Edifier QD35 Speaker 2024 REVIEW

Edifier tabletop Bluetooth Speaker with 35W GaN charger.

The Edifier QD35 speaker arrived in a 13 5/16 inches long by 7 5/16 inches thick by 10 1/2 inches wide retail package.  The vibrant cover panel displayed the silver-iridescent EDIFIER/QD35 title across the top of the panel, plus a row of product-defining icons (LDAC, Hi-Res Audio, Hi-Res Audio Wireless, Bluetooth) and a multilingual “In-House Bluetooth Speaker” descriptor along the bottom of the panel. 

The main focal point was the large, obliquely angled image of the speaker.  I liked the large body, the see-through design, the image of the clock, and the overall color/design presentation. The left side panel provided a large QR code (App) and iridescent EDIFIER name, while the right side panel listed 8 product feature icons (Hi-Res Audio, RMS 25W+15W, Splendid Light Effects, Bluetooth V5.3, Hi-Res Audio Wireless, 35W GaN Charging, Rich EQs, Edifier Connect App).  The rear panel proved to be busier than the others, listing the features and specifications in EN, FR, ES, DE, IT, PT, JP, and RU.   The lower section listed the product model, manufacturing labels, and SKU barcode.

I lifted the top panel and removed the cardboard QuickStart guide (Download the App, connect to Bluetooth, set the clock, control lights, listen to music, charge).  The visual instructions were easy to understand and were not bogged down with unnecessary commentary/verbiage.  The speaker arrived within an upper/lower cardboard layer, with an accessory box nestled in the lower cardboard cutout.  The QD35 Accessory box provided a sticker sheet, microfiber cloth, a thick multilingual manual with >10 languages, and a thin bag with cables (76 1/4 inches long type-A power cable, 54 1/4 inches long 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable, and a 48 1/2 inches long USB-A to USB-A cable).  

Unboxing:

The 5-pound 13-ounce EDIFIER speaker was wrapped in a thin plastic dryer sheet-like material and outer thin plastic.  I removed the outer protective layers and evaluated the 10 3/8 inches long by 6 1/2 inches tall by 5 5/16 inches thick speaker.  The matte-grey-colored top/side/back and bottom panels contrasted nicely against the see-through clear front panel.  The top panel had twelve 1/2 inches wide by 4 3/16 inches tall grooves within the light grey material and “EDIFIER” printed on the surface in a darker grey color. 

The right side panel had “35W BORN FOR SPEED, BORN FOR SAFETY” printed on the light grey material and provided a USB-A (18W MAX 5V/2.4A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A) and USB-C port (35W Max 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/2.91A, 15V/2.33A, 20V/1.75A).  The display information did a great job at showing the output and integration into the design.  I did not feel that the information was overbearing or detracted from the aesthetic.  The left side panel provided the 3/8 inch diameter power button, and press/turn music EQ (Music Mode, Game Mode, Movie Mode, DIY Custom MODE) button/switch.

Even though I liked the cyber/techie look and feel of the speaker, my wife did not like it. She felt it did not fit with our desk aesthetic, did not match more formal gear/feel, and felt that the lights were juvenile. We did not know why the product was listed as a white color when the surface was actually eggshell to light grey.

The manual started with important safety information, App information/QR code, and listed a speaker overview.  The panel provided a list of package contents and detailed the USB-A to USB-A cable, 3.5mm Aux cable, power cable, cleaning cloth, sticker sheet, and user manual.  It did a good job of showing the USB operating instructions (page 7), Bluetooth connection (Page 8), and the option to charge an external device (Page 9). 

You can plug the speaker into your computer via USB-A to USB-A cable to control the speaker like a peripheral.  From that mode, you cannot control the native speaker volume as there is no volume sync. Rather, you would need to physically control the volume on your computer/speaker independently.  The power cable and 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable were easily understood.  Even though the sticker sheet provided some 80-90’s toy nostalgia, the stickers had no set placement on the device. 

If you built model cars, legos, G.I. Joe, MASK, etc, then you knew the fun/frustration of sticker sheets.  These stickers did not have set placement locations on this device and were simply for fun.  One of the stickers “NEW-X” appeared more like X-MEN with backwards E/N lettering when the sticker sheet was viewed right side up.  My 5-year-old daughter liked the stickers and ended up taking them and placing them in her sticker book.  

To pair the speaker with Bluetooth, press the small mode button until the Bluetooth indicator lights up on the front of the speaker (just below the clock along the lower left of the speaker).  After the icon was present, I navigated to Settings on my iPhone 15 Pro Max, then to Bluetooth, and selected the EDIFIER QD35 from the list.  With the pairing step completed, I navigated to the audiocheck.net website.  I activated the Low-Frequency Response and Subwoofer Audio Test (10-200 Hz) and found the speaker provided a high-pitched vibration/ring from 10-30Hz. 

Between 30Hz-40Hz, the speaker produced a full, deep, resonating bass tone.  I was a bit disappointed that the device could not output frequencies within the 20-40Hz range but liked the sound quality that was provided.  I double-pressed the EQ button, changed between the music, game, TV, and DIY modes, and repeated the tests.  Like the Bluetooth icon above, the mode will conveniently display along the bottom of the speaker.  Unfortunately, the bass was a bit weaker than expected throughout all of the modes.  I attempted the tests at 25%, 50%, and then 75% volume and noted that the sound never felt tinny or too bright.  The sound proved to be reasonable but lacked true audiophile depth.

