INTRODUCTION

    Having lived through the mid 80's and 90's when pretty much every house had at least a pair of floor standing speakers (usually passive ones / not amplified) I know all too well just how important owning good speakers is. Yes, things have changed, and so floor standing speakers are now considered by many as too big for most apartments and houses but that's only because nowadays desktop/bookshelf speakers (usually active / amplified) and even soundbars have reached new heights compared to back then. Edifier is among those manufacturers who have released numerous desktop/bookshelf speakers over the years and since many of you have asked about a good looking set today, I decided to test their latest QR65 Hi-Res Wireless Multimedia Speakers.

    Edifier specializes in premium sound systems that showcase technological innovation and design elegance, delivering outstanding audio experiences through a wide range of headphones, speakers, and music systems, for personal entertainment and professional excellence. Established in May 1996 in Beijing, Edifier is the brainchild of a small group of enterprising music lovers. Over the past 25 years, Edifier has been guided by the “passion for sound” principle, which helped the brand emerge as a world-class designer and manufacturer of award-winning sound systems. Today, Edifier serves audio lovers worldwide through its distributors in over 70 countries, with operations in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.

    The QR65 is currently available in black and white colors and consists by two speakers each featuring an 1.25" (32mm) silk diaphragm tweeter (15W), 2.5" (70mm) aluminum alloy diaphragm main driver (20W), dual TI class-D digital audio amplifiers (for the main/amplified speaker - 2 way active crossover with full DSP and DRC) and specially designed MazeTube bass reflex channels complete with TurbMuff air noise suppression technology (dual chamber). This combination allows the QR65 to produce a frequency response of 55Hz-40kHz, 70 RMS output and support playback of 24bit/96kHz media. Thanks to Bluetooth v5.3 connectivity and support for the LDAC audio codec (SBC also supported) the QR65 can deliver wireless audio at up to 990Kbps while the three USB ports at the rear can be used to quickly charge up to three portable devices (TurboGaN 2xUSB-C 65W / USB-A 60W). As for looks Edifier has taken things to a whole new level by allowing the end user to display up to 16 million customizable light effects at the front of each speaker (infinity mirror) by using TempoAbyss technology (via their ConneX app). It's been a long time since Edifier send something over so let's see what they've been up to lately.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

As expected at the front of the box we find a product picture, company logo and the LDAC and Hi-Res logos.

Partial product pictures are placed on both sides.

Both the features and specifications of the QR65 are printed at the rear in 8 different languages.

Once you open the box, you'll see the two 10-degree angled speaker stands and a piece of cardboard (the speakers are wrapped inside synthetic covers).

Along with the two QR65 speakers and their power cord inside the box you'll find the two angled stands, cleaning cloth, speaker connection cable, USB-A cable, stereo RCA to 3.5mm cable, warranty information paper, safety instructions and the quick start guide.

THE QR65

Both speakers measure 213mm in height, however the main speaker (amplified) measures 142.5mm in width and 216.8mm in length (as opposed to the 130x212mm of the other).

To have a better idea of the small to medium size of the QR65 i placed the main speaker against the main one of the S1000DB set (a medium to large desktop/bookshelf speaker again by Edifier).

At the front of both speakers, we find an 1.25" (32mm) silk diaphragm tweeter and an 2.5" (70mm) aluminum alloy diaphragm woofer.

The main speaker also has the power on/off button, input and control volume knob and the lighting control knob on its right side.

On the left side of the main speaker, we find an nice metal plate with the words a passion for sound on it.

At the rear both speakers have bass reflex and speaker connection ports, but the main speaker also has two RCA ports (L/R), USB-A port (host), 3.5mm sub out port, on/off switch and three TurboGaN charging ports (USB-A / 2xUSB-C).

Edifier has placed four round rubber feet at the base of each speaker.

For all of you wondering the faux leather used to cover both speakers is of very good quality and should last quite a bit.

The two 10 degree angled stands look nice and could help place the QR65 as you want them (a passion for sound phrase is also printed here).

Here you can see an exposed view of the main speaker (marketing material).

Looks are without a doubt one of the strongest selling points of the QR65 (short clip showcasing all effects is available on YouTube and TikTok).

CONNEX APP

For full control over the QR65 I strongly recommend downloading the Edifier ConneX smartphone app.

From the main tab this app allows you to change the input source, use the built-in equalizer (4 effects and 1 custom), adjust lighting effects (11 effects plus 1 downloadable one), check fast charging state and set the volume.

Accessing the settings tab (top right) allows you to check for firmware updates, read the online manual, change the codec to LDAC (disabled by default - once enabled the Hi-Res logo lights up in the main tab), power off the speakers and disconnect Bluetooth.

CONCLUSION

    Even though the QR65 speaker set is nowhere close to being Edifier's flagship product it did overwhelmingly well during my tests, even more so when LDAC is switched on for wireless use (and especially when music players like the M15/M23 are connected to it). From mids to highs and even soundstage the QR65 are detailed, crisp and accurate with good separation and even though not quite as loud as the S1000DB they produce more than enough volume to easily cover 2 mid to large sized rooms. What the Edifier QR65 lack is bass levels, that is if you enjoy listening to bass rich music genres like for example heavy metal or even some types of classic. This of course is not something new, even the larger S1000DB don't produce the kind of bass you'll get from a dedicated subwoofer and well in the case of the QR65 that's quite fine since they also feature a bass-out port (even plugging a small sub should improve things). What steals the show at first glance however is the build quality and infinity mirror design of the QR65 and I expect many people would grab a set just based on that. Of course, using the ConneX app may not be possible for everyone but since the main speaker does have a basic lighting control that shouldn't be much of an issue (at least not as much as needing to get into the app to enable the LDAC wireless audio codec).

    Right now, the QR65 by Edifier retail for USD369.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 312.59Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which perfectly represents what you’re getting in return. At the end of the day there’s not much else I can say about the QR65 that I haven’t covered in this review already. From audio quality and looks to features and a very useful app the QR65 deliver where it counts and for that they deserve the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Audio Reproduction (Accuracy / Detail / Soundstage)
- HiRes Wired & Wireless Audio (LDAC)
- Design / Looks (Infinity Mirror)
- TurboGaN 65W Charging Ports (USB A / 2xUSB C)
- Subwoofer Output
- Available In Black & White
- Bundled 10 Degree Angle Aluminum Stands
- ConneX App

CONS

- Overall Bass Levels
- LDAC Disabled By Default (ConneX App Required To Enable)