aktimate mini to edifier qr65, is this a good upgrade?



my aktimate were spoiled, so i sent for local repair. donno what the fella did but the speaker worked after that. but speaker is old so i felt it was time for an upgrade.

So was my choice of a edifier QR65 a good choice? or not. Seeing what speaker i used previously


I was looking at other alternatives i saw mentioned,

- Ora 4


- Kali Audio LP-UNF




the thing is, the edifier was on sale, so i get a qr65 AND a T5 subwoofer, for the price of either of those other options. with voucher came down to about RM1,690



my intended usage for desktop pc speaker for gaming, youtube and just music. Can't be too noisy because of neighbors though i do enjoy some nu-metal so hope speaker good for that kind of music.


i also bought some speaker stands to get the speaker ear level, and to free up room on desk. it will look similar to his setup (they also use the qr65 with the stands i ordered)




anyway i'm not an audiophile expert, wondering if the senpais have any opinion on this speaker i bought and whether it was a good choice or i made a mistake and should have bought something else



PS: i see some youtube reviews they said the QR65 bass is fine as is. But i don't think so. If you watch this youtube there is a side by side comparison. Big difference between subwoofer and without




*update

speaker and woofer arrived. the speaker smaller than the aktimate

tested music doesnt sound worse so...


tried a couple of songs, seems best with techno/dance

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 24 2025, 04:10 PM

What's your opinion on the T5 subwoofer?
I too ordered the QR65 but not the T5.
Thinking whether I should add on.

in reddit and youtube they said 40%

but when i tried that and this music

- robert miles deborah luca remix



the bass is booming so i can test how loud it gets. so it was shaking the walls. not good for condo.

so i settled on this setting for my woofer




i ask edifier they recommend LPF to set to 65





phase i assume is directional? since i place the woofer too close to wall i assume i should set to 180 to face the bass straight to me instead of against well? my assumption (im newb also on reddit i read some dj friend reco set to 180, so thats what im using )



windows set like this. max vol 100% in windows. i only use the speaker knob to control volume after that





robert miles one and one remix testing for the bass. sounds good




also this, phat bass aquagen remix




this biggie smalls song, the bass is also boomy to test the bass


this song also good. the bass with my setting you can still hear the bass thumping comfortably






this one tests the bass quite well. to check if its shakes too much or not.




all these songs im mostly testing the speaker + subwoofer to check the bass is set right so the walls dont shake and too noisy, or the neighbor will murder me



oic, u order qr65 as well but without t5? its on sale though, i honestly recommend it. Did you watch seans youtube video i linked about the the t5 subwoofer? forward to the subwoofer test, he shows u the bass WITH and WITHOUT the subwoofer. BIG DIFFERENCE. Also you can get the subwoofer right now at discount (well the other day it was on discount, not sure about now for me i bought with voucher came down to about RM1,690 for both the speaker and subwoofer in total)

did i mention the purchase came with free gift? electric tooth brush? U know malaysians luv free gift


also this edifier t5 subwoofer when paired to qr65, can sleep by itself when not in use. i dont know what it considers not in use. no bass? or pc sleep/idle? just know that it has this feature, so u dont have to worry about turning the subwoofer on/off all the time since it auto sleeps/wakes up (of course there is like a 3 sec delay or something, but i think thats perfectly fine). the qr65 has a button on side of the speaker to turn off the speaker on/off when ur done for the day. very convenient. there is also a HARD on/off switch behind the speaker, but i feel thats not needed to use often. the side button is more than enuff for daily use.



fyi for the QR65 speaker volume knob, i'm using between 50-60% mostly. I rarely have to go higher than that, so yeah, it's sufficiently loud enough if you're using for your desktop pc speakers.

I ordered speaker stands will see if audio improves or not.


i was wondering whether to get the white qr65 vs the black. but with the black right in front of me, i like it. some say the tilted speaker stand color does not match the black but is good with the white. but for me it was alright, no big deal. Also with the speaker stand i doubt i will be using the tilt stands, cause no need right when using the stands to aim at ear level

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 25 2025, 12:24 PM

Some good reviews for t5 edifier woofer.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/c...way_too_punchy/

https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/c...fier_t5_review/


It's not perfect but for the price I'm satisfied. Unless somebody can recommend something better for similar price point.

