Consumer Electronics, Gadgets & Accessories

Edifier R33BT – Compact Bluetooth bookshelf speakers in test

With the R33BT, compact 2.0 speakers from Edifier are currently offered for € 69.00 * [review time: 70€], which support wireless playback via Bluetooth in addition to a connection via analog signal. Furthermore, the compact speakers are advertised with the use of a 0.5″ tweeter and a 3.5″ woofer, among other things, as well as with an MDF case.

Whether this combination is sufficient to produce a good sound despite the small speaker volume, and how the Edifier R33BT perform in all other respects, we clarify in the following test.

Technical details

Dimensions: 116×160×205 mm
Weight: 3.2 kg (Left speaker: 1.26 kg, Right speaker: 1.76 kg)
Frequency range: 70 – 20,000 Hz
Noise ratio: > 85 dB(A)
Noise power: < 25 dB(A)
Power: 2x5W RMS
Connection: Bluetooth 5.0, AUX
Price: € 69.00 *

Scope of delivery

The Edifier R33BT are delivered in a black printed cardboard box. Inside are the speakers along with foam padding and accessories. The 1.5 long power cable and the 2.2 long connection cable are already firmly attached to the speakers. In addition, there is a 1.6 m long jack connection cable as well as the usual paperwork, which explains the operation, among other things.

Design & Workmanship

According to Edifier, the R33BT are made of a wooden body made of MDF, which is coated with a black wood-look coating and contains the two drivers and the rear-facing bass reflex tube. The left speaker only has the permanently installed RCA connection cable. The right speaker, on the other hand, contains the entire electronics and thus also the connections on the back as well as the control panel on the top.

In addition, both speakers have a front cover covered with semi-transparent fabric, which can be removed with a flick of the wrist for easy cleaning. The high-gloss plastic of the cover as well as the two speaker drivers can be seen through the fabric. Edifier has installed a 3.5″ mid-bass driver at the bottom, and the 0.5″ tweeter sits in the center above it.

Overall, the speakers present themselves as simple and elegant in our eyes – in most living rooms as well as on most desks, the R33BT should fit in well visually. The build quality is also good: The structured surface in wood look makes a good impression. Transitions at the edges are present, but hardly visible.

Practice & Sound

Due to the compact dimensions of the R33BT – the sides are only a bit larger than a DVD case – the speakers can be easily placed in a variety of locations. All you have to do is make sure that you can get to the control panel of the right speaker chassis to set the volume and the operating mode (Bluetooth/Analog). Furthermore, the two speakers have to be placed at a distance of no more than 2.2 meters.

If the distance is even greater, you would have to buy an extension for RCA connection cables. On the other hand, it is not possible to exchange the cable, because – as already mentioned – it is permanently connected to that of the left speaker. Compared to the often used solutions with cable clamps, we still find the variant chosen by Edifier better, because RCA cables are easier to use and not daunting even for laymen. Of course, it would have been even better if the advantages of both solutions were simply combined by simply installing an RCA connector on both speakers.

Once the speakers are set up, you can directly start with the sound reproduction. The connection can either be made via the 3.5 mm jack on the back or via the Bluetooth function. To activate the speakers, the power button of the speakers has to be pressed first. The Edifier R33BT then searches for playback devices, and the three built-in buttons can be used to configure the playback mode (analog/BT) as well as the volume or reset the connection. This all works smoothly, and in tests we were able to establish a stable connection throughout the room even through a few house walls. Thus, there should never be any problems here.

In terms of sound quality, the first thing that stands out is that volume control via the buttons on the top not only work via Bluetooth, but also in analog mode. Presumably, the transmitted audio signal is picked up by the speakers and then forwarded to the built-in sound card, which is also responsible for Bluetooth playback. Such a solution would entail an avoidable signal conversion, but it does not have an (audible) negative impact on the sound quality.

Both via analog playback and Bluetooth, the speakers reproduce a detailed sound, in which the individual instruments can be easily distinguished from each other. The bass does not go too deep: It is audible from about 55 Hertz. However, the available bass sounds precise and quite powerful when placed close to the wall. If you don’t want to fill the neighboring apartment with sound, you’ll get your money’s worth here. Furthermore, the latency in Bluetooth mode is low enough that you will only notice it in movies when you look very closely.

Thus, Edifier’s R33BT has done well in terms of sound reproduction. The speakers would have been a bit more flexible with an additional bass/treble control, but with most players, you can also help out with software and adjust the sound to your own taste.

Conclusion

For their price of € 69.00 * [test time: 70€], Edifier’s R33BT are supposed to be simple and compact bookshelf speakers with good sound. In practice, we can confirm that: The R33BT combine a sleek look with good build quality, and they can also score in terms of sound and operation.

The reproduction of real low bass is not possible with the 2.0 set, but the existing bass is powerful and detailed – and the speakers also sound good in the other frequency ranges. Overall, this makes the R33BT a good choice for those who are looking for a compact speaker set in this price range and don’t want booming bass at any price.

Edifier R33BT

Design and workmanship
Features
Sound quality
Value for money

83/100

Compact speakers with good sound.

Simon Lüthje

I am co-founder of this blog and am very interested in everything that has to do with technology, but I also like to play games. I was born in Hamburg, but now I live in Bad Segeberg.

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With the R33BT, compact 2.0 speakers from Edifier are currently offered for [review time: 70€], which support wireless playback via Bluetooth in addition to a connection via analog signal. Furthermore, the compact speakers are advertised with the use of a 0.5″ tweeter and a 3.5″ woofer, among other things, as well as with an MDF … (Weiterlesen...)

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