Edifier MR3 powered studio monitor speakers review: The best $120 speakers for small spaces
Edifier’s MR3 are a small, yet every bit as great, alternative to MR4, bringing Bluetooth for convenience and full customization.
I’ve been using the Edifier MR4 speakers at my home desk for around six months now, after we reviewed the studio monitors earlier this year. The speakers are primarily marketed as budget-friendly studio monitors for their flat frequency response, but can be switched to music mode to enhance the sound with a single press. I’ve loved the MR4 as an excellent upgrade to my iMac and MacBook speakers, without giving up too much desk space and at a very affordable price. So when Edifier offered us the MR3 to review here, I was very excited to give them a spin.
The MR4 launched in 2021, while the MR3 launched in October this year. These are the second pair of studio monitor speakers Edifier sells.
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In the box
Included in the box is everything you need to get started, without unneeded wires contributing to waste. There’s one active speaker, one passive speaker, a speaker connecting cable (to connect the two speakers together), a power cable, 3.5mm to RCA audio cable, 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable, quick start guide and safety instructions.
External
The MR3 speakers are available in white or black. Edifier sent us the white speakers. Both colors come with black tweeters, and main drivers that have a black outer and rose gold inner. The front knob on the active speaker is a matching rose gold, which is a nice accent color.
The front knob controls power, volume, sound profile and Bluetooth mode. There’s also an LED indicator that changes color based on the speaker status. The knob continuously spins, rather than the limited one on the MR4.
Around the back, the passive speaker only has a red and black port for connection to the active speaker. The back of the active speaker has all of the ports for connection to devices. The I/O is the same as the MR4 with a balanced ¼-inch TRS for connection to audio interfaces and audio mixers, and an unbalanced RCA for connection to laptops and phones for example. Around the front, there’s a 3.5mm AUX and 3.5mm headphone jack for easy access.
There are also two knobs on the back for adjusting the high and low end, a Bluetooth pairing button and graphics of what the knobs and app customization does. The acoustic tuning knobs cut or boost the high or low frequencies, above 10kHz and below 125Hz, by up to ± 6dB. This allows you to quickly adjust the bass or treble, without having to connect a device and dive through the app.
The MR3 are slightly lighter and around 10-15mm smaller in all dimensions than the MR4. Each speaker measures 125.5mm x 220mm x 185mm.
Sound
- Flat frequency response from 52Hz to 40kHz
- Dimpled tweeter waveguides for flatter and more extended high-frequency response
- Hi-Res Audio certified, supporting 24bit/96kHz high-resolution audio processing
- Multiple settings for acoustic room compensation
- Fine-tuned 3.5″ mid-low drivers and 1″ silk dome tweeters
- 18W x 2 (RMS) total output power, with SPL up to 92.5dB (@ 1 meter)
The acoustic architecture from the MDF cabinet reduces distortion and resonance. As with the MR4, the Edifier MR3 are tuned for honest, consistent and accurate reproduction of sound, ideal for the home music studio and video editing suites. With a single press of the knob you can switch the sound profile to enhance music, making the speakers great for daily listening too.
Despite the smaller form factor, the MR3s sound every bit as good as the MR4s. At maximum volume, there is no distortion, but the MR3s are slightly quieter than the MR4s. I find myself usually hovering a little above 50% volume for most of my listening. They are designed for near-field listening and will easily fill a medium sized room. At full volume, the MR3 could even be used for a small house party.
Bluetooth & the app
Perhaps the biggest difference between the older MR4 and newer MR3 speakers is the addition of Bluetooth. For me, the lack of Bluetooth in the MR4 was never a huge issue, as the speakers stayed hooked up to my laptop via the 3.5mm audio jack.
The Edifier MR3 features a built-in Bluetooth 5.4 audio receiver, which can connect to two devices simultaneously for quick switching.
Even if you never intend on using the Bluetooth feature, it’s still a nice-to-have feature. Bluetooth on the MR3s serves two functions. One, the ability to stream music wirelessly. Two, the ability to customize the speakers. The app can be used to adjust the controls, customize the EQ and update the firmware.
There’s a six-band EQ, and acoustic tuning page that controls ‘Low cutoff’, ‘Acoustic space’ and ‘Desktop control’. There’s enough included information on the acoutic tuning page to help novices switch the correct toggles to ensure the speakers are optimized for their unique room placement.
Price & availability
The Edifier MR3 are $119.99 on Amazon. The speakers are perfect for studio builders on a budget, small spaces and upgrades to built-in laptop speakers.
The MR4 are on sale currently for $98.29. For around $20 more, I think the upgrade to Bluetooth and slightly smaller form factor is worth it, unless you need the extra maximum volume.
This product was sent to us by Edifier. Edifier has not paid us for this review. The Amazon link is an affiliate link, therefore we may earn a commission for any purchases made.