THE BEST DEALS OF THE DAY
One minute review
If you're looking for an inexpensive speaker that looks stylish and has plenty of connectivity options, the Edifier D12 is worth considering.
Reasonably priced at € 129.99 / € 99.99 / AU € 129, this wireless speaker supports Bluetooth 5, as well as 3,5mm AUX input, stereo RCA inputs, and 3,5mm line out. This means you can connect it to a turntable just as easily as you can use it to stream music wirelessly from your smartphone.
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Despite its relatively low price, the Edifier D12 is well built and looks subtly elegant, with a dark wood casing and touch-sensitive dials for adjusting the bass, treble, and volume of your music.
Its audio performance is certainly not the best we've heard; the mids are retracted and the highs lack clarity and detail, which means you won't get the most accurate reproduction of your music. However, it can reach high volumes and the bass response is more than robust enough for our ears, and for the price, it's a great option for casual listening or for your party soundtrack. Don't expect to be blown away by a ton of rhythmic precision or sonic details.
Edifier D12 price and release date
- Available now
- €129.99 / €99.99 / AU$129
The Edifier D12 is available now for € 129.99 / € 99.99 / AU € 129, which puts it at the bottom of the price scale for wireless speakers.
For comparison, the Sonos One (our pick for the best wireless speaker you can buy today) costs € 219 / € 199 / AU € 319, although the Edifier D12 doesn't come with the weight of the entire Sonos ecosystem.
Edifier's speaker is priced closer to the Apple HomePod mini (€ 99 / € 99 / AU € 149), although it is much larger and with more sonic power. Again, it doesn't come with the groundbreaking connectivity features of the HomePod mini, but you do get a powerful and rugged wireless speaker with the Edifier D12.
Integrated
- Subtly elegant
- Control dials
- Wooden furniture
Most wireless speaker manufacturers distinguish between standing out from the competition and making sure their products don't stick out like a sore thumb in most homes. Edifier manages to do both with the D12, creating a speaker that looks well-made and more expensive than it actually is.
Wrapped in a dark wood cabinet, the Edifier D12 is reminiscent of the hi-fi system of yesteryear, without looking too kitsch. On the front is a removable black cloth grille that covers a small LED light in the upper right corner of the speaker; This light lets you know which input you are using to play music, bright blue for Bluetooth and green for an AUX connection.
Remove the grille and you'll find two four-inch woofers and two 0,75-inch tweeters, along with two ports for better bass response.
The top panel of the speaker is finished in black leatherette plastic and houses three control buttons: one for adjusting bass levels, one for treble, and one for volume control. You can also press the volume button to turn the speaker on and off.
We love the tactile feel of turning the knobs to adjust the speaker sound; it's definitely more satisfying than interacting with an app or pressing buttons.
You get a remote control with the Edifier D12; It seems a bit flimsy, but it gets the job done, letting you turn the speaker on and off, adjust your music playback, switch between different sound modes (more on these later), and switch between inputs.
Connectivity
- Bluetooth 5
- Auxiliary input
- RCA stereo inputs
The Edifier D12 comes with Bluetooth 5 connectivity, allowing you to stream music from a phone or laptop. Pairing our iPhone 13 mini was a breeze and we didn't experience any annoying connectivity loss during our tests.
There are also a number of physical inputs on the rear of the speaker, including a 3,5mm AUX input, stereo RCA inputs, as well as a 3,5mm line out and power cord.
You get a 3.5mm RCA cable in the box for a wired connection to your music sources, as well as an RCA-RCA audio cable, which allows you to connect the Edifier D12 to your TV (provided you have the necessary ports).
There's no optical or HDMI connectivity so it doesn't seem like home theater is at the center of this speaker, but it's nice to have the option to use it to enhance your TV's sound.
Audio performance
- Strong volumes
- Your medium deep down
- Adjustable treble and bass
For the price, the Edifier D12 is a powerful-sounding speaker that will faithfully reproduce your music, if not with great detail and clarity.
When listening to A-Punk from Vampire Weekend, the vocals are clear and rich, although the mids are quite indented - the guitar sounds a bit choppy from the bass (we certainly wouldn't want to boost the bass dial past the glitch). The Edifier D12 isn't the last word when it comes to rhythmic precision, but it does make listening enjoyable, especially when the undulating harmonies of the flute come into play.
There is a slight sense of stereo separation, but it is not convincing enough to give a real sense that the left and right channels are separated. The loudspeaker works best with more dispersed musical arrangements; Billie Eilish's Bad Guy packs a punch on bass, with his choppy voice that draws a lot of attention.
You really notice the lackluster mids on tracks like Little Simz's Offense. We miss the exuberance of the fast strings, and the cartoonish sound effects don't cut through the mix to have the impact they should.
However, we hesitate to be overly critical of the Edifier D12's audio performance. At this price, there are few speakers on the market that can deliver such high volume, and it would make a perfectly respectable speaker for a party soundtrack or casual listening. Don't trust him for detailed analytical music sessions.
Should you buy the Edifier D12?
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THE BEST DEALS OF THE DAY