Edifier QR65 review: Audio perfection

I've been on the lookout for hardware to enhance my desk audio setup for a while now, so it was a stroke of luck to get the opportunity to review the new Edifier QR65 speakers. 

I've had positive experiences with their head and ear phones in the past, but I wasn't sure about committing to one of their more expensive desktop speakers. That was until I actually tested the QR65 speakers out extensively, because now there's nothing else I'd rather have beaming audio toward me while at my desk.

Leathered up

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The Edifier QR65 are a pair of hefty desktop speakers that come in black or white. The speakers are cased in a leatherette finish, while the front contains a mirror that doubles as LED lighting. I usually find RGB or LED lighting on hardware to be tacky, but this is one of the few cases I actually like (even though I keep it off most of the time), largely owing to how the colours recede into the speaker with a mirrored effect.

Like I said, these things are hefty, and I had to move my desk setup around a bit to accommodate them properly. They weigh roughly 5 lbs each, and have a height of 213mm with a depth of 212mm, so make sure you have the necessary room to fit them in. A nice addition are the stands that you can rest the speakers on to angle them up by 15 degrees, meaning they point right at your ears in a standard desk setup.

Setting this all up is simple enough, especially thanks to the multiple ways you can get the speakers working. I opted for a LINE IN output, with them wired directly into my monitor for my normal gaming and entertainment use. However, with a click of a button on the side, you can switch to a Bluetooth connection, which allows for higher volume, making it the best output for music.

The main speaker is situated on the right, with the satellite taking up the left side. Sadly, this cannot be swapped over, so you'll have to adjust to have your wiring on the right side. They both connect with a 2-metre wire though, so they can accommodate a monitor or two between them easily. 

The main speaker also has a number of additional connections on the back for those looking to wire in more tech. These are:

• USB audio streaming input
• LINE IN output
• Subwoofer output
• USB-a charging output
• 2x USB-C charging output

This gives you a lot of extra utility and options for not just how you set up the speakers, but what you can combine with them. The subwoofer is a nice option to really boost the audio capabilities, while the charging ports are super useful for those working off a laptop or phone.

Eargasmic

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When it comes to the actual audio quality that the QR65 is capable of, it's been a wonder. It's high-res audio certified for the wired-in and wireless outputs, with LDAC technology for the latter, allowing for high-quality Bluetooth streaming up to 96kHz.

This is all supported by 2.75" mid-low drivers that can support a bottom end of 55Hz, and 1.25" silk diaphragm dome tweeters tuned to capture the higher frequencies. This results in a crisp sound with lots of clarity, while also capturing the nuances of mids, treble, and bass. Audiophiles will find a lot to love here, and while I wouldn't call myself one, the QR65 speakers have been such an evolution from my last speakers just in terms of sound quality that I understand the obsession with all the little details a lot more.

I've spent a couple of weeks with them as of writing this, and I've been blown away by the quality when gaming and listening to music. I stick to LINE IN output for gaming to keep the sound at a lower level overall, but it's still enough to hear the sounds of the wasteland in Fallout, or the audio barks of enemies in Helldivers 2 with full clarity.

For dedicated music listening sessions, I tend to switch over to the Bluetooth output for a louder overall sound and the ease of controlling it all from my phone. Luckily my phone supports LDAC, so I've been able to listen to music with a higher quality than any previous speakers, comparable only to my actual headphones.

All with a click

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It's also worth mentioning the Edifier Connex app along with the QR65 speakers. This is a mobile app for the more expensive Edifier products, giving you better control over the speakers.

From here, you can select the input sources, choose or customise sound profiles, control the LED lighting, the USB ports and their charging capabilities, along with volume control. This is also where you can enable the LDAC technology for better Bluetooth streaming quality.

It's pretty simple for what it is, but I've found it useful for music-listening sessions when I don't want to remain near my desk. I only wish it had the option to let you disable the LED lighting on the front of the speakers. While these can be turned off from a knob on the side of the main speaker, they always default to being on when you power the speakers up again.

The Verdict

I've reviewed a few Edifier products now, but the QR65 takes the cake in terms of how much it's improved my general gaming and music-listening setup. They look great and fit in perfectly with the rest of my hardware, contain fantastic sound quality across the board, and feature a lot of utility thanks to the app and slew of inputs on the back of the main speaker.

The biggest downside for the average user will certainly come down to the steep price of £329.99/$369.99/ €299.99, but considering this is aimed at more of an enthusiast audience, it's hard to knock it too much, and the price certainly is worth it thanks to the final product. 

5/5

Review unit provided by the manufacturer for review.