Edifier QR65 review: A desktop staple

Key Takeaways

• Edifier QR65 speakers are a PC-friendly, modern aesthetic choice with great sound quality.
• Their customizable lighting effects and USB input for higher bitrate make them stand out.
• While lacking a digital optical input, they are a striking and functional addition to any setup.

If you were to walk into my home office, where I do all my best work, you’d see a classic gaming PC setup. It’s RGB galore and sleek, clean lines of gamey goodness. What you won’t see are PC speakers, mostly because I’ve never been able to find any that truly match the look and feel of my setup. They are either too cumbersome to fit neatly on my desk, or they are tiny and have terrible sound quality. As a self-proclaimed audiophile who loves listening to music, I’ve long been on the hunt for something that would fit just right, and I think I’ve finally found them.

Price, availability, and specs

The Edifier QR65 just launched in March, and they were clearly a big hit, because as of the writing of this review, they are sold out at all major online retailers. Before they sold out, the speakers were carried at Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, and directly from Edifier. The QR65 speakers launched at $370 and are available in black and white faux leather finishes.

The Edifier QR65 desktop speakers are currently sold out. We’re not sure when they’ll be back in stock.

These PC speakers measure just a bit larger than 5 x 8 x 8-inches, which is perfect for resting on your desktop. Weighing in at just over 11 pounds for the pair, the QR65’s feel hefty and well-built.

From a connectivity standpoint, these speakers keep it simple. Users have the choice of connecting via Bluetooth, which they can also leverage to control the speakers via the Edifier Connect X app, or they can be directly wired via USB-A or AUX. USB-A can be used to achieve the highest bitrate across all options.

What I liked about the Edifier QR65 desktop speakers

They’re simply just cool

As basic as it might sound, the cool factor of these speakers might just be my favorite thing about them. The edge lighting effects are reflected in the infinity mirror interior illusion, creating one of the most impressive PC speaker form factors I’ve ever seen.

When propped up on their included stands and lit up, the QR65 speakers sport a striking, eye-catching look.

The QR65’s allow you to cycle through 11 different lighting presets or even set your own custom light display from the Edifier Connect X app. These can range from simple border lighting to dynamic lighting that responds to the music being played through the speakers. What can I say, I’m a gamer, and I like cool LED lighting. When propped up on their included stands and lit up, the QR65 speakers sport a striking, eye-catching look.

Quality sound for a small package

I’ve had the pleasure of testing a lot of different speakers, so I’ve gotten used to certain expectations, some of which are governed by simple physics. The smaller the speaker, typically the less full the sound. After all, speakers work by moving air, so the smaller they are, the less air they move, and typically the less impressive their sound.

When I pulled these out of the box, my honest first thought was, “Oh, these are smaller than I thought,” and I was bummed out because it immediately dropped my expectations of their sound. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be wrong. As I started blasting Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club, I was blown away by the clarity and power emanating from the QR65’s. Their ability to get loud with minimal distortion was impressive, and their sound was crisp with a full soundstage.

The sound was also balanced, and even though you can control equalizer settings through the app, the speakers required zero EQ adjustment to sound fantastic. Obviously, at this size, the bass wasn’t the most impressive part about them, but what they lack in bass they more than make up for in how good they sound overall, and how cool they look while playing music.

What I didn’t like

Some picky setup gripes

At a $370 price point, and considering their small size, I have nothing bad to say about the sound, performance, aesthetics, or build quality of the QR65’s. What I do have are some minor gripes that arose during setup. Firstly, these don’t have a digital optical input, which I would have preferred for higher bitrate listening directly from my PC. I settled for USB-A, which is certainly better than AUX, but it takes up a USB port and I would have preferred another high-fidelity option.

The cable that connects the powered speaker with control knobs to the passive speaker is quite short. I had to immediately abandon any dream of placing these on my bookshelves that sit at either end of my large standing desk, and instead placed them on the sides of my monitors. Since I run a dual-monitor setup for work and gaming, the cable was just barely long enough to support this placement, so a longer cable would have been nice.

Should you buy the Edifier QR65 Speakers?

The Edifier QR65’s are just about the coolest PC speakers I’ve seen that don’t cost an absolute fortune, and they fit perfectly into a gaming PC or home-office setup. They sound as great as they look, and support both wired and Bluetooth connections.

If you don’t currently have any PC speakers and enjoy listening to music while at your desktop, or in any other small area of your home, I would absolutely recommend these.