If you’ve got the budget to spare and want a reliable bookshelf speaker that delivers great overall sound quality with good bass and treble output, the Edifier R1700BT (see image) is for you.
With the advancements in audio technology, the standard for today’s bookshelf speakers has become exceptionally high.
One brand that rose to fame with its bookshelf and tabletop speakers and has been developing and implementing innovative technology is Edifier.
This well-established, global brand delivered several high-quality audio systems like the R1280DB and R1700BT, which we will compare today.
In summary, if you’ve got the budget to spare and want a reliable bookshelf speaker that delivers great overall sound quality with good bass and treble output, the Edifier R1700BT is for you. But if you’re after something cheaper that still holds some nice qualities, then the Edifier R1280DB is a good option.
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Now although their drivers are enough for most people’s daily use, keep in mind that they don’t produce earth-shattering heavy bass.
If you’re looking for speakers with better bass handling perfect for home theater or bass-heavy music, consider checking out these products instead:
- Polk Audio Legend L200
- KLH Kendall Floorstanding Speaker
- Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker System
Now let's dig deeper.
Sound Quality
Have you ever noticed that there often tends to be quite the opposite opinions about a speaker?
I can understand this for more "personal taste" kinda products like clothing, for example.
But for engineering products like speakers? Personal tastes and preferences probably still play a role. But shouldn't it be less?
Why is it that we can't set a universal metric for sound quality?
First time I asked this question to myself has been a pivotal day.
Because it turns out that in the mid 90's, Electrical Engineer PhD Floyd Toole came up with a method called Spinorama. This is exactly what he accomplished with this. Turns out that his book Sound Reproduction is like the bible of audiophiles.
Put it simply, Spinorama is a set of measurements that gives a comprehensive overview of a speaker's performance from various angles.
It allows you to compare the performances of different speakers before even laying your ears hands on them.
Isn't that amazing?
This is why Spinorama was apparently groundbreaking news for audio industry. Hence in the mid-late 2010's, most brands and magazines began publishing Spinorama measurements, despite the challenges of making such measurements.
Fortunately, now we have the Spinorama data for a bunch of quite popular speakers. Pierre Aubert put all this untidy data together and put it into https://www.spinorama.org/. This is a stunning source. Pretty valuable stuff from him right there.
All good up to this point.
Now there comes a caveat.
Since the sound speakers propagate are in the form of omnidirectional waves, all measurements are obtained in anechoic or semi-anechoic chambers (a super-quiet room where soundwaves don't bounce back, here's how different that room sounds [a mind blowing time-adjusted video]).
This is a problem because it means that Spinorama alone, unfortunately, won't give us all we need. Placement and reflections play an equally important role there too.
This is why most A-class brands (like SVS, Bang & Olufsen, etc) often come up with room correction features, adjusted either manually or automatically. The EQ adapts itself to the placement (room, corner, center, etc) for a better (deeper and more accurate) sound. Which is great.
Additionally they often emphasize the importance of placement, here is an example: https://www.svsound.com/blogs/subwoofer-setup-and-tuning/75365187-the-art-of-subwoofer-placement
Anyways...
The source code under Pierre Aubert's work is licensed under GPL (General public license). He didn't perform any of the measurements himself, and instead he compiled all of them into one place, so that makes sense.
At this point, I thought that if there was a tool that combined both the Spinorama with the room acoustics data, it'd be extremely useful.
Unfortunately, it turns out that there wasn't any.
This is where I stepped in and partnered with an Acoustics and Audio Engineering PhD in order to achieve this.
We combined Spinorama data with room acoustics and came up with Soundton. A very simple, 2D online tool that allows you to:
- Reveal optimal speaker positions in a room,
- Test with real speakers from real brands,
- Compare different speakers and different positions in the room.
It can be very valuable for the vast majority.
The colormap provides you the locations with the best (green) and worst (red) listening experience.
It works the best with subwoofers since Soundton processes low frequency response waves only.
- Soundton is going to be, say, 80% accurate. Not 100%.
- Because, other parameters such as the age/materials of the building, furniture/windows in place also have an impact on room acoustics.
- If you want absolutely the most detailed room analysis, then what you need is an acoustics consultant. Mind you that's going to require deep pockets and patience though... assuming you find the right person and they get the job done.
Anyways...
The Edifier R1280DB may be a small speaker, but it still delivers excellent quality. The overall tone is smooth and warm on the low end and crisp in the treble range.
It pushes out a sound that can get up to 85 dBA, which can easily fill the space of a standard room.
But while the bass can be loud, there is no sub-bass kick because of the speaker’s size. Furthermore, there is a noticeable distortion when the volume is high.
