The Edifier MP700 Rave
Introduction Disclaimer
I was given this sample in exchange for my honest opinion and impressions. I would especially like to thank Kathryn for getting in touch for purpose of this review. I have been involved in audio for about 5 years or more now, listened to countless setups, mostly headphones and earphones but here we go again my second speaker review.
Inside the Box
It’s that time again let’s hop into the unknown and what is to be expected when you crack this sucker open. Side note not relevant at all but my cat seemed to like the box as he wouldn’t actually let me open the bloody thing when it arrived, cute as anything to watch though. One thing I would like to add here though is the smell when you open the box is a pleasure I don’t know why or how but these speakers came smelling like a brand new car off the showroom floor. Before I even started listening I was there sniffing for a good 20 seconds not that you needed to know that and it’s not like I have a habit or anything (eyes darting from side to side) haha.
Now we have a fairly minimalist array of accessories but I wouldn’t really expect much anyway, this is a portable Bluetooth speaker so I’m happy with what was included maybe a carry case would have been nice but meh it affects me not.
Inside you get:
- One 5V charging plug
- One Aux cable
- One User Manual (Men need not apply), wait I don’t think I’m allowed to say that, that’s not PC surely… Ah well it’s out there now I mean come on how many of us macho idiots actually read the manual anyway.
Kidding aside you’ll have everything you need to get your new toy up and running.
Features
- Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity with NFC
- Up to 8 hours play time with built-in rechargeable batteries
- Water and dust resistant to withstand harsh outdoor conditions (not for underwater use)
- Digital sound processing and dynamic range control
- Volume controls
- Optional AUX 3.5mm Jack input
- Power button/output control
- USB Output for charging you mobile device (audio device) on the go
- 7600mAh Battery
Specs
I’ll drop a bullet pointed list below so you can see what’s under the hood of this beast.
- 2x 70mm drivers
- 2x 19mm tweeters silk dome tweeter
- 3x Passive radiators giving a total power output of 36W
- Total power output:8Wx2(Treble)+10Wx2(Midrange and bass)
- Signal to noise ratio: ≧85dBA
- Frequency response:80Hz ~ 20kHz(±3dB)
- Input sensitivity:800±50mV
- Input type: Auxiliary/Bluetooth
- Weight about 3.5 pounds,
- Dimensions: 11” x 4.3” x 2.6” (Not including handle)
Build Quality/Design
Boxed up and ready to go, the MP700 offers a very lackluster design and whilst might not be the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world to look at, it does however function quite well in terms of realistic practicality.
This thing is packaged up like a beast and I’d happily carry it around as a backup weapon, the thing is tank like to say the least. I would have expected nothing less though as the aim was for on the go outdoor listening so of course it needs to be able to sustain some wear and tear.
Edifier mentions this is water resistant whilst I wouldn’t recommend taking a bath with the thing a few rain drops and splash will do little to nothing to affect this beauty. The speakers are encased in a durable metal and the buttons in that super soft plastic you just want to touch and feel up all day, maybe that’s just me….
Located on the top of the box you will find your three primary function controls i.e Power, Input selection and volume control. Look to the side and you’ll see the little rubber flap concealing the auxiliary input, USB output and of course your DC power port.
I don’t find the design or size overly obtrusive and Edifier have tried to spice things up with a little patterned design on each side of the speaker. Last but not least you will find an almost perfect brushed metal handle/stand for when/if you decide to lug this thing about with you for your travels.
At this point I want to mention the handle does shift all the way to a 90-degree angle and whilst useful for propping the thing up, if you like to angle your speakers correctly like me then you might have wanted them to have opted for a slightly more flexible design. I would have liked about an extra 45 degrees or maybe just a little stand on the back to make my own adjustments, anyway that small blemish aside we shall continue with the review.
Functionality/Connectivity
Not much needs to be said here so I can keep this to a paragraph. The Bluetooth functions as it should, giving you an ample range of up to about 30 meters with my iPhone at least. Literally, for testing I had to leave my house and walk down my drive before it cut out. Pairing is simple, controlled by the power button through a series of clicks you’ll see a tiny blue led flash when pairing and to indicate it’s on, a solid red led shines when hooked up via the auxiliary input and the function is selected and that’s really all she wrote.
