Edifier XM3BT Review
Review Tech

Edifier XM3BT Review

We were asked if we’d like to write an Edifier XM3BT Review. We love Edifier, so we accepted the offer and awaited for the courier to arrive.

On the same delivery van we also received the Edifier R2000DB’s.

The Edifier XM3BT multimedia speakers are a 2.1 audio system. They have been designed to be used with a desktop computer, laptop, TV or smartphone.

They feature an FM tuner as well as Bluetooth connectivity for mobiles and tablets. Being a 2.1 system it features two small satellite speakers and a larger more powerful subwoofer to provide some depth.

Most budget 2.1 systems are fairly run of the mill but as with most Edifier products they seem to punch above their weight. Let’s take a closer look to see if this surround sound system is any good?

Edifier XM3BT Review

First up. The packaging, it’s the first thing you notice on anything new. The packaging looks great. Gloss white with a high resolution image of what’s inside.

The packaging is sturdy and it was a nice surprise to find that it was packaged with a vastly reduced amount of plastic. There is still improvements to be made but it’s a start!

What’s in the box?

There’s enough kit to get you started playing music right away. In the box you get:

1 x Active Subwoofer
1 x Left Passive Satellite Speaker
1 x Right Passive Satellite Speaker
1 x Instruction Booklet
1 x 3.5 Aux Cord

Design and Features

The design is fairly basic for a 2.1 surround sound system. It’s a simple cube design with an open grill on the front of the subwoofer. The sub is fairly large too. I suppose it has to be to house not only the sub driver but all of the connectivity IO and power brick.

In terms of the styling there’s a silver Edifier logo running across the front grill of the sub and satellite speakers. And, once you turn the power on it lights up orange. It’s quite a nice touch except I don’t really like orange! A green glow would have looked better in my opinion.

Build Quality

These are well built and feel solid. But there are a few blemishes that I wouldn’t have expected. For example the black vinyl covered MDF hasn’t been finished all that well and there was an extremely sharp edge at the bottom of the left speaker. So be careful!

Edifier usually have really great build quality but I’m guessing as these speakers retail for around £80 quality control is lacking. Profitability has to come from somewhere. I hope I’m wrong and this is just a one off. But in the interest of being transparent, it’s worth calling out.

Watch out for sharp edges! Build quality is not that great!
Watch out for sharp edges! Build quality is not that great!

There is a removable cover on the satellite speakers for those of you who want the drivers on show. However, the puny drivers on the 2 satellites should probably be covered up, they don’t look that great!

Don’t let that fool you though, they do produce a good sound.

Features

Each satellite speaker comes with a lead that you plug directly into the subwoofer via a coloured jack plug. Red for the right side and white for the left. Fairly standard so far then.

There are four buttons on the side of the central console on the subwoofer. The satellite speakers have no additional functionality at all apart from outputting sound.

The last 4 buttons give you the option to change your input source. Select from AUX, Line in, Bluetooth or FM Radio. You do have the option to use an SD card or USB drive which is a fantastic addition to the already rich feature set.

All of the buttons give audible and tactile feedback so you know when it has been pressed. They feel good, not cheap by any means. I detest products with cheap buttons!

Finishing up the control panel is the two master control knobs. These high quality dials are used to control the volume and bass.

Edifier EM3BT Review: The orange LED is a nice touch, I just think green would have looked better.
Edifier EM3BT Review: The orange LED is a nice touch, I just think green would have looked better.

Edifier XM3BT Review – Sound Quality

If you want to shake the walls and floorboards, crank these up. They most certainly deliver in the loudness category. They deliver in terms of quality too.

The vocals are clear and there is very rarely any distortion at all, even when you crank the dial all the way to 11.

The subwoofer really does give you a thumpingly good low-end bass but I found the speakers do lack a little bit of mid and high range frequencies. But, that’s to be expected. Don’t forget, these speakers only cost around £80.

Edifier XM3BT Review Specifications:

And as always with our audio reviews. Here are the audio specs for the nerds and audiophiles amongst us.

Power Output: R/L: 8W+8W SW: 22W
Total Power: 38W
Noise Ratio: R/L: ≥85dB(A) SW: ≥80dB/li>
Frequency Response: R/L: 150 – 20,000 Hz SW: 50 – 180 Hz
Bass Unit: 5 1⁄4 – inch (148mm)
Weight: 5.31kg

Edifier XM3BT Review
Edifier XM3BT Review: The subwoofer produces plenty of powerful bass.

Edifier XM3BT List of Features

  • Multimedia speaker with MDF vinyl covered wood enclosure
  • 4.1 Bluetooth Connectivity
  • Supports USB drive or SD card for music playback
  • FM radio
  • AUX Cord Input
  • 38W RMS Subwoofer
  • Control panel on the side of the subwoofer
  • Orange LED lighting affect

Connectivity

We touched on it slighty earlier on in the review, but here’s a full break down of the connectibity.

The sheer amount of connectivity options available to you is a big plus. You can play audio via the following:

  • SD Card
  • USB
  • AUX
  • RCA
  • Bluetooth

A whole host of options. Bluetooth connections are perfect for when you can’t find a cable or that USB thumb drive you loaded full of songs.

Connecting to your Bluetooth device is a breeze. You’ll be connected in less than 30 seconds. It’s very quick and extremely simple. If you struggle with it, you’ll find details included in the bundled instruction manual.

Playback from a source such as an SD card or USB stick is rather simple, plug in your device and select the relevant input source. You can then use the the built-in controls on the subwoofer to navigate through your music.

The radio is really good and does a great job of picking up the national radio stations but did struggle in my village to obtain the local stations radio frequencies.

Edifier XM3BT Ports
Edifier XM3BT Ports

Summary and Verdict

The Edifier XM3BT’s aren’t supposed to be the best of the best. They’re a budget friendly surround sound system. And they may well be one of the best 2.1 setups we’ve tested. The connectivity options are fantastic and the sound quality is good. They are well worth the money.

The only thing that stopped this system from being an 8 or even 9 out of 10 is the build quality.

Score: 7/10

The Edifier XM3BT is available to buy from Amazon right now, for around £80.

About Edifier

Taken from Edifier’s About us Page:

“Edifier specialises in premium audio solutions that showcase technological innovation and design elegance. We deliver outstanding sound experience through a wide range of sound systems for personal entertainment and professional excellence.”


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Disclosure:

If you use any of the Amazon links in this article they are affiliate links. This means that if you go onto buy something from Amazon I may get a small commission. It won’t cost you anything extra but it helps me to pay for the running costs of the blog and allows me to bring you great content! Thank you so much for your support.

CodeWithMike is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to www.amazon.co.uk.

We were sent the Edifier XM3BT in exchange for an honest review. The speakers were retained by us.

2 Comments

  1. I bought these based partially on this review and was very disappointed with the sound quality. Very little high end. Returned them the next day.

    • CodeWithMike

      Hi Calvin! Sorry you were disappointed.

      I did make it clear in the review that the sound quality wasn’t the best.

      Here’s what I said about the high end ‘I found the speakers do lack a little bit of mid and high range frequencies.’

      Thanks for the comment anyway.

      Take care and happy new year!

      Mike.

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