When I used the High-Frequency Response and Hearing Audio Test (22-8 kHz), I could hear sound starting at 15kHz.  I was pleased with the sound’s output, blend, color, and character.  Similar to the Low-Frequency test mentioned above, the announcer will alert the user to each change in pitch.  However, the difference for this test was that the announcer started at 22 KHz and descended.  I could hear output at 15kHz, my 12-year-old son could hear the tone at 17kHz, and my 15 year-old-son could hear output at 16kHz. 

We lose higher-frequency sound acuity as we age or experience barotrauma (sound trauma) and the above test clearly demonstrated this reality.  Thus, the abovementioned differences are more likely due to age and not speaker output.  To test the speaker output, I sampled a variety of songs from Apple Music, Amazon Prime Music, and YouTube.  I listened to the Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody Soundtracks, The Beach Boys Amazon Prime Music Station, and various songs from Prince, Alabama, Home Free, Journey, Elton John, Kick Rock, Lady Gaga, and the Beatles. 

I liked the poppy/rock feel, but wanted more depth and support from the bass end with R+B and instrumental heavier pieces.  I used a few instrumental pieces from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Gladiator, and Far and Away soundtracks, and listened to Holst Suite in Eb, LInconhire Posey, and a few Sousa marches.  I was pleased with the blend and staging but as a low brass player, felt the bass was unsupported.

I scanned the QR code with my iPhone Camera, downloaded the Edifier APP, and opened the App.  I declined notifications and agreed to accept Bluetooth accessibility, and the App immediately scanned for the speaker.  Once selected, the App activated and ran through a product firmware update (took about 30 seconds). I was very impressed with the ease with which the speaker connected with Bluetooth and the App.

The main App panel showed the Edifier QD35 name along the top of the main panel and a hexagonal Settings button along the top right. The panel’s midsection provided an oblique image of the speaker, a mode settings button (set to Bluetooth for the test), four EQ buttons (Music, Game, movie, DIY), and a volume slider (0-16).  The lower edge of the panel showed the name of the song/media, a play/pause button, a record button (3 hamburger icon), and lower icons (Device, Discover, Mail, Me). 

You can access the second “Light effects” panel by swiping from right to left.  You can choose one of the 30-color honeycomb options and rotate between the seven color display modes (Breathing, Shooting Star, Glittering and Colorful, Gradient, TempoEmo, Static, and More). You can access a few more options like Gradient, Waterdrop, Spiral, and Multicolored by tapping the More option.

The App was fun but mostly dealt with the color scheme and some basic changes to output. I liked the different modes and the soothing sounds and played around with the included DIY equalizer feature. However, I felt a large draw for the App was to adjust the ight effects. After a few uses, I found myself wanting to turn the lights off and the App did not easily allow for light-off operation. To turn off the lights, twist the lower knob counterclockwise until the lights extinguish. After trial/error, I found that double tapping the light effect options opened up another panel with a brightness slider. You can slide the brightness up/down for added effect. I did not like the lack of instruction regarding the App/features and felt that it could have been addressed better.

I plugged a UGREEN 13-in-1 USB-C Multifunction adapter into a USB-C port on my MacBook Pro, and then the USB-A to USB-A cable between my MacBook Pro and speaker.  I navigated to System Settings, Sound, and then selected the QD35 speaker from the list.  I was able to listen to music and watch movies via a USB cable.  I found a similar output to that mentioned above, when testing in Aux cable mode and USB-A mode.  I pressed the mode function button and changed between the output and increased/decreased the volume with the included MacBook volume slider.  I was able to increase/decrease the speaker’s volume with the included knob, or the light effects with the light effect knob. 

While connected to power, you can enjoy USB-C power output (35W Max 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/2.91A, 15V/2.33A, 20V/1.75A), or USB-A output of 18W max (5V/2.4A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A). To test the feature, I plugged a Klein Tool multimeter into the USB-C port and then into the USB-A port, and charged my iPhone 15 Pro Max.  The multimeter displayed 5.08V/1.46A via USB-A or 9.12V/1.58A via USB-C. I plugged a Klein Tools multimeter into the USB-A port and another into the USB-C port to test dual port output.  I plugged my iPhone 15 Pro Max into the USB-C powered multimeter (9.20V/1.95A), and my son’s iPhone 15 into the USB-A powered multimeter (5.09V/1.47A).  The output matched the reported charging rate. Lastly, It is important to note that the rear USB-A port was programmed for data only and did not provide power delivery.  

Summary:

I was impressed with the speaker’s promise, modes, App/speaker color control, and cable inclusion, but disappointed with the depth/bass sound. I did not feel that the device lived up to the Hi-Res Audio moniker, and I was most displeased with the speaker’s cost compared to the feature output. For a non-portable device, I felt the drivers were underpowered when weight was not an issue. Unlike portable devices, the Edifier QD35 had no internal battery and required constant power. Despite the power, I never felt the device could comfortably fill a 50-meter space like the website suggested. The sounds felt muffled and underpowered, and the lack of lower support was disappointing. I was pleased with the included accessory cords but did not like how the cable connected to the unit perpendicular to the back. The thick cords blocked the back of the speaker and eliminated a flush installation.

Some will feel that the speaker looks cool/modern, while others may feel it provides a too-vibrant, too intrusive cyberpunk feel. The color schemes reminded me of the WinAMP program from the 90s and the pulsing/colors displayed on my monitor at parties. For the price, I can purchase a 120W triple port GaN charger from Anker (~$60) and a variety of sub $50 Bluetooth speakers and save nearly $100. I disliked that I had to synchronize the clock using the App, and that many of the features of the App were not clearly identified/accessible. The speaker promises a lot of features and delivers on many of them. However for the price, I would have expected a stronger subbass/woofer, an internal battery, and in general, more speaker.

Learn More about the Edifier QD35