Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers - 2.0 Active Near Field Studio Monitor Speaker - Wooden Enclosure - 42 Watts RMS Power

I am by no means an audiophile but I also didn't want cheapo junk speakers and I also wouldn't benefit from anything more expensive. I did alot of research and had a thread going on overclock dotnet. I gave myself a budget of $100 as I wanted better quality sound then cheap PC speakers and felt anything more than $100 for me and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway. Originally I was looking at getting these Mackie CR3's: Mackie CR3, 3" Creative Reference Multimedia Monitors They have very good reviews, arent super large and appear to be high quality. While a minor thing, and not even close to the reason I chose the 1280T's, but I wasn't a fan of the green theme of the CR'3. My system is read and black themed, desk is dark brown wood grain, and most else is black. Someone in the forums I mentioned brought up these Edifier 1280T's and I had never heard of them before. They also had relatively few reviews here. The reviews they did have though were good, specifically from the other 2 customers who mention the CR3's as well. Not being real into audio I figured if people vouch for the sound quality of both then I should consider all other factors. The 1280T's are larger (4" vs 3") which depending on the space you have could be a plus or minus. For me I had enough room and figured if I could get bigger speakers for the same price I should consider it. Also the 1280T's have the controls on the side which I like, a elegant aesthetic to them that I think would fit in with more than the green of the CR3's, and they include a simple but useful remote. The 1280T's also have AUX RCA which I liked. The CR3's do have the ability to switch Right/Left however. I also like the front cover of the 1280T's. I just got the 1280T's setup and the quality was noticeable as I was taking them out of the box. They have that weight all quality electronics have to them. Everything was packed reasonably well and 0 damage to any items in the box. Got them hooked up in a minute or 2 to my PC and was blown away at the sound quality, even at lower volumes. One of my problems prior with a cheap bullet speaker was that dialog was hard to hear. Not with these the vocals/dialog do not get muddled by the bass or mids. Not being an audiophile the best I can do to describe the sound is to say its much more lifelike than any other speakers I have in my house or have heard when I'm out shopping. It sounds natural, not like I am listening to speakers. I am also hearing instruments and sounds that I did not before in various songs/media. I would 100% recommend these to anyone with the same budget and needs as me. It was also recommended to me that I get a better cable than what comes with the speakers. This is the cable I got and while generally the cable doesnt matter to me the quality of this cable also impressed me. Mediabridge 3.5mm Male to 2-Male RCA Adapter (12 Feet) - Step Down Design - (Part# MPC-35-2XRCA-12 ) I dont think you can go wrong with these. For what its worth Im sure the CR3's are not bad either, they may even be better in some ways, but I am very satisfied with the 1280T's.

Amazing Speakers for the Price! I honestly didn’t expect these to be this good. The Edifier R1280T look really nice in person — the wood finish and overall design make them look way more expensive than they actually are. They fit perfectly on my desk and give off that clean, modern vibe without taking up too much space. Sound-wise? Crazy good. The audio is super clear, the bass hits just right without drowning everything out, and the highs stay crisp even when I turn them up louder than I probably should. I’ve never owned speakers at this price point that sound this balanced. For how cheap they are, the quality feels unreal. They don’t feel “budget” at all — from the build, to the sound, to the little remote that comes with them. If you want great-looking speakers with amazing sound without spending a ton, these are 100% worth it. I don't think there is bluetooth or anything. But the Lifespan seems really good and again.. The Functionality is there!

Punchy bass! Great, clear audio! Volume is excellent and controlled via the right speaker or a handy remote. I would definitely buy these again! They fit perfectly in my record table cabinets which are not very large and look beautiful. Super easy to use and setup!

Edit update: June 4th 2018. First I am raising the speakers from 3 1\2 to 5. Let me state how important it is to let these wonderful little speakers brake in. I can not believe the increase in sound quality and highs, mids and lows in just a matter of 2 days. I decided not to delete my review below as I can imagine that many people will have the same issues I had below. You have thirty days to return these to amazon and unless you have a another serious issue with these then please give them time to brake in. I am now very pleased and highly recommend them to anyone. 06-02-2018, First I want to state what I do not expect from a hundred set of speakers: I do not expect them to thump. For gosh sake if you want them to thump then spend the money and get bigger speakers. Would you expect a hundred dollars set of car speakers to thump? No you would not. I also do not expect to get more then what I paid for. For example, I did not pay extra for Blue Tooth therefore I do not expect the speakers to have Blue Tooth. Please read the specs before you buy. I do not expect a 42 watt amp to pump out 200 watts and I do not expect to turn Edifiers all the way up and for them not to distort. I guess I want those that read this review to understand that I what I want is to be reasonable with my review. Pros: Packed and protected very well and everything was present and accounted for. Who ever boxed these did it with care. Easy and intuitive to hook up. There is no reason to pay extra for a pro to hook these up for you, seriously a five year old could do it. Plenty of power for a computer or a small room with a nice warm base sound. The Edifier R1280T's have a nice solid and reasonably heavy feel to them. Unlike many others who have reviewed these, I like the small remote. Bottom line is the speakers look really good and go well will my old school teachers oak desk. The wood paneling on the speakers looks good and close to real. Cons: Speakers lack clear highs. I own the Sounblaster X-Fi sound card, so I am not using a cheap sound device built into the motherboard. My aux RCA jack on the Edifier speakers is also hooked up to my old Teac real to real, which produces outstanding analog sound, so my source is clean. Even after going in and adjusting my treble in my sound cards drivers in my computer, the highs just could not clear up and sound crisp. This is a major con and one of the reasons why I am on the fence to recommend these speakers, besides my disappointment. Last, the base and treble controls just do not do much other then spin. There may be a very small amount of difference between moving the controls up and down but the controls do nothing to help boost my highs. Bottom line, all speakers need to be herd before you buy and all us old stereo dudes know this. However in today's buying environment that is very hard to do. The speakers do not sound bad and in fact I am going to keep them, I just wish they were more clear. Recommend If you are not that picky. However, if you are then maybe you need to look at the, two hundred and fifty dollar or higher, pair of Edifiers. 3 1\2 stars leaning more towards the 4 star side. I will follow up if need be.

