If you’re short on time and just want the highlights of this article, here it is:
The Edifier R1280T powered bookshelf speakers offer decent sound quality at a budget-friendly price. With the help of the 4.17” woofer and the 0.51” silk tweeter, the sound quality is surprisingly balanced and the treble and bass knobs offer plenty of flexibility. Additionally, the dual RCA inputs and remote control add an extra layer of convenience.
The most ideal user profile for the Edifier R1280T speakers is someone who is looking for a pair of affordable yet good-sounding speakers without breaking the bank. However, they may not be the best choice for anyone looking for a more powerful and punchy sound.
Overall, the Edifier R1280T speakers are great for anyone looking for an affordable yet good-sounding pair of powered bookshelf speakers. They deliver balanced sound with good clarity in the highs and decent bass response. The soundstage is wide, and the separation between instruments is good. With all this in mind, I would highly recommend the Edifier R1280T speakers to anyone looking for an affordable pair of powered bookshelf speakers.
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Now let’s get to its bolts and nuts.
Edifier R1280T Review: 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...
When it comes to sound quality, the Edifier R1280T powered bookshelf speakers deliver a surprisingly good performance for their price. With the help of the 4.17” woofer and the 0.51” silk tweeter, the sound quality is surprisingly balanced, with a good amount of clarity in the highs and a surprisingly decent amount of bass.
I did find that the sound quality was a bit muddy at times, especially at higher volumes, and the bass lacked a bit of punch. However, I was also impressed by the clarity of the mids, which allowed me to pick out even the most subtle details in the music.
The soundstage was fairly wide, and there was decent separation between the instruments, which was a pleasant surprise. There is also a bass reflex port on the back for added bass response.
The overall sound quality is quite good for the price and compares quite favorably to more expensive options in the same price range. The dual RCA inputs also allow for easy switching between two source devices, which is an added bonus.
The treble and bass knobs can be adjusted from -6 to +6 dB, but I found that I rarely had to make any adjustments, as the speakers sounded quite good at their default settings. The remote control can also be used for adjusting the volume and muting the speakers.
Overall, the sound quality of the Edifier R1280T speakers is quite impressive for the price. They deliver a balanced sound with good clarity in the highs and decent bass response. The soundstage is wide, and the separation between instruments is good. The treble and bass knobs can be adjusted but they rarely need to be, as the speakers sound quite good at their default settings. The dual RCA inputs and the remote control are also nice features. With all this in mind, I would highly recommend the Edifier R1280T speakers to anyone looking for an affordable pair of powered bookshelf speakers.
Edifier R1280T Review: Connectivity
The Edifier R1280T powered bookshelf speakers feature dual RCA inputs, which allows you to have two source devices connected for easy switching. This is a nice feature as it eliminates the need to manually switch cables every time you want to switch sources. With the dual RCA inputs, you can have your laptop and smartphone both connected to the speakers at the same time.
The speakers also come with a remote control, which allows you to adjust the volume, mute the speakers, or power them on or off with the push of a button. The remote control is a nice touch, as it gives you more control over the speakers without having to reach for the active speaker.
The Edifier R1280T speakers offer good connectivity options for their price. The dual RCA inputs are a great feature and the remote control adds an extra layer of convenience. The only downside is that there is no Bluetooth connectivity, which is becoming increasingly common in budget speakers. However, this is a minor issue and shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
Edifier R1280T Review: Most & least ideal user profiles
The Edifier R1280T powered bookshelf speakers are great for anyone looking for an affordable yet good-sounding pair of powered speakers. The sound quality is surprisingly balanced and the dual RCA inputs and remote control offer good convenience and flexibility.
The most ideal user profile for the Edifier R1280T speakers is someone who is looking for a pair of affordable yet good-sounding speakers for their bedroom or office. The speakers are quite small and have a modern design, which makes them easy to fit into tight spaces. They also don’t take up too much space, making them a great choice for smaller rooms. The speakers are also an ideal choice for anyone who wants a good-sounding pair of speakers without breaking the bank.
The least ideal user profile for the Edifier R1280T speakers is someone who wants a more powerful, punchy sound. The speakers are good for their price, but they don’t quite deliver the same level of power and punch as more expensive models. They also don’t have Bluetooth connectivity, which can be a deal-breaker for some.
Overall, the Edifier R1280T speakers are great for anyone looking for an affordable yet good-sounding pair of powered speakers. They are ideal for small rooms and won’t break the bank. However, they may not be the best choice for anyone looking for a more powerful and punchy sound.
Edifier R1280T Review: Conclusion
The Edifier R1280T powered bookshelf speakers offer decent sound quality at a budget-friendly price. With the help of the 4.17” woofer and the 0.51” silk tweeter, the sound quality is surprisingly balanced and the treble and bass knobs offer plenty of flexibility. Additionally, the dual RCA inputs and remote control add an extra layer of convenience.
The most ideal user profile for the Edifier R1280T speakers is someone who is looking for a pair of affordable yet good-sounding speakers without breaking the bank. However, they may not be the best choice for anyone looking for a more powerful and punchy sound.
Overall, the Edifier R1280T speakers are great for anyone looking for an affordable yet good-sounding pair of powered bookshelf speakers. They deliver balanced sound with good clarity in the highs and decent bass response. The soundstage is wide, and the separation between instruments is good. With all this in mind, I would highly recommend the Edifier R1280T speakers to anyone looking for an affordable pair of powered bookshelf speakers.