Most monitors these days kind of just look like a blob of black plastic. There’s just not a whole lot that is distinct about them. Sure, it’s about the sound, but it doesn’t hurt to have something that looks half decent, especially considering the size they take up in a room. Edifier has decided to do things a little differently with their new s2000 Pro speakers, which pay tribute to bookshelf units of days gone by.

The elegant birch wooden panels, combined with a sleek bladed grill, instantly set these speakers aside from anything else on the market. It makes these speakers pretty unique and they wouldn’t seem out of place on the shelves of an ornate cabinet – the kind your uncle keeps trophies and whiskey bottles on. Although they might look like they should live next to a record player, these speakers have actually been designed with studio quality in mind. So how do they sound then?

Edifier’s s2000 Pro speakers have been designed with both your living room and studio in mind.  With huge amounts of adjustability, they cover both bases brilliantly.

Old-School, New Tech

Though they might look relatively old-school, Edifier’s s2000 Pros are actually packed with modern features. For starters, you can connect your laptop, tablet or phone via Bluetooth 4.0. If you prefer using wires the s2000’s can support optical and coax digital, as well as balanced XLR stereo and RCA. Plus, everything can be controlled via an included remote.

But the savviest tech lies within. These speakers employ Texas Instruments Burr-brown DAC (digital-to-analogue) and ADC (analogue-to-digital) converters, which can recognise signals of up to 24-bits and sample rates of up to 192kHz. Human ears can only really pick a difference below 16-bit and 44.1kHz, but still, this kind of capability makes a difference for true audiophiles, for whom numbers matter. When using optical or coaxial inputs, a secondary Burr-Brown chip supports a 24-bit sample rate and 216 kHz digital signal. Impressive.

The Sound

Edifier’s s2000 Pro use a flat diaphragm tweeter on top, which is specially tweaked for low distortion. Simply put, these speakers have crystal clear highs. You can hear everything in sparkling detail and the flat diaphragm’s fast response rate really makes for accurate sound replication. But what about the woofer?

On the bottom end is a low-distortion aluminium cone, developed with the help of the German-engineered KLIPPEL precise analysis system. This means that the low frequencies conjured from the 5.5-inch cones are clean and articulate. Boomy, but not at all dark and muddy. Although they’re not a replacement for a subwoofer, these cones can move enough air for most purposes, whether it’s for studio audio or movie time, and if you need some more oomph, these speakers are adjustable…

Adjustability

Adjustability is a great thing, particularly with crossover type speakers. At the push of a button, Edifier offers four EQ presets, which basically covers everything you’ll need them for.

‘Vocal’ is for songs with a lot of vocals – there’s a noticeable midrange boost that helps them stand out. Great for singing along to Fleetwood Mac or karaoke nights. ‘Monitor’ is for the studio, it’s the flattest response of the lot, and if you’re mixing tracks it’s the setting you want. Classical has a bass scoop so the French Horns aren’t too overpowering I assume, while ‘Dynamic’ is the classic loud mode. There’s a chime to the top end and a thump to the bottom, making it awesome for dance music, movies and gaming purposes.

So there’s a lot of options there, but if you’re someone who really likes to get down to the nitty-gritty, the s2000s have three knobs for adjusting treble, bass and volume on the back panel. It’s a pretty great feature, and even if you never touch it, it’s nice to see that Edifier has included this level of adjustable which goes above and beyond a lot of speakers in this price range.

In Conclusion

These speakers are obviously a bit of a crossover, but they pull it off with their generous levels of adjustability. I could see Edifier’s s2000s being equally as comfortable in a lounge room as your project studio, and it’s a bonus that they don’t just look like a lump of plastic. If you’re someone who needs speakers that cover more ground than desktop use, but still possess the ability to produce a mix-worthy flat audio response, give these a serious look.

For more information take a look at Edifier’s website.