Edifier 5.1 multimedia speaker review – S760D
Edifier S760D 5.1 gaming speaker system
£471
Pros
- Bang-for-buck
- Great for gaming and films
- Input options
- Full sized speakers
- That subwoofer
Cons
- Size of system
- Cheap feeling wired remote
- Finding room for that subwoofer
As a PC gamer, I remember when having a 5.1 speaker system was almost a prerequisite. These days, especially since moving to London, compact has been my way forward. Have a stereo speaker set up going through a DAC and amp and some great headphones when I don’t want to disturb my other half. Edifier have loaned me their S760D gaming speaker system – it’s not compact but will it make as large an impression as it does its physical presence?
Edifier have so far pleasantly surprised me with its range of speakers but, when two huge boxes landed at work, I knew that I wasn’t expecting this. I was told that there was a 5.1 gaming speaker bundle heading its way to me – never did I think that one box would weigh 24.2Kg, and the other 15.2Kg. So, after getting them couriered home was all of this worthwhile?
Edifier S760D 5.1 multimedia speaker design
Let me just get this straight – if you’re looking for a compact speaker set-up, this is not it. This is not your cheap and tiny 5 satellites and a woofer deal.
The satellite speakers in this bundle are pretty much regular-sized bookshelf speakers and the woofer could house a small family – I was thinking about renting it out as I have seen smaller studio apartments during my time in London.
The layout is, front left, centre, and right, with a rear pair taking up left and right positions behind you. Then there’s the massive sub.
The cabinets are made from think, good quality, MDF and adds plenty of weight to these speakers.
The satellites are identical with the center speaker adding an additional midrange driver. All the rest are equipped with 3.5-inch drivers and a 1-inch dome tweeter. All the speakers come with a removable fabric mesh grille – apart from the sub obvs 😉
The left and right speakers measure 8-inches tall by 4.5-inches wide and 6.3-inches deep with the centre speaker measuring 4.6-inches tall by 12.44-inches wide and 6.2-inches deep when laid on its side, how it should be.
The monster subwoofer is packing a 10-inch woofer driver which pushes air through two passive radiators. I’ll just let that sink in…
All that bass-loving is encased in quite an aggressive-looking body that measures 15.6-inches tall, 14.5-inches wide and 19.3-inches deep. It means business. I could imagine Halfords-loving owners of Vauxhall Astras and Ford Escorts wanting to sling one of these in their boot.
The generous amount of kit from Edifier does not stop there.
You get a regular looking, if not long, remote control as well as a wired desktop control console that sits in a cradle (above).
There’s a whole nest of speaker wire and RCA cables to connect devices. They even throw in an optical cable.
Edifier S760D 5.1 multimedia speaker connections
That huge sub is also home to a lot of the tech for this system and contains a multitude of connectivity options as well as spitting out low-range audio.
The satellites are powered by 60W into 4 ohms, the sub with 240W at 8 ohms.
The on-board electronics contain a decoder for Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro Logic II.
The rear panel of the subwoofer has all the connection points for the satellites as well as a range of 5.1 analogue inputs, two stereo inputs for other sources, three optical and one coaxial digital input.
There is also a RS232 connection for the controller and power button.
To round things off, there’s a relatively small heat sink for the amplifier.
Edifier S760D 5.1 multimedia speaker set-up
Connecting a 5.1 system is never going to be fun – especially in a very cramped spare room that has to house two ‘offices’. I also knew that I wanted to test the system downstairs as a home theatre set up… why do I do these things to myself?
I am happy to report that all that speaker cable bundled in with the system was plenty adequate for both the office and living room tests.
Although, saying that, I had to squeeze that woofer in to a space close to my TV so that they optical cable could reach.
This meant that the wired remote was made redundant as the cable would not make it across the room. Thankfully, the infrared remote has the necessary skills and has obviously been include for moments like that. Nice one Edifier!
I found the wired desktop a bit clunky, it works well enough, but feels a bit cheap if I am honest. I do, however, like that it includes a headphone jack which is handy when used in your gaming rig.
Edifier S760D 5.1 multimedia speaker performance
As the Edifier S760D is touted as a multimedia speaker system I have thrown everything at it. Not literally mind, that subwoofer looks like it could take me.
I have had it hooked up to my PC for gaming and playing a range of online videos and streaming music through it.
I have then taken the whole lot downstairs to hook it up to my television where it was used mostly for films and box sets, as well as plugging in phones to play music.