For my newbie audiophile wannabe ears, I think bass was fine after adjustment

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 25 2025, 04:04 AM

I tested the gan type c outlet behind using my ugreen cable to charge my samsung S24 Ultra smartphone. It doesnt do super fast charging 2.0

using my ldnio charger i get working sfc 2.0 on the same ugreen cable. so a charge typically takes 15-20 minutes.

but when trying to charge from speaker just using the cable, it takes an hour.


spec page
https://www.edifier.com/global/p/wireless-speakers/qr65




not a deal breaker for me. would have been nice though if sfc 2.0 was working

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 25 2025, 04:56 AM

to update the speaker firmware, u download the mobile app connex.

no need to register edifier account for the app. when i did and browse around, there is nothing of use doing that. so dont even bother.


the light effect im using that i like is glittering colors. i really like the infinity effect of the lighting, its so bizzare having this on a speakers. sure the typical audiophile will roll their eyes and prioritize the audio, i get it. but you cant hate the the aesthetics but yeah, definitely spend on the audio quality rather than looks. thie qr65 just happen to have both. i dont have a frame of reference to compare it to other than my aktimate minis the sound quality felt like an improvement.


when connecting to speaker through bluetooth, then using the connex app, you can enable LDAC (by default its disabled). Next, you also have to go to your smartphone bluetooth settings and ENABLE the LDAC codec in ur phone settings for the qr65 bluetooth device. Once done, ldac should be working when using it via bluetooth.

ldac if not mistaken prioritizes quality audio over latency, just keep that in mind.


on speaker when i press the side button at the top to toggle modes, i switch from blue "bluetooth" to red "usb", now its using desktop pc for audio source instead of smartphone.

this breaks the connection with the bluetooth for connex app. So if you are planning to use the connex app, you have to be on the bluetooth mode to be able to control it. So no, i dont think u can control the speaker using the mobile app unless ur in the bluetooth mode.

But what if ur listening to desktop pc content? then seems your out of luck. Just use the physical knobs on the speaker to control. If you need finer control using the app, just temporarily switch to bluetooth, make the adjustment, then switch back to usb.

with that sort of thing in mind, it does feel like a lack of a physical control to adjust volume now can be felt. My aktimate came with a physical control so i can adjust volume, mute etc. whereas the edifier only has mobile app, and seems that only works only in bluetooth mode


*update

the speaker front is reflective (the sides covering isnt). If u dont like a mirror, just dont go in front of speaker and look directly. but if its off to ur side u barely even notice it.

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 25 2025, 08:13 AM

testing some lofi music on low volume




can hear the subtle bass without bothering neighbour at night.

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 25 2025, 04:58 AM

noticed this guy, he 3d printed the elevated speaker stands to match the qr65. because the original stands to put the speaker on is bigger than it needs to be




but, if its too small, wont the speaker just fall off though? also the original stand has some sort of grip so the speakers remain still instead of falling off during loud playback did anyone 3d print their speaker stands like this guy?

seems he removed his 3d print file

anyone know where to find the 3d print file for speaker stands for qr65?





This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 25 2025, 05:06 AM

sauce
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/edifier-qr65?...&test_variant=A


so i tested the qr65 with t5 sub woofer, bass feels fine (with the subwoofer )





sauce
https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/home-...-audio-quality/


yeh i can play it fine even at low volume. but its best when u can turn up the vol during the day. but if its night and u need to keep it quiet, it does the job fine does subwoofer bass doesnt go crazy unless u turn up volume, so that keeps it in check.

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 25 2025, 12:58 PM

*update

sauce

https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/c...e_edifier_qr65/


im guessing what he meant is, the usb wire provided, with a fat part, that end should go to the speaker. the other end without the fat part, goes to the desktop pc. for the correct orientation?




tested on sandman metallica seems ok to me?




classical also tested, ok?


