Home 5.1 surround sound doesn’t have to run you into the thousands, if you’re willing to shop around there are some top options for more affordable prices. The Edifier e255 active speaker system is one such option, but how does it perform?
Edifier e255 Rating: 4 out of 5
Consisting of one sub-woofer, three forward-facing speakers and two rear speakers (L+R), these can be configured as a 3.1 setup or all included for a full immersive effect. Most people will be used to having a 2.1 audio experience, with a left and right speaker providing stereo sound. For many applications, this is enough, watching online video content or listening to music for example. But when looking to make the most of rich video content, adding a high-level speaker setup to compliment can significantly enhance viewing and gaming experiences.
Edifier’s e255 system is active, meaning it uses electricity to power each of its component speakers, rather than passively supplying audio from a speaker cable. This means each speaker section has its own power cable and requires a plug socket. If your home space is tight on power sockets, this is definitely something you may want to address when investing in an active surround sound system. Passive speakers can be used simply by connecting a speaker cable to the main amp.
Edifier e255 Review – Setup
This unit arrives in a very large box, about the size of three airport roller bags lined up side-by-side and it’s heavy. But in our line of business, heavy typically translates into quality and in the case of the Edifier e255 system, build quality is top notch out of the box. Each speaker is wrapped in a soft cloth, to keep them nice and shiny. It took about 15-20 minutes to get everything out of the box and get it all set up, there are a lot of cables, despite the fact that the system connects to itself wirelessly.
There are three optical out ports and a single 3.5mm auxiliary input. I chose to go optical directly into my Samsung smart TV in order to maximise the audio quality. I had a medium-sized living space to test the kit out, with the seating placed about 8 feet from my entertainment hub. It didn’t take much fiddling to find a speaker formation that provided a balanced listening experience and the remote allows you to easily tweak the volume of each unit individually for fine tuning.
It did take a couple of attempts to pair the front set connected to the main centre front-facing speakers and the rear set, including the subwoofer. But once connected the system finds its constituent parts automatically from then on, which removes the hassle of pairing each time.
Edifier e255 Review – Look & Design
As I said in my introduction, this speaker system has a reassuring weight to it and the design also implies quality and craft. Using a decidedly sixties contemporary aesthetic, the e255 system looks perfectly at home in a modern setup, adding a bit of flair to the living room, especially if you go with the lipstick red set. We were sent the white ones which you can’t go wrong with, everything looks clean in white or black.
Edifier e255 Review – Sound quality and use
The system comes with a slick remote, unencumbered by loads of buttons, making it easy to control. But in case you misplace the remote or don’t have it to hand, the main unit has an OLED display and touch-sensitive buttons on the top of it for power, source and trimming/volume. In total the e255 system has an output of 400 watts (RMS 16W x 5 treble + 20W x 5 mid-range + Subwoofer RMS 220W), which is great for a home environment.
Whether playing games, or watching movies, the Edifier system offers a broad range of audio fidelity to deliver impactful hits, explosions, bullets and car revs. Without a doubt the system enhanced entertainment experiences, particularly for gaming and 4K film action. However, it was overkill for casual television watching.
As mentioned before, the e255 has an AUX in and an impressively stable Bluetooth 4.0 option, so can be easily connected to mobile devices as well. However, it is lacking HDMI support, a key component of lossless surround PCM audio, so it may not be one for absolute audiophiles. Aside from that, the only real let down for me was that the system didn’t quite deliver the quality that I was hoping for in the music department.
Compatible with Digital Dolby, DTS and Dolby Pro Logic II sound, this multi-speaker setup does a fantastic job of separating contextual audio and creating an immersive audio soundscape for complementing visual content. For example, bullets in FPS titles feel as though they are literally whizzing past you and enemy footsteps correlate to their proximity to you, providing a distinct advantage when playing games where you’re trying to be stealthy.
But when it comes to just listening to music, the e255 system doesn’t quite offer enough texture for most musical genres. Saying that, live music and classical/acoustic performances do sound life-like, with the e255 system giving this specific type of audio experience a genuine presence. Switching to Digital Dolby Pro Logic II, which converts 2.1 into 5.1 channels, helps to enhance the audio performance of music that doesn’t lend itself to spatial mapping, along with regular television. It also offers content-specific modes that automatically balance the speakers in place of a dedicated EQ function. For example: Movie mode will enhance explosive action and voices, while Music mode increases the panning range and gives you a positional sense of the performers in a band. It won’t give you the same immersive feeling, but it does go a little way to combatting a sense of hollowness with certain media.
Edifier e255 Review – Verdict
At around £600 this is by no means a cheap audio system, but if you want to get the most out of your home entertainment, you should spend a little extra and invest in a system that not only looks fantastic but also does a great job of enhancing visual content.
It can’t be all things to all people though, so if listening to music is a primary focus for you, this system may not tick enough boxes. However, if you’re into gaming and watching ultra high-definition movie and TV content, this is a strong choice. The e255 system in a 5.1 surround-sound configuration will place you firmly in the thick of the action for an immersive experience that is rich and impactful.
