Edifier S3000 Pro speakers review: Premium for a reason

When looking at gaming audio solutions, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of searching up the next best headset to equip your setup with. Sure, it’ll come equipped with a mic, probably have some sort of RGB on the side, and you’ll be able to pinpoint enemy footsteps on the moon.

However, something must be said for a good old-fashioned pair of desktop speakers. The S3000 Pro from Edifier are neither old-fashioned nor really intended as desktop speakers, and after testing these puppies for a little over a week, it’s clear that they wouldn’t be out of place in a professional sound mixing studio. 

They’ve quickly made my once beloved pair of headphones almost defunct, and are now the only way I insist on listening to music while working or even relaxing with games in the evening. Packed with tech and almost too easy to set up, I’m left wondering how on earth I managed without them before.

Straight outta the box

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The first thing that hits you when unboxing the S3000 Pros is how much is included in the box. Edifier supplies you with everything you could possibly need to set these up, no matter your sound system of choice. RCA cables, an optical cable, and even a USB wire to connect these to a PC are all included in the box alongside the remote control, two power leads, and the speakers themselves.

Once you’ve dug all of those out of the box, there’s then the task of getting the speakers themselves into their new resting places. Each speaker weighs 12 kg a pop and requires its own power socket to be powered. While this sounds like a lot, it’s a welcome tradeoff. The S3000 Pro feature a completely wireless KLEERNET  connection between each other, so you can either have a clean desktop setup with no trailing cables or set them up in opposite corners of a room for full sound coverage.

Despite being the most advanced pair of speakers I’ve ever owned, they might have been the most simple to set up. After powering them both on, the S3000 Pros connected seamlessly, with no need to mess around with the remote, wires, or an app. Even the remote instantly worked with the set, with a small digital display on the right module showing the current playback mode.

For my testing, I hooked these up to my desktop PC using the included USB cable, and also dabbled with the included Bluetooth capabilities. Both methods of connection worked flawlessly during my testing, with neither ever once cutting out or showing any sort of distortion in the audio.

Statement piece

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It’s all well and good for a speaker to sound good, but for me, it also has to look the part - and there’s no denying that the S3000 Pros look the part. With a large matte black front panel housing the bass and tweeter diaphragms, they look extremely professional and scream quality.

The same can be said for the gorgeous oak wood panel effect on either side of the units. I’m not sure if it’s real wood that’s used to construct these speakers, but I could easily be fooled into thinking that it is. They feel solid to touch, and they’re devices that I feel proud to display as a statement piece on my desktop.

The quality continues around the back, with the right speaker housing all of the connections and adjustment settings. Three knobs can adjust the bass, treble, and total volume of the speakers, so you can properly dial in the sound to your personal preference.

Some users might prefer to have this sort of customisation accessible from the remote control, but given that these speakers are meant to be set for a specific purpose and left, I quite enjoyed having that physical interaction with the speakers. The adjustment knobs feel slick to turn, and a slight notch in the rotation of each tells you where the halfway mark is for each setting in a tactile way.

My only minor complaint is that the tiny display on the right speaker is at just the right angle for the bottom of the grill to block it from view. However, given what I said before about these speakers being set up and left to do their thing, it’s a non-issue. Keeping the remote at hand, it’s always obvious what mode the speakers are in, and can be easily adjusted on the fly if needed.

Knock your socks off

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Of course, we need to talk about how these speakers sound. As you’d expect for this price, they’re nothing short of astounding. Even when playing Spotify and YouTube videos from my desktop, which are way smaller and less complex audio streams than these speakers are capable of handling, the sound feels properly separated with each instrument sounding more clear and distinct than I’ve ever heard from a speaker.

What’s impressive is how this quality is replicated at higher volumes - and it doesn’t take much cranking to get the S3000 Pro’s to high volumes, either. Those individual sockets are clearly driving some impressive power through these monitors, as I rarely have to increase my volume past 25% before I’m worried about disturbing my neighbours.

I often leave ambient music playing all day while I work and write, and what’s normally meant to be background noise has actually ended up being a distraction. Not in a bad way, but in the sense that I regularly feel like I’m listening to these movie and game soundtracks for the first time again, picking out new instruments and audio elements that AirPods simply can’t produce.

These speakers also impress when playing cinematic story games. I recently started a playthrough of The Last of Us Part 1 with my partner, and hearing a Clicker stalk us through these speakers made the experience all the more sickening.

The verdict

For most casual budgets, the Edifier S3000 Pros are unfathomably expensive at £699.99. You can no doubt get an acceptable audio experience for a fraction of the cost if all you want to do is listen to audio casually at your desk.

But these speakers are not intended for the casual customer. These are intended for those who want to relish in music, in movie soundtracks, in gaming soundscapes. You’re paying a very premium price, but you’re also getting one of the most premium experiences out there in return. If you’re looking to hook these up to a home cinema, or even a dedicated music listening station, you’d be hard-pressed to find something that not only sounds the part, but looks it too.

5/5

Review unit provided by the manufacturer.