EDIFIER UP CLOSE & PERSONAL: THE MR3 & M60

Two near-field, powered speakers from Edifier, the MR3 and M60. Paul Rigby cuddles up to dinky cabinets

If you want to upgrade the sound in and around your desktop or laptop computers or if space and cash are tight and you still want to run a turntable, CD or streaming-based HiFi then powered speakers can be a lifesaver because they bundle both the amplifier and speakers together. More than that though, small footprint powered speakers can provide a neat solution if you cannot afford or have the space for a plush shelving system or if you need to squish your HiFi next to the rest of your life’s contents or if you live in a small flat or bedsit, want a sound system in a small bedroom or even an office.  

Edifier have two powered options on test here. Let’s look quickly at each.

EDIFIER MR3

The MR3 speakers span 126 x 220 x 185mm and weigh in a 3.85kg. On the front, up top, is a 1” (25mm) tweeter surrounded by a dimpled wave guide that sits above a 3.5” (89mm) mid/bass unit. Inside the basic MDF cabinet is a Class D, 18W + 18W amplifier.

In connectivity terms, I like the front mounted, quick access to a 6.35mm headphone socket and 3.5mm auxiliary which will be useful to connect a DAP or similar. You’ll find the volume knob here too.

On the rear is a Bluetooth pairing button, balanced sockets for a mixing desk or similar, tone controls, RCAs for computers or a turntable or somesuch. There’s no optical or USB options though which is a shame. Also a shame are the spring-loaded speaker connectors. Understandable, given the price though. 

In aesthetic terms, I thought that the copper disc stuck on the mid-bass unit and the copper-coloured volume knob just made the speakers look cheap and tacky. Black would have been a better colour option. 

EDIFIER M60

The smaller M60 speakers span 100 x 168 x 147mm and weigh in at 3.07kg. They also offer a  1” (25mm) tweeter but the long-throw mid-bass unit spans just 3” or 76mm. Inside the MDF cabinet is a more powerful Class D, 66W amplifier. Again, no optical but there is a USB-C input that sits alongside a 3.5mm auxiliary. Instead of the spring-loaded speaker connectors, the M60 uses a DIN cable to connect each speaker together.

You also get a neat touch interface on top of the master speaker that selectes volume, power and source. I found the interface responsive during the tests.

The M60s also offers angled aluminium speaker stands for near-field listening, out of the box. These were very welcome. 

Both speakers include rear-facing bass ports. Both provide simple yet welcome rubber feet under each speaker. Both can also be controlled via the ConneX app that can provide volume control plus EQ inputs which acted like digital tone controls. I left these alone and used the flat default option during the review. 

SOUND TESTS

To begin, I thought I would hang around my listening room and check out the speakers. I connect the speakers to my Audio-Technica 120x turntable with a VM95E cartridge.

VS KANTO YU4

Listening was not done at normal HiFi listening distances and not at near field, either. Instead, I listened somewhere in between to simulate a bedsit, a small bedroom or maybe if you had plonked the speakers and turntable on a nearby desk. 

I then drafted in my reference Kanto YU4 powered speakers which are more expensive than the Edifiers, at around £280, but I wanted to challenge the Edifiers and see how close the Edifiers could get to the YU4s. If they could get close then that would do me and this test would be a raging success.  

To test the 120x turntable I used that turntable’s built-in phono amplifier. The Kanto does have a built in phono amp but I wanted this test to offer a level playing field so the 120x was used as the phono hub instead for each speaker pair.

Software was a mid-70s release from the King Singers called Keep on Changing. This is a vocal harmony group with, as you might expect, a range of organic instruments backing them from rocking quartets to orchestras.

I began with the track, Song & Dance Man which featured banjo, drums, piano, lap steel guitar, bass, guitar and a bank of strings plus secondary percussion. A busy soundstage, therefore.

KANTO YU4 vs MR3

I compared the Kantos, initially, with the lower-cost MR3s. Straight away I could hear the smaller soundstage and lower bass impact from the MR3s that was to be expected from a set of speakers at less than half the price. Never mind the smaller cabinet. The upper mid extension also didn’t reach quite as far. Again, no real surprises here.

On the other hand, though, what I did like and did surprise me was the tonal balance from the M60s. That is, the frequency spread kept their discipline. Bass was never flabby, the mids didn’t sound disjointed and treble didn’t tizz. And that’s always a threat with low-cost designs. Even when the chaps belted out a middle-eight here and there, the M60s kept it together. Sure, at higher volumes and at this listening distance, speakers threatened to strain and wobble but, overall, I enjoyed their relative neutrality.

