound natural and neutral with Edifier being just a touch less open in the upper ranges and a bit thicker in low mid ranges and JBL being slightly more forward and snappy in comparison. High end is equally good on both, it's airy and extended. Also soundstageing is equally good. Some differences are hidden in bass ranges. JBL is a touch more tight, but also hass a bit less reach (5Hz less to my ear) in the lowest ranges. Edifier is a bit more punchy, bit more extended and has a bit of bass boost in upper bass. They both can play very loud without distorting, but as mentioned earlier, Edifier have some bass port noise on high levels while JBL has none. To summarise this comparison, I like Edifier's nearfield performance very much and would like to have a pair of them on my desk. It is equally as good sonically as JBL, but added premium build quality, tons of features and lower levels of hiss makes it even better choice.
Comparison
Premium priced speaker from Edifier? Sing me in! Edifier S2000 Pro is not a cheap product, but its price is totally justified by the sheer quality of it. Sonically it is on level with JBL LSR305, which in itself is a quite an achivement, it also has features and build quality to match Klipsch R-15PM. It is the best of both worlds in my opinion, so if You want versatile speaker that has almost all the features You need, great build quality and sound quality to match it, than You should consider Edifier S2000 Pro. Recommended
Overall score for Edifier S2000 Pro : 9/10
Pros:
- Great built quality and elegant looks
- Excellent sound quality
- Impressive bass response
- Great set of features
- Remote control
- Low level of self noise
- Works great nearfield and midfield
Cons:
- No USB input or subwoofer output
- Flimsy grills
- Quite big for a speaker with 5.5 inch woofer
- Audible port noise on high levels
Overall, S2000 Pro are very solid speakers, it is also quite big for a speakers with around 5 inch woofers. Edifiers are taller and deeper than both JBL LSR305 and Klipsch R-15PM. Qualitywise, S2000 Pro makes Klipsch R-15PM feel a bit cheap in comparison, precieved build quality is much higher on Edifier's product. I am not even mentioning JBL here, LSR305 looks and feels utilitarian at best, no contest with Edifer here. S2000 Pro comes equiped with remote control and remote itself is also high quality product. It is of size and feel of a good tv remote, much better than flimsy remote from R-15PM. The remote controls every feature of S2000 Pro, and there is plenty of features to control, maybe not as much as in R-15PM, but still this is very universal speaker that will work great nearfield as well as midfield in livingroom next to TV. What is not that great is small display with small status graphics. They are all the same color and differ just in shape, so when You are looking at them from a far, they are hard to distinguish. Color code display used in Klipsch is much easier to read.
As usual I will start this section with describing the self noise of the speakers. Edifier S2000 has very low level of hiss, especially compared to Klipsch R-15PM. Klipsch is unusable in the nearfield setups because of its hiss, while Edifier is very gentle in this regard. Edifier has also audibly less self noise than likes of JBL LSR305, Presonus Eris E5 and KRK RP5 G3, either of these is not terrible with hiss, but S2000 Pro is just that bit more gentle in this regard, so If You plan to use them in the nearfield and have a quiet room than Your ears will be glad that You have chosen Edifier.
Your ears will be glad not only because of low hiss levels but also because S2000 Pro sounds excellent. Overall tonal balance of Edifer S2000 Pro is quite neutral with just a hint of warmth to it. At the is top, where the ribbon tweeter does its magic. High end is extended and airy with a lot of details, it blends very well with upper midrange. Speaking about midrange, it is sweet as candy yet very detailed and neutral overall, just the way i like it ;) Nothing tries to pirce the ears of listener yet when it is punchy and snappy when needed. Very good high end together with midrange help to create very good soundstage, that is big with lots of width, reaching beyond the speakers, and nice depth. The most impressive part of S2000's preformance is its bass response. S2000 Pro use the rigid, heavy cabinets, DSP processing, powerfull amps and bass reflex posrts to produce really deep and suprisingly toneful bass, especially for a speaker wit 5.5 inch woofers. There is a hint of upper bass boost but it is very well judged and ejoyable. S2000 Pro digs deep, it can reach slightly below 40Hz with authority, which in it self is immpressive. What is nice is that detail is not sacraficed in order to reach so low. Bass of S2000 Pro is suprisingly deep, yet toneful and musical, very enjoyable I must say. Even in my quite big listening room Edifier had authority and depth that was very impressive. Thanks to DSP processing, even on low levels, where most speaker fail to engage (i'm looking at You Presonus Eris E5), they still have the power and depth to draw the listener in to musical experience. What I miss a bit is a low bass punch. Most of bass response below 50Hz comes from bass reflex ports, so there is a enough output, but the punch is not up there with bigger driver speakers or small subwoofer. Another drawback from heavy bass reflex reliance is the audible port noise on high levels with music using a lot of low bass.