Nice little speakers. Sound is not extremely crisp.. just slightly muddy. SLIGHTLY....they are adequate for a TV and a milion times better than the TV speakers. They do not compare to my Logitec THX speakers, but also are much cheaper. Would I buy again. Yup for the right Job ... to make a television sound acceptable. THEY ARE NOT MONITOR QUALITY, but I'm picky. Is there something better for the price... probably not. Buy em... great for a TV a kids room, Better than many sound bars

I have enjoyed good music in my 70 years on earth. I started like many others, when I was a young teenager with the Stones, Beatles and The Who. My mind was treated to new audio sensations when I started listening to Pink Floyd and the Moody Blues and the like. I have NEVER stopped enjoying music. I appreciate many styles of music from Classical, New Age, Piano Solos to Classic Rock, Hard Rock and screaming guitar solos and heart trobbing drum beats (AC/DC) You can't begin to enjoy the nuances of these songs without the proper equipment. Over the years I have gone thru the 33 1/3 era, buying many different turntables & cartridges, looking for the perfect comgination for that just right sound. Then came Audio Cassettes, then Mini-Discs, then CDs, now MP3s, each getting better & better. Of coarse my bank account got smaller and smaller as I insisted on having the best quality I could afford. I always updated my entire sound system so it kept up with the new technology. Not the most expensive but good enough. I ran a small Mobile DJ business for 15 years back in the 80's I carried about 500 lbs of the biggest and baddest sound system I could get. My client reviews always came out with high marks cause the sound system kicked ass. What does all this babble have to do with these speakers that I have never heard of in my life? Well.... THEY KICK ASS!!! I was setting up an exersise gym in my livingroom (Wierd?) and wanted some self powered bookshelf speakers to listen to a few tunes while I used the new Nautilus Treadmill. I came across the Edifiers R1280T's and started reading the reviews and was slightly dissapointed with some of the negative reviews. BUT.... there were plenty of satisfied customers to convince me to order them. I set them up on a piece of furniture with my 32" Visio TV & trusty Tivo. I plugged in a few wires & cables turned on the TV, pulled up the concert on the Tivo of John Fogerty: The Long Road Home and it starts off with "Playing in a Traveling Band" I cranked those speakers up so loud I thought they were going to melt. The bass notes were clean and solid. the specs on these speakers say 75 to 18k frequency response but It sounds like a much bigger range than that. The vocals are clear, the guitar breaks will give you chills. The audience cheering makes you think you are there. It almost makes me want to smoke some of that wacky stuff. When finished I logged on to Pandora music streaming to the "New Age Piano Solo" channel and lowered the volume down to a whisper. Beautiful, Beautiful clean full music!! These Edifiers are the best bookshelf size speakers I have ever owned!! I am really impressed. I wish everyone could come over to my house and I'll put on a thrilling rock party for you. (even at 70 I still get the itch for a party) Next test, I'm gonna plug in my Samsung Galaxy S7e and crank it up on a song by Golden Earring: "Radar Love" and let it work it's way thru the other 1000+ songs. It works great on Smart Phones Tablets & Laptops. I am very pleased with these speakers. I wish you could hear what I hear. You can!! GO BUY YOUR OWN. PLAY IT LOUD and ENJOY! Hope this helped.

Love the sound with these speakers. Can't really beat it at this price point, in my opinion. Easy to set up, multiple inputs, small footprint, it's everything I was hoping it would be. I currently have both an Alexa and a record player plugged into the speakers.

Ok, I've been using them for nearly a year and absolutely no complaints. They sound good, I'm not an audiophile or anything, but this is more than enough. And they look GREAT, I love their design. If you're looking for something eye-catching and relatively cheap, this is perfect.