When I switched on and loaded up Project Cars I was expecting some really bass-heavy rumbles but the default setting is quite subtle. It wasn’t until I turned the sub off that its presence was recognised.
Obviously, you can ramp up the sub’s volume if you require more – and for driving games I did. For FPS (first person shooters) shots rang out enthusiastically and explosions were all encompassing. In titles such as the Sniper series and Left 4 Dead series, the surround sound really adds to the atmospherics and also helps pin point where your next hazard is going to come from.
Streaming audio through this set-up was dealt with admirably considering that the speaker placement in this little room is very sub-optimal but the system allowed for enough volume tweaking which certainly helped.
Taking the whole lot downstairs where I can get some decent distance between the speakers proved to allow the S760D to stretch its legs.
The on-board speakers in my Panasonic LCD TV aren’t the best and for films and box sets I have the audio patched through my main Hi-Fi so the S760D is up against a pretty decent 2.0 set up which includes an audiophile grade amp and DAC (digital analogue convertor).
I have to say that having a centre channel speaker as well as the front stereo pair really does open up the dialogue in both films and series such as Jessica Jones and Gotham.
Action sequences really benefit from the sub in much the same way as the games played earlier. The subwoofer is not overbearing but really tight and controlled. Flicking through choice cuts from some Bond, Bourne and Star Wars the Edifier S760D really brought in a new dimension to my film enjoyment.
As a Star Destroyer passes overhead, the rumble is low and menacing as it should be. High speed chases pan across the room and shots fired (whether it be laser or 21st century ordnance) all cracked, pinged and exploded with a natural impact.
Your ears become accustomed to this really quickly and it is not until I turn the volume down on the Edifier system that I can fully appreciate what it is doing.
For the last part of the test I gritted my teeth and put on some music.
My initial choice of Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ was purely to hear how good the panning was, but I was finding myself drawn in to the whole experience.
Even that huge subwoofer was bring a warmth and presence that should not have felt that natural in an album I know this well.
As well as presenting quite an unexpectedly refined low end the mids and treble were found to be quite articulate and not half as clumsy as I was quite dismissively assuming would be the case.
Slinging on Nine Inch Nails ‘With Teeth’ really made the bass end push out and this lead me down an avenue of Prodigy, Pop Will Eat Itself, Future Sound of London and Aphex Twin.
Edifier S760D 5.1 multimedia speaker review conclusion
In short, music for the S760D is an excellent speaker system.
I am not going to declare that this could replace a high or mid-range Hi-Fi system, but to have this in the living room to bring sparkle and depth to your film enjoyment – definitely.
The Edifier S760D is sold as a gaming speaker system but with all the connectivity options and agility of the audio it seems almost undersold.
I was partially expecting plenty more shortcomings from the Edifier S760 system. I thought that the bass would be too far forwards and that the mids and highs would be after-thoughts. This proved not to be the outcome.
The subwoofer takes care of frequencies from 35 to 110 Hz and the satellites from 160 to 20,000 Hz. True there is a gap of 50Hz but, especially when gaming, I did not notice it.
This is 5.1 system is clearly aimed at a particular group of users. I reckon if I was still living at my parents and was looking for a speaker set up that would allow me to enjoy films, my music collection as well as PC gaming then this would be on my list.
As I have a small spare room that I share for my computer usage, then the S760 is just too much speaker for the space.
The only real thing that I would suggest that Edifier spend a little more time on is that wired remote – its quality is just not up there with the rest of the system.
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Edifier S760D 5.1 multimedia speaker price and availability
I’ve only been able to find one UK online retailer who has the system on sale for £471.
Edifier S760D specifications at a glance
Total Power Output: L/R/C/SL/SR: 60W x 5 SW: 240W
Digital Decoder: Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS
Frequency Response: L/R/C/SL/SR: 160Hz - 20KH SW: 35Hz -110Hz
Input sensitivity: Satellites: 750mV ± 50mV
Subwoofer: 900mV ± 50mV
Chanel Separation: R/L: ?45dB Tweeter: 1 inch (25mm)
6? Mid-range unit: 3.5 inch (92mm) 4?
Bass: 10 inch (260mm) 8?
Dimension: Subwoofer: 367mm x 397mm x 489mm (W x H x D)
Satellite: 116mm x 203mm x 160mm (W x H x D)
Center: 316mm x 117mm x 157mm (W x H x D)
Weight: Subwoofer: GB: 19kg (net), 22.1Kg (gross) MC: 24kg (gross)
Satellite + Center: GB: 11.5Kg (net), 13Kg (gross) | MC: 24.2kg (gross)
