When the front cover is taken off, the 19 mm treble driver, 4 inch mid-range driver, and 4 inch woofer driver are all exposed. Although it may be removed quite quickly, it doesn’t hang loosely from its mounts. It has a second Edifier logo underneath and looks fantastic without the cover, even though we prefer to keep it on. These active speakers have excellent quality. It is full, loud, and maintains clarity throughout. There are no distracting vibrations or rattles when the volume is turned up, and the speakers seem well-balanced and constructed. Edifiers are capable of producing respectable computer speakers, although their versatility typically goes beyond such specialized usage. Many people buy them so they can pair with Bluetooth-enabled phones, connect to active audio systems with portable players, or connect to various gadgets utilizing a digital interface. Up until this point, the R1600T and R1700BT models were very well-liked. To continue the trend, the R1850DB, a new variant with the same design but a slightly different overall layout, was released today.
Design
The stereo speakers are strikingly similar to the R1800BT, the brand’s previous model. Elegant and black overall, the construction is of the highest calibre. Edifier opted to mix a range of matte blacks in various shades rather than using accent colors. In contrast to the previous model, the Edifier R1850DB features a superbly textured surface that discourages finger contact. The shiny, fingerprint-prone surface of the Edifier R1800BT was not something we particularly liked, so it is best to see that the company made changes in the subsequent model. The size is approximately typical, as one would anticipate from a pair of four-inch bookshelf speakers. They didn’t take up much space, but they aren’t very portable either. There are just a few studio-style bedroom arrangements available in the region. To help direct the output to the listener’s ears, the housing is angled at a ten-degree angle. A pronounced vertical angle may be advantageous or detrimental depending on the height of the surface the Edifier R1850DB speakers will be mounted on. It was the ideal fit for our test setup, which consisted of a laptop and a sound card mounted on a low-profile PC desk. The supplied remote is quite useful because it not only controls the active input and volume level, but also the volume level as the volume control is situated on the back of the active speaker. Unfortunately, the two tone knobs do not have a remote control. One wired feature is its ability to operate with two volume up and two volume down keys. We don’t understand why the business added additional buttons for a task that key pairs already perform correctly. Apart from that, it is exceptional at what it does. The Edifier R1850DB design is stunning all around and easily supports a project studio, a TV shelf, or a FI setup. The best speakers for music producers or laptop musicians with small project studios are these Edifier R1850DB models.
Edifier R1850DB review: Connectivity
Everyone uses their phone for everything these days. This involves streaming music from many platforms. Playing music through the little phone speaker, though, won’t produce any fantastic audio. It’s a fantastic feature that these speakers have built-in Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. You may pair the speakers with your phone or another Bluetooth device without any additional hardware. Then, you can use speakers that are much better to stream music. It is also very simple to switch inputs on the speaker or with the wireless remote. A good active bookshelf speaker provides a variety of audio playback options. The Edifier R1850DB speakers are no exception. There are various additional connectivity options on the speaker’s back. The rear connections allow the speaker to be connected to almost any sound output. The RCA inputs are a great option for connecting to an analogue source. The speaker also comes with an RCA to 3.5mm (AUX) adaptor so you can connect it to a device with a standard headphone jack. The speaker also has digital connections via COAX and optical for home theatre equipment. You have more than enough input options when setting up your speaker system.
