Not every item needs to innovate or redefine an industry to be a worthy purchase for audiophiles and those who like the retro aesthetic; that was precisely my experience with the Edifier ES20 Portable Speaker. What Edifier delivers with the ES20 is a speaker that fits in your pocket, offers strong sound and simple connectivity, and features a design that suggests you could hoist it over your shoulder to play love songs while wearing a leather jacket and a broken heart. Except this box of boom comes in a handy pocket-sized package.
The Edifier ES20 Portable Speaker makes a strong first impression with its faux leather finish and old-school, amp-like appearance. Its textured surface recalls the feel of a guitar or bass amplifier, and the rest of the design follows suit. This gives the ES20 presence in any room, despite being small enough to tuck into a corner.
Setup is as simple as opening the box. An included QR code allows users to link their smartphone operating system—whether iPhone or Android—to the onboard app marketplace and download the Edifier ConneX app. It is worth noting that the app is optional, offering extra control over audio settings if desired.
“The Edifier ES20 Portable Speaker makes a strong first impression with its faux leather finish and old-school, amp-like appearance.”
All someone really needs to do to set the speaker up is press the power button until it powers on (you will hear a small chime) and hold the volume up and down buttons to sync it via Bluetooth to any compatible device. Select “EDIFIER ES20” from the device list, and voilà. Unfortunately, you can’t name the speaker ‘smol guy’ or anything else. Not that I’ve tried.
The Edifier ConneX app provides a handful of presets to toggle in case you’re using the speaker for more than a Labour Day BBQ. The Edifier ES20 is a perfect companion for backyard BBQs, as it provides excellent ambient sound with the outdoor preset. With this mode engaged, the ES20 doesn’t cut across the many separate conversations in motion and remains audible across a modest Queens yard space (or any small outdoor area). Additionally, if you accidentally spray the speaker with a hose, it will likely survive due to its IP67 rating. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend swimming with it.
The Edifier ES20 remains a beacon in the dark when the sun sets for the evening, as it offers a slew of lighting settings for users to experiment with. There is a strip light that adorns the back side of the ES20, illuminating the back of the speaker, and it can be adjusted to the user’s favourite colour (or any other colour on the colour wheel Edifier included). Settings can be adjusted to make the light flicker or go as slow as a human heartbeat.
“Combined with the 55-millimetre passive bass radiator and Class-D amplifier, the speaker delivers a depth of sound not usually found in small Bluetooth models.”
This is a plus for those who ride bicycles everywhere. I strapped the ES20 to my handlebars and was able to go on long night rides. The ES20 can behave like a small light in the dark while cycling. I wouldn’t replace reflectors or other safety equipment while cycling with ES20; it’s just a far safer alternative to hit the road with than a pair of ANC earbuds.
The same applies to the remaining preset functionality in the ConneX app. While playing on an eSports BenQ monitor, it doesn’t come with onboard speakers (like many other gaming monitors), so I used Bluetooth to connect the speaker to the Legion 5i PC, and it worked seamlessly. Even when not gaming, the masterpiece soundtrack of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, along with the arrangements by composer Lorien Testard, remains loaded with depth and musical prowess when played on the ES20.
Instead of buying a new speaker setup for a gaming rig, the Edifier ES20 can replace a broken system in a pinch. When using the Game preset, the onboard 43-millimetre full-range driver makes it easy to sense where sounds are coming from. Combined with the 55-millimetre passive bass radiator and Class-D amplifier, the speaker delivers a depth of sound not usually found in small Bluetooth models. With this depth, the ES20 does not get very loud. While this was a non-issue for me, some audiophiles prefer to drown out the world with music. The ES20 will not do that.
The only problem I have had with the Edifier ES20 is its battery life. Even without the backlight, the speaker lasted only about 10 hours at low volume without presets. With the backlight on, it managed roughly eight hours. Neither figure matches the advertised 15 hours, but this is hardly a deal-breaker. The ES20 has a USB-C port, and charging takes less than an hour to restore it to full power.
The Edifier ES20 is a strong companion speaker. Aside from having lights and being simple to set up, its understated design and depth of sound can keep a party going even when conversation slows. The ES20 does not interrupt, but instead elevates a room to an ambient level just above “let me take off my shoes.” Although battery life needs to be monitored, the Edifier ES20 is a dependable portable Bluetooth speaker that can rescue a stalled audio setup or serve as a companion for a night out. Either way, at its price, the ES20 is worth a look.
