Edifier R1700BT Review
The Edifier R1700BT Bluetooth speakers are a perfect solution for those who want the best of all worlds. Whether you’re looking for bookshelf speakers that can be used as casual listening, something loud enough for small parties, or if you need them just right with your TV sound system – these do it ALL, and mostly, they do it well.
Edifier’s less expensive options are way better than their price would indicate, similar to the company’s mid-to-low level speaker line. With some added connectivity not found in non-Bluetooth versions of these speakers, they’re versatile for those who need something functional across many categories while still being easy on your budget.
Design & Build Quality
Edifier r1700bt speakers are made from a super high-quality MDF that gives them a strong, robust feel. They measure 8.4 x 9.1 x 9.9 inches and will comfortably fit most bookshelves or TV stands without taking up too much space on your desk.
Despite the vinyl walnut woodgrain wrap, I suspect that Edifier R1700BT’s cabinet will be subject to wear and tear. If you live or work in a humid environment like me, it is something worth thinking about sooner rather than later.
But this is speculation, and Edifier may have figured out how to maintain quality, so either way, it’s still worth mentioning as early on, buyers shouldn’t assume everything works perfectly for at least two years of use without fail before considering an upgrade or replacement unit.
If you’re looking for a new pair of speakers, the R1700BT is an excellent option. It comes in 3 different finishes( white, black, and walnut wood) and weighs less than 6 kg (13 lbs), so it’s easy to move around your home or office.
The walnut wood finish looks attractive. Just by experiencing the feel of it, I can tell it won’t scratch easily. The wood matched with the black is a classic design. That means it’ll go with the decor of most homes.
The walnut wood finish looks attractive.
Just by experiencing the feel of it, I can tell that it’s scratch-resistant. The classic black and white design mean this furniture will go with most home decorating schemes, making these tables very versatile.
The Edifier R1700BT Bluetooth speaker is built with a 10-degree upwards slant, which Edifier claims is to ensure the sound is directly aimed at the listener. I like this because it makes listening more comfortable and personal as you don’t have to worry about where you should be placed with your body.
The angled front of the speakers helps direct sound, eliminating any need for monitor stands. The fabric grille is easily removable if you prefer exposed drivers. These panels also diffuse and can offer protection from bumps or damage to your speaker system’s drivers.
I prefer speakers with grilles as they look more elegant and professional, but you can remove them to expose the drivers. Furthermore, these exposed areas have a bass port which allows for better audio quality.
The Driver
The Edifier R1700BT offers a 4-inch bass driver and silk dome tweeter that deliver satisfying low-end frequencies. The 0.75-inch tweeters handle higher frequencies excellently, creating an enjoyable listening experience for all ages with its balanced range of sound delivery across the spectrum.
The frequency response is impressive at 60Hz – 20kHz. That gives it the capacity to deliver rich low tones and defined highs with just enough headroom to provide the sound with some space to breathe.
The Edifier R1700BT is quite loud at 85dBA and more than enough for most applications. When watching TV, the sound can project across a room. I don’t encourage running speakers at max capacity for long periods as there may be significant distortion even when not pushed to the maximum volume setting.
It is worth investing in more prominent speakers or even a subwoofer to handle the bass properly when you have ample space.
The best part about the speakers is that they come with a five-pin port, which makes installation and connection so much easier than standard two-wire speaker cables. Because of this feature, I found it extremely easy to install these speakers because there are no loose connections at all.
Connectivity & Controls
The side of the Edifier R1700BT speaker is where you’ll find the treble, bass, and volume controls. I also like how they are neatly housed in a cut-away section on one side of each active speaker. They’re slotted into a recess there so that it’s easy to reach without distracting from looking at your speakers’ front fascia—which is nice to look at.
The positioning isn’t excellent for left-handed people, though, as these rotary dials will be situated near their right hands instead (except when sitting opposite them).
The three control knobs on this speaker are for the treble, bass, and volume. The safety mechanism is great because it sets a default level that’s relatively quiet to prevent damage to your ears or speakers if you turn them down without thinking about the volume first.
