Edifier R2000DB: The Bookshelf Champion

Today, we are using more devices than ever before. And while this sentiment is true for the average person, it is especially true for DJs and music producers.

As such, one of the biggest explosions in the sound and speaker field is effective multi-functioning portable speakers.

More so than the alternative, multi-functioning audio speakers are much more versatile and flexible in the different things they can now connect more than one device and work with.

Whereas a standard speaker may or may not have wireless technology Bluetooth connectivity, as an example, that’s going to come standard for today’s high-connectivity options. Poor connectivity options are a thing of the past.

A prime example of one of these setups is the Edifier R2000DB bookshelf speaker.

A stellar member of the Edifier family, the Edifier R2000D talks a big game in terms of its connectivity and overall spectacular sound quality.

In this review, we’ll take a look and see just how good this speaker setup is, and if its sound has a bite that can match its aggressively-priced bark.

Are the Edifier R2000DB speakers any Good?

The Edifier R2000DB is a big improvement over the R1700BT and a very strong performer all around within its price range unit. The raw power, quality of the speaker housings, feature set, and connectivity have all been significantly improved. A great all-rounder for the money.

First Impressions – The Physical Build

I’ll be honest here. Before pulling this out of the box, I was a bit skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Edifier brands. While I wouldn’t quite give them the #1 spot in all of the speakers, they are easily in the Top 5.

Still, the price jump from some of the other models did have me wonder what they had done that was truly worth it.

Then I opened the box.

It would be an understatement to say I was blown away by the incredible improvement in the speaker’s build quality alone. The wooden enclosure unit had heft to it that made you earn its respect, while also not feeling excessively heavy for the sake of being excessively heavy.

The cabinet has a touch of elegance and is extremely well put together. Its front was a textured face while also having gloss sides.

And, while I certainly thought that was a great look for it, I’d be lying if I didn’t mention the option to give it a refined wooden finish look.

Let’s Talk About The “Remote” In The Room

The only issue I had with the Edifier R2000D is the same issue I’ve had with many of the Edifier speakers. It’s the remote control. And like those other speakers, you’ll know that the remote here is only slightly above competent, yet squarely below average.

On one hand, as you’ll see in a bit, this speaker set has so many different connectivity features, griping about a “meh” remote isn’t all that warranted. That said, unlike the other speaker setups, the R2000 is a fair amount more expensive.

You’d think that, as they were ramping everything up, they’d consider giving the remote control a similar makeover.

Instead, it’s pretty much the same “meh” remote that Edifier puts out despite paying as much as you do.

Still, if we’re being honest about the situation, it’s obvious that the remote is only a factor because it exists. Not because it’s at all particularly needed.

The Specs

The Edifier R2000DB comes with a 5-inch woofer as well as a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter. Both, the sub-woofer and the tweeter are guaranteed high quality, with the woofer actively delivering a tight adjust bass while the tweeter offers some impressively clear sparkle in the top end.

Not only that, but the speaker’s frequency response range is just as impressive.

Able to move from 55Hz to 20KHz, the Edifier R2000D has more than enough room to hit pretty much every sound spectrum you’ll need while also making a point of balancing out the output.

Does it beat out the more professional studio monitors out there? No. However, it does get pretty darn close.

Spec Breakdown

• Length: 11.25 inches (286mm)
• Width: 7.5 inches (190mm)
• Depth: 9.5 inches (241 mm)
• Weight: 21.4 lbs. (9.7kg)
• Woofer Size: 5 inches
• Tweeter Size: 1 inch Eagle Eyetweeters
• Frequency Response Range: 55Hz – 20KHz (-3 dB)

The Design

The Edifier, by far, has some of the best-looking and best-designed speaker setups on the market today.

Honestly, there aren’t a whole lot of design options out there that break away from the standard speaker look, and so Edifier’s various designs are a legitimate breath of fresh air.

The Edifier bookshelf speakers have a high gloss piano finish to match the style of your studio or living room’s décor.

Visually, the MDF resonance-reducing construction comes with an all-black and high-gloss textured finish. You can either get a piano finish or go for the woodgrain finish, dramatically upping their visual prominence.

In addition to its color design, the Edifier R2000D also has a more angular front face.

This not only gives it a unique air that is wholly different from other monitors and speakers, but it also helps sharpen the music, helping send it directly to your ears.

Taking A Deeper Look – Features & Sound Quality

Taking a look at the Edifier R2000’s features, we see that that is where the speaker set shines.

Not only is it an ideal speaker option for music producers that are interested and have well-balanced sound quality, but it also very easily slots in with a casual listener’s lifestyle.

The host of connectivity options means you can pretty much use anything in your home that has the capability to play music from it, whether it be your laptop, tv, smartphone, smartwatch, mini home theaters, or gaming consoles.

