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Traditionally, anything we think of as ‘compact’ also attaches the terms ‘underpowered’ and ‘underwhelming’. This is unfortunate as more often than not we all desire to remove desk clutter by installing a small set of speakers.
The Edifier Aurora 2.1 speakers aim to defeat our typical notions and finally find a place on our desk, offering a small footprint without losing its ability to impress.
So let’s take a closer look…
Hardware
I have already reviewed the Edifier Sound to Go MP250 Multimedia Speaker, a soundbar that you could place in a convenient location and enjoy a richer sound than you would usually receive from built in notebook or netbook speakers. As impressive as this was, there will still be those who crave a little more power and yearn for a more detailed bass output.
The Edifier Aurora is well placed to achieve this as it features its own brush-finished 15W subwoofer unit for increased bass response, along with its magnetically-shielded spherical satellites providing the two channel sound.
The volume controls are actually located unusually on top of the right satellite speaker. The small buttons protrude through the top of the speaker unit, allowing you to raise and lower the volume as required. To put the speakers into stand by mode, it’s just a matter of holding down both of these volume buttons simultaneously. To bring the speakers back to life, simply tapping either volume up or down will resuscitate the product into action.
Having the buttons on the speaker do allow you to place the subwoofer more discreetly, although even the bass unit sits proudly among your other items as everything about this set looks quite stylish.
Around the back of the subwoofer are various connections including one for power, satellite speaker output and the all important line-in port. The line-in port is the input you use to connect phones, MP3 players, computers and anything else that features a standard headphone or line-out port. Unfortunately there are no other ways to connect to other devices, for example there is no USB or bluetooth features, however its certainly not the end of the world as these would no doubt increase the price.
The whole kit is fairly lightweight, so if you did fancy taking it with you either to a friends house or for a small presentation – you most definitely have that option. Placing the speakers in a backpack is possible without it unduly affecting your back.
The system comes complete with two audio leads, one short and one fairly long. For smaller items you wish to connect to the speakers, you may wish to use the shorter cables, however the longer supplied cable is also included if you have some distance to reach to for example a desktop computer.
The Edifier Aurora 2.1 Multimedia Speakers come in various colours including asphalt grey, electric blue, liquid silver, luminous yellow, midnight blue, original red, passion pink, spicy red, stormy black and tangy orange.
Specifications
- Total Power Output: R/L RMS 3.5W x 2 (THD+N=10%) / SW RMS 15W (THD+N=10%)
- Frequency response: R/L 230Hz-20KHz / SW 45Hz-200Hz
- Signal to noise ratio: 85dBA
- Input port: 3.5mm stereo line-in
- Bass unit: 2-inch woofer, magnetically shielded, 4 ohms
- Tweeter: 1.5-inch, magnetically shielded, 4 ohms
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 7.1 x 32.1 x 21.5 cm
- Weight: 1410 grams
Sound Quality
As this product features separate satellite speakers, you can place these a little distance apart to increase the clarity of the stereo sound. Music certainly benefits as a result as you notice various drum and synth sounds emanating from an individual speaker and other sections panning discreetly from one speaker to the next.
The subwoofer unit really does add that extra bass recognition and although it can’t possibly match a typical desktop subwoofer speaker, for its size it really packs a punch. You don’t need to strain to hear the bass elements within a tune and even the more subtle tones manage to make a mark within the overall sound. The detail is a little lacking, but again its a compact subwoofer that easily trounces on any notebook or netbook speaker set.
There is certainly an advantage to having a 2.1 speaker set that features its own subwoofer and separate satellite speakers. It allows for more detailed bass and upper range sounds to reach your ear without it being jumbled within a mix.
The volume is equally impressive, blasting whatever musical delights you have in mind and hardly any distortion is noticeable at the highest levels, even with the more demanding tracks available. When the unit does suffer from any distortion, the satellites are the first to experience it.
If you own a notebook or netbook that infrequently lands on your desk, it certainly would be nice to increase the volume and sound quality levels by plugging into external speakers such as the Edifier Aurora 2.1 set. Its small footprint makes it a no brainer as they don’t dominate a work area, especially important when there is nothing connected and all you have left on your desk is the speakers and a ton of paperwork.
Other devices including phones, tablets and MP3 players benefit from the Edifier external speakers greatly as their internal speaker counterparts miniature size just can’t compete. Although advertised suitable for desktop computers, there is a part of me who doesn’t quite see the logic. If you have a desktop computer, you might be wishing for a more meatier set of speakers to compliment your powerful rig – yet again for the minimalists among us, the Edifier Aurora 2.1 Multimedia Speakers would compliment even these larger computer beasts absolutely fine.
Final Thoughts
Don’t let its minute footprint give you the impression its not up to the task, as you would be so wrong. The Edifier Aurora 2.1 Multimedia Speakers offer plenty of volume, bass and clarity for you to add a far greater overall sound to your notebook or netbook. The speakers also work well with desktop computers, MP3 players, phones, tablets and other devices that utilise the typical headphone or line-out port.
If you are looking for compact, easily moveable yet impressive sound – the Edifier Aurora 2.1 Multimedia Speakers are certainly up for the challenge and at around £50 – hard to resist.
Features I loved:
- Pleasingly compact
- Impressive sound quality for its size
- Small footprint
Features that lacked a little:
- A shame there is no USB input or bluetooth option
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