We test plenty of soundbars that purport to have excellent stereo separation or even surround sound, but the visual and aural aesthetic these slender speakers bring to your living room isn't for everyone.
If a 2.1 system with wood veneer and soundbar-like features such as an optical input and Bluetooth connectivity sounds a little more your speed, Edifier has you covered.
At $299.99, the S350DB system is significantly more affordable than most soundbars we test, and what you get for the price is impressive—a powerful subwoofer and two handsome bookshelf speakers.
The audio performance is powerful, and will appeal to anyone looking to add a little bass thunder to their home theater setup.
Design
Some speakers look better without the grilles on—Edifier eliminates the grilles completely here, for exposed drivers that look quite sharp.
The two bookshelf speakers have a black front panel and cherry wood-colored veneer.
Measuring 8.8 by 5.0 by 6.0 inches each (HWD), they house a 0.75-inch titanium dome tweeter and a roughly 2.8-inch 25-watt midrange driver.
The 12.3-by-10.4-by-11.7-inch subwoofer also has a black front panel and wood veneer, as well as a 70-watt 8-inch driver and a side port to allow for efficient air movement.
The sub also acts as the hub for the S350DB system—it has a connection for the included power cable, and both bookshelf speakers connect to its back panel.
Beyond this, there are two sets of RCA inputs—one labeled PC and the other Aux, and both work with the included 3.5mm-to-RCA aux input cable.
There's also a Coaxial input, the connections for the left and right speakers (the right speaker's cable is hardwired to its back panel, the left speaker is not), and a power switch on the sub's back panel.
On the right speaker's right side, there's a recessed control panel housing three knobs—one for overall volume, and treble and bass knobs with central neutral settings for each.
It's nice that Edifier includes bass and treble settings, but it would be more useful if these controls were located on the system's remote.
The remote is a puck-shaped control with buttons for Power, Play/Pause, Track Forward/Backward, Volume Up/Down (this doesn't control Bluetooth-paired devices), and dedicated buttons for the various inputs: Optical, Coaxial, Bluetooth, Aux, and PC.
The front face of the right speaker houses the remote sensor, and has an indicator that displays which input is currently selected, but there's no way to physically select an input without the remote.
Thus the remote is essential, but lacks the very useful bass and treble controls that only the speaker has.
We're not complaining about the inclusion of a bass/treble feature, but if the remote is essential to the system's operation, that's where the bass and treble controls should be, as they'd be on a typical remote control intended for TV audio.
Another minor gripe: The input indicator on the right speaker is tiny—you can see that it's lit up, but it's hard to read the display from a distance of more than five feet or so.
Pairing with the S350DB is a simple, quick process, making the 2.1 system a viable competitor to today's soundbars, most of which feature Bluetooth streaming as well.
And although Edifier is marketing it as a living room setup, the system can also be used as 2.1 computer speakers.
Performance
The S350DB fared well on Blu-ray audio through the optical connection.
On Chapter 13 of the Pacific Rim Blu-ray, the bass rumble through the system's sub is powerful.
Robotic foot stomps and powerful blasts are delivered with serious thunder.
Big bass bass lovers won't be disappointed—the low frequency power here is real, and yet well-managed, so that dialogue isn't obscured.
On Chapter 2 of the Casino Royale Blu-ray, dialogue is crisp and clear and explosions pack some punch.
It's a pleasure to listen to these films in stereo, without any special effects modes—it's a totally immersive experience, and a reminder that solid stereo separation is a notable improvement over a single sound source.
We tested music using the Bluetooth streaming input.
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the system delivers impressive bass power.
It can get quite loud, and we noticed our walls rattling before anything resembling distortion crept into the mix.
It's unlikely at even high volume levels that distortion will occur, as the S350DB utilizes DSP, and you also have the bass knob at your disposal if the lows do create some unwanted issues.
At moderate-to-high volumes, however, the lows sound powerful and clean.
Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the S350DB's overall sound signature.
The drums on this track get a solid subwoofer response—they sound round and have nice depth, and as long as you don't pump the bass too high, they maintain a natural place in the mix.
Callahan's baritone vocal's have rich low-mid presence, and these low-mids are matched by a crisp treble edge.
The tweeters deliver a solid high-mid and high frequency presence for the acoustic guitar strums and the higher register percussive hits.
Generally speaking, this is a powerful, balanced sound signature with the potential to have some heavier-than-average bass boosting if that's your thing.
With the settings on neutral, however, the lows and highs have a fantastic balance.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop gets an ideal high-mid presence, highlighting its punchy attack, while its sustain receives a little added bass depth.
The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with gusto—you can really dial up the bass through the S350DB if you wish, but again, at neutral (or just a hair above), the bass levels sound powerful and don't overwhelm the mix.
For orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the lower register instrumentation gets a powerful, but not overwhelming, presence.
The stage still belongs to the higher register brass, strings, and vocals—the S350DB delivers their audio with crystal clarity.
Conclusions
From both musical and film standpoints, the Edifier S350DB system delivers powerful, room-filling audio.
The JBL Bar 2.1 and the Polk Signa S1 are two affordable soundbars with subs that we like in this price range, and might fit better in your home theater setup.
If it's a bookshelf speaker system you're after, but want to spend less money, the Edifier R1280T and the Audioengine 2+ are solid options, but are more intended for PCs than for TVs.
For the price, the Edifier S350DB is a handsome-looking, solid-sounding bookshelf speaker antidote to the black slab soundbars meant to hide under our TVs.
Pros
Powerful bass depth, clear highs, and strong volume output.
Multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth.
Handsome design.
The Bottom Line
The Edifier S350DB is an affordable 2.1 system for your living room, delivering solid bass thunder and high frequency clarity.
