This is the QD35, Edifier’s latest desktop Bluetooth speaker. It’s been all over social media, or more likely I’ve been targeted a lot but it has this unique look and feel and I wanted to try it out for myself. I’ve been leaving this on my desk for the past few weeks and here are my thoughts.
Starting with features and specs, this is a compact, desktop or bookshelf speaker. It’s Hi-Res certified audio, both wired and wireless, including LDAC support. It has a 3” mid-bass driver and 1” tweeter providing a total output of 40 watts, plus at the rear, there are two bass ports. Inputs include 3.5mm aux input, USB A, and Bluetooth 5.3. There are built-in lighting effects that can be customized to some extent, along with a display of the time and settings, and they look pretty cool but more will come later. Finally, there’s something they call TurboGaN, which I believe Edifier made because it wasn’t widely recognized when I googled it. Basically, that means you can plug your phone, tablet or other compatible device into the QD35 and it will charge it while you’re using the speaker to play audio. Charging via the USB C port provides up to 35 watts of power, while the USB A port has a maximum of 18 watts, and if you want to charge two devices, one in each USB port, each will get 18 watts.
The speaker itself has a rudimentary, almost industrial look and aesthetic that resembles a small shipping container or some sort of futuristic cargo box, or at least to me. Color options include the white we have here or black. Up front is the driver and tweeter, on display, without a grille, with a transparent plastic back panel. This allows you to see some chrome ridges, the kind that represent the pipe, that type of pipe. There’s also an RGB LED strip that illuminates the bottom of the speaker and around the driver and tweeter. The screen at the bottom shows the Edifier logo, time, power, and EQ presets.
On the right-hand side, a push button is used to turn on the speaker and select the source. Then there are two knobs, used to play or pause, change EQ and lighting effects. On the left side, USB A and C ports are used for charging. At the back, another power on/off button, power input, 3.5mm aux input and USB port.
For audio performance it’s okay but I wanted more and I’ve tried many other Edifier speakers and they outperform these in a way. I was expecting this, since that 3-inch driver isn’t too big. The volume goes up to 16, which is 100%, and I’d say around 8 or 9 is a great point, a nice background level when I’m working. At that volume, the sound is good, a bit crisp but with a good amount of bass but I found myself creating my own EQ to fine-tune the sound. Go to volume 12 and up and that little 3-inch driver is working overtime and the quality is dropping a bit and I’m not a fan. This is definitely some kind of background speaker. If you’re wondering if you can put two of these together to get stereo sound, you can’t.
The controls are simple, the buttons work well, and offer enough control on the go, or pair with the Edifier app for a different control. When you pair your smart device with the speaker and upload the app, it will show what you’re playing, the volume, and the EQ used. There are 4 preset EQs, music, games and movies available, plus a DIY option where you can adjust the sliders and save your own configuration to fit your needs. Swipe to the next page in the app and it opens the lighting effects panel. There are various preset effects like meteor, gradient, static etc and with some you can further customize your color choice. I believe some of the RGB effects are meant to react to the sound being played, if that’s the case it would be out of rhythm and not working well, it’s actually quite annoying when I think it should be hit with a drum bass and it is not. There is also a soothing sound option where you can play white noise, rain, etc if you like to do that. You will eventually see incorrect time on the screen when you first turn it on and you need to go into the app and allow the speaker to sync with your device to update the time.
The charging feature is so handy, I can plug my phone dock into its back and charge my phone at the same time, instead of using another wall plug.
So that’s the QD35 from Edifier. Mixed feelings, I like the look, I like the lighting effects and I think it is very suitable for gamers who want to set up an RGB table, this will fit perfectly. The sound is good at low to mid volume but if you want something a little more, something that fills the room, then the G5000 speakers sound good or something like the D12. To sit at your desk, to listen to some background music, you won’t be disappointed and maybe I’m asking for too much, or I’ve been too spoiled with other speakers lately. I know other people rave about this online that I don’t understand, I don’t get that level of excitement turning this up to a higher volume that I have with previous speakers I’ve tried. in this year.
The current retail price is around £190 in the UK. For more information and purchases, go to the official website edit website.