Sound Quality
The audio output from the Edifier R1850DB is of astonishingly high quality. especially at this price. Usually, the low end serves as our initial point of comparison, and in this case, they perform admirably. The depth is there but not in an excessively boomy way. Although not nearly as smooth as pure monitor speakers, they are reasonably precise. Because these are monitor speakers, which may sound a little lifeless and hollow to some listeners, the low-end is not overemphasized. These are seeking a more objective response. Adding a subwoofer will always improve low-end performance. you can read our article on Edifier R1850DB review. The separate sub-out is a good addition if you want to advance them. The mids also made an impression. The midrange and lowrange are well-balanced, and there are no muddy tones. Even if they seem a little more direct, we were nonetheless impressed by the balance. The tone range is also crisp. The spoken words’ clarity is a bonus. The presentation of movie language and musical vocal performances is excellent. The highs maintain that clarity as well. Hits made by hi-hats and cymbals are clear and distortion-free. There is a lot of sparkle at the top. It might be a bit over the top. Although they do produce sounds that are nice to the ear, they are not as neutral and balanced as you might need. They could be misleading if you want to blend professionally. With the additional tuning options, some of the imbalances could be corrected. But you’ll need a trained ear to spot the issues and make the necessary corrections. Despite this, for a company that isn’t known for its studio gear, the listening experience exceeded our expectations.
Edifier R1850DB review: Features
Edifier meets all requirements in terms of features and added benefits. For easy connection to your music source, these speakers provide a coaxial input, two stereo RCA connections, and a digital optical input. Wireless audio streaming from players that are Bluetooth compliant is also made possible by Bluetooth 4.0. The unit comes with a cable for each analogue input. Additionally, Edifier has provided a remote control that makes it simple to manage various playback options and switch between inputs. The low-profile, all-black MDF cabinets are quite aesthetically pleasing, and removing the front fabric cover reveals that the speaker is front-ported. Its placement is more flexible as a result, allowing you to position it closer to the wall without the bass being magnified. Additionally, Edifier gave the front of the speakers a 10-degree incline to better direct sound. If you put the speakers on a desk, this works well, but if you put them on a high bookshelf, it doesn’t work as well. The 0.75-inch tweeter and 4-inch bass driver contribute to the enclosure’s overall diminutive size. A pair of passive speakers in this price range typically comes with a larger 5.25-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter. Nevertheless, the R1850DB’s total power output of 35W RMS per speaker will make it loud enough for the majority of applications.
Edifier R1850DB review: Performance
90% of our time was spent using the FiiO K5 Pro Desktop DAC, to which we were linked an Nvidia Shield by USB and a PC via optical, allowing us to switch sources on the DAC itself. Our daily speakers are the Bose Companion 50 speakers, which are twice as pricey as these Edifier speakers. The speakers have good sound quality right out of the box; the highs are slightly more boosted than the Bose speakers we typically use, and we could immediately tell the difference between a 2.1 system and a 2.0 system. The bass is different when you don’t have a dedicated device for such things, however it is still there. A deeper profile can be provided by the speaker by adjusting the bass settings. Mid frequencies are sharp and detailed, and we also found these to be particularly good for watching TV on the Shield. They have clear vocals and just the right amount of range and bass to suit action scenes. These have an extremely loud volume; even with our DAC set to 50%, we struggle to push our PC audio over 50% without it getting intolerably loud. High volumes don’t seem to add much distortion, but we haven’t tested these to the absolute limit.
Price and Availability
At $199, Edifier R1850DB is an incredibly good deal. If you need a set of inexpensive speakers for making music, here are options to take into account. They deliver remarkably detailed sound for the money, and the frequency balance can be altered to fit any type of venue. It goes without saying that professional mixing is impossible without a suitable monitoring solution. But if you need to make beats, record and edit audio, or handle any other similar audio-related tasks, the R1850DBs are a fantastic low-cost option. You can read our article on the Edifier R1850DB review as well.
Conclusion
In the end, using and listening to the Edifiers was a nice experience. The bass, surprisingly, didn’t have any problems. Nothing fired, the loudspeakers weren’t broken, and the sound wasn’t muffled. The price of these speakers doesn’t seem to be too high when viewed as a whole, even though one may always hope for less. especially in light of the R1700BT’s continued price parity. The R1850DB speakers are an acceptable pair that delivers high-quality audio at low to medium volumes. They won’t surprise you, but you wouldn’t anticipate that either. There are enough connections to accommodate your setup, and if you favor a vintage look, these might be perfect.
