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To test the Edifier R2730DB speakers I used them in a variety of situations over a couple of weeks. I listened to music, played games and watched videos to gauge how the speakers perform in a variety of different scenarios. To do this, I connected them to my desktop PC using the supplied RCA-to-3.5mm cable, but I also used my phone to play music via Bluetooth.
Almost immediately I had a good impression of the R2730DB set. Music playback is very satisfying, with huge bass reproduction clearly evident despite the lack of subwoofer. This is obviously present on dance tracks which typically have strong basslines anyway, but in other genres – such as heavy metal and jazz – the bass comes through very well, too. It is hard to convey how powerful music can be using words, but suffice to say I was astounded by the amount of bass these speakers pack in for a 2.0 system.
They are also very loud – on full-volume they could easily be heard throughout my house. At the highest volumes, the top-end frequencies do lose some clarity, but in normal circumstances you are unlikely to be using the speakers at that volume for any amount of time – as they are very loud. At a reasonable volume, the top-end is very crisp indeed.
In games, they do the job very well too. Thanks to the whopping bass, FPS games sound very full-on as gunfire and explosions feel very close and intense. I had a trip down memory lane playing the original Crysis and the beginning of the level ‘Assault' features bomb after bomb – my desk was almost rocking from how close it all sounded thanks to the R2730DB speakers.
I found Crysis 2's more atmospheric soundtrack (rather than in-game sound effects) sounds great, too. The eerie rumble of the bass contrasts with the screeching violin to create a great sound and demonstrates a solid mid-range too.
Due to the strong bass, with default bass/treble settings, voices in films and videos are slightly muddy. However, turn down the bass a notch and turn up the treble and you will find voices are much clearer. Thanks to the adjustment settings being on the side (rather than the back) of the right-hand speaker, you do not even have to faff about by moving the speakers to get access to the rear panel.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the performance via Bluetooth. Connecting is easy – just hit the Bluetooth button on the speaker remote and the R2730DB name will appear on your device's Bluetooth list. I found music playback was perfect up to around 7-8 metres, and this includes leaving the room. While you get better quality using a wired signal, Bluetooth is worth using if you have a group of friends over and don't want to keep passing the aux cable around.
On the whole, I loved using these speakers – they are well balanced, great for gaming as well as music and have the extra bonus of Bluetooth connectivity.