KANTO YU4 vs M60

Moving to the smaller yet more expensive M60s speakers, I used the included RCA-3.5mm convertor cable to connect the 120x.

These are dirt-cheap bootlace cables, I recommend upgrading them if you use a turntable with these speakers.

Even so, I was impressed with the greater confidence and solidity from the M60s. Bass was tighter, more prominent in the mix, vocals were smoother emphasising the extra clarity from the mids while percussion offered subtlety and delicacy. Treble was also impressive, for the price, in terms of fragility and insight. Of the two Edifiers, the M60s are better suited for playing at any appreciable distance. It’s worth saving the extra cash for the performance hike.

NEAR FIELD VIA COMPUTER 

I then moved to a near-field environment, hooking up the speakers to my iMac computer, placing the speakers up close and personal on my office desk. I turned to vocal jazz and played a WAV rip of the song How Deep is Your Love from Carol Kidd featuring vocals and a jazz trio of piano, guitar and bass. 

MR3 AT NEAR FIELD

I first played the MR3s, hooking the speakers up to my computer via a supplied convertor cable plugging the RCAs into the speakers and 3.5mm plug into the iMac.

Again, the Kantos offered lots of power and presence but, compared to the MR3s, I thought the Kantos sounded overly warm with a bass emphasis in near-field mode. The MR3s had, once more, an admirable tonal balance with bass better integrated into the mix. Because it had to do less work now, the MR3s also provided a good bass response and, because of the inherent neutrality, cymbal taps, as one example, floated off into the distance on a bed of reverb. I actually preferred the MR3s in near field mode over the YU4s. 

M60 AT NEAR FIELD

As for the M60s? Again, the amplifier had less work to do here but, nevertheless, that sense of power potential and foundation that the amplifier provided made for a quite brilliant performance in near-field mode. 

Considering the price – and these speakers are all about the price, price is central to both designs, actually – the M60s sounded remarkably, how I shall I put this, HiFi. They had a supremely cultured sound. That is, mids offered detail without an apparent effort, there was space and air around the midband, treble was delicate while bass was there is spades if required. The middle-eight acoustic guitar solo said it all with subtle aggression on the plucked strings providing an real angular and provocative effect.

NEAR FIELD WITH BLUETOOTH

I hooked up my Astell&Kern Kann Alpha DAP and played the rocking and uptempo track, I Will Not Hide from The Doves. 

Supporting Bluetooth 5.4, the MR3 speakers seemed, in broad terms, happy in this high-energy mode entering into party mode with largely neutral upper frequencies combined with good supportive lower frequencies. More specifically, I was disappointed by the basic SBC codec support though so overall sound quality was ultimately restricted.

Supporting Bluetooth 5.3, the M60 speakers excelled via The Doves’ track. More so because Bluetooth was delivered via the LDAC codec which enabled Bluetooth to really fly, being packed with information and mixing delicate acoustic guitar riffs with meaty and powerful bass from the percussion. 

WITH STANDS

I then tried the M60 speakers with the included stands, the only speakers under test here with stands included out of the box. And yes, in use the stands did improve matters in sonic terms.

Pointing the tweeters directly at the ears improved focus and precision from the mids and treble while giving great imagery and structure from the soundstage. The stands also helped if you were working close to your desk, pushed toward the speakers, leaning towards the screen. The upturned speakers providing continued detail in this position.

CONCLUSION

Both of these speakers are excellent. Edifier has done a great job and provided an equally valuable service for all music lovers on a budget. After all, both packages offer both an amplifier and speakers, all in one. All you need to do is add a source component. That puts a lot of pressure onto these designs. 

The MR3s have the most difficult job. Trying to provide the best sound possible at such a low price and with this feature count is a tough ask. For the price you pay, the performance is commendable indeed. Sure, the sound threatens to fall over when placed under pressure. Even so, there is a lot to love here. 

But it’s the M60s that take the plaudits here. The price might be higher but so is the build budget which means less design compromises. Even so, the asking price for the M60s is still very low indeed for what you get. The value for money here, considering the excellent sound quality, is through the roof. Edifier has provided the perfect balance of price and performance but at a low, low price tag.

In short? Both products are to be recommended but the M60 is just a bit special.  

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EDIFIER MR3 POWERED SPEAKERS

GOOD: price, value for money, front-mounted controls

BAD: no optical socket, aesthetics, sound if pushed too hard

RATING: 7

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EDIFIER M60 POWERED SPEAKERS

GOOD: footprint and size, price, stands, general sound quality

BAD: connectivity 

RATING: 9

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