This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 25 2025, 03:22 PM

found a good all in one test for speakers



the bass part especially in the final test, it cranks up the frequence Hz so you KNOW when the T5 subwoofer kicks in, and when it doesnt and simply lets the QR65 speaker handle it.

Because if you use the USB for digital, and the LPF on the subwoofer, it simply relegates certain frequenzy Hz for the subwoofer to handle, while leaving the remainder for the speaker to do. So you can use this youtube test to verify more accurately.

Just an update on the bluetooth remote control situation


Set the speaker physical to bluetooth mode. AND THEN, from the connex app, change the input source to USB.

NOW u can use the smartphone to control the audio.


*update

if u switch to headphones after that, then disconnect headphone, the bluetooth for speaker is also lost. So u have to physically set the mode to blue tooth AGAIN, and then select usb streaming AGAIN.

just a minor annoyance.



This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 27 2025, 12:31 PM

By the way I've been tinkering with EQ settings. I changed from monitor preset to pcguides eq setting, sounds much nicer. For me the sounds are more audible. Probably cause of aging hearing 🥲


this is the eq settings i use for myself






another user posted their own eq settings





*update

actually kali lp-unf i checked now is RM1,757.00 (dont know if this includes shipping as well or not. but this price does not include the subwoofer, and thats not on discount afaik), whereas the ora 4 is RM1,946.55 on shopee.

so between those 2, the kali is a no brainer. Kali however seems to be back order, so dont know how long will take for u to get it. the qr65 i ordered took 2 days for delivery.




i check how much is the kali subwoofer




the T5 edifier sub woofer going for RM489. would that work with the kali lp-unf? i dont know.

but this is how u r suppose to connect the kali speaker with subwoofer to the desktop pc




whereas to setup my edifier qr65 to the t5 subwoofer

Desktop PC (USB cable. the fat usb part on the speaker side) to speaker (sub out) to the subwoofer (RCA INPUT). For usb streaming mode setup. this uses the speaker DAC in this setup.

But if u prefer the desktop pc DAC, then use the RCA instead of the usb cable for connecting from pc to speaker.


the advantage of the kali is u can use as is for good audio. At the back of speaker they got dip switches to change to the setup u r using.



ora4 doesnt seem to have an equalizer setting. for qr65 it does via connecting to bluetooth and using the app. while connected to bluetooth, change via app to use usb streaming. so u can still control the speaker via bluetooth while listening to usb streaming. i tested and confirm equalizer settings remain active.

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 27 2025, 12:44 PM

kali lp-unf review


https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comment...new_kali_lpunf/


so based on that i can at least say the edifier qr65 with T5 subwoofer is apartment friendly (almost). But even i could barely set the subwoofer bass to anything more than 10-30% on the dial. Or the woofer would be way too loud. even though now its a softer bass when set low but it can definitely be felt in the next room with door closed (so imagine the neighbour).

with the qr65 i managed to get it to a level that is enjoyable and with controlled bass so it doesnt shake wall too much. but neighbour can definitely hear what music u play.... so depends how tolerable ur neighbour is i guess when i try lower the volume, vol7 seems ok, but vol 8-9 sounds much nicer but is already pushing it with the neighbour. 10-11 would be too loud *max vol using app is 16 fyi.

the qr65 feels best at near field for desktop pc. But even in the next room it can be heard. but from sounds of it, seems the kali lp-unf would have a wider sound if you have a bigger home that needs it.



edifier qr65 specs

Note: qr65 has a sub woofer out on speakers. also uses Silk Dome Tweeters







ora4 spec




kali lp-unf spec



This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 27 2025, 01:49 PM

the cheapest kali lp-unf i found was this

https://livemusic.com.my/kali-audio/kali-au...ir-lp-unf-lpunf






another detailed review on the kali lp-unf



https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/kali_lp_unf/



with stands is RM1,553.00

without stands is RM1,364.00

*sold out


the stands i bought clip to my desk so i prefer those. they were on sale shopee for about RM116 "the Aryl - Desktop Clamp-On Speaker Stand"



normally i dont buy from these sorts of sites, but it seems they do have a store in selangor. so you can always buy from their shop in person if not comfortable with online outside of shopee (reason we use shopee is in case need refund, so they r the intermediary for any possible issues). Also even better, maybe can demo in person before u splurge on them, see if they indeed sound as good as the hype by influencers online


connect kali to sub?