We test plenty of soundbars that purport to have excellent stereo separation or even surround sound, but the visual and aural aesthetic these slender speakers bring to your living room isn't for everyone.
If a 2.1 system with wood veneer and soundbar-like features such as an optical input and Bluetooth connectivity sounds a little more your speed, Edifier has you covered.
At $299.99, the S350DB system is significantly more affordable than most soundbars we test, and what you get for the price is impressive—a powerful subwoofer and two handsome bookshelf speakers.
The audio performance is powerful, and will appeal to anyone looking to add a little bass thunder to their home theater setup.
Design
Some speakers look better without the grilles on—Edifier eliminates the grilles completely here, for exposed drivers that look quite sharp.
The two bookshelf speakers have a black front panel and cherry wood-colored veneer.
Measuring 8.8 by 5.0 by 6.0 inches each (HWD), they house a 0.75-inch titanium dome tweeter and a roughly 2.8-inch 25-watt midrange driver.
The 12.3-by-10.4-by-11.7-inch subwoofer also has a black front panel and wood veneer, as well as a 70-watt 8-inch driver and a side port to allow for efficient air movement.
The sub also acts as the hub for the S350DB system—it has a connection for the included power cable, and both bookshelf speakers connect to its back panel.
Beyond this, there are two sets of RCA inputs—one labeled PC and the other Aux, and both work with the included 3.5mm-to-RCA aux input cable.
There's also a Coaxial input, the connections for the left and right speakers (the right speaker's cable is hardwired to its back panel, the left speaker is not), and a power switch on the sub's back panel.
On the right speaker's right side, there's a recessed control panel housing three knobs—one for overall volume, and treble and bass knobs with central neutral settings for each.
It's nice that Edifier includes bass and treble settings, but it would be more useful if these controls were located on the system's remote.
The remote is a puck-shaped control with buttons for Power, Play/Pause, Track Forward/Backward, Volume Up/Down (this doesn't control Bluetooth-paired devices), and dedicated buttons for the various inputs: Optical, Coaxial, Bluetooth, Aux, and PC.
The front face of the right speaker houses the remote sensor, and has an indicator that displays which input is currently selected, but there's no way to physically select an input without the remote.
Thus the remote is essential, but lacks the very useful bass and treble controls that only the speaker has.
We're not complaining about the inclusion of a bass/treble feature, but if the remote is essential to the system's operation, that's where the bass and treble controls should be, as they'd be on a typical remote control intended for TV audio.
Another minor gripe: The input indicator on the right speaker is tiny—you can see that it's lit up, but it's hard to read the display from a distance of more than five feet or so.
Pairing with the S350DB is a simple, quick process, making the 2.1 system a viable competitor to today's soundbars, most of which feature Bluetooth streaming as well.
And although Edifier is marketing it as a living room setup, the system can also be used as 2.1 computer speakers.
Performance
The S350DB fared well on Blu-ray audio through the optical connection.
On Chapter 13 of the Pacific Rim Blu-ray, the bass rumble through the system's sub is powerful.
Robotic foot stomps and powerful blasts are delivered with serious thunder.
Big bass bass lovers won't be disappointed—the low frequency power here is real, and yet well-managed, so that dialogue isn't obscured.
On Chapter 2 of the Casino Royale Blu-ray, dialogue is crisp and clear and explosions pack some punch.
It's a pleasure to listen to these films in stereo, without any special effects modes—it's a totally immersive experience, and a reminder that solid stereo separation is a notable improvement over a single sound source.
We tested music using the Bluetooth streaming input.
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the system delivers impressive bass power.
It can get quite loud, and we noticed our walls rattling before anything resembling distortion crept into the mix.
It's unlikely at even high volume levels that distortion will occur, as the S350DB utilizes DSP, and you also have the bass knob at your disposal if the lows do create some unwanted issues.
At moderate-to-high volumes, however, the lows sound powerful and clean.
Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the S350DB's overall sound signature.
The drums on this track get a solid subwoofer response—they sound round and have nice depth, and as long as you don't pump the bass too high, they maintain a natural place in the mix.
Callahan's baritone vocal's have rich low-mid presence, and these low-mids are matched by a crisp treble edge.
The tweeters deliver a solid high-mid and high frequency presence for the acoustic guitar strums and the higher register percussive hits.
Generally speaking, this is a powerful, balanced sound signature with the potential to have some heavier-than-average bass boosting if that's your thing.
With the settings on neutral, however, the lows and highs have a fantastic balance.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop gets an ideal high-mid presence, highlighting its punchy attack, while its sustain receives a little added bass depth.
The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with gusto—you can really dial up the bass through the S350DB if you wish, but again, at neutral (or just a hair above), the bass levels sound powerful and don't overwhelm the mix.
For orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the lower register instrumentation gets a powerful, but not overwhelming, presence.
The stage still belongs to the higher register brass, strings, and vocals—the S350DB delivers their audio with crystal clarity.
Conclusions
From both musical and film standpoints, the Edifier S350DB system delivers powerful, room-filling audio.
The JBL Bar 2.1 and the Polk Signa S1 are two affordable soundbars with subs that we like in this price range, and might fit better in your home theater setup.
If it's a bookshelf speaker system you're after, but want to spend less money, the Edifier R1280T and the Audioengine 2+ are solid options, but are more intended for PCs than for TVs.
For the price, the Edifier S350DB is a handsome-looking, solid-sounding bookshelf speaker antidote to the black slab soundbars meant to hide under our TVs.
Pros
Powerful bass depth, clear highs, and strong volume output.
Multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth.
Handsome design.
The Bottom Line
The Edifier S350DB is an affordable 2.1 system for your living room, delivering solid bass thunder and high frequency clarity.
