The Edifier D32 tabletop speaker screams vintage and would not look out of place in the 1950’s. What looks like a retro radio is a wireless speaker that comes with the following features:

  • 60W total output power
  • Dual 1-inch silk dome tweeters and 4-inch long throw mid-low driver
  • Hi-Res Audio Wireless Certified
  • Compatible with Apple Airplay2
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • Supports SBC, AAC, LDAC & ALAC codecs
  • Compatible with the Edifier ConneX mobile app

First Impressions

The Edifier D32 comes in three colour options – Black Walnut, Brown & White- for the price of £179. In this review, we were sent the white version, a combination of white with gold trim.

This speaker offers a stylish addition to your office or living room with limited space. I think this speaker is a real statement piece for any room. Let’s take a closer look at whether this speaker is worth spending nearly £200.

First Impressions/ Unboxing

We were informed of the D32 back in June this year. So, I was very excited when it arrived. Unboxing this speaker is how you might expect from a premium quality speaker. As mentioned, I was sent the white version that comes with gold trim but you also get the speaker in two different colour options. The speaker gives you a sense of premium quality the moment you see it.

Setting up the Edifier D32 is very simple and in just a few taps you can establish a Bluetooth or Airplay 2 connection to your iOS device. Then the speaker will be able to fill a room with sound. If you’re looking for a wired connection the D32 also offers a 3.5mm AUX input and USB-C port allowing you to connect to a variety of devices.

Design

Sometimes you can get an imbalance when it comes to function over form but with the D32 you get a good balance. This speaker has a sleek retro design with a braided grille you get a sense of nostalgia of that of a vintage radio.

The white version we have comes with a white leather finish around the speaker with gold metal accents that lend the D32 a warm look suitable for anywhere in the home or even in the office. I placed mine in the living room and it did not stand out at all it fits in with the décor of the room. The speaker is compact measuring 6.4 x 9.8 x 7.0 inches (HWD) it was a little heavier than I expected at 6.7 pounds.

Look under the bonnet and you get a pair of 1-inch 15W tweeters and a single 4-inch 30W driver. They combine to cover a frequency range of 52Hz to 40kHz. The grille on the front hides the driver and tweeters on the back two reflex ports are visible. The rear of the speaker is also where the wired connections reside such at the 3.5mm AUX input, USB-C audio input and AC power jack.

The speaker supports high-res wired playback and you can also plug it into a power source if you do not want to rely on the internal battery. Coming back to the front of the speaker the D32 comes with 5 onboard buttons that provide convenient control and have an especially satisfying click. Starting from the left you have the power button/changing the audio source, Bluetooth pairing button, Play/Pause and finally plus & minus buttons for the volume control. The LED above the power button indicates which mode it’s in for example:

  • Blue – Bluetooth
  • Green – AUX
  • Red – USB
  • White- Wi-Fi

In terms of connectivity, the Edifier D32 is compatible with Bluetooth 5.3 and works with the following codecs – AAC, LDAC & SBC. This speaker also offers multipoint connectivity with up to 2 devices perfect for me and the wife. This speaker also has dual-band Wi-Fi radio and Apple Airplay2 support which means you could set it up as part of a multi-room system.  Unfortunately, what this speaker is missing is a built-in voice assistant and is not waterproof so best to keep the speaker inside or at least away from water.

Finally, as mentioned you are provided a power cable but if you want to use the internal battery this will provide you with 11 hours of playback per charge means you can take your music with you, we found it useful for chilling out in the garden.

Overall, the design is stylish, and the controls sit on a minimalist panel, putting essential functions at your fingertips every action is straightforward. However, if you want more control this speaker comes with the Edifier ConneX app which provides more customization options allowing you to fine-tune the sound to your personal preference.

Edifier ConneX App

If you’re looking to customize this speaker then you be pleased to know that the Edifier D32 works with the ConneX app which is available for both Android & iOS users. Downloading is simple and there is no need to create an account.

The app comes with a sound effects section what this does is provide a handful of audio presets such as Classic, Monitor, Dynamic, and Vocal. There is also access to a custom EQ with six bands between 200Hz and 12kHz.

The app also allows you to enable the LDAC codec and multipoint connectivity otherwise known as dual-device connection.

The app also allows you to select the speaker’s input source via the app. If you’ve selected something other than Bluetooth on the speaker you might not be able to maintain a Bluetooth connection. The app is also required to set up Airplay and the compatibility is designed to make it simple enough to integrate D32 into your home audio setup over the more stable Airplay Wi-Fi connection.

The app allows you to switch from Bluetooth to Airplay using the ConneX app when trying to run audio from my Mac using the more stable Wi-Fi connection, I did run into trouble connecting the speaker over Airplay when I tried to use it with other speakers or from my mobile. The main reason for this is that I discovered the app is not recommended for macOS. So, I just downloaded the app on my iPhone 14 but also incurred issues with connecting to Airplay this is still a work in progress and I will update this review once I solve this issue.

Audio Quality

The surprising thing about this speaker is that at £172 it sounds like it should be more expensive and that is a good thing. Despite the compact size, this speaker can fill a room and the sound packs detail and clarity. The dual 1-inch silk dome tweeters and 4-inch long throw mid-woofer work well. This produces a well-balanced soundstage and the bass ports at the rear offer a robust and pretty punchy low end.

In testing, this speaker directs sound mostly in the direction that the speaker faces. I noticed its position in my living room pumped the most volume and clarity my way, but this will vary depending on where you place it. When increasing the volume to max volume I did not notice any distortion however, you do lose a bit of nuance at this level.

We have been playing a wide variety of music and when you play something with a lot of bass this speaker easily reproduces the bass notes that drive the track and pumps out the lower kick drum notes that keep time. The speaker manages a slight sense of stereo separation but it’s difficult to pick up even when you’re up close.

When we listen to our go-to track “Alice Merton- No Roots” this track highlights the speaker’s focus on the mids. The vocals come through clearly and have a dominant presence in the mix. The drums have a modest impact without feeling too much. The sub-bass notes are mostly inaudible though some higher notes come through. Even bass adjustments via the EQ can’t dig these notes out.

Verdict

The Edifier D32 is a compelling speaker that comes with an affordable price point, delivers mostly excellent performance and punches well above its weight. If you’re seeking a stylish and powerful audio companion that is somewhat portable is a compelling choice that delivers exceptional value.

The D32 produces loud, crisp audio and offers both high-quality Bluetooth & Wi-Fi streaming options. I like the style of this speaker and for anyone looking to add a 1950s retro-looking speaker with all the features you would come to expect today then the Edifier D32 is something that will start a conversation in any room and more importantly fill a room with that all-important sound.

Product Rating    

Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Edider ConneX App: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Audio Quality: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Battery Life: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Value for Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

 

Overall ranking: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0 – 5 stars

The Edifier D32 Tabletop Wireless Speaker available from Amazon for £179.99

 

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