These affordable Bluetooth speakers are close to hi-fi

“The Earth cannot move without music,” jazzman Sun Ra once said, perhaps indirectly referring to the Buddhist belief that the universe was created from the sound of the sun. om. If we are not able to hear the musicality of the universe, its rhythm and its notes, it is because its frequencies are beyond the range of perceptible hearing by man. But there is the intuition to seek it, the free jazz to interpret it and, ultimately, our expressiveness – whatever it is – to represent it. After all, we are the universe: a small fraction, but part of it.

“Compared to the imitative character of the other arts, music has an ‘expressive’ dimension, insofar as it presents the will itself through feeling,” Schopenhauer asserted. For the German philosopher, music is in itself an “autonomous universe subject to its own rules, which could subsist, in a certain way, even if the world did not exist”. Therefore, to understand it as mere accompaniment, or simply entertainment —as the record industry and the media tend to exploit—is nothing but incomprehensible reductionism.

Anyone who listens to music consciously, or “actively”, also has access to other dimensions of expression of will. To a spiritual, if you will, in which we can rest from the daily urgency, temporary conventions, and even from ourselves.

The recordings and discs are not only the testimony of the journey of Sun Ra and so many other artists towards the cosmos: they are also a portal that they bequeathed to us, mere mortals thirsty for musicality, to begin our own journey. From the armchair of the house, without moving a single finger other than to hit the play. This is, in my opinion, more than Elon Musk could boast.

For someone who accompanies themselves to music and spends at least a third of their day listening to it, choosing the right gear and building a sound system can become the job of a sound sculptor. Every element matters and has an impact on the sound design.

There are those who like an analog sound, others a digital sound. Some people prefer older audio equipment, others prefer more modern ones. In this discussion, the budget cannot be left out: as much as high fidelity sound is sought after, equipment that has the right qualities is generally far beyond the possibilities of the majority. No wonder this wish list accompanies a person to the grave.

But getting good audio equipment, which ensures certain quality standards, without involving bleeding, is possible. Proof of this are the R1700BT by Edifier . And I know that because I have them at home.

R1700BT are speaker type bookshelf or library, a name that probably has to do with its dimensions —in this case, 154 x 254 x 215 millimeters—, similar to those of a book in height and which, due to its depth and width, can very well go on a shelf to accompany or top our favorite authors.

Its design is sober, although a little rough: they are not simply rectangular, like most of these devices, but their surface draws a gentle downward slope; by the lower laterals a cut on the tangent is described. It might as well be the head of an android in a movie. science fiction.

The cabinet is made of MDF wood, which is characterized by its high resistance, as well as a porosity that favors painting, which in this case is a tone. walnut or walnut It also has a vinyl coating that gives it a certain shine; While not my favorite, that doesn’t take away from the warm, cozy feel of wood.

It has two speakers. The smallest corresponds to Tweeter (of 19 mm and 4 ohms). And below is the woofer (4 inches, 6 ohms). That is, these speakers independently process high and low frequencies. You can also adjust them manually from their control knobs, located on the outer side of the right speaker, subtly placed so they don’t protrude beyond the confines of your wall. Proof of Edifier’s concern for design.

On the back of the right speaker is the on/off button, as well as the control panel. contributions: The connection between the two speakers is via cable, which many are no longer used to due to the prevalence of wireless technology. And although hiding the cable can be a decorative challenge, you will at least have the certainty that in terms of stability and synchronism, there will be no failure.

On this panel you will also find a dual RCA type input to connect two devices simultaneously, something you can control without difficulty from the included remote control.

The R1700s are designed to be used analogously. That is to say, connected by cable to the source, which could well be a vinyl turntable with integrated preamplifier. In fact, stores like Needle often offer Edifier turntable and speaker combos.

However, I give them another use. Curiously, a not so recommended in the reviews that can be found on the web: via Bluetooth. Because for the turntable I have Sony 636 passive speakers, from 1979, relics that I inherited there. But what I didn’t have until a few years ago were speakers to stream music wirelessly, from the cell phone or computer.

The current trend points to the purchase of smart speakers, laptops or soundbars, which in their design have a single source of amplification. As much as they provide an enveloping experience or an acoustic immersion, my preference is always for what guarantees stereo sound: the traditional formula of “L” and “R”, forming an equilateral triangle whose vertices are the speakers and ourselves. And the Edifier R1700BT fulfills this condition.

I understand why some reviews don’t recommend using these speakers from the Bluetooth connection: they have version 4.0, which isn’t the best for audio data transfer – many devices currently have version 5.2 . Even less if they are heavy, like those that come from Tidal, a platform for streaming It streams in high studio quality and lossless.

Despite the caveats, my experience listening to digital music wirelessly from the Edifier R1700BT was flawless. Disc playback is smooth with no skips or pauses, and even videos can be enjoyed without any latency.

The problems, which are few, only appear when there is a greater distance between the device and the speakers. About three or four meters away and the connection becomes more unstable. However, if you keep it within a reasonable range, you get a full sound.

In terms of importance, beyond – far beyond – a speaker’s functions and benefits, is its sound quality. The R1700BTs deliver a warm sound, with a frequency response of 60Hz to 20kHz, which results in rich bass and defined treble, with very good depth, making them easy to tell apart – also thanks to the fact that he has a Tweeter and one woofer. Its power is incredible, with an average of 66 RMS. This expresses how many watts it supports without generating distortion.

In this sense, this model contains and models its sound in a very pleasant way. Even at high volume, you can carry on a conversation without having to shout. And this is due, in large part, to the fact that it incorporates a professional amplification system with digital signal processing (DSP) and dynamic control (DRC), which are precisely responsible for controlling distortion at high volumes and ensure that a sound is sustained naturally while listening.

Personally, I never turn the volume up all the way, not even at this level. I don’t add too much bass either; those who want thunderous speakers should opt for something else, like Edifier’s R1700BTs model, which has an input for subwoofer. Moderate volume and smooth equalization of the triple And lowas required by each disc, is enough to create the ideal setting for musical ceremonies.

If music is the refuge, the portal to other dimensions, the loudspeakers — and the sound system, in general — are the materials and devices that make it possible. With the Sony 636, for analog listening, and the Edifier R1700BT, for digital, my access to the cosmos is very close.

*Prices for products in this item are updated as of June 29, 2023. Values ​​and availability may change.