I got my Edifier S530D free from Edifier themselves because once I joined their 'write a review of the Edifier Esiena iF360' Trial Program

and..... here is my Edifier Esiena iF360 review~
it ends up only me and bro rxy joined

anyways... I don't really own an iPod therefore I chose this awesome Edifier S530D (my dream speaker since I saw Edifier) as my prize

hey, it's cheaper than the iF360 anyways so I guess it shouldn't be a problem

people will ask 'why didn't I chose the flagship model of 2.1 speakers S730D instead?
well I gotta say I love the S730D but due to it's heavy 10" speaker unable to provide quick response to bass, it doesn't suit my taste~ (oo... it rhymes~)

Here you go~ my Edifier S530D


Packaging

comes in a pretty huge box
corrugated cardboard, pretty much average, you can't complain because these are cheap but good



as you can see here, everything is protected with polystyrene foam to protect the prize inside
good enough to survive a few knocks and such

and~ some plastic lining to cover all shiny parts free from scratches just like a brand new smartphone



there you go~
what you see here is what you get when you buy the S530D

Looks and quality and such
Nothing much to talk here though.
You get what you paid, the workmanship is awesome as you can actually feel that the paint is solid and the speaker cabinets are actually solidly heavy.
It is unusual for computer speakers to be as heavy as this but hey, the heavier the better! It's what speaker cabinets should be.
I've experienced crappy computer speakers made of thin MDF wood or plastic and they are indeed crappy. Once the bass kicks in, the Speaker Cabinets move by itself

Such a waste of energy.

For the Edifier S530D I don't think it could possibly move even if I try to push it (well the satellites does move when I push for sure but it requires more force though but the subwoofer is almost impossible)
The rubber feet are just awesome as it grips very well to any surface +1

The remote... yea~
Talk about the wired remote brings me to a few comments.
I'm happy on how the new batch have an even more solid feeling knob compared to the old batch version. You get the luxurious volume knob that rolls smoothly unlike the previous ones that felt cheap and broken.

However the plastic front isn't as resistant to scratches. Knowing that I barely touches the remote, eventually the remote receives a collection of messy scratches especially on the bottom part with that mute and input button.
Didn't touch... got scratched badly... mysterious eh?
I'm guessing that the scratches appears because of the dust accumulation. Oh well

It's fun to stare at the Blue LCD display though... I have no idea why but the blue mesmerize me XD

Wireless remote however... it's a plus to have such useful device with you but I find the wireless remote useless because it stays inside the dock untouched for long. In fact I've even removed the battery inside to extend it's life since I don't use it anyway~

This post has been edited by power911: Dec 4 2012, 12:58 PM

Have you heard of HiVi? I will give them a try

aww lol don't mess my reviews ==

yes I've heard of it but It's hard to order them here in Malaysia
do want one tho... but not sure when will I able to buy one
D1080MKII 08 and T200B caught my eye since the first time I saw it

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Added on continue
anyways~ let me continue my review first XD

Setting up

yup... setting up is a headache sometimes due to the heavy subwoofer but once you got them right it's a blast to listen to~

But hey~ how does it sound? does it sound good?

oh yes it does sound good. you can't complain much because the S530D is somewhat the few only surviving BIG computer speakers.
I know the days where Logitech used to produce crazy sized computer speakers like the Z680, Z5300, Z2300(legend), Z5500(true legend) where people are able to have the impression of 'The Bigger The Better'

but since those computer speakers are discontinued, there's nothing much you can do other than going into this Edifier S530D
There's Corsair SP2500 left to battle with the mighty S530D

oh wait let's not talk about other brands here first, we will continue that later~


SQ First Impression
Well as everybody knows... Brand new speaker is like a new butterfly that just popped out of it's cocoon...
It's not going to sound great on it's first few runs but hey, The Edifier S530D sounds pretty awesome on the first few run~

Though I gotta say the subwoofer is lacking in power and the trebles is just painfully awful at first, the performance is awesome.

The mids~ oh the mids are just lovely~
fresh from beginning it provides the warmest mids I've ever owned in my collection (ignoring my dad's old hifi setup)


After months of playing
Improvements are minor... it takes many months,many hours to get it to sound to it's extend. (on other words, it grows pretty slowly)
I've even had to force burn-in to get some part of the speaker well exercised for future use.
The subwoofer did 40Hz for 1 hour per day everyday for 6 weeks with gradually loud volume to ensure every part of the woofer suspension gets exercised
The satellite done with pink noise for 2 hours per day for 2 weeks to get everything going.
Then after that hassle I decided to give up and let it do self burning by playing casual music sessions since April till now

Now
Though it's been months playing with it and nothing changed... I've finally decided to do a review now haha XD

Performance wise:
I'd say it's the ultimate Computer Speakers that I've ever owned by far.
Suits almost ALL genres no problem
The clarity is awesome to me but one have to try it themselves to know the transparency of the sound produced.
Do note that the S530D is pretty sensitive with the source so pair it with a good(or decent) soundcard or it'll sound very bad.