Sound Quality

Edifier has always been known for creating entry-level speakers with stellar sound quality and well-balanced tones. This more than makes a comeback here with the Edifier R2000DB. More than that, pretty much every aspect has been tightened up and made even more impressive than their previous speaker models on the market.

The Highs

The R2000’s highs have always been great, and here is no different. The newly developed 25mm silk dome “Eagle Eye” tweeters offer incredible clarity while keeping the sound from ever going thin or sounding slightly strained.

Even the more difficult elements, like the hi-hats or symbols, come across clearly and prominently without melting too deeply in the background.

The Mids

The Mids, like the Highs, have never been exceptionally weak with Edifier.

Sharing much with the highs, the mid-tones are clean, well-defined sounds that offer plenty of character and nuance while also granting some excellent definition.

If you plan on watching a movie or listening to some music, you’re going to stay in the mid-tone area, and it does its job remarkably.

The Lows

Unlike the high and mid-tones, the lower-end responses with Edifiers have often been their slight Achille’s heel. I can confidently say that isn’t the case here. The Edifier R2000D offers some legitimate upgrades to their other models’ lows.

Now, you can expect a bass that has a satisfying punch to it while also feeling both warm and clean to the ears.

All in all, the Edifier R2000DB, if anything makes listening to it an absolute joy to the ears and the senses.

Features Offered 

Connection Options

Probably the biggest claim to fame for Edifier’s R2000DB, the speaker set comes with pretty much any method of connecting a speaker to another device. It comes with the standard dual RCA connections that can be alternated with the remote based on either of the two sources.

That isn’t all, however.

The Edifier R2000D also comes equipped with a solid and functional Bluetooth connection setup that has exceptional range and virtually no drops or interference blocks. It also comes with a dedicated Optical output. This makes connecting to your TV box incredibly easy, even if the cords included aren’t quite the best.

Included in the Edifier R2000D is an optical cable, a 3.5mm RCA cable, and a dual RCA cable.

Tuning Options

When checking out a speaker, one of the first things I make a point of looking into is if there are any ways to adjust or alter the EQ settings. Luckily, that seems to be an option here, if not as many as I’d personally have expected. For the R2000DB, you’ll be able to either use the remote or the back of the speaker to alter some of the settings.

This does kind of prove my theory about the remote control being more of a tacked-on item, as the settings are pretty much relegated to either pressing “Classic” mode for a neutral sound response or “Dynamic” mode for a boosted bass.

It doesn’t let you tweak or configure these settings, and if you have a more customized setup in mind, you’re out of luck with the remote.

The more effective method (if not the least efficient) is by going to the side panel and tweaking the settings from there. The speaker has an additional Bass, Treble controls, and master volume level knob that you can move. This will allow you to get the perfect sound frequency response.

While knobs being on the back isn’t new to most speakers and studio monitors, I’d have hoped that you’d be able to use your remote to the same level of effectiveness, with all things considered.

Final Thoughts – Is it Worth Your Time?

In asking whether or not the R2000 is worth your time, you have to take a look at what it does and what you are looking for. The simple fact of the matter is that, while they are not a perfect set of speakers, every area of the R2000DB is a clear improvement on everything else Edifier did, as well as the best speaker set at this price range.

It looks great, sounds better, and can be tied to just about anything in your home.

So, is it worth your time? I’d say it’s definitely worth your time.

I’d even go so far as to say that its only areas of weakness are because everything else stands out so incredibly. After all, if everyone in the class gets an A+, you can’t help but pay attention to the one or two kids that got a B and ask what’s wrong with them.

In this case, a cheap, tack-on remote control works fine enough when everything else is around the same quality and sticks out like a sore thumb when it’s the only thing of that quality.

Put simply, don’t mind the remote, this is a definite buy. If you do mind the remote, it’s still a definite buy.

Just toss the remote when you get the speakers.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Top-Tier Connectivity
• An Impressive Array of Different Accessories
• Sleek & High-Quality Design
• Well-Balanced Sound Profile

Cons

• Less Than Average Remote Control
• Pretty High Price-Point

Edifier R2000DB: The Verdict

Yes, while the Edifier R2000DB is a very real and very substantial increase in overall price compared to their other priced items, the simple fact of the matter is that it also provides a very real and very substantial value that supersedes those other items.

Without exception, every aspect of the Edifier R2000D stands as an improvement to any of their earlier speakers and studio monitors. If you want a speaker that looks great, the R2000 does that AND makes the sound angled towards your ears faster. If you want something that sounds good, the R2000 has amazing high, mid, and low-end tones. If you want something that connects to virtually every device out there, the R2000 does that while also having a Bluetooth connection that quickly syncs and rarely has a disruption.

When we started this review, the question was whether all of these additions were worth it and whether they would continue producing a sound that warranted such high praise and regard.

The Edifier R2000DB does that to such a degree, that you’d be shortchanging yourself by not seriously considering making this your starting point for their speakers.