Edifier Spinnaker e30 Speakers Review

1. Introduction2. Edifier Spinnaker e30 Speakers3. Testing and Performance4. Closing Thoughts5. View All Pages

Our enthusiast audience may not have heard of Edifier but they have been around since 1996 basing their company motto on ‘Passion for sound'. The Spinnaker speakers have been awarded an ‘Innovations Design and Engineering Award' following months of product fine tuning by ex Wharfedale Production Manager Phil Jones. Today we are are looking at the Spinnaker E30 speakers with Bluetooth support.

The Spinnaker e30 certainly wouldn't be classed as portable speakers, measuring around 15 inches in height the shape is certainly meant to attract the eye. These are expensive speakers priced at £309.99 so we would expect the sound quality to be very good.

The company claim that the ‘abstract' shape is not only meant to be visually impressive, but a facilitator to enhance audio performance. The unusual shape of the speakers projects the sound towards the listener with a 19mm silk domed, front facing tweeter, a 2 and a three quarter inch mid range driver handling the mid range and high frequencies. Additionally, there is a 4 inch subwoofer in each satellite which projects the sound downwards.

The Spinnaker is Bluetooth enabled which means it can connect to any device which supports both A2DP and AVCRCA profiles for track navigation, play/mute and volume adjustment through the multi-functional dome-shaped remote control.

We will look at the speakers more closely on the next page.

Features:

• Bluetooth pairing capability with Bluetooth enabled devices
• A2DP and AVRCA Bluetooth profile support within a distance of 10m radius
• Optical input port for connectivity to multimedia systems, gaming consoles and media centre
• Auxiliary input port for versatile connectivity to external devices
• Uniquely designed dome-shaped, multifunctional wireless remote with an aluminum shell
• Incorporation of digital sound processing technology (DSP) with separate 6-channel digital
• Crossover for effective sound amplification
• Separate super-bass output port for connection to an external subwoofer
• Each speaker is a fully active and tri-amped system for enhanced dynamic and power capabilities

The Edifier Spinnaker e30 Speakers are shipped in a large white box with an image of them on the front. The box is also quite heavy, at 4.3kg.

Inside are a selection of cables, a power adapter, plug and user manual. The only negative comment would be the length of the speaker to speaker cable, which might be restrictive for some people. The little credit card is actually an instruction card for the remote control.

The Spinnaker e30 speakers are quite attractive, almost resembling the horns of some mythical beast. The design we would expect will split opinion, a few of my colleagues weren't impressed with the shape at all, but I thought they were quite appealing. I measured them at 42cm so they are certainly not the speaker system you will want to be carrying around on a regular basis.

The remote control device is shaped like a futuristic dome and is easily positioned next to a mouse mat for example. This is easy to use with a one button tap and volume dial.

One of the speakers has the amplifier built into it, as well as the speaker out, sub out and opt in ports. The other is passive and only has a connector for the speaker in cable. It is good to see that an external subwoofer can be added to the setup.

The majority of the speakers are coated in a soft felt membrane, as can be seen by the close up image above. The speaker holes can be seen underneath with the intensity of our lighting.

The image above highlights the size of the speakers, next to the third generation Apple iPad.

Before we head into testing, it is worth pointing out that Edifier also offer the e30 speakers in a brighter Burgundy colour. They may look good in some situations, but we would imagine the plain black colour would suit more environments.

Specifications:

*Total RMS Output Power: 10W x2 + 10W x 2 + 25W x 2(THD+N testing level): 10%
*Distortion: (%) ≤0.5
*Signal to Noise ratio dB (A) ≥90dBA
*Frequency range: 50Hz – 23kHz -10dB
*Frequency response: 68Hz – 20kHz +/-3dB on reference axis
*Crossover Frequencies: 135Hz, 3.2kHz
*Channel Separation: (dB) ≥45dBA
*Input sensitivity: 780mV +/-50mV

As we mentioned earlier in the review the Edifier Spinnaker e30 speakers are Bluetooth capable and we primarily tested them with a Nokia Lumia 920, Blackberry 9900, iPad and desktop Windows 7 system featuring high grade Asus Xonar sound card.

Even though the Edifier Spinnaker e30 speakers look unstable I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they are difficult to knock over unintentionally.  The physical footprint is also smaller than other speakers we have tested in recent years, which may help if you are running out of space in your room.

We found that the Bluetooth connection worked well within a distance of around 9-10 meters. When we paired the speakers up with an older bluetooth enabled phone the sound quality was rather poor and I was initially concerned that there was actually something wrong with the drivers as our review sample looked a little worse for wear.

The sound issues were related to the sonic limitations of Bluetooth technology. Edifier have pointed out that some mobile devices will be using low grade audio codec settings which can have a negative impact on the audio reproduction. The iPad worked well with the speakers however and the sound quality was certainly improved over the other mobile devices we tested.

