Edifier S1000W Desktop Speaker Review.

This review is about the flagship S1000W. Desktop speakers have been gaining popularity for years now and many brands are fighting for the best price while hoping the sound quality is enough for most on Amazon. Edifier gives it their all in the S1000W with nothing held back. Does this flagship justify its $450 price and a rather large spot on your desk? Let’s jump in!

Unboxing the mammoth S1000W is no small task, they are big and heavy. Included are all the cables needed to get rocking and rolling, including the dreaded proprietary link cable. Most Edifier speakers have a volume control on the side of one speaker, but these do not, only a control on the back, but the intended use is mainly the remote, which is not optimal for close desktop use. I made it work, but I understand why Edifier wouldn’t like to ruin the fantastic lines of the S1000W. Just something to note if you intend to use these speakers up close.

The included remote is a good size, but the buttons are not completely intuitive. The most used buttons, volume up and down, are easy to mash over buttons they are close to. The remote could use a full redesign in my opinion. Bluetooth is seamless, I had no issues, and it sounded great. The grilles are not easy to remove but I do like the very clean look with the grilles on as they are almost unnoticeable. Normally I take the grilles off most speakers but the S1000W looks great with them on. The forward tilt- up design on the speakers keeps the tweeters pointing towards ear level and the near field design is very clear, these are great two-channel speakers that can also be used on the desktop.

Listening Setup
Interconnects – AudioQuest

Sample Music
Valiant Hearts – Alaska
Talk to a Friend – Rain City Drive
PVRIS – White Noise
Young Medicine – Lost Boys

Sound quality is the make or break for these speakers and wow do these speakers pack a punch! The EQ knobs on the back are a welcome sight and I did adjust the bass up slightly and the treble down slightly. They are easy to level out and make sound just how you want it. Most speakers are not this easy to adjust EQ and my tweaks made a positive difference. I highly recommend playing with the EQs on these speakers, I found at the default settings they were still good, with a slight lack in the bass, adjusting both knobs a bit brought the speakers to life. For an all-in-one two-channel setup, these are a dream.

The midrange on these speakers was excellent, even though I was sitting rather close to them for most of the testing, they didn’t skip a beat. Even in a large room, these speakers can really sing. For desktop or two-channel use, these speakers can do both without any issues. Bass is what you’d expect from a $400+ speaker, but the highs are colder than I expected. Not a bad thing, just a different flavor.

At the end of the day, if you have space for larger desktop speakers, but don’t have (or just don’t want) an amp, pre-amp, and all the cables that go with them, the S1000W is an amazing choice. While the remote leaves a bit to be desired, the overall build and sound quality of these speakers more than make up for it. For $450, there are a lot of powered speakers to check out. The S1000W should be on your shortlist, and I loved reviewing them!