Edifier’s e235 Luna E ($500) is a large 2.1 speaker system with Bluetooth compatibility. The company sells versions of this system for much less ($200-$250), but Luna E adds a gigantic 5.8 GHz subwoofer that the other Luna systems lack. That subwoofer joins with two satellite speakers — one active, one passive — to make up the stereo system. Both satellites use a 3/4” tweeter and a 3″ driver. Luna E can pump out 176 total watts of power. Of course, many users will look to use a system like this as a stereo system for a TV setup. While acknowledging the possibility of these uses, our review will be chiefly concerned about Luna E’s attributes as a home Bluetooth speaker system.
Luna E’s components are two reasonably sized left and right stereo satellite speakers, roughly 8” high and wide, and a humongous subwoofer that looks like it could be a piece of alien technology. The subwoofer is about 15” x 14” high and wide, and it weighs a whopping 22 pounds. As with the satellites, the subwoofer’s design is striking, and it would take a large — or very busy — room for the Luna E system not to become some sort of focal point. You don’t buy this speaker system if you want it to blend in. The system can connect to other electronics via optical or auxiliary input.
One of the satellite speakers has touch controls on its side, but we doubt those will be used often in most circumstances. A small remote comes with Luna E — it’s a bit smaller than an Apple TV remote, which makes it pocketable (but easy to lose). Remote buttons include power, volume, subwoofer volume, and three separate listening settings — 3D, THX, and music. As you might imagine, we found the last setting best for Bluetooth listening. If you’re streaming from your iOS device, you can control playback and/or volume sufficiently from your app of choice.
Luna E’s sound is very good, and makes for an enjoyable listening experience. That being said, at this price—and size—we weren’t completely blown away. We were waiting for a “wow” moment that never really arrived. The massive subwoofer has strong, deep bass, which is no surprise, but we also found it could cause the sound signature to be a bit askew with certain songs. Out of curiosity, we tried the satellite speakers without the subwoofer—a setup that that Edifier sells for half the price. While losing the powerful bass of the huge subwoofer, we sometimes preferred the sound of the more balanced satellites on their own.
Solely as a Bluetooth speaker, e235 Luna E feels a bit like overkill. It brings the bass with strong overall sound, but the older Luna configuration without a subwoofer offers more bang for the buck. (We won’t be giving a separate rating to that particular setup.) Other high-end Bluetooth speakers offer sound that’s at least as good, without taking up a space in various sections of a room. Some are even portable, and Luna E certainly is not. If you’re interested in e235 Luna E as a sound system for your TV, you probably shouldn’t be dissuaded. We wouldn’t completely dismiss it as a music listening system, either—but you should be in love with the design in order to make the plunge.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: Edifier
Model: Edifier
MSRP: $500
Compatibility: Bluetooth-compatible iOS devices