A good pair of speakers are essential for delivering the ultimate sonic experience. From the living room couch to the road-bound hatchback, these vibrating drivers can match our mood anytime, anywhere. Being a dedicated connoisseur, I like to keep my speaker game up and running. Today on the comparison list are Edifier’s S1000 MKII and S1000DB.
Here are my points of observation and testing in measuring Edifier S1000 MKII vs S1000DB which is better?
Size and Appearance:
S1000DB
They feature real wood panels and the satellite speakers are quite large. In a time when premium speakers are decreasing in size, S1000db’s large size gives it a bold look and makes a statement!
Bigger size means heavier built and boy are these heavy! Just carrying them from your doorstep to the living room might feel like an endeavor.
The fit and finish on this one are on point. With the drivers peeking through the removable grille and medium-toned wood veneer on side panels, the satellites speakers look dapper. They can easily be the focal point of any room where you set them up.
Edifier has added angled front ends on this one. They claim that this gives “larger sound with low frequency” while simultaneously reducing the sound resonance. I have to say that they are certainly on the right track here.
On the right-hand master speaker, you’ll find a single LED light on the bottom. The different colored lights inform the user about the speaker’s connectivity e.g. blue light indicates that the speaker is connected to Bluetooth, red means optical/coaxial mode, green AUX/PC mode and blinks to corresponding colors when mute. Although, I find this disconcerting and feel that for first-time users this might be a bit confusing.
All the connections, as well as sound customization dials, are at the rear end of the speaker, I don’t like this because it’s bothersome and difficult to access. The remote control is also made out of good quality material which gives the feel of aluminum rather than cheap plastic.
The bottom has four rubberized feet which prevent the movement of speakers while playing.
S1000MKII
Edifier’s S1000 MKII is a close cousin of S1000DB. So the appearance has hardly changed with just a few adjustments. As compared to the rounded corners of the first generation, the S100MKMII has sharper lines.
The most significant difference that you’ll notice is the leather-like texture of the front skin and you can feel that texture on touching. Its predecessor, S1000, has a pretty smooth surface that’s soft almost velvety to touch.
On the bottom, four gold foot pads provide firm stability. The controls are on the rear side with an LED indicator on the bottom of the right satellite. The new remote control has one key for each function. Edifier has made some technical improvements with the S1000MKII. Bluetooth can support aptX-HD due to which transmission rate can reach up to 24bit/48kHz.
Switching over multiple devices, while connected to Bluetooth, is quick and easy. You simply have to long-press the Bluetooth button on the remote control to enter new device pairing mode.
Connectivity and Functionality:
S1000DB
There are multiple inputs available on this one. All controls are metal. The digital volume pot along with bass and treble adjustment dials provide a 6dB adjustment on both sides.
Among the various input options, you have Bluetooth aptX 4.0 technology along with RCA inputs TV optical input, and coaxial input. Standard cables come packed in the box for your convenience.
It has a pretty solid Bluetooth connection. I tested S1000DB across YouTube, Spotify, QoBuz, Amazon Music, and Deezer. Even with the frequent use, the Bluetooth connection didn’t drop out. By the way, the speakers will remain connected to a device over Bluetooth even when switched over to a different source. This makes switching easy and quick.
I would say if you’re getting into quality audio then they are a great starting point. Price-wise, they deliver powerful sound. The 5.5-inch aluminum woofer coupled with 25 W titanium tweeters will give you a deep bass sound along with a powerful mid-range. Bass is mainly linear and there is minimal texture loss. Mids are slightly more intense than neutral, which brings out immense clarity. This is where Edifier has gone out of their comfort zone as they usually tend to tune somewhat darker midranges.
The total output for both speakers is 120W RMS. The right speaker houses a power supply and amplifiers. After listening to them for over a week or so, the bright forward, mid-range became more balanced. The high-end also opened up appreciably. It has a frequency range of 48Hz to 20KHz (plus or minus 4dB).
I like the fact that treble extension is flawless thus there is no harshness or fatigue. Even the very highest notes are portrayed with plenty of texture and without roll-off. Cymbals shimmer with accuracy and have no splashy character.
S1000MKII
The digital power amplifier uses TI’s TAS5754M Class D amplifier. This means you can crank up the volume while still maintaining crystal clear audio. PWM frequency is 768 kHz. The official nominal power treble is 25Wx2 while the bass is 35Wx2. It boasts a 5.5-inch aluminum alloy mid-woofer unit which gives low distortion and a smooth response rate. It gives a robust 120 watts in a stylish yet simplistic form factor.
One of the main reasons that I prefer titanium tweeters over plastic ones is that they give an excellent dispersion and better sensitivity.
The sound quality on this one is extremely improved as compared to the previous generation speakers. Edifier has upgraded and fine-tuned titanium alloy dome. This has enhanced the overall treble quality. Music sounds much better and instrumental clarity is amazing. If you like listening to jazz, you’ll love the fact that the sound of instruments being played is much more natural.
S1000MKII gives you the convenience of attaching to just about any device including TV, desktops, blu-ray player, CD or DVD players, gaming consoles, mobile phones, and tablets. It has auxiliary, optical, and coaxial inputs.
The speakers are angled to deliver larger sounds with low frequency. Due to its hefty design, sound resonance is pretty much reduced naturally. I noticed that if I attach the grill to my speakers, signal depletion diminishes and I get full strength.
The Price:
S1000DB
At the time of writing this article, S1000BD is priced at $349.99 on Edifier’s website. Unfortunately, they are currently ‘Out of Stock’ on both Edifier and Amazon.
S1000DB does justice to its price tag. It is packed with some exceptional features and delivers great sound quality. They are a good choice for general home use and pair well with most devices.
S1000MKII
Edifier priced these hi-fi active bookshelf speakers at $349.99. They are currently ‘Out of Stock’ on Amazon.
S1000MKII exceeds expectations in terms of sound quality and overall look. They can blend in beautifully with the aesthetics of your living room, basement, and even desktops.
The Verdict:
The build quality of S1000DB is very good, and you’ll have almost no complaints there. The controls are basic but efficient. Remote controls relieve you from having to adjust controls manually from the back of the speakers (which can be a bit awkward).
At the price point, the S1000DB represents good value but I would vouch for the S1000MKII. This is because you’ll get an upgraded Bluetooth module and circuit. Sound performance is more enhanced with exceptional tonal clarity.
I feel that if you can get all the upgraded and latest features at the same price point then opting for the latest and upgraded version would be a wise decision.