https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/in...with-sub.59752/





honestly had i notice the price sooner i would have checked out the kali for my purchase. but that said, i'm ok with the edifier qr65

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 27 2025, 03:58 PM

I saw a Kali lp-unf in diff store selling for rm 585 discounted price. Is it a scam? On Lazada. Is china overseas.

I trust the Malaysia physical store more

Kali LP unf critic? 🤔

https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/c..._disappointing/

so i asked the store, seems the kali lp-unf out of stock but they probably can order it.

price is rm 1350


u get the power brick cable, the speaker interconnect cable.

BUT, you dont get the cable to connect to desktop pc. For that you need type c usb cable.

Also for subwoofer, you also need to buy that cable separately.

Since you already purchase the QR65, just enjoy using it. Don't compare with other speakers, there's tons of other speakers with variance of price and it's easy to be swayed into the grass is greener on the other side thinking. After listening for some time your brain will get accustomed to the speaker sound profile and feel that it is suited for you. Since you got subwoofer, the placement and LPF adjustment to match the drop off frequency of QR65 is important to get the best sound from the speaker. Anyways, best sound is subjective, so adjust till it sounds the best for you.

In future when you want to change speaker, consider what frequency of sound is most important to you and find speaker that have strong point in that frequency. If you like bass then find speaker that can go very low frequency. For me I like higher frequency / brighter sound so a tweeter that can produce ear piercing sharp sound is a must.

This chart can give some ideas of the different frequencies of the many musical instruments

i inquired if anyone else interested



so a few hundred RM is considered slightly? i think i know where to buy from (best price is livemusic) anyway seems legit.


anyway doesnt seem like there is any demo though they have a store. so no way to test before considering o well.


thx for the chart . But it still doesnt tell someone like me which speaker for the price would fit into that sort of preference. also i kinda want it all cause i listen to a variety of music. usually i just rely on recommendation.

on reddit just not many people say nice things about qr65 just only the paid influencers thats why i thought id try ask here if the audiophile senpais who may have either of these may know more.




dont worry worry i am ty




dont fully agree here. i'm still curious to know specifically so i can make better choices the next time, or just reflect on my own choice whether qr65 or kali lp-unf (or something else) in this price range would have been the better buy. it's good to know these things than remain ignorant i'm sure others too would like to know if they r in the maarket to purchase speakers for desktop pc.

rm1350 for the kali. for the qr65 + t5 woofer is almost rm1700 with discount. if not discounted, qr65 wouldnt be on my radar.

There is the edifier 1280dbs which someone claimed sounded better than the kali lp-unf and cost far less.
https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/c..._disappointing/


there is the db and dbs. the later with the s indicates it has a subwoofer out. 1280dbs going for RM480 on shopee, seems to be one of the lowest for entry level audio? next step up kali lp-unf @ rm1350 or the qr65 + T5 combo (when discounted), or the kanto ora4 (i think prices fluctuate between 1700-2000 have to look around).



not really sure if the 1280dbs is still recommended by others, but it was the one i was looking at for a while, cause i liked the wooden aesthetic and design, and i heard the audio was decent but still priced affordable.

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 29 2025, 05:01 AM

subwoofer in front select 0' phase. behind of u select 180'
turn the woofer face around to match with satelite movements

oof my misunderstanding then. i will fix that ty

i assumed the 180 meant face forward. i didnt know it mean behind. i previously followed here
https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/c...gs_suggestions/


i know ur not suppose to put the sub close wall, i tried. had to put under desk to my right.

