Pros & Cons
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- Powerful audio performance with rich lows and bright, clear highs.
- Adjustable bass and treble.
- Can connect to PCs and mobile devices, as well as any gear with an RCA output.
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- Can be pushed to distortion at absolute top volumes.
- No wireless capabilities.
Edifier R1280T Specs
| Channels | Stereo |
| Physical Connections | 3.5mm |
| Voice Assistant | None |
We're seeing fewer and fewer speakers like the Edifier R1280T these days. Intended to work with home stereos and PCs, they have dual inputs so multiple sound sources can be connected simultaneously, and unlike most of what we test in this price range, there are no wireless capabilities. This handsome stereo pair has wood veneer paneling that looks like it should be more expensive than the modest $99.99 price. They also pleasantly surprise in the audio department, with a rich, bright, balanced sound signature and adjustable EQ. For the classy design and solid audio performance, the R1280T earn our Editors' Choice for for affordable PC speakers.
Design
Measuring 9.2 by 5.7 by 7.7 inches (HWD) each, the R1280T speakers feature wood veneer paneling on the sides and a matte metallic finish up top. The grilles are gray cloth with the Edifier logo at the bottom, and they are removable. Beneath the grille, each speaker packs a 4-inch woofer, a 13mm silk dome tweeter, and a port to move air and allow the drivers to perform more efficiently. The right speaker is the only powered one of the duo—its power feeds the left unit via a detachable cable (included). The right speaker also has an IR sensor for a simple remote control that has only three buttons—Mute, Volume Up, and Volume Down.
The connections on the right speaker's back panel include dual RCA inputs. One is labeled PC, and an included 3.5mm-to-RCA cable works with PCs and mobile devices. The other is labeled AUX, and a second RCA-to-RCA cable is included that can be used with standard stereo gear, or with a television that has RCA outputs. The back panel is also where the power switch and the hardwired power cable are located. There is no wireless connectivity of any kind, so you can stream music via Bluetooth from your phone or other device.
Also located on the right speaker's right side panel is a recessed area housing three knobs. The lowest knob is for volume, the middle for bass, and the top for treble. The bass and treble knobs have detents for the midpoint of the dial, which is the neutral setting. Annoyingly, the volume control has no visual marker other than a plus and minus sign, so you can't glance at it and know what level your system is turned to. Nor is there a stopping point on the dial—it turns full revolutions, so you can't simply turn it all the way left and know that the volume is at its lowest setting. (Of course, you can turn it a few times in this direction and know that it will be low, but any sort of visual indicator here would have been helpful.) A power LED is situated below these dials.
Performance
The bass and treble knobs are more subtle than many EQ controls, which is a good thing. The drivers also offer a fairly flat response in the neutral default setting, so adding some bass will likely be a move many listeners will go for. Even with the bass knob fully turned up, the increase doesn't throw off the balance of most mixes we tested with too dramatically. You can easily boost the bass significantly and the treble only marginally and still maintain a sense of balance between the two.
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On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," with settings on neutral, the speakers deliver powerful deep bass response at high volumes. It's possible to push them to the brink of distortion depending on how loud your sound source gets, but they can get plenty loud before that comes into play—the speakers can definitely deliver some high volumes and thunder. Obviously, with the bass boosted, the rumble gets stronger, as does the chance of distortion. At moderate volumes at the neutral setting, the bass response is still quite powerful, and the balance with the highs is ideal.
Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives a better sense of the overall sound signature. The drums on this track can sound overly thunderous on systems that boost the bass too much. Through the R1280T, the drums sound fairly natural—boosting the bass doesn't really send them into serious thunder territory either. Callahan's rich baritone vocals get a pleasant low-mid presence complemented by crisp, clear high mids and highs. The guitar strums also benefit from a well-defined brightness.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop is delivered with a solid high-mid presence, allowing its attack to retain its sharpness and slice through the layers of the mix. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are less powerful through the R1280T than they are through systems with subwoofers or a more in-your-face bass response.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, are delivered with a slightly boosted low frequency presence, but nothing over the top—the lower register instrumentation ends up having a little more body to it, but the higher register brass, strings, and vocals are quite bright and never in danger of being overshadowed, even when the bass is boosted.
Conclusions
For $100, the Edifier R1280T's audio quality is impressive. Budget-friendly PC speakers rarely sound this good and deliver this much power. If you've got a little more money to spend, your options only get better—we are fans of the Harman Kardon SoundSticks III (an oldie but goodie), the Logitech Z537, and the Audioengine 2+. If you want to go wireless, Audioengine's HD3 speakers are solid, albeit significantly more expensive. For the price, the R1280T are some of the better wired PC speakers we've tested in recent memory, and easily earn our Editors' Choice award.
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