The Edifier R1700BT has a similar tonality and richness to the Edifier R1280DB. It provides a great mid-range tonal richness and a high-range clarity.
Since each of the drivers have almost no sound overlap, you get balanced and full sound details. There’s also no distortion due to the built-in DSP and DRC. But while the Edifier R1700BT lets out more crispness and acoustic to the bass than the other model, it also lacks a bass kick.
Design and build
The Edifier R1280DB Bookshelf Speaker is fashioned in a classic style with two color options: black and maple wood grain. This speaker features a casing made from high-quality MDF wood, which makes it look sleek and modern-looking.
Despite the material, the body is still sturdy and has a solid build. It weighs 12.43 pounds and has a product dimension that measures 5.75 inches wide, 9.5 inches tall, and 7 inches deep.
The Edifier R1700BT Bookshelf Speaker also features an MDF wood housing in a black, white, and walnut-stained finish that complements any home décor. It weighs 14.55 pounds and measures 6.1 inches wide, 9.8 inches tall, and 8.3 inches deep, making it a bit bigger and heavier than the R1280DB. This model also has a unique 10-degree angle design, which helps direct the sound upwards.
Here is the User Manual for Edifier R1280 DB Multimedia Speaker.
Features
The Edifier R1280DB Bookshelf Speaker (see image) is fashioned in a classic style with two color options: black and maple wood grain.
The Edifier R1280DB is equipped with two drivers and a bass port, which you can see behind the removable grille.
The 4.57-inch woofer is located at the bottom center of each speaker, while the 0.51-inch silk dome tweeter is situated at the top.
These two channels deliver 42-Watt peak power and a frequency range of 55 Hz to 20 kHz.
The right speaker houses IR widow for the remote control, which is arranged on the left of the tweeter, while the bass relief port is below it.
There’s a recessed panel with knobs to adjust the volume, bass, and treble on the left side of the right speaker. The right speaker also houses the RCA connections and the newly added optical and coaxial inputs.
This bookshelf speaker is also Bluetooth-enabled and has an LED indicator that shows the Bluetooth status and the amount of power.
The Edifier R1700BT also has two drivers, an IR sensor and bass relief. Aside from that, this speaker features an onboard digital signal processing and dynamic range that prevents input distortion. It has a much-smaller 4-inch mid-woofer on the center of each speaker.
Despite that, the speaker’s casing size still provides a more acoustic volume for bass sounds. The R1700BT also has a larger 0.75-inch “Eagle Eye” dome tweeter found on top of the woofer.
With a 66-W peak power, these two drivers provide a frequency range of 60 Hz to 20 kHz. Similar to the Edifier R1280DB, this model features a recessed control panel with knobs on the right speaker.
The back panel has two sets of RCA inputs, a 5-pin connector to a passive speaker, and the power switch. You can plug this into your TV, computer, and even game consoles.
Connectivity
The good thing about these two bookshelf speakers is their ability for wireless connectivity. The Edifier R1280DB comes with Bluetooth connectivity, which means you can play music from any compatible device.
However, its Bluetooth connectivity can often be sensitive when in use. Since Edifier retained the RCA connections, this speaker has an auxiliary input to connect with other wired devices. It includes a remote control, a 5.5-feet RCA-RCA cable, a 5-feet fiber optic cable, and a 5.5-feet standard RCA audio cable.
The Edifier R1700BT easily connects with different devices, thanks to its Bluetooth connectivity. Since it has a built-in Digital Signal Processing and Dynamic Range control, this speaker delivers better sound quality with no distortion. It also has two aux inputs, which enable connection with a 3.5 mm output or dual output.
With R1700BT, you’ll get an 8 foot long 4-pin DIN speaker connection table, a 6-feet RCA-RCA cable, and a 6-feet standard RCA cable.
You can also check out the User Manual of Edifier R1700 DB.
Price
The Edifier R1280DB bookshelf speaker comes at a very affordable price, which is around the range of $149.99. With a style, features, sound quality, and connectivity options as good as this, the R1280DB packs a punch.
The Edifier R1700BT, on the other hand, is slightly more expensive and costs around $179.99. Despite the premium price, it has a significant advantage over the other speakers in the same price range.
Verdict
In conclusion, both bookshelf speakers provide excellent sound performance for everyday use. They feature versatile connectivity options that allow you to use them with your TV, computer, and other audio devices.
However, there is a significant difference in terms of how they deliver the sound. But which of the two is better? Here’s our verdict based on their specifications:
- Size and weight - Winner: Edifier R1280DB
- Connectivity - Winner: Edifier R1700BT
- Frequency range - Winner: Edifier R1700BT
- Sound quality - Winner: Edifier R1700BT
- Bass quality - Winner: Edifier R1700BT
- Price - Winner: Edifier R1280DB
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