Left side had desktop pc (because cables particularly the usb cable to speaker to the pc is too short, so no choice)




https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/c...to_my_r1700bts/

https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/c...gs_suggestions/



https://www.avsforum.com/threads/phase-0-or...e-help.3057686/


https://www.reddit.com/r/Klipsch/comments/t...h_should_i_use/

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: May 29 2025, 01:24 PM

There's too many brands with variance of price especially in the upper RM500 to RM2000 range. If someone recommend a speaker most likely because he/she have heard and feel it's the nicest sound to them. But it might not be the best at that particular price range, or even the best sound to you as everyone have difference preference. Last time I was looking for headphone and one of the most recommended is Sennheiser HD650, which does sound great but for me I still very much prefer the sound signature from Monoprice M1060.

These are some of the brands that I know in the price range
Edifier
AirPulse
Klipsch
Mackie
Audioengine
JBL
HiVi Swans
Microlab
Kanto
PreSonus
Monitor Audio
Micca
Adam Audio
Wharfedale
Elac
Dali

Each brand have many models in the price range and have people feedback on how good the sound is. Been a while since I last checked on speaker and was surprised that even Topping and FiiO have speaker now.

Some years ago Edifier R1280DB was regarded as good valued speaker, not expensive and have good sound. Can say most of Edifier speaker that time is good value and good sound. I myself have R1700BT which sounds better than R1280DB to me, and then upgraded to S1000DB which I feel sounds even better. Then I heard that S2000 MKIII and S3000 MKII sounds even better, or go for the premium AirPulse with it's ribbon tweeter. That's when I put the stop from going down the rabbit hole anymore.

You should check these forums for speaker review and measurements
superbestaudiofriends.org
audiosciencereview.com

And this for list of some new speakers being released
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/in...speakers.49972/

Next time if you're going for the more expensive speaker, my suggestion is to skip active speaker. Get passive speaker and pair with amp, even cheap Topping PA3s amp is powerful enough for most desktop speaker. The most common failure are the electronic components, not the driver.

ty for the tips

what about twitter. silk dome? aluminium dome? does it matter?

anyway enjoying the edifier qr65. whether its worth the price vs a cheaper speaker, hard to say since i dont have a good reference. it sounds good to me though. the aesthetics were just a bonus

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: Jun 3 2025, 12:47 PM

Tweeter driver shape the high frequency, silk and aluminum dome not much different. Planar and ribbon tweeter give much faster and sharp sound, some says the sound more like metallic. If you're not so sensitive on high frequency then won't find it any difference.

Ya as I said as long as you feel the sound is good then it is good enough, if want to compare it will be a never ending comparison.

My ears are aged so I probly won't hear the finer differences 😢

just an update in regards to the qr65 gan charger.

previously when i tried charging directly from the speaker, it would only do the green charging which is slower than blue super fast charging 2.0

so i assumed it couldnt do it.

however now it does, and is indeed blue, and from 1 hour+ charging is now only 20-30 minutes.

so what changed?

i assume because i had 1 more cable connected to it charging something else, so when too many are charging, it drops the charging power hence why it couldnt turn blue.

so mystery solved. yeah super fast charging 2.0 seems to work, but only if u dont charge others things simultaneously from the speaker.

more testing



songs similar to this really make the sub woofer bass quite boomy.

the issue is the shaking throug walls is very audible even from next room (and using imagine through walls on all sides to neighbors)

after adjustment i turn the bass volume almost all the way done. any other setting would be too much for condo/apartment

eventually the neighbor will snap

so i do think they make a good point
https://www.avsforum.com/threads/no-it-is-n...-space.2272226/


i did test qr65 without subwoofer powered on, and its ok, but without the sub woofer it doesnt feel as nice. so i'm in between a rock and a hard place basically.

but if u want to eere on side of caution, maybe do without the sub woofer if you have a similar living condition, cause neighbors may get upset with the bass thumping. doesnt happen all the time, but some songs are more pronounced

anyway with my new setting, i still can hear the T5 sub, but at the lowest i could possibly get it. That me and neighbors can live with

This post has been edited by Moogle Stiltzkin: Jun 4 2025, 01:39 PM