It’s always exciting to receive Edifier speakers for review simply because they always bring a surprise or two, and the S1000DB active bookshelf speakers are certainly no exception…
Big bookshelves required
Calling themselves ‘active bookshelf speakers’, the Edifier S1000DB’s are big, and heavy. You need some sturdy bookshelves to support them, and house them.
They are also well made as we’ve come to expect from Edifier. The soft sheen of the wood veneer is just right and the speaker drivers have a nice outline visible under the removeable grilles.
Despite the quality of the materials, the striking thing about them initially is the angled front. This was surprise number 1. Edifier claim this is to create a “larger sound with a low frequency” and to “reduce the resonance of the sound”. Whatever, it looks slightly awkward in the flesh and does not add to the speakers otherwise respectable appearance.
The bottom of the right-hand speaker has an LED status indicator to let you know which input is currently selected.
Around the back of the speakers we have a standard array of inputs ranging from RCA to optical, and digital coaxial.
The speaker is also equipped with Bluetooth aptX for higher quality streaming. There is also a bass and treble controls to give you a little control over the audio.
Finally, a dinky little remote control is included that you can use to select inputs and control volume. It’s a fine piece of craftsmanship and adds to the overall quality if the package.
Does the angled front make a difference?
Edifier’s experiments with angle of the front of the speaker seem to have paid off. The bass is remarkably tight and up front and gives an instant dynamic edge to the speakers. So much so that I was eager to run more party music through them than I normally would do. This was a very welcome surprise number 2.
The trebles easily kept up with the titanium dome tweeters providing a sparkling finish. The power was more than enough and there was no major distortion as the volume was pumped higher.
Despite all this goodness though, the speakers were really let down by their disappointing mid-range and vocals.
It may have been down to the success of the bass and trebles, but there was just very little there to get excitied about. The voices just seemed a little lost in all the other gloriousness. For me, that was a show stopper and was the final surprise of the package.
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Our verdict
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Design
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Performance
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Features
Almost there, but let down by disappointing mid-range
A striking, heavy and well-made pair of active bookshelf speakers with a good range of connection options, including Bluetooth aptX.
The fantastic bass and sparkling trebles cannot cover up the mediocre mid-range. They are a very fine pair of speakers for many types of music, but if you really value your vocals – they probably aren’t for you.