Many studio monitors at this price point don’t offer much in terms of tuning options, yet controls are crucial in a speaker setup. Edifier R1700BT The increased loudness capability gives a more usable headroom for larger spaces than the more compact R1700BT. Sound Quality Winner: Edifier R1850DB Another notable feature is the multiple functions on the volume control dial. Besides increasing or lowering the volume levels, you can push the dial to switch between wired and wireless input sources. Also, press and hold the dial to initiate a Bluetooth connection. As is the norm with bookshelf speakers of this design, the two speakers cover both active and passive. Apart from the rear of the speakers, they are the same size and you won’t be able to distinguish between the two. The R1850DB justifies the higher price tag with strategic upgrades such as the optical/coaxial inputs, subwoofer outputs, a better remote, and subtle design changes such as the glossy piano finish which gives a more premium look.

I shopped for weeks to find the right speakers for my home office which is centrally-located in the main living area of our house and where I play a lot of different kinds of music. I spent a good deal of time shopping powered studio monitors to avoid the need for an amp/more wires. They had to have sufficient power to work in both near-field application for when I’m at my desk, but also to fill our wide open floor plan with sound when I’m not. And while I appreciate the idea of a subwoofer and even went so far as to shop 2.1 setups as well, I am also a big fan of 2-channel listening. Opting for better speakers with no sub (as opposed to lower-end speakers WITH a sub) was preferable to me.

Connectivity

The connectivity is ridiculous. When you flip the control speaker around you are left with a host of options to hook up your music. PC input, AUX input, Coaxial, Optical, and Bluetooth are all offered. Granted Bluetooth is at an older standard (v4.0) but the speaker has been on the market for a few years making it have to expect the latest versions.

It is worth mentioning that the vinyl wrap is vulnerable to wearing away. So, it may start to peel sooner or later, especially if your working station is humid. However, this is purely speculation based on past interactions with vinyl coatings. Edifier R1850DB The construction quality is another crucial factor to consider as it will determine how long the speaker will last. Edifier R1700BT The Edifier R1850DB speaker is a device that delivers high-quality sound for an enhanced audio experience. It offers a sleek and modern design, making it suitable for various settings. The speaker utilizes advanced audio technologies to produce clear and immersive sound reproduction. The Edifier R1700BT can deliver impressive audio considering the compact size and excellent price point.

A two-speaker system with excellent sound and build quality.

I'm also wondering if I just need a better cable or an actual pre-amplifier to get a full bass response. I saw the ART DJPREII pre-amp recommended on another thread but really don't want to spend the money unless I have to.

The Edifier R1850DB speakers are bookshelf style units that are small, but sound a lot bigger. They may just surprise you as they aren’t just loud, the sound quality is awesome as well. The R1700BT has a 4-inch woofer with a forward-facing bass port, which produces a fulfilling low-end delivery. Also, the 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter will handle high-frequencies. When you look at the price, it really isn’t that much more expensive and I’ve seen it on sale multiple times. I live in a busy street so there is always some sort of disturbance even when windows are closed so I end up keeping the volume above 70% most of the time. But during silent nights 50% volume would suffice for a room sized of 10x20 ft for a good experience. Music played via Bluetooth seems 5-10% higher. These speakers produce different volume levels based on the source quality of the audio thereby you'll not have consistent audio experiences. FLACs, HQs, WAVs, 24bits are best formats to listen with these speakers which is SIMPLY MAGICAL but MP3s or youtube, soundcloud, gaana stream listening will feel fairly balanced. Movie watching with these speakers via Prime, Netflix, jiocinema, etc will definitely make you feel the need for higher vocal volumes.

The Sound

While these are two great speakers, I also wrote a full article on the best edifier speakers over here. Controls Winner: Edifier R1850DB

In addition, the frequency response range is impressive at 60Hz – 20kHz. This means that it can produce defined highs and rich low tones, enough to scale across all frequencies in the audible spectrum of human hearing.Edifier R1850DB stereo speakers promise great sound quality and excellent features at a budget price. Considering the company’s previous success with similar budget speakers, we wanted to investigate if these would be a good fit for a home music studio.