Edifier Exclaim e10

There are few options for under-$100 PC speakers that deliver anything other than subpar audio quality, but Edifier has managed to make a sharp-looking, sharp-sounding system with the e10. At $99.99 (direct), the 2-channel Exclaim e10 isn't perfection, but it delivers clear mids and highs, subtle lows, and does so, for the most part, without distortion. Deep bass tracks at maximum volume eventually will distort the e10 a bit, but most tracks don't cause problems, and at moderate volumes it's not a problem. If you're looking for a huge bass sound, the e10 is not for you, but if you favor crisp highs and mids, and you're on a budget, Edifier has made a solid, interesting-looking speaker pair that outperforms most in this price range, earning it our Editors' Choice.

Design
How to describe the e10's shape? A robotic snail, perhaps? I happen to like the look of the 12.2-by-4.1-by-7-inch speakers, but recognize that it's not for everyone. The metallic columns that each house two 1.5-inch mid-and-high range drivers, as well as a passive radiator, definitely have a modern edge. There are few controls on the system?just Power and Volume buttons on the left-hand panel of the right speaker. The two speakers connect to each other via an included cable, and to your computer via a 3.5mm input on the rear port of the right speaker (a stereo 3.5mm cable is included.) The right speaker's back panel is also where the connection for the included power adapter is located. There is no remote control, which is a bit of a bummer.

One great thing about the design is how ideal it is for desktop listening. A common problem with PC speakers is that they lack the height to properly align the tweeters delivering high frequencies with the listener's ears. Our ears sense the direction and point of origin of high frequencies, and if they aren't aimed more or less at our noggins, it can throw off the whole mix. The e10 implements the solution that better PC speakers utilize?angling the speakers upwards slightly, and then takes it one step further by making the speakers taller.

I've only tested a handful of PC speakers that truly line up with the ears properly?the Focal XS ?and Harman Kardon SoundSticks III are both good examples here, but the more affordable Edifier e10 may have them beat (in terms of angling), and the result is excellent, as if your desk has become your own private audio sweet spot.

As for those black bases the metallic towers sit on, each houses a 3-inch low frequency driver and a passive radiator, which helps add a little extra bass presence. Angling them sideways ensures that the metallic speaker column doesn't block their sound path, and since our ears are very poor at discerning the directionality of lower frequencies, it doesn't matter that they are side-firing.

Performance
My expectations for $100-and-below speakers are usually not terribly high?it costs just a bit more than $100, typically, to get solid, clean audio performance. The Edifier e10, however, is impressive. While it's no masterpiece, it delivers crisp, clear, engaging audio, and can get quite loud. On deep bass tracks, like the Knife's "Silent Shout," the e10 provides a palpable thump, and doesn't really distort until you completely max out the volume on your source and the speakers themselves. Even then, the distortion is minimal?I've heard far more expensive speakers crumble on this same track.

Being able to blast speakers on deep bass tracks is a reasonable test of the quality of the drivers, but at more moderate volumes, we get a better sense of the e10's sound signature. On "Silent Shout," at roughly mid-level volume, the e10 provides a nice low-end presence?subtle, but not weak.

The best quality of the e10's delivery is the articulate mid-highs and crisp high frequencies. On classic rock tracks like the Rolling Stones' "Rocks Off," the guitars and snare have a nice crackle and the raspy attack of Mick's vocals are captured perfectly. On a more modern mix with more bass presence, like Radiohead's "Staircase," the mids and highs still take center stage, with the high percussion and guitar picking grabbing the spotlight, while the bass line that mimics the guitar part fills things out nicely. On bass-heavy speakers, this song can sound particularly dense or muddy, but on the e10, the crisp mids and highs and subtle lows highlight the mix's clarity and makes things a bit more airy.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the attack of the kick drum loop is fierce, while the sub-bass synth part underneath it lacks the push it has on systems with heavier low-end. The e10 will never be mistaken for a system with a subwoofer, but its delivery of hip-hop and dance tracks isn't anemic, it's just more low-mid-focused (rather than sub-bass-focused) than a system with a subwoofer might be.

Classical tracks like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances" follow the above trends even more drastically?the lower register strings and percussion lack the depth and roundness that a more substantial bass presence would bring to the equation. Higher frequency content, like wooden percussion or high register strings, also sounds quite bright. I happen to think this sounds excellent, but can see how some listeners might find the e10s, at times, overly bright, especially in instances like this, when they have less low frequency content to work with in the first place.

For $100, however, it's hard to say anything bad about the e10. The design is user-friendly, mix-friendly, and the speakers pack an unexpected punch in this price range. Of course, if you can afford to spend a little more on the aforementioned Harman Kardon SoundSticks III, you get a subwoofer with adjustable bass level, and another eye-catching design. If neither of these designs is for you and you want a more traditional-looking speaker set for your PC, Audioengine 2 provides this, as well as a similar frequency response with pleasant, but not exaggerated, bass response. Edifier's own Prisma e3350BT 2.1 Bluetooth Audio System , another budget-friendly PC speaker set, offers wireless audio and some decent bass response, but the system has some design limitations and costs a bit more than the e10. If $100 is your limit, it's hard to argue against the Edifier Exclaim e10. Even if it does distort a bit on some content when pumped up to max volume, it otherwise exceeds expectations, and thus earns our Editors' Choice for budget PC speakers.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/a-S0slDDmeY/0,2817,2412745,00.asp

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