Introduction
Edifier S3000PRO, what makes it pro? Is that the 6.5-inch woofer? Is it the XLR connectors? Or is it the ability for the speaker to play hi-res audio via USB? You can read all about it in this review!
Features & Specifications
First, let’s kick off this review with a video and the features, followed by the specifications!
Frequency range
38Hz~40KHz
THD + N
0.3%
Signal-to-noise ratio
85dBA
Input Type
Line in, Balanced, Bluetooth, Optical, Coaxial, USB
Total power
R/L (Treble): 8W+8W RMS | R/L (mid&bass): 120W+120W RMS
Input sensitivity
Line in: 600 ± 50mV | Balanced: 1000 ± 50mV | OPT/COAX: 400 ± 50mFFs | Bluetooth: 450±50mFFs | USB: 400±50mFFs
BAS DRIVER
6.5” (179mm)
Remote control included
Yes
Unpacking
It is time to unpack the speakers.
In this case, Edifier puts the speakers in a box and a box.
Of course, the specifications are also listed on the side of the box, as well as the connections and features.
The woofer of the Edifier S3000PRO is not very bland. With a 6.5-inch woofer, you can get by quite nicely. And you can hear that, but I will come back to that later!
The speakers are not very light, by the way. The casing is made of real wood, and you can feel it.
Frankly, the speakers look pretty neat. The wooden finish is a bit darker than the photo shows, but that is certainly not the case. We also noticed a grid in front of the woofer with the S1000W, and that is not much different from the S3000PRO. And that, frankly, has something to it.
The grids are clamped to the pins, so it’s not like they fall off when someone walks by.
The back of the speakers is just as interesting as the front. The left speaker only has a power connection and a physical on/off button. This is because the speakers are connected wirelessly.
In the context of ‘this is where the magic happens’; well, then you have to be with the right speaker because this is where all the magic happens.
The right speaker has three controls for volume, treble, and bass (especially with the latter which is a given).
Hilariously, I didn’t even turn on the speaker and I automatically turned the bass down a bit. And with the 6.5-inch woofer, that’s not a bad idea at all.
Below the three volume controls is a button to pair the left and right speakers, but this has already been done by the factory, so it is not necessary. Of course, the power connection and physical on/off button are also located at the bottom.
The S3000PRO has 2-XLR connections and therefore has a lot to offer. This means that it can be connected to a mixing console.
At the top right are the line in (RCA) connections. This allows the connection of turntables or a media player (such as the WiiM which I will come back to later). The USB connection allows it to be connected to a laptop or PC. These speakers can even be connected to a TV or even an amplifier via optical or coax.
The only thing that would be a good addition in my opinion is a network connection. If only these speakers could be made smart.
Movies, series & music
Well, of course, you don’t just have speakers like these for music – nevertheless, that is something they excel at. Because the Edifier S3000PRO has enough connections and features, there is plenty to achieve with it. From playing LPs via the line-in (RCA) inputs or playing TV sound using the optical connection or even a computer via the USB connection, everything is possible. And that also makes it a very nice set. The S3000PRO is also really a speaker set with a very good sound. I was able to review the S1000W in my previous review and they already had good sound, I think the S3000PRO is still a step better. Even though they are not “smart speakers” due to the lack of a WiFi/UTP connection, I actually think they sound better than the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo – if we are talking about the bass only. When we listen to the mids and highs, the S3000PRO comes close to the Formation Duo but not quite yet. And that is quite an achievement!
The S3000PRO has been on for almost weeks and that was actually due to the many different inputs that are possible. From Bluetooth on a MacBook Pro to USB from a computer. In the end, there was always a film, music, etc. played on the speakers. And that freedom is great. The cool thing about the S3000PRO is that it has an extremely deep tone, so you don’t actually need an extra subwoofer for these speakers.
As said; watching movies/series (in addition to listening to music) is a real party. The tones of the speaker are on point, and because the bass is also very deep, it is also a nice sound. The speech of people in movies and series also comes out well, which makes it a very nice set.
And… luckily there is a dial on the back to adjust the bass a bit. If something from John Wick is put on for fun, and the bass is a bit higher, the windows will vibrate at the seams. And it is therefore also wonderful to have the power, and to have to reduce it a bit, rather than having too little and not being able to do anything. This makes it an ideal set for many, a study or even a living room. By the way, it also just comes with a remote control so that the sound (but also the input) is easy to operate.
Does that justify the asking price of 570? Good question. I don’t think you can get a new ‘separate’ speaker set + amplifier for less. In that case, I say ..\. yes.
But… should there be a network connection on the speakers (in combination with AirPlay2 or the like) then you are really done! Unfortunately, this is not included, but there are solutions for that too, for example by purchasing a WiiM Mini Hi-Res Audio Streamer. The supplier sent me one of these. I connected these to the S3000PRO, and they were immediately smart speakers. This allowed me to play Spotify and AirPlay 2 audio wirelessly – from my phone/tablet. The WiiM can be connected via RCA or optical. Because I had connected my TV optically to the speakers, I connected the WiiM via the 3.5mm jack – RCA to the speakers.
What is cool is that Edifier also just sells standards with which these speakers can simply be placed on a stand. For example, the Edifier SS02. This enhances the sound even better.
Conclusion
Edifier has also launched a very good speaker set with the S3000PRO. I must confess that I already liked the S1000W very much as a smart speaker. Still, the S3000PRO stands out head and shoulders above it – and even more so. The grotesque sound of the S3000PRO is amazing. It fills many rooms.
The Edifier S3000PRO speakers connect to each other wirelessly, so there is no need for an extra cable to be laid between the speakers.
The speakers can be used as plug-and-play speakers via USB. When connecting to Windows 11, a driver is installed in no time and the speakers are ready for use. There is also no software involved.
Edifier was a well-known brand for me that regularly appears on various platforms, now that I have been able to play with it, I also understand why. The S1000W received 5 out of 5 stars in the previous review, given the ‘smart speaker’ options and the price of €399.
The S3000PRO is not that smart (can be made that by a system like the WiiM), but do have ‘more’ sound than the S1000W. Still, it comes with a price tag. If you have it, it is definitely recommended. If you cannot afford it right away and you are looking for such speakers, the S1000W may also be a good option.
As said before, the only thing it lacks from me is a network connection, then this set would have received 6 out of 5 stars from me. With that, the S3000PRO then competes a lot away on the market.
Despite the slightly higher price of the S1000W, the Edifier S3000PRO also gets 5 out of 5 stars.
What a set…I’m going to put my windows back in….. 😉