The trebles from that silk dome tweeter is indeed sounded silky and smooth.
It was like some plastic trash at the beginning but for now it's just smooth~

The mids remain warm and syrup smooth just how I like it since I received it, but with better response now

The bass, though sometimes interfere with the mids, is great and strong enough to energize me

However... the Sub-bass part is a little disappointing. Maybe it's the size 8 inches subwoofer that cause the speaker diagram to respond slowly... couldn't do much
The bass from the subwoofer is a tad bit slow when it comes to pop,trance,dubstep, or any fast bass beating songs. As if it's slow by 0.25 seconds.
Bass from the satellites has kicked already and a minor lag slows down the woof of the subwoofer.
The problem here is minor and people don't usually notice it especially when you're listening to modern pop or some slow jazz,orchestra... or watching movies and playing games.

But for people like me who loves music like Metal,Dubstep,Trance,etc... you know there's a lag when you're listening to songs.

On many cases it just feels like the subwoofer isn't part of a family.
It felt like buying home theater and buying a different subwoofer to pair with it and realizing that it doesn't blend.
Done a sweep test from 20kHz down to 20Hz and well... it does sounded like it rolls smoothly with no gap but unfortunately you'll be able to feel it when you play music with it.

For example Emi Fujita - 200X

from the album Camomile Plus

There is a couple of bass lines from that bass guitar where the note gets pretty high up and falls back down to bass...
Yea those lines if you know that song...

On normal cases the subwoofer will do the low end... slowly and smoothly the satellites will take over the high bass lines.
But by playing with the S530D, there's a gap where the bass guitar just disappears when the player plays that bass line

Not sure if crossover being a problem or just my ears being fussy but I sure do wish the crossover to the satellites are tuned lower for some support.
Hey, if it is possible I do sometimes wish the satellites receives more better louder pumping bass as sometimes customer may want to use it as a 2.0 stereo bookshelf speaker just like how monitor speakers are able to play bass well without the help of a subwoofer
It is especially great for midnight listening where you don't want your awesome subwoofer to annoy your neighbors.

Did some research and discovered that many bassheads complained that the subwoofer is very weak. Many of those people come from a history of them with a Logitech Z-2300 as their previous speaker
But hey~ The Edifier S530D is not meant to be blasting bloated bass, they are built for clarity without bass messing up the music.

But others said the Edifier S530D sounded dull and boring. Not crisp and the bass doesn't energize them.
Well I can't be sure about that due to how human preference and desire differs from one to another.
But one thing I'm sure is that I love how the S530D sound... just that minor bass lag bugged me a little

But overall I do support this speaker knowing that this got potential if I do some tweaks and such
as we shall continue on my next post

This post has been edited by power911: Dec 4 2012, 01:00 PM

If you follow my posts in LYN you should know that I've done a small modification to improve the subwoofer to suit my preference.

DO NOT EVEN TRY TO OPEN YOUR SUBWOOFER TO AVOID DAMAGE AND TO AVOID VOIDING YOUR WARRANTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH YOUR SPEAKER THEN JUST GO CLAIM YOUR WARRANTY!!!!!! DON'T BE SMART AND FIX YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE CAPACITORS INSIDE ARE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO KILL YOU AND BURN YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EDIFIER SERVICE IS DECENT AND WARRANTY DOES WORK FINE HERE WITH NO HEADACHES... THEY DON'T SCAM PEOPLE HERE!!!!
LET THEM DO THE DANGEROUS JOB SINCE THEY KNOW THEIR PRODUCTS BETTER THAN US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



as you can see I've opened my subwoofer and realized that it is empty and does not have any paddings or dampener.
so I wondered what will happen if I throw some padding into it and yea...



Click Here To Check My Short Impressions And More Details!!!!!!

if you have read that thread you should know that it does make small improvements but still it is unable to improve anything especially that bass lag.

do suggest what can be done to my Edifier S530D to improve the subwoofer

This post has been edited by power911: Dec 4 2012, 01:01 PM

Conclusion...

didn't really wanted to conclude here but I'm tired and I ran out of things to write here so...

For RM800 price tag it's a pretty great deal for customers to own one. Done a few research and I'm guessing I'm the only one who complains about the subwoofer...
So don't take the subwoofer matter seriously okay? Listen it for yourself first before agreeing with my words

I've done a few house parties and some blasting too and yet it doesn't disappoint me with it's awesome power and strength without sacrificing the clarity
the power of the subwoofer is able to rattle my cupboards and windows when I play it loud no problem
(the bass power is enough to make your lungs vibrate and strong enough to cause weak people like me wanted to vomit sometimes. Oh bass lover is going to be so HAPPY)

Oh I forgot about the digital section... well... don't bother about the digital connection. It sounded better via analogue connections from the RCA.
It felt like the Optical has a tiny bit digitalized trebles, the Coaxial is a tad better but via Analogue is still the best no matter what.

