Edifier has produced a brought 21st-century technology and paired it with 1950’s vintage style.
Audio brand Edifier has been at it again and this time they have released the MP230 portable speaker. We have reviewed a number of Edifier products such as earbuds, headphones, gaming headphones and even the Edifier S2000MKIII bookshelf speakers.
The Edifier MP230 is a portable Bluetooth speaker that is inspired by the vintage radios your grandparents used the have back in the 50s. This design is such a stand out it was a CES 2022 innovation award honoree. The speaker costs £100 via Amazon.
First Impressions
This is a speaker that wants to be on display regardless of where you use it and the design really does stand out compared to others on the market. The MP230 compared to a lot of the speakers Edifier has produced houses an internal battery along with Bluetooth capability that allows you to use this anywhere in the house and also in the garden.
When we tested it the battery life got us through the whole day when we had a BBQ for the queen’s platinum jubilee and considering its size the speaker performs well both outdoors and indoors once the sun when in.
Design
The Edifier MP230 as mentioned is not the biggest speaker on the market measuring in at 162x97x85mm (WxDxH) and weighing in at 850g. The speaker is just the right size to be picked up with one hand and easy to carry from room to room.
What catches your eye about this speaker is the retro styling. The speaker has a walnut-like wooden enclosure that runs around the speaker and the speaker mesh is bronze coloured the controls are laid out at the front of the speaker in a classic piano key style. This is finished off with a subtle logo positioned top left of the front of the speaker.
Edifier really has taken its time in the construction and the mix of bronze mesh covering the speaker and the walnut-like wood really makes this speaker scream style. The controls on that classic piano-style have the following:
- Power
- Bluetooth pairing mode
- Play/Pause
- Volume / Track control buttons
The rear of the speaker comes with a 3.5mm AUX-In Port along with a slot for a microSD card if you store music on then instead of steaming from the likes of Spotify. If you wanted to stream the music you will be pleased to know the MP230 uses Bluetooth 5.0. The Speaker comes with a 2600mAh battery which provides up to 16 hours when playing at 60% volume any higher and expects the battery life to reduce a little.
When it’s time to charge the speaker it comes with a USB-C port to the rear and Edifier even provide you with a USB-C charger but I have lots around the house and did not need to use the one provided.
Something to consider this speaker does not have a built-in microphone so you will be unable to make calls or use your phone’s voice assistant. Also, something else to consider this speaker does not appear to have an IP rating considering the British weather if you sense a shower it’s time to bring this speaker inside and make it snappy.
Sound Quality
In addition to the looks, the speaker can also pack a punch and offer impressive sound quality it comes with 2x 48mm full frequency driver units paired with an integrated large-size dual passive radiator. This speaker will provide you with crisp-sounding minds and highs but more importantly a punchy bass that can really fill a room and get quite loud. This is due to the class D stereo amplifier with 20W TMS total power output.
I used this speaker as my garden speaker at a recent BBQ and was impressed with the audio the bass is a real selling point sounding nice and deep, especially when listening to something like Michael Jackson – Bille Jean. The mix is really good, and the speaker is fairly well balanced but when you increase the speaker volume to about 50% that this speaker shines and you experience that deep bass.
In testing, I found that if I just wanted some background music while I was working having the speaker at a low volume say 20/30% would be fine. However, if you have friends over and are sitting outside the speaker needs to be at 50/60% volume to enjoy the audio quality. What I did notice is if you increase to the max volume that is when the audio quality really does get affected and the sound is not great plus the speaker will move.
What I also discovered this speaker is not compatible with the Edifier app that I have used on several occasions to adjust the EQ the MP230 does not give you that option so you will find regardless of the genre of music the sound profile remains the same and this is slightly annoying but would not stop me buying this speaker.
Battery Life
The Edifier MP230 gives you 16 hours of music enjoyment and when it’s time to recharge you can use the USB-C charge cable provided. It’s useful that they have decided to go with USB-C as most devices are using the same cable so you are bound to have one in the house. What I found to be a good feature is after 10 minutes of inactivity the speaker will turn itself off when saving battery life.
Verdict
I have tested a number of Bluetooth speakers, especially now we are moving into summer. The Edifier MP230 stands out as it comes with that striking design that is inspired by the early 50s. I love the use of walnut-like wooden enclosure and that copper-coloured grills and piano-like buttons really make you feel like you have stepped in time. You will also notice how responsive the buttons are which is a big plus.
That retro feel is also paired with a modern audio set-up that consists of a 2x 48mm full range and a 20W amp and a dual passive radiator that offers excellent audio quality, especially around the bass.
What could be improved?
If I had to pick something I would say the battery life is the key issue 10 hours just does not feel long enough especially considering it’s a Bluetooth speaker. I would have liked more battery life for my money. Considering other speaker options on the market at that price it should be around the 20-hour mark.
I also felt the lack of audio adjustment is also something that Edifier should have considered it would have been nice to have been able to adjust the EQ. Don’t get me wrong the sound signature is detailed and powerful but with some types of music being able to make the slight changes to the EQ would have been welcomed.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Edifier MP230 has a lot of positives such as its retro styling, two 48mm drivers and passive radiators and the different ports allowing you to use an SD card or wired connection. We only used the Bluetooth connection in testing but some users will be pleased to have the options. This speaker may not be perfect and some changes are required but if you are looking for something that looks really good and sounds just as good you won’t be disappointed.
Product Rating:
Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Sound Quality: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Battery Life: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value For Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall Rating: 4.2 out of 5.0 stars – 4.2 Stars
Thanks for reading this review, please continue to support us and check out our other reviews and follow us on Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter below.
Recent Comments