Update: The R1010BT has been discontinued. You can check out our best-of page for alternative recommendations.
Important Specs Overview
Speaker type: powered, 2-way, back ported
Continuous power handling: 12 W (per unit)
Frequency response range: 70 – 20k Hz
Driver size: 4 in
Unit weight: ~5 lbs
Cabinet dimensions: 6 x 6.5 x 9 in (width x depth x height)
Wireless: Bluetooth 4.0 compatible
Warranty: 2 years
Review And Discussion
Edifier is a lesser known audio company that has, in recent years, produced a wide variety of bookshelf speakers that collectively have a wide variety of features and cater to just about every niche there is. The R1010BT is a compact desktop/computer speaker that features the Bluetooth option while being very inexpensive.
The power specs are pretty modest – a 12W speaker is going to be sufficient at close range in a computer/desktop setting, but not much beyond that. The response range is modest as well – a 2 way speaker with a 4 inch woofer and a 70 Hz floor is certainly going to be an emphatic upgrade over a default laptop speaker, but can’t compete with a traditional 2.1 set up.
The tweeter is a silk dome and the woofer is a paper blend. Well made cloth/paper drivers actually have the propensity to sound really great at close range, but the drawback is they’re both more prone to wear and tear. This is especially a concern with cheaper speakers, and while the 2 year warranty on Edifier’s budget powered speakers is actually some of the best coverage on the market currently, it’s still on the short side compared to a relatively standard 5 year warranty that you’ll see on passive speakers, or even really high end powered speakers.
Edifier also does a particularly good job of making their speakers look really nice. The R1010BT has a more plain and modest look compared to the rest of Edifier’s current lineup, but it still looks comparatively decent. The exposed yellow cones are jarring and tacky, but you can just opt to use the included foam-grill covers.
In addition to the Bluetooth these speakers have a dual RCA output that makes connecting to any device with a cable easy to do. Most of Edifier’s powered speakers come with connection cables included, but they don’t indicate if the R1010BT comes with an RCA cable, so you might need to get the right one separately.
Our Overall Take, As Compared To The Competition
Edifier is the current top seller of powered bookshelf speakers by a significant margin for a reason – they’re well built, they have competitive specs, they look good, they’re feature rich, and all the while they remain very price competitive. If you’re looking for a decent close range desktop/computer speaker that has the Bluetooth option and remains as cheap as possible, the R1010BT is currently the pretty clear choice.
One thing to consider is to ask yourself if you do actually need the Bluetooth though, which you won’t if they’re just going to connect to computer obviously. Reason being, Edifier alternatively makes, for not much more money, a much more powerful pair of bookshelf speakers that also comes with a an included remote: the R1280T (reviewed here), which still remains one of our favorite overall bookshelf speakers. If you’d like to see more alternative recommendations, check out the links below.
See our current picks for the overall best budget bookshelf speakers