Comparison
Describing a speaker performance without puting it in to context of competetive speakers is not very useful to future customers and that is why I test speakers against its direct competitors. Two direct competitors I had for comparisons with S2000 Pro was Klipsch R-15PM and JBL LSR305.
With the arrival of S2000 Pro I had to revaluate this speaker even fruther. Starting from build quality, S2000 Pro feels more solid and sturdy, the cabinet is even more inert than the one in Klipsch, also Edifeir's remote is higher quality. Feature wise, Klipsch has an advantage with USB input, phono stage input for turntable connection and subwoofer output that is missing in Edifier.
Sound comparison between Edifier and Klipsch on Youtube:
Next competitor for Edifier S2000 Pro is JBL LSR305. This comparions will be made only in nearfield. Edifier is almost twice as exesive as JBL, but it is also more premium looking, better build and richer in features than JBL. It is all well understandable because JBL is a budget studio monitor, a proffesional tool You may say, that also happens to work very well as a desktop speaker for music listetning, where Edifier is premium consumer speaker only. JBL is my daily desktop speaker I use to listen to music, watch movies and edit videos for my Youtube channel and I regard JBL as best sounding speaker for under 300 dollars/euro, there is very little I would change in it sonically. The one thing I actually would change is to lower the level of hiss JBL produce, that in quiet rooms becomes audible on idle, and can get a bit annoying. Edifier do not have this issue as it has around half level of JBL's hiss which is great start. Overall sound quality is very close between both JBL and Edifier, they both sound natural and neutral with Edifier being just a touch less open in the upper ranges and a bit thicker in low mid ranges and JBL being slightly more forward and snappy in comparison. High end is equally good on both, it's airy and extended. Also soundstageing is equally good. Some differences are hidden in bass ranges. JBL is a touch more tight, but also hass a bit less reach (5Hz less to my ear) in the lowest ranges. Edifier is a bit more punchy, bit more extended and has a bit of bass boost in upper bass. They both can play very loud without distorting, but as mentioned earlier, Edifier have some bass port noise on high levels while JBL has none. To summarise this comparison, I like Edifier's nearfield performance very much and would like to have a pair of them on my desk. It is equally as good sonically as JBL, but added premium build quality, tons of features and lower levels of hiss makes it even better choice.
Comparison
Premium priced speaker from Edifier? Sing me in! Edifier S2000 Pro is not a cheap product, but its price is totally justified by the sheer quality of it. Sonically it is on level with JBL LSR305, which in itself is a quite an achivement, it also has features and build quality to match Klipsch R-15PM. It is the best of both worlds in my opinion, so if You want versatile speaker that has almost all the features You need, great build quality and sound quality to match it, than You should consider Edifier S2000 Pro. Recommended
Overall score for Edifier S2000 Pro : 9/10
Pros:
- Great built quality and elegant looks
- Excellent sound quality
- Impressive bass response
- Great set of features
- Remote control
- Low level of self noise
- Works great nearfield and midfield
Cons:
- No USB input or subwoofer output
- Flimsy grills
- Quite big for a speaker with 5.5 inch woofer
- Audible port noise on high levels
The tweeters are not ribbon on the s2000. They are a Flat Diaphragm Tweeter.
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