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Edifier M20 USB Hub Review

We have done a lot of Edifier product reviews over the last 6 months as it seems there is no end to their amazing product list, and our latest review is essentially another Edifier one, however these speakers intrigued us for a number of reasons. First of all was their design which is fair to say resembles the Nintendo Wii in aesthetics thanks to a sloped designed, and second of all was the fact that they connect via USB. Read on to find out more about this set of speakers.

Review: Design, Build

As mentioned above the design of these products mimics the Nintendo Wii thanks to a sloped design and the white colour we were shipped, and the speakers themselves (2 supplied in the box) are of an impeccable build, much like their Luna dock. Finished in high quality plastics, the speakers themselves feel of a quality replicated by only high price ranged speakers such as from Bose or Bang & Olufsen, and this re-affirms the fact for you as the consumer that you’ve made a good choice when it comes to desk-look-pleasability.

In your hand the speakers are of ample weight, weighing in at (all together) 3.5Lbs, so there is no way your speakers will easily be pushed and shoved around your desk. In our tests they even resisted the urge to be pulled forwards when pulling our test Laptop forward with thanks to grippy feet located to the bottom of each speaker. Dimnsion wise you’re lookig at 2.5×6.3×5.9inch (63x156x147mm) (WxHxD). On top of the device you’ll find the volume rocker which provides good feedback to the end user.

In the box you’ll find a USB and audio cable, Universal AC/DC power supply and a case also thrown in. The case itself is okay and more for protecting your speakers in transit from scratches than from drops.

Sound Quality, features

On top of design the most any average user would want from their speakers is a good sound quality, which we’ll get too, however Edifier has incorporated a couple of neat features which are amply on the box which are worth mentioning. These features include the speaker having acoustically tuned enclosures and magnetically shielded speaker drivers, the second feature of which is available within 99% of Edifier’s products. In terms of design to sound the sloped design certainly helps you feel tunes in your face, and at this point it would be perfect to move on to sound quality.

On the sound quality front I was actually unsurprised by the quality of the speakers, and that was because I had high hopes for them in the first place. On this front, I challenge any reader here to find any speakers in this price range which sound better. If you can, and in fact walk the talk, i’ll be the first to pat you on the back. because the Edifier M20 USB Speaker is excellent.

The power output per speaker is 5W which is ample for any desk user, and the speakers were in no way tinny from my tests unlike a lot of speakers I have personally owned and given away in the past. I would suspect that the majority of users looking to buy these speakers will be internet users primarily and to be perfectly honest these speakers are excellent for this, offering deep hues and a respectable performance on the BBC iPlayer and Youtube videos alike.

When it comes to music you have to ask yourself one question; if you really want to listen to music, should I look for more expensive speakers? And the answer to that is maybe. When playing acoustic tracks with little bass the speakers are excellent and offer a good mid-range punch when it comes to rock, however when listening to drum and bass and even Dubstep the speakers do fall part a little bit, although as stated I suspect these speakers will be used for music maybe 25% of the time.

Pricing

The Edifier M20 USB Hub is priced at a respectable $49.99 on some parts of the internet although I have seen some people selling at $69.99 (both of which are a good price for great speakers).

Wrap Up

For anybody looking for great desktop speakers which look like the bees knees and offer a great internet listening experience the Edifier M20 USB Hub will make the perfect addition to your already technology packed workstation. If your sole aim is to listen to music from your laptop though I recommend something like a Soundfreaq Sound Platform (providing your computer has Bluetooth), although the M20 is still good for music providing you like acoustic stuff and rock on a medium volume.

Rating:  (8/10)

Source: Technology Blogged Online, UK

Full Article: http://www.technologyblogged.com/review-tech/edifier-m20-usb-hub-review

Written By: Jakk

Published on: May 16th 2011