Edifier R1700BT Bookshelf Speakers Review

When it comes to speakers, there’s a name that sticks out if you want quality and reliability, that name is Edifier. Having reviewed a few of their speakers already, I can certainly say with confidence that they know exactly what they’re doing each time and that goes for their R1700BT bookshelf speakers as well.

Edifier R1700BT Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers - Active Near-Field Studio Monitors - Powered Speakers 2.0 Setup Wooden Enclosure - 66w RMS

• BLUETOOTH CONNECTION - Pair your phone, tablet or computer for a true hassle free wireless experience, perfect for any iOS, Android, MacOS or Windows device.
• 2 x AUX INPUT - Convenient connection to any device that has a 3.5mm headphone output or dual RCA output. Connect to two devices via AUX at the same time, no plugging and switching needed.
• REMOTE CONTROL - switch input sources, control volume and mute/unmute at your figure tips.
• CLASSIC WOOD FINISH - High quality MDF wood build finished with walnut wood effect vinyl serves as a great compliment to any home decor.
• 2 YEAR WARRANTY - Guaranteed high quality and reliability with hassle-free parts and labor warranty for two years in USA and Canada.

$179.99

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I am a huge fan of the R1700BT design. The speakers look stunning with a walnut vinyl finish complete with a black body taking resident in the midsection. If this color scheme doesn’t suit your needs, there’s also an all-black option, although I have to say I do prefer this color compared to photos of the black version.

While MDF has been used instead of real wood, there’s no denying these speakers look beautiful. They have been designed with a 10-degree upward slant, which Edifier claims has been done to ensure maximum exposure to the listener. As well as creating a better listening experience, this slant and design gives the speakers a sleek classic style, whilst also maintaining a hint of modern design elements.

The front covers are covered in a soft mesh fabric complete with the Edifier badge in place at the bottom. These covers are removable, and once removed they reveal the stunning looking setup which consists of an eagle eye tweeter sitting above the 4-inch bass driver, which itself sits just above bass port. While both the left and right speaker have an identical setup, the right is also home to an IR blaster for the included remote.

Turn to the right-hand side of the right speaker and you will a control panel that is home to three dials which are (from top to bottom order) a treble dial, bass dial and volume/mode selection dial. The volume/ mode dial obviously serves two functions, turning it will increase or decrease the volume while pressing it in will switch between the different input options. An LED light just below the dials is used to tell the user what input mode the speakers are in. If it’s blue then the speakers are in Bluetooth mode and if green, they are in line in mode. The dials themselves are slightly stiff to turn, but this is to ensure they don’t turn too easily, which gives the user more control over their adjustments.

At the rear of the right-hand speaker is the input panel, which is home to the RCA connections, the plug, a power switch and the left speaker out connection port. The left-hand speaker’s rear panel is home to just the right speaker in connection port.

One slight downside to the Edifier R1700BT bookshelf speakers is that they come with XLR cables instead of stripped speaker cabling. While the XLR type cable provides a more sturdy approach, it does mean setting the speakers up at a distance to suit your own needs is a bit harder and most costly, then it would be with stripped cables.

As is common with most of Edifier’s speaker line up the Edifier R1700BT bookshelf speakers come packaged with a remote control. The included remote is quite small and only has six buttons, but from it, you are able to increase or decrease the volume, mute the speakers, change the input mode and enter or exit standby mode.

Connecting the speakers wirelessly through Bluetooth to my Moto C Plus smart phone for the first time was a quick and hassle-free process. Once the initial pairing is complete, anytime the speakers are on and Bluetooth is enabled on your device, they will automatically pair with one another.

Equipped with Digital Sound Processing (DSP) and Dynamic Range Control (DRC) which are in place to keep distortion at a minimum, which they actually do quite a good job of, even at high volumes.

The volume level is decent enough to fill a small to medium-large sized room with no issues at all. So if you host small parties that often involve noise, these aren’t too bad, but they do suit a more casual setting.

That 19mm tweeter installed on the Edifier R1700BT bookshelf speakers is an incredible little thing. The treble produced by the speakers is crisp when the dial is set to the halfway point, which is how I have mine setup.

Bass is a slight disappointment, but overall it is pretty good. Set at mid-range there are times when it becomes a bit loose, particularly when listening to songs that rely heavily on their bass over other things.

Overall though, the Edifier R1700BT bookshelf speakers are a stunningly gorgeous setup that compliments my PC setup quite nicely. They produce an overall decent audio experience when listening to music or watching movies. Priced at £129.99 over on Amazon, they are certainly worth owning for anyone looking for a decent audio setup.

Last update on 2023-11-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API