Okay, I’ve been playing around with the Edifier ES60 for a while now, and I’m ready to share my thoughts. You might remember I checked out its smaller sibling, the ES20, a bit ago. This ES60 is definitely a step up in size and, as I’ve discovered, in sound. And don’t forget the price, it comes in at around $98.99 on Aliexpress
Right out of the box – well, not literally out of the box, but you know what I mean – the ES60 has this really cool, retro vibe. It’s got this faux leather wrapping pretty much all around, and the front grille has a classic, almost vintage amplifier look, especially with that metallic Edifier badge in the corner. I opted for the black version this time, and I think it looks even sleeker than the blue ES20 I had. It feels solid, premium even, and it’s definitely a speaker that wouldn’t look out of place on a stylish desk or shelf.
One of the neat design touches is this ambient LED strip that runs along the bottom edge. It casts a soft, warm glow downwards, which is a nice touch, especially in a dimmer room. You can switch between a warm yellow and a clean white light using the Edifier Connex app, or turn it off completely. I appreciate that they didn’t go for a full-blown RGB light show here; it just wouldn’t fit the mature, retro aesthetic they’re going for.
On top, you’ve got five clearly marked buttons: one for the light effects, volume down, play/pause, volume up, and the power button. There’s also a small microphone hole, a series of tiny LEDs for battery indication, and another for Bluetooth status. Around the back, there’s a USB-C port. This is not just for charging; you can also use it as a digital audio input, which is a handy option. There’s also a built-in lanyard, which is a nice practical touch for carrying it around, though it’s substantial enough that you won’t be just casually swinging it.
Now, let’s get to the heart of any speaker: the sound. This is where the ES60 really impressed me. For a speaker of its size, which isn’t massive but definitely larger than your average portable, it pumps out a surprisingly large and dynamic sound. Edifier markets this as a 360-degree speaker, and it does have drivers on both the front and back. Specifically, you’re looking at two 8-watt tweeters (one front, one back) and a larger 18-watt dynamic driver on the front. Plus, there’s an oval-shaped passive radiator on the back, covering about two-thirds of that rear panel. This setup contributes to a total output of 34 watts, which is plenty powerful.
The dynamism is what really got me. It handles a wide range of frequencies really well. The bass performance is good, especially the sub-bass. I threw Daft Punk’s “Doin’ It Right” at it, which has some notoriously tricky low-end sequences. The ES60 managed to render two out of the four toughest sub-bass parts with a really satisfying, fierce rumble. The other two were a bit too deep for it to fully articulate, but for a speaker without a dedicated woofer, handling even that much is impressive. The mid-bass thumps are present and punchy, though perhaps not as deep as some might crave. I’d say it excels more in that sub-range rumble than sheer mid-bass impact.
Mid-vocals are very present, with a slight forward tuning. This means voices often sound like they’re just a touch ahead of the rest of the music, which can be great for clarity. The highs are well-rendered, sparkly, and clear. Even when I cranked the volume up, they didn’t become harsh or muddled, which is a common pitfall for many speakers.
Speaking of volume, this thing gets LOUD. At around 25%, it’s perfect for personal listening in a small space. Push it to 50%, and it comfortably fills a small bedroom. I even tested it at 70-80%, and I could hear it clearly from downstairs! Anything above that was genuinely too loud for me to test comfortably in my home. I’m quite curious how it would perform in a larger space like a small hall. If volume is a concern for you, rest assured, the ES60 delivers.
Battery life is quoted at 9 hours per charge at 50% volume with the LED off, which seems pretty accurate in my experience. That’s a decent amount of playtime for most situations. It also supports multipoint Bluetooth, so you can connect two devices simultaneously, and if you have two ES60s, you can pair them for a true stereo experience.
The microphone quality for calls is… okay. It’s there, and it works. In a quiet environment, my voice was understandable, though it did sound a bit muffled. When I simulated some background noise, the person on the other end could still hear me, but it doesn’t seem to have aggressive environmental noise cancellation for the mic itself. It’s fine for a quick hands-free call, but I wouldn’t rely on it for important business meetings in a noisy café.
Latency is another area to consider. For watching movies or YouTube videos, it’s perfectly fine; I didn’t notice any distracting lip-sync issues. However, for fast-paced gaming, like PUBG, there’s a noticeable delay between an action on screen and the corresponding sound. So, if you’re a casual gamer, it might not bother you, but for serious competitive play, you’ll probably want something with lower latency.
The Edifier Connex app is pretty basic. It shows the speaker and its battery percentage. You can select your input source (Bluetooth or USB audio). The “Sound effects” section gives you four EQ presets: Music, Game, Movie, and Outdoor. Unfortunately, there’s no manual EQ, and honestly, cycling through these presets didn’t make a huge difference to the sound profile for me. The “Light effects” section lets you choose the LED color (yellow or white), the lighting style (static, breathing, emergency light, or ambient light off), and adjust the brightness.
There’s also a volume control, which feels a bit redundant since it just mirrors your phone’s volume. If you’re playing audio, media controls will appear here too. Under the settings, there’s an “Audio channel setup” which allows you to configure how the front and rear tweeters perform, which is an interesting touch for fine-tuning that 360-degree effect. You’ll also get firmware updates pushed through the app.
Price-wise, it comes in at around $98.99 on Aliexpress. As always, it’s worth shopping around for deals. So, what’s my final take on the Edifier ES60? I really like this speaker. It offers a fantastic sound experience for its size and price point. The design is gorgeous, it gets impressively loud, the ambient light is a nice touch, and the battery life is solid. It’s not perfect – I do wish it had a better Bluetooth codec than just SBC, and the lack of manual EQ in the app is a bit of a miss.
The microphone could be clearer, and the latency isn’t ideal for serious gaming. However, for most people looking for a stylish, powerful, and portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers a rich and dynamic sound, the Edifier ES60 is a very compelling option. It covers a lot of bases really well and offers good value for what you’re getting.
