Budget tabletop speakers used to be just 2 wired together hunks of plastic with an audio jack and power cable connected, but the Edifier D32 shows just how far we’ve come with its classy vintage retro styling. Admittedly, its RM899 price tag is rather premium but considering that most audiophiles would spend a lot more on a set of premium tabletop speakers, it begs the question, how does it sound? Find out in our review of the Edifier D32.
At first glance, the Edifier D32 looks a lot like an old-style radio with curved corners, a mesh front, and a wood-patterned metal chassis. It's about the same size as well. On the front, there are five metal piano keys (power, Bluetooth, play/pause, volume down and volume up), the Edifier logo and a single LED for status displays for a rather minimalist type of look, but it should fit on most computer tables quite well. The overall build is very solid.
The Edifier D32 in Walnut Brown looks like a classy vintage radio
Premium-looking piano key controls are easy to access
Chrome leg stands on the bottom offer good sound absorption and look classy at the same time
On the back, you can see the dual 1-inch silk dome tweeter outlets, the power jack, the USB Type-C port, and the 3.5mm audio jack. There's also a grip space at the top.
Everything else that you'll find in the box
On the back of the Edifier D32 there’s the power jack, a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB Type C port while on the bottom there are 4 short round stands in the same brown chrome styling. There’s also a grip space near the top back so you can easily pick up the 3.04 kg Edifier D32. The speakers come with 5200 mAh internal batteries, so once they're charged you can carry the Edifier D32 about to locations without any available power socket if you need to.
Featuring Hi-Res LDAC audio sampling at 96kHz or 44.1kHz/48kHz, the Edifier D32 connects wirelessly mostly through Bluetooth, but there’s also Airplay wireless connectivity for Apple devices. Other stand-out features include dual-device connectivity so 2 devices can playback via Bluetooth with ease, but this feature does turn off if you activate the LDAC at the same time. You can control these along with the preset audio settings or customize the equalizer from the Edifier ConneX app.
You can control all the Edifier D32 features and functions from the Edifier ConneX app
In terms of performance, the Edifier D32 packs a lot of punch with its crystal clear audio, enough that you can pick out the individual instruments for orchestra and instrumental pieces. There's a feeling of massive bass and balanced all-round trebles behind the audio. The speakers are also super stable for vocal songs like Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love" or Anuar Zain's "Sedetik Lebih", but the real treat is when you turn on the LDAC. Pushing the LDAC to the max 96kHz sampling rate results in a much deeper audio depth for some really enjoyable audio.
Volume was loud and clear even on the mid (9) setting and it was distortion-free even on the maximum (16) volume setting. However, at max it's loud enough to get the neighbours calling, so you might want to consider properly soundproofing the room before trying that. Pairing via Bluetooth was fast and simple, while controls were quite responsive. Unplugged, the Edifier D32 lasted about 9 hours and 56 minutes on a single charge, which is fairly close to the 11 hours Edifier claims it can last.
The Edifier D32 fits on most tabletops, including mine
While the LDAC does add a much higher level of audio quality, it does result in some lag, especially with Bluetooth connectivity, which you can notice with both movies and gaming. We'd recommend turning on the LDAC for just songs and music because even without the LDAC activated, the audio quality is very satisfying. The bundled cables are a bit short though, so if you're looking to use the Edifier D32 as a TV speaker or soundbar, then be careful about the placement. This shouldn't be an issue if you're an Apple TV or AirPlay user, but since we didn't test it with that, we can't say for sure.
Overall, the Edifier D32 makes for a powerful retro-style speaker that should satisfy most audiophiles and tabletop users. Given the portable nature of the speaker, it could well serve any open event as well without taking up that much space or feeling out of place in a nice looking setting. We feel that for just the audio quality alone, it is well-worth the RM899 price tag but those who perceive Edifier as more of a budget brand may choke a bit. If you do know your higher-end audio market prices, you’ll know that similar level contenders can easily come to more than RM1300.
We’d recommend you at least try out the Edifier D32 at supporting stores if you have this perception, but if you’ve got the sound-proofing already set up and are looking for a quality vintage style speaker then you should definitely give this one a go. What do you think? Did you already buy the Edifier D32 or managed to give it a go? Share your experiences in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech reviews.
Tech Specs and Features
Here are the tech specs and features for the Edifier D32:
- 60W (RMS) total output power (Treble 15W x 2, Mid-low 30W)
- Dual 1-inch silk dome tweeters and one 4-inch long-throw mid-low driver
- Full digital signal processing, two-way active crossover, and DRC
- Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified
- Works with Apple AirPlay2 via the 5GHz and 2.4GHz dual-band Wi-Fi connection
- Bluetooth V5.3 (400 ± 50mFFS), USB (400 ± 50mFFS), and AUX (450 ± 50mV) inputs
- Supports SBC, AAC, LDAC, and ALAC (AirPlay mode only) codecs
- Frequency Response from 52Hz to 40kHz
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio ≥ 85dB (A)
- 11 hours of playtime with a built-in battery pack
- Works with EDIFIER ConneX mobile app
- Measures 250mm x 162mm x 179mm (Black walnut) / 250mm x 162mm x 180.5mm (White)
- Weighs 3.04kg
- Available in Black Walnut and White
Pros and Cons
Pros - A Powerful High Quality Portable Wireless Speaker, Classy vintage space-saving retro-style
Cons - A bit pricey for most tabletop users
Summary - Audiophile-quality premium portable wireless speaker in classic vintage retro style priced below RM900
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