The volume knob is an excellent feature on the speaker. It allows us to switch between different connectivity options in addition to controlling the sound itself. The back features a simple power button and connector for wired connections, which are standard but valuable nonetheless.
The two sets of RCA inputs allow you to connect up to 2 devices to Edifier R1700BT at a time, which is highly convenient. Furthermore, you can switch between sources using the remote or volume knob located on the side panel.
Also included in this box are: 2 x RCA cables and 1 ⅛” (3.5mm) jack-to-RCA cable that will open your connection options even further as it allows for connecting almost all sorts of media players.
The speaker’s remote control is pretty standard but still useful for its primary tasks of changing the volume and muting or selecting an input. I think it’s good that this type of product has a decent controller considering how affordable these speakers are – most people wouldn’t expect one at all.
The R1700BT has a Bluetooth connection that allows you to connect your computer, phone, or tablet. It works seamlessly across iOS, Android™, and Windows® operating systems and is easy to set up. Once connected, there were no dropouts or interference issues I experienced with the speaker as well.
The Bluetooth connectivity is solid and reliable. Once again, the volume knob serves a double purpose as both a pairing reset for multiple connections and device switching between them. Unfortunately, you can’t store your devices to switch without manually connecting each time since there isn’t an option to save multiple settings on this system already paired with another one.
Sound Performance
Even though the Edifier R1700BT speaker only put out 15W per speaker, they sound much closer to 20 or 30 W with plenty of headroom. The amp unit fits in one of the speakers and puts out about 85 decibels comparable to more prominent bookshelf speakers with separate receiver units. That all adds up for harmonic distortion at 0.5 percent, making it an impressive number on-par with any other mid-range speaker’s numbers.
I was impressed with the fullness of these speakers, especially how they managed to preserve detail. With drivers that are only 4 inches, I expected it would be easy for them to become muddy or overwhelmed by other instruments in a song; yet there were no such issues here.
The bass response efficiently carried music through my entire listening space, and I found that the additional two-band EQ controls were all I needed. Of course, you will not get sparkling performance on the high end of the spectrum at this price point, so expectations weren’t as high, but it was a pleasurable experience.
These Edifier R1700BT speakers present a clear midrange and clarity. They are very clean, but they lack low-end frequencies compared to other 2.1 speaker sets under $200 because of their lacking bass response without subwoofers or an additional channel amplifier (AMP).
Nevertheless, the base is still acceptable even though it would benefit from more treble ranges due to its punchy and controlled sound, which could only be enhanced with increased mid-range rumble levels for added depth in music production.
Even though the highs on these Edifier R1700BT speakers are good, they lack sparkle and crystal-like output compared to other more expensive models. They sound decent with clear top notes but do not have enough detail retrieval for serious audiophiles like myself.
The midrange of Edifier R1700bt is its real strength. The vocals are prominent and detailed, making the entire sound airy and open; it has a hint of warmth to bring some intimacy.
Conclusion
The Edifier speakers are a great example of how to budget products can still be of high quality. They sound amazing, and they don’t skimp on anything to save money, which is unusual in such an affordable product.
I was happy with the Edifier R1700BT Bluetooth speaker. The sound quality is excellent for the price, and it’s hard to beat those wood accents! I highly recommend these Edifier R1700BT powered speakers – they have a lot of value from their superb components and design.
Edifier R1700BT Specifications
- Power output (RMS):15W×2 (tweeter) + 18W×2 (mid-bass driver)
- Input sensitivity: Line In1: 700±50mV; Line In2: 550±50mV
- Signal-to-noise ratio: ≥85dBA
- Frequency response: 60Hz-20kHz
- Drivers: 1 x 4″ / 101.6 mm Mid-Woofer (per Speaker) 1 x 0.75″ / 19 mm Silk Dome Tweeter (per Speaker)
- Audio codecs: SBC
- Enclosure Type: Bass-Reflex
- Ports: 1 x Front-Firing (per Speaker)
- Speaker Configuration: 2-Way
- Amplifier Power Rating: 66 W RMS
- Net weight: 6.6kg
- Dimension: 154mm × 254mm × 214mm (W×H×D）
