Important Specs Overview
Speaker type: Powered, 2-way, back-ported
Continuous power handling: 60 W
Frequency response range: 55 – 20k Hz (+/- 3dB)
Unit weight: 11 lbs
Unit dimensions: 10 x 8 x 11 inches (width x depth x height)
Wireless: Bluetooth 4.0
Warranty: 2 years
Review And Discussion
Edifier is a newer and lesser known audio company that now makes a wide range of bookshelf speakers, many of which are popular top sellers and have unique features. The R2000DB is a higher-end powered speaker in their lineup that is Bluetooth compatible.
While most powered bookshelf speakers have modest power specs, mainly intended for near-field listening, the R2000DB has 60 W of continuous power handling/output with a 55 Hz response floor that stays within the standard 3 dB differential – that’s quite impressive for powered 2-way bookshelf speakers, well within the realm of traditional passive speakers, and the R2000DBs, unlike most of it’s competitors, could definitely serve in a home theater or music party setting in a full sized room.
The main benefit of a powered speaker such as these is simplicity and convenience – you can just plug them right into the wall and they’re ready to go, and there’s no need to set up (or additionally pay for) a receiver. You don’t even need to worry about wiring a source since they’re Bluetooth compatible, but they also have standard RCA and Aux inputs anyhow. Cables come included too, which is nice.
Adding to that is that they also manage to stay relatively small and light, so they shouldn’t be too hard to move or place. We also think Edifier has some of the nicest bookshelf speaker designs available, and these are no exception. The sheen cabinet and drivers contrast nicely with the vinyl finish front, or you could of course choose to put on the foam-grill covers. The upward angle is a nice touch too, especially if these will be used on a desktop, as it will aim the sweet spot right to where the head of a sitting person would hypothetically be. Edifier offers 2 year warranty coverage on all its powered bookshelf speakers, which, comparatively, is quite good overall.
Our Overall Take, As Compared To The Competition
These are quite decent powered speakers for the price, especially considering the features, nice design, and good warranty. They have power on par with traditional passive speakers, which is not something you’ll see all that often. If you’re looking for powered bookshelf speakers that can go above and beyond the computer or desktop and do well with a full sized party, the R2000DBs are a great choice.
The only downside is that, especially in the context of a full sized home theater or other such room, the bass will lack and there’s no easy way to add a subwoofer. If you’re mostly listening to lower volume ambient music that may be fine, but if you’re really looking for an immersive home theater experience, a traditional 2.1 set up with passive speakers, a subwoofer, and a receiver is probably going to be the way to go, and though the price floor will be higher, you’ll get more value per dollar, and you can always swap and upgrade pieces easily.
Interestingly, Edifier sells the only powered speakers with a subwoofer output that we’ve seen (The R1850s, reviewed here), but they’re unfortunately significantly less powerful.
Also, if all you need is a pair of computer or desktop speakers, the R2000DBs might honestly be overkill – you might consider the much cheaper R1280Ts (reviewed here) or similarly Bluetooth compatible R1700BTs (reviewed here).
Get the R2000DB powered bookshelf speakers on Amazon (affiliate link)
See our current picks for the overall best budget bookshelf speakers
