Edifier R1280DBs Active Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers – Optical Input – 2.0 Wireless Studio Monitor Speaker – 42W RMS with Subwoofer Line Out – Wood Grain

Astonishingly good sounding for the price
This review is for the Edifier R1280DBs Active Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers (ASIN: B08865JM4N).Before I jump into my review, let me offer this bit of information that I didn’t know and isn’t obvious. There are two versions of this speaker, both have the exact same model number, the Edifier R1280DB. One is a newer generation and you can tell by looking for “2.0” in the description or you can search on the ASIN above. The ASIN for the older model is B0719C132V and this model is typically a bit cheaper. The differences that I noticed (and not necessarily a complete list) is upgraded Bluetooth for the newer one, a subwoofer output and a different remote control.I took the time to read many of the reviews and a couple of things show up fairly often. One is Bluetooth connectivity being touch and go for some reviewers. It is possible this is related to the older version of Bluetooth in the older model. So far, I have not had any issues. I paired and connected a tablet to the speakers and the connection has been nailed up for about a week with no disconnects. Another thing I saw in reviews were comments about the overall loudness or volume of this speaker. You can expect this speaker to provide an adequate but not overwhelming amount of sound for a modest sized room. Think in terms of a bedroom, kitchen or modest sized living room. This is NOT a party speaker that will rock out a couple of dozen people at a big party. Not that loud. Furthermore, the amount of sound is also related to how you get the signal to the speakers. For example, I have a couple different mini-MP3 players and all of them use Bluetooth to connect. Even with the volume turned all the way up on each device and the speakers, the variation in volume from the speakers is considerable. If you find the volume too low, you might try a different device, particularly with Bluetooth. Finally, there have been some reviews that comment on the lack of bass or low end. I thought I had the same issue but in my case, it turned out to be the source material, not the speakers. With proper source material the low end is really quite impressive and if it isn’t there may be something wrong with the speakers and you should consider returning them. Keep in mind these speakers claim a two year warranty (very nice in this world of 30 DAY warranties!!!).I’ve owned and operated a recording studio for over 40 years. Had the good fortune to work with a number of top of the line studio monitors in that time, some that were ridiculously expensive (like $40,000 for a pair!!! And no, I didn’t buy them, someone else did!). Now don’t get too excited…while these are fantastic sounding speakers, they are NOT studio monitors. That’s actually a good thing, though. Contrary to popular belief, studio monitors are not great home speakers even though one might initially think that. A studio monitor is designed to be as flat as possible in frequency response. However, most of us don’t think that sounds that great and usually want to crank up the low end and sometimes the high end as well. These are NOT flat and they DO have a nice bump in the low end and a nice and easy to listen to high end that’s not harsh. They are some excellent sounding speakers for home, office or even the home theater. They look really sexy, too. Nice wood veneer on the sides and if you choose to pull the grills off, they still look nice. Be sure to check the dimensions, too. I was a bit surprised at the diminutive size, especially given the quality of sound from them.I was astonished at just how tight and present the low end is with these little jewels. To make low end, you must move air. A 4″ driver that produces that kind of low end is unusual, even among drivers with long excursions. The high end is crisp and clear with quite good imaging. The R1280DB has a pair of RCA inputs you can switch between using either the remote that comes with the speakers or by using the volume control knob. They also sport an optical AND coaxial cable connection as well as Bluetooth connectivity. All of them can be accessed via remote or volume knob which is really nice.These were purchased to replace a pair of antique JBL passive speakers in the master bedroom. Before I installed the new ones, I did a quick comparison of them using the exact same music and with the new ones sitting right on top of the old ones and there was simply NO comparison. These Edifiers put the smack down on those old old JBL speakers. It pains me to say that because I am quite the JBL fanboy, but there it is.I am so satisfied with these I may just get a second pair even though I don’t have an immediate need for them. Sadly, it seems any time I find something I really like “they” pull it off the market. It’s gotten to where I feel like I must purchase a lifetime supply of things I like!!!!12/30/24 Update: Somehow, the lack of sound in the kitchen suddenly became an issue (after some 20+ years without!) so I DID score a second set of these speakers. They are on top of the cabinets only a foot or so from the ceiling and about as far apart as the piece of speaker wire included with the speakers will allow. Our kitchen is such a happy place now!! There are several people here who love to cook and the kitchen is a popular place. I can’t fathom how it took this long to get some music in there.

A joy to listen to – Much better than what I had expected with great sound qualIty and finish.
*Update* just to reiterate, these continue to be such a joy to listen to, surprising me with the melodious sound… was just listening to Clarinet Blues by Bobby Gordon and Dave McKenna and it just sounded so beautiful. I don’t know what Edifier did but this cheap little speaker continues to impress, making listening to music a joy.———I wanted a inexpensive pair of speakers for the study. I have sound assistants (echo, nest) but the sound is tinny and lacks bass. I thought about adding an amp plus small bookshelves but it would have been a bit much in that small room.After some research, I thought I would try the Edifiers (Amazon had good ratings as did CR for a different model). I have to say I was blown away by the sound. I just had not expected them to sound so good.I have a full system in the basement for music with a Yamaha amp, Elac speakers and a subwoofer – and these of course do not match that system which costs more than 10 times the price of this system. Yet, these inexpensive little speakers sound very, very good – better than most of my hifi gear when I was growing up.The drums and guitar of ZZTop is clear and beautifully musical. Crystal Gayle or Jones vocals sound beautiful as does Camilla Cabello. Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here is perfect. as is a lot of classical and jazz.There are of course some songs that are not suited for these speakers – think the deep bass in Hans Zimmer’s Why So Serious – but these are typically songs where you need a sub anyhow.Just to note – I usually listen to these at moderate volume – 65 to 70db – so I cannot comment on high volume usage.The fit and finish is rather good (I got the black to match piano on which these are sitting).I wish they had Spotify connect.but the Bluetooth does work quite well, and a more visible LED light which would blink when you pressed the remote button to see if it is receiving a command.Finally – Edifier’s naming of their speakers is horrendous when trying to figure out what do buy. I wish they would have a simpler approach to naming, and to understand the differences between the speakers.Overall Summary – excellent audio performance, value for money and good fit and finish. Good for most music except songs with the deepest bass.

Son las mejores Bocinas con un sonido nítido y que además puedes ecualizar con las perillas laterales terble y bass, pero lo mejor es la conectividad ya que cuenta con entradas de coaxial (le puedes conectar de todo con entrada 1.5), óptica (para la tv), con esto haces un cine en casa, además de entrada bluethoot (puedes emparejar lo que quieras y usar el equipo simplemente como sonido ambiental y sin cables, y para coronarse este modelo R1280DBS (no olvides todas las letras ya que de eso dependen ciertos factores como lo que mencionaré), incluye entrada para un subwoofer, yo compre el de la misma marca y suena fantástico !!!!disfruta su sonido

Very nice product! Amazing sound quality and functionality. Nice design and style, the speakers even have a remote control. Very good value for the aggressive sales price. You will not regret!