At first look, the Edifier MP230 Bluetooth speaker looks like it is out of the 60s which I think is super cool. I don’t know why I have been into retro look and design for a while. While visually that was obviously the intent of Edifier, the technology they packed into this little box is far from retro. Let’s start with the look.
Design
The box itself is right out of an episode of Mad Men. The look and the feel reminds me of something that would be sitting in the office of Don Draper, just dramatically less bulky.
The operation buttons have a nice feel and are operated by downward force. They pop back into place smoothly after operation. The wood has a nice smooth feel to it, and it screams a solid design.
I love the way the grill catches the light when sitting outside in the sun. When holding the speaker it feels dense like it could handle a tumble or two– as someone who has kids it is always a possibility. The Edifier MP230 looks great on a bookshelf, and really pops when set out on a table during an outside barbecue.
Sound
When it comes to sound, the big question everyone is asking is — how does it perform? All in all, it sounds great for the price point. Inside the enclosure are dual 48-millimeter drivers which are large for the size of the speaker. This is a true stereo sound with a punch. They are driven by 10-watts of power which is pretty amazing. The low end was very surprising, coming from the small profile.
I put it next to my older Bose Bluetooth speaker and it performed very well in comparison to a unit that costs twice as much. The low and mid-range is where this speaker shines. I put on a podcast while sitting outside on my deck, and I found the high-end fidelity is where this unit struggles just a bit. So if you are listening to mostly music, this is a great purchase. If you listen to mostly audiobooks or podcasts it requires a bit of EQ work on your device to dial it in correctly.
Options
When it comes to extra options, this is a pretty basic unit — which I found for my family is actually a great thing. It means there is not a lot of extra functions to be worried about teaching them and getting in the way of what you want the speaker to do.
It supports Bluetooth 5.0 for connectivity which is what I assume most people will use. We hooked it up to our Amazon Alexa and a phone, both of which sounded great. It comes with a 3.5-millimeter jack if you prefer a wired connection. There is also a USB-C port that is used for charging as well as playing music from a computer. It even comes with a Micro-USB port if that’s your jam! This Bluetooth speaker runs for about eight hours before it needs a charge, which I thought was perfect. I tend to plug my stuff in after use most days when I am finished using it, so the power output and usability were perfect for me.
Overview
All in all this is a great little speaker. Not something I would take to the beach, or give to my kids, worthy of a place on my shelf or used in a home environment for sure. I plan to continue using it as my go-to kitchen Bluetooth speaker, as well as for music at backyard gatherings.