We moved the speakers to the Windows 7 environment and they really did shine. MP3 files did exhibit a little compression, although I have overly sensitive ears when it comes to compressed audio files, and moved to some studio grade FLAC files I have in my collection. If you are growing weary of downloading substandard audio files from the likes of iTunes, then be sure to check out Linn Records online, who offer some stunning quality audio files, often with only a small price premium.

With a high grade source and uncompressed audio files, the Edifier Spinnaker e30 speakers deliver a well balanced sound, quite neutral in their presentation. If I was being critical they are a little on the warm side, although I do actually think this is a wise move as they will be likely dealing with harsh digital files throughout their working life.

We tested the speakers with a mixture of popular music, such as Radiohead, The Killers and Muse. Sound quality was commendable and the volume levels were surprisingly good, able to fill a 12 foot study without too much stress. I also enjoyed that the volume levels didn't clip until close to the limit of the volume.

Moving to classical files did show some limitations of the driver configuration. The light Flute Concerto No.2 in D Major by Mozart was enjoyable, but did suffer from a compressed soundstage and a little softening of some detail. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony exhibited the same compressed soundstage and some minor loss of details. To be fair most PC/MAC oriented speakers deliver similar audio characteristics so it isn't limited to the Spinnaker e30.

The strength of the e30 speakers is the mid range. I listened to female vocals from Norah Jones, Alison Krauss and Diana Krall, and I was pleasantly shocked by how good the cones managed to cope with each singers individual ‘close to mic' vocal characteristics.

Bass response is relatively good, although with some heavy bass tracks such as OutKast Funky Ride or Ice Cube Pushing weight, the limitations again became apparent. Adding a dedicated subwoofer to the mix would significantly enhance e30 lower presence, something Edifier have clearly considered, as there is a ‘sub out' connection on one of the speakers.

While my testing has raised negative traits of the e30 speakers, there are many commendable aspects to the sound quality. The soundstaging field may be quite small, however the e30 speakers rarely suffer from sibilance in the upper frequencies. Many PC speakers I have tested over the years can be rather painful to live with long term, requiring an equaliser roll off around 10hz-12hz. Ex-Wharfedale production manager Phil Jones has clearly had a hand in this taming of the higher registers to ensure audio reproduction is generally a little warm and potentially full bodied.

Obviously this can be tuned further with an equaliser, but it is often best to get the optimal sound quality direct from the speakers before introducing digital compensation.

I also tested the speakers with some current PC games via Windows 7 and an Asus Xonar sound card, such as Far Cry 3 and Tomb Raider. Overall, the experience was very enjoyable, and impressive for a stereo configuration. Hooking them into our television set with BluRay player delivered a great response, enhancing onboard sound of the 55 inch Sony speakers significantly.

The speakers are able to fill a 12foot by 12foot room without problems, ideal for a living room, or bedroom environment. They may have a modest output rating, but they can produce a formidable volume. They also looked great next to the television set, presenting a futuristic visage and demanding a minimal physical footprint.

The Edifier Spinnaker e30 Speakers will certainly stand out due to their quirky, unusual design however looks aside they are actually a very capable pair of stereo speakers specifically designed for computer systems and mobile devices.

The appearance will certainly split opinion and I introduced these speakers to around twenty people during the review phase. Half of the audience complimented the concept design, while others were not so impressed with the ‘pointy top.' Not a single person had a negative thing to say about the sound quality however which is certainly more important to us than the appearance.

The sound quality with bluetooth music is not wonderfully impressive, although this is more a limitation of the technology rather than a fault of the speakers themselves. As these speakers are hardly portable we would hope that users at home will feed the e30 speakers a superior (wired) source, although in a pinch, they are certainly usable over bluetooth.

The frequency response of the e30 speakers has clearly been tuned to tame the excessive frequency sibilance often associated with substandard, compressed audio files. For this, I would have to praise Phil Jones, an ex Wharfedale employee associated with the development of these speakers for Edifier.

Selecting high grade uncompressed FLAC files does reap reward, with the sound stage opening up a little further and the mid range delivering a deliciously attractive emotional characteristic, particularly evident with female vocals. We did notice a little roll off in the high end but I do need to stress that for the sub £500 market, these are exceptionally good speakers. I particularly enjoyed them when paired up with a Sony 55 inch television, as they enhanced the onboard audio capabilities significantly while taking up very little physical space beside the screen.

You can currently pick these up for £309.99 inc vat from Kustom PC in both black and burgandy colour schemes. For sound quality alone they are certainly in the top echelon of computer speakers I have heard under the £500 mark. Sure they are expensive, but they are a huge step up from sub £150 speakers available today.

Pros:

• quality in built amplification.
• very little sibilance.
• superb mid range qualities.

Cons:

• unusual design.
• expensive.
• not as detailed as some speakers in the £300-£500 zone.

Kitguru says: A rather warm sounding set of speakers which can tame the excessive highs of compressed audio. Beautiful mid range characteristics.

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