Edifier M3600D Speakers Review
Designed to impress and entertain, the THX certified £159 Edifier M3600D 2.1 speaker system has taken residence at one of our desks as part of an entertainment centre setup so we can find out if the certification deserves bragging rights?
Design
The Edifier M3600D speakers are a refreshing mix of old and new in terms of exterior detailing. Paying homage to 80’s stereo equipment with their faux black wooden panelling, this is set against the stark contrast of the sleek speaker grills and glossy radiators on the subwoofer. With regard to the subwoofer, this would be a relatively compact outing with only the two satellite stereo speakers, but that 8” subwoofer is assuredly big. However, if you use the M3600D system in a desk setup, the subwoofer can easily be hidden out of site on the floor. Flipping the subwoofer around reveals optical, coaxial, line in, and AUX inputs and outputs. Strangely Bluetooth is missing, and while there are many decent workarounds these days to make most things wireless, it would have been a nice touch for it to be included out of the box.
Performance
With the fundamental support of a first rate 8” subwoofer, we naturally leant toward playing songs like Mother May I Sleep With Danger? by ‘Joy Crookes’ and Freaks by ‘Jordan Clarke’ to display large servings of bass content. Basically we can conclude that, as speakers for a desk setup or even perhaps in an entertainment centre, the entire audio experience submerges you with bass, bass and more bass. At times it can be overwhelming, shaking the contents on shelves to a considerable level. So we're grateful for the ability to adjust this via a knob which then lets the higher ranges come up to surface away from the mid-range. Certainly Edifier aren’t going for accuracy with the M3600D speakers, having instead opted for a high spirited formula. For this they were unanimously liked at the studio, with it being noted that every genre of music is just simply enjoyable to listen to through the M3600D thanks to that whopping bass support.
On the other end of our music library there’s Lonely Town by ‘Vulfpeck’. With its breezy vocals showing off a clear mid-range and rich acoustics, it was a faultless rendition: we were able to hear impeccable details from all instrumentals, such as the intricate guitar string finger picking and the subtle drum reverberations. What we’ve learnt from listening to a wide mix of sounds, is that there’s a smaller soundstage on offer with these speakers positioned either side of a 24” iMac screen than, say, with very different all-in-one designs such as the House of Marley Get Together. With the Edifier M3600D, audio is more linear, so instrumentals and vocals feel separated - not around you but toward you.
The THX certification comes into play, quite literally, when used as we play Red Dead Redemption 2 on the PS4. Here the speakers bring the atmosphere of explosions and gunshots right into the room, thanks to that crazed bass response being turned up fully! Where we feel the overall experience lacks, is when listening to the spoken word without the surrounding music components. Things like podcasts, TV shows, etc., don’t exude the level of clarity found in speakers like the stereo Sonos Play:1s. But when it comes to music and gaming this Edifier setup is a fun sounding room filler and on about a par with the latter system, with the added benefit that it definitely has a more hefty bass response.
Verdict
Edifier demonstrate how an immersive (adjustable) bass can transform the listening experience with the Edifier M3600D speakers. It’s a wired system that will shake floors, rattle shelves and invigorate ears.