Hope you enjoyed reading my review... yea I know it's long and annoying but I just wanted to write what I wanted to express so... yea here you go



This post has been edited by power911: Dec 5 2012, 07:27 PM

Aww... I can't spend my precious time reading this. Anyway, it 'should' be a positive review right?

Wow... iF360 really cost a bomb... The one at sri computer half dead already

Anyway, now only I know there is once such erm... "activity" held by Edifier. Free S530D yooo. I would go for S730 too if I'm given the choice

Still can't imagine how if360 cost more or less the same as S730

A well written write up on this monster bro. In regards to your review on the subwoofer, I wouldn't say the bass is weak. More like blending it well with the satellite. That is what a good subwoofer should do instead of drowning the clarity of the sounds with its bass.

Take your time to read... this thread won't disappear

the iF360 costs slightly cheaper than the S550 and slightly more expensive than the S730D XD

iF360 price around RM1199
do expect a lil more grand power out of this small device but... oh well~ read it in my review lol

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Added on December 31, 2011, 1:11 pmHaha thanks
I wouldn't say the bass is weak too... In fact I actually liked the bass amount there. It is by far the most bassy speakers in my collection

but if you said that it blends well with the satellite then I gotta say no because it felt like there's a gap in between where the subwoofer and satellites just won't hold hands.

frequency sweep will show smooth connection with love but when it comes to music they just won't work together
oh well, 8" subwoofer is indeed still heavy~
I guess I got too used to how well Headphones roll their smoothness and also exposed too much on 2.0 studio / monitor / i dunno / my dads' Sony SS-D201 Bookshelves + NAD302 amp combo

This post has been edited by power911: Dec 31 2011, 01:17 PM

Hey i came across ur thread when looking up speakers to buy, im torn between this,aego m,soundsticks 3 and the AL MX6021. It would be such great help if you could give me hints of this matter.

PS. prefer clear sounding, controlled bass, no need to be loud. battery dying, gtg.

controlled bass... Aego M seems controlled
MX6021 do have tight bass but I'm no fan of it's trebles though
Soundsticks III is awesome too...

oh where is Creative Gigaworks T3 and Corsair SP2500?

Haha ur right bout those,two, btw awesome review! Really appreciate ur input.

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Added on January 2, 2012, 8:42 amIm getting the S530D today btw, did you add more dampeners(fish tank filter) ? hows the sub afterwards? and do you recommend me to get a center bar for midrange as well?

This post has been edited by rafazafar: Jan 2 2012, 08:42 AM

The fish tank filter just remove those minor little ringing sound created by echoes inside the subwoofer.
It actually sounds great to many but I just don't like it.

Doing it or not does not much difference actually. In fact you have to add a LOT to actually feel the difference.
I add them because I hear the ringing echoes. Many did not do so because they didn't hear it, so it didn't bother them.
(oh man I hate my sensitive ears... they are too fussy)

anyway, only do it when the warranty expires if not opening it will void the warranty

Center bar? for what?

are you going to use it for movies? cuz in my opinion having that center speaker for music sucks. it destroys the feel of stereo image
kinda explains why I like a decent 2.0 stereo setup instead of a 2.1 because 2.1 includes a MONO subwoofer.

This post has been edited by power911: Jan 2 2012, 11:02 AM

Ill give it a try first as i have no experiance with decent speakers only earphone/headphones. Ill be using it for movies and music and ya i get what u mean by the 2.0. Unless i get my own crossovers for pure midrange. And good soundbar. Anyway. Ill update and tell anything interesting i find with the speakers here. Tjanks

Tjanks? hmm... interesting

POwer911,your wired controller got encounter needed to hold "MUTE" button for 2-3 second just MUTE?

Same here. The unit i tested at he shop turned off if the mute button pressed for a long time. But mine just mutes lol. Ps. Havent red the manual. Love the sub, but i passed it thru an EQ and -10db around 77hz. Helps tame the bloat. Also setting lower bass but higher sub help make it sound bit faster. As for highs a 5db boost at 2.5k and 4k region gives it bit more transparency. Havent tried optical input and coax yet, can comment on that. Anyway, thanks power911, its a worthwhile buy. I compared it to c5 c3 and also the s730 and true enough the sub isnt as well controlled. But i guess can expect much around this price.. Ill update on how the sub pairs with other devices soon. Got my foxl . Keh keh.
Oh and ur spot on about the music,gaming,movie thing. The soundsticks and aego m were much better at reproducing music but the s530 isnt far off, with eq its barely noticibal. Maybe instrument seperation bit lacking.

Wow its getting long. Gtg bye..

yup... have to hold for a couple of seconds. Didn't bother me but time is gold.

Nice review, power911.

Thank you for support!

Is it really okay stuffing so much of foam? Does the sub has an external heatsink to dissipate the heat generated by the amplifier?

In my S2000, Edifier stuffs the foam inside, just infront of the port to tighten the bass. Stuffing so much just restrict the air movement and reduce (or in other words tighten up) the bass.