Battery Life/Useful feature
As you know in today’s modern times we all need as much juice as we can get from our devices as we survive in this workaholic day life. I have been able to confirm the 8 hours of playback is a very realistic time when being played at about 65% max volume.
The other neat feature which you get is the option to charge your device via the USB port provided which according to the box is kicking out 5V not sure what that works out to maybe 1A or 2.1A either way charges my phone faster than the battery goes down so it’s a big plus in my book.
Of course you’ll expect a little less than 8 hours of playback if you are charging your devices as well but in my humble opinion this offers plenty enough juice to get you through the day on a full charge. Charging time took about 3 hours from flat-full.
Sound Quality
It’s harder for me to describe the sound you get from speakers built more for portability unless they truly excel in one way or another. I suppose one of the major questions here for some people looking to buy would be how loud can it go? Don’t worry I will cover that just rest assured it’s enough sound to fill a room comfortably.
I usually like to split things down into categories but I will for a change of pace be describing the sound as a whole. This is more to do with the fact of how this speaker was designed and picking out each instrument was never what this was designed for.
On the whole you will get a smooth, lush and rich overtone of notes, please do not be mistaken into thinking this is just some bass cannon aimed at those late night parties where nobody cares what’s being played as long as I can’t hear or remember anything the morning after kind of deals we are good.
Nope I truly believe Edifier tried to make the MP700 catered to a more refined listen, more of a picnic, cheese, wine, good company and nibbles kind of deal. This can be a fun speaker but strictly speaking for out and out enjoyment disregarding any of our audiophile training this just isn’t top dog.
Every detail in your music will be presented with a glass of milk or milkshake whichever you prefer. When listening to the MP700 I found myself relaxing a lot more, rather than analysing the sound looking for new things or mistakes. In essence the MP700 takes me back to my teenage days where we used to sit on the park and try and play our music as loud as we could with the crappy speakers you’d plug into your phone. (No disrespect Sony we loved them at the time!). I hope I am not losing too much but the point here in a nutshell is these are the type of speakers you want by your side when you are hanging out with friends be it on the go or even a small house party. They just do their job very well.
Bass notes are the most prominent with the midrange following closely behind but in the race for the sound space treble takes a back seat. These are without a doubt a great listen but for the audiophile conscious listener there will be areas which just won’t tick all the boxes.
I like the level of clarity you get with each detail being presented with enough definition to be clearly heard. if it weren’t for that pesky mid bass stealing the spot light this would be a really well rounded portable speaker. By no means is it totally unbalanced but you are leaning towards a more consumer friendly sound.
My hopes for the future would be at the very least a bass adjustment system to balance out the sound because in reality this is pretty kick ass sound for on the go.
Loudness okay for those who want to know how loud the MP700 can go the answer is simple, very. I don’t unfortunately have the equipment to test how loud in DB but I will say this for a house party or an outdoor adventure there is no doubt the MP700 will be able to handle just about everything you throw at it, even at max volume you will find little to no distortion which is a big plus in my book.
Value for Money/Conclusion
In today's crowded audio society innovation and great sound at the right price is becoming harder and harder to achieve. Now I won’t rave about this as the best Bluetooth speaker ever but it certainly would go on my strong recommendations list if you need one. I have seen many offerings by companies some better some a lot worse but the MP700 is just a sweet spot in terms of performance and price.
It won’t win any beauty pageants that’s for sure, but for rugged on the go listening with solid sound for a decent price you can’t really go wrong in picking this up. The fact I can charge devices through that USB slot at the same time is a nice feature I’d like to see more companies offer with bigger Bluetooth speakers.
All in all, this is a great buy if you’re in the market take a look around but be make sure this is on that list because it really is a really solid performer.
As always any questions or comments you have please feel free to leave them below and I’ll do my best to get back to you. Thanks for reading!
^_^