Edifier ES300 Review – Do It All

Pros –

Attractive minimalist design, Inbuilt lighting, Wide wireless support, Extended and balanced sound

Cons –

Treble detail could be better, Limited eQ adjustability

Verdict –

The ES300 is a mature and well-designed hybrid product that offers great versatility without sacrificing performance.  

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About Edifier –

Edifier is an audio brand from Beijing, China, founded in 1996 by a group of local enthusiasts. They have since expanded into a global powerhouse with a reputation of delivering sleek designs and excellent sound quality at an affordable price point. The company continues to grow, even acquiring STAX in 2012, offering a diverse range of products from speakers to soundbars to wireless in-ears. The company ensures they have a product to suit every need, and all are underpinned by a commitment to quality and sustainability.

Introduction –  

While Edifier has traditionally been known for their bookshelf and desktop speaker options, they have recently been extending into other form factors. This includes some appealing TWS in-ear models, ANC headphones, in addition to expanding their portable speaker lineup. The ES300 is the latest of the latter and serves as a sort of hybrid between their traditional home speakers and smaller portable offerings. Not only does the ES300 have the power to fill a room as a wired, wireless capable bookshelf unit, it also features an internal battery perfect for outdoor gatherings and multi-room listening.   

The ES300 is available for $399 AUD at the time of writing. You can read all about it and treat yourself to one on Edifier’s wesbsite here!

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Lesley from Edifier very much for their quick communication and for providing me with the ES300 for the purpose of review. All words are my own, and there is no monetary incentive for a positive review. Despite receiving the speakers free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

Contents –

• Page 1: Intro, Design, Usability
• Page 2: Sound & Verdict

Specifications –

• Drivers: 4-inch Mid-bass, 2x 1.25″ silk tweeter
• Frequency Response: 56Hz – 40kHz
• Wireless: BT5.4, ALAC, LDAC, SBC, AirPlay 2
• SNR: >85dB
• Weight: 3.7 kg

Behind the Design –  

4 Speaker Design 

At its heart lies 4 drivers split between dual 1.25” silk dome tweeters and a single long-throw 4” woofer. The output is enhanced by DSP, dynamic range compression (DRC), and a two-way active crossover with dual Class-D amplifiers offering 15W RMS per tweeter and 30W RMS for the tweeters and woofer, respectively, for a total 60W RMS of output. 

Flexible IO 

The ES300 supports up to 24-bit 96kHz audio with a high-res capable in-built DAC that can be directly connected to a source via USB. Wireless connectivity hasn’t been neglected either, featuring BT 5.4, LDAC and ALAC via Apple AirPlay 2, which allows seamless wireless streaming and simultaneous playback on multiple ES300s. The speaker also supports multi-point connection to two Bluetooth devices. A 3.5mm analogue input is included to maximise versatility.  

Unboxing –  

Edifier offers a simple unboxing experience that is flattering and professional. Opening the graphic box reveals the speaker within a protective card inlet with a non-scratch plastic and fabric sleeve. At the bottom is the accessory box including a 2-pin AC power cable, a 3.5mm AUX cable and a USB-A to USB-A cable for those wanting to use the internal DAC. Of note, the ES300 does not use a power adaptor of any kind as the power supply is internal. 

Design –  

Edifier have always made handsome products, but their recent releases have upped the game with more visually distinct, modern and minimalist silhouettes. ES300 encapsulates this perfectly. Its exterior offers a timeless faux leather texture with metallic accents tracing the perimeter of the fabric grill and control bar on the top face with matching Edifier emblem too. I admire the coordination on the Ivory model, in particular, with its matching bronze/gold accents that look premium but tastefully subdued. The contrast on the black model also looks terrific and it’s good to have these two options to suit any room’s aesthetic. I find the minimalist styling very appealing in general and a good complement to a wide range of settings.   

The base has two elongated anti-vibration feet that offer excellent grip and prevent rattles, and wandering even when the speaker is playing at higher volumes. Frosted acrylic offers soft ambient lighting that traces the perimeter of the base and can be controlled via the Edifier Home app. The control bar on top also illuminates, which aids usability in the dark due to Edifier’s use of capacitive controls on all but the power button. Not all are a fan of touch buttons, I found them to work reliably, and each is inset into the panel, which aids tactility. Volume and lighting brightness can be controlled by touch dials or via the app. 5 LEDs denote the remaining power level for the internal battery.  

Usability –  

Connectivity 

At the rear is where users will find the IO alongside two vertical bass reflex ports. The ES300 has an integrated DAC/AMP capable of wired connection to compatible sources via a USB-A to USB-A connection. Connecting to my Windows PC, the ES300 was recognised without installing any additional drivers. I do wish Edifier had used a more traditional connector standard like Type-C, as A-A cables are quite uncommon. AUX is supported too via a 3.5mm port. I appreciate that the gain is equivalent for all inputs, so you don’t have to worry about volume matching when switching between sources.  

Wireless 

The ES300 support both BT5.4 and WiFi, enabling wireless operation via SBC, LDAC, ALAC and AirPlay 2. The power button is illuminated by an RGB LED that changes colour to denote the source; a single press cycles through each. The ES300 supports multipoint BT as well, so it can switch between two simultaneous BT connections. I found the connection reliable and simple. The speaker has a strong range, so you can move between rooms without fear or losing connection. There is an inbuilt 5200mAh battery offering 12 hours of playback. In my testing, at medium volumes, this is very achievable even using LDAC. Charging is available through the built-in power supply, so you only need a 2-pin cable, and it connects directly to AC – you can also run off AC permanently if desired.  

Edifier Home App 

The Home app is one of the better smartphone apps from an audio-focused company I’ve tested. It has a clean, intuitive UI and is responsive and dependable, which isn’t a given even in 2025. To connect the speaker to the app on first use, the ES300 must be in AirPlay mode, but it can be used in other modes once initial connection is established. The app offers similar functions to the onboard controls, such as volume, playback, source and lighting mode and brightness.  

It also offers some additional settings such as lighting colour (only white and yellow), stereo mode and 4 preset EQs with a custom 6-band EQ with 3dB of adjustability either way. It’s not a huge amount of customizability, but enough to create audible changes for your room and preferences – I enjoyed bumping up the 62Hz band for low volume listening, for instance, and lowering 250Hz when placed in a corner. You can also access a digital user manual, toggle multipoint, power off/timer power off the device and enable or disable audio prompts. The app also enables the user to pair two speakers in stereo without using AirPlay.  

Next Page: Sound Breakdown & Verdict