Summer is coming so there is a flurry of Bluetooth speakers in my inbox. Too many you could say and I’m pretty selective about which ones I take my time reviewing. Edifier made the cut and I have been using their MP230 speaker over the last few weeks.
Out of the box, this is not your traditional-looking Bluetooth speaker. It has a very old school, vintage vibe, it looks like a 1950’s radio, which I do like but I can appreciate it won’t be for everyone. It’s somewhat portable, I can pick it up in one hand and it’s lightweight enough, so yes, move it around the house, take it to the beach, no problem. That being said, it looks a little too ‘nice’ to be thrown around in a bag, it deserves a nice spot on your bookshelf or desk.
Walnut-like wood wrap around the speaker, with a mesh grille to the front and rear. A subtle logo to the top left of the front grille, with metallic and satin buttons to the very bottom. The speaker sits on four rubber feet, lifting it up above your surface. There are 5 push-down buttons, a bit like a typewriter or piano key, which is quirky but I like it and they are practical. On the rear of the speaker, is a USB C port for charging, a micro SD slot and AUX input for content playback. Overall, a fairly well-built, elegant little speaker.
Features and spec
- Bluetooth 5.0, Aux, Micro SD card and USB Playback.
- Class D stereo amplifier with 20W TMS total power output.
- Dual full range speakers with rear passive radiators.
- Dual 2500mAh batteries for upto 10 hours of playback per charge.
As for performance, pleasantly surprised by what this little speaker can achieve.
Dual speakers, front-firing with bass ports at the rear, with 20watts of power, deliver a really nice sound. The mix is good, and fairly well balanced but you need to turn it up to about mid-volume to really warm the speaker up and get some good low end, and I’m thankful for those four rubber feet. However, if you turn the volume all the way up, the little speaker rumbles around my table, it’s moving quite a lot and if you had a couple of them, you could race them across the table at your Christmas party! Not ideal but I also wouldn’t recommend you push the volume all the way up. Low volume very pleasant, great for listening while working. Mid volume is great for some background music while entertaining or out in public but turn it all the way up to the maximum volume, which is surprisingly high, the quality does drop off.
I listened to a variety of tracks, differing genres, I had to put on something older, a bit of Frank Sinatra, but also some country, some rock, and I enjoyed the music a lot. However, there wasn’t much difference between genres with regard to sound profile. There is no EQ options with the MP230, on board or via an app and I know some competitors do offer EQ options through an app. I know Edifier does have apps for their other products so it might be on the way.
Battery life at 10 hours, is not great and that may not be enough for a day’s usage. I would have liked to have seen the battery at least twice the size. Also, there is no IP rating stated with this, so ideally, it shouldn’t get wet from rain or by being close to the swimming pool.
With a retail price of £99 here in the UK, it’s somewhat competitive against others in the market but you can get speakers that are more durable, have a longer battery life, with similar audio performance for slightly less. So the question you need to ask yourself is, will you use a speaker out and about, Do you need that durability and increased battery life OR will the speaker sit at home, looking smart on your desk or table?
For more info and to purchase, head over to the official Edifier website.
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