Edifier have a track record of delivering big sound at a small price. Here's a clear example of this format with the £49.99 2.1 M1360 speaker setup.

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Design

The subwoofer is quite slim at 13x22cm and the stereo satellite speakers are dinky, measuring just 10x6cm each. With the subwoofer out of view on the floor, even the smallest of desks can accommodate this pair of stereo speakers; and everything connects by 3.5mm jacks including the attached device of preference. The whole setup is MDF enclosed and available in either white or black. The design is neat and the slant of the satellite speakers serves a genuine purpose: to channel audio into the air to bounce off ceilings for what is intended to be greater projected audio impact. Included also is a wired controller to adjust volume and mute the system, which incidentally sits underneath an iMac stand rather well. This controller also has a convenient headphone jack for times when you want to keep your audio personal but don't want to resort to finding the outputting audio device's jack placement.

Sound Performance

The Edifier M1360 speakers deliver an immersive soundstage that will dutifully enhance desktop computer setups, and tablets and notebooks will find a helpful boost in volume depth with 8.5 watts of total power to hand. Although when we turn the volume up with higher ranges taking stage, mild distortion of vocals on the lighter spectrum can occur, generally speaking the audio quality has impressive impact which is due largely to the subwoofer. It has tremendous bass presence and can shockingly vibrate our studio's wooden floors with the intro to ‘Fiyah’ from will.i.am. There's no doubt it will add a new audio dimension for movie watchers at their desk. The high range is fairly clear and the mid range is warm in tone. Of course, the compactness of drivers isn’t akin to the exceptional but more expensive Edifier R100BT speakers, but nevertheless these offer a plentiful boost for those with inbuilt speakers that just want an affordable less technical step up to room filling pleasantly rich audio.

Verdict

The Edifier M1360 speakers are a significant leg up for desktop and notebook users who want, at an almost unbelievable level of affordability, the impact of a dedicated subwoofer that produces a notable backbone to the audio and volume output of this 2.1 system. Buy on Amazon