Edifier QR65 review: the light-up desk speakers that earned a permanent spot in my desk setup

I've owned a few desktop speakers over the years, and most of them were fussy setups that needed a separate sub for power, and a nest of cables for satellite speakers.

The Edifier QR65 is the first pair that has made my desk simpler and better looking at the same time.

I've been running the white version on my home-office desk about a month now: morning admin, editing videos for YouTube, and plenty of Apple Music playlists. They have quietly become one of my favorite desktop gadgets.

These are 2.0 active speakers, so the amplifier is built in. You plug the powered right-hand speaker into the wall, connect the passive left one with the supplied cable, then feed it audio over Bluetooth, USB, or RCA. No receiver, no extra brick.

The headline party trick is the infinity-mirror front panel that puts on a slow, hypnotic light show. There's also a 65W charger hidden round the back, which turned out to a feature I use a lot. You can pick these speakers up on Amazon, here: Edifier QR65.

A quick word on the white finish, since that's the one I bought. It's clean and modern, it reflects the lighting effects beautifully, and it looks genuinely smart on a desk setup that favors lighter airy design, rather than the darker alternative (there's also a black option if that sounds like you).

Key specifications

• Price: $269.99 (was $369.99) - check current price at Amazon.com
• Type: 2.0 active (powered) desktop speakers
• Total output: 70W RMS (15W x 2 treble, 20W x 2 mid-low)
• Drivers: 1.25" (32mm) silk-dome tweeters, 2.75" (70mm) long-throw aluminum-diaphragm mid-low drivers
• Amplification: dual TI Class-D amps, full DSP, two-way active crossover, DRC
• Frequency response: 55Hz to 40kHz. Signal-to-noise ratio: greater than or equal to 85dB(A). Certification: Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless
• Wireless: Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC (up to 24-bit/96kHz)
• Wired inputs: USB-A, RCA line in. Output: subwoofer line-out
• Charging: TurboGaN, up to 65W per USB-C port, two USB-C plus one USB-A
• Acoustic tech: MDF cabinet, independent chambers, MazeTube Bass Reflex, TurbMuff air-noise suppression
• Lighting: TempoAbyss infinity-mirror effect, 11 presets, 16 million colors via the Edifier ConneX app
• Dimensions: active speaker 141.5 x 213 x 216.8mm, passive speaker 130 x 213 x 212mm. Net weight: 5.3kg (the pair)
• In the box: speakers, 3.5mm-to-RCA cable, USB-A cable, 10-degree angled aluminum stands, microfibre cloth, manual

Three features I love

The infinity-mirror lighting is genuinely mesmerizing

The semi-transparent front baffles sit over a mirrored panel, and Edifier's TempoAbyss tech turns that into a hall-of-mirrors depth effect that looks like ribbons of light falling into the speaker.

It is one of the first things that visitors comment on when entering my studio; the first is the crazy shoe wall I have for running shoe reviews, lol.

There are 11 preset effects you can cycle through with the knob on the side of the powered speaker. Dig into the ConneX app and you get full color control and a few reactive modes that pulse along with whatever music you have playing.

On the white finish the colors read a touch softer than they would on black, because the mirror surround mutes them slightly, but the depth effect is, if anything, more striking against the lighter body.

In the evening I drop the brightness right down and it becomes a really pleasant ambient glow for winding down after a long day, the same slot in my routine as a good cup of the low-acid Fabula coffee I run on.

One speaker charges my entire desk

This is the feature I didn't know I wanted, and now I won't go back. The back of the powered speaker hides a 65W TurboGaN fast charger with two USB-C ports and one USB-A.

I keep my phone on one USB-C, and use the second USB-C for my iPad Pro. That's a charger, a brick, and a fistful of cables gone from my desk in one move. If you open the Connex App on your phone, you can even see the amount of power being drawn for each connected device, which is a nice little touch.

The 65W is available per USB-C port, so a small laptop gets a near full-speed top-up while a bigger 16-inch machine will charge more slowly than its dedicated brick.

It runs a little warm under load, never hot, and it slots neatly into the kind of connected, fewer-gadgets desk philosophy I lean into for my fitness with my Tonal 2 home gym setup.

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It sounds far bigger than it looks

Pull these out of the box and your first thought is that they're compact. Then you play something and the size stops mattering.

The 1.25-inch silk-dome tweeters throw out crisp, airy highs that never get fatiguing, and the little 2.75-inch long-throw mid-low drivers move a surprising amount of air.

Imaging is tidy, the stereo center is solid, and for near-field listening at a desk the bass has good punch. Edifier's MazeTube ports and air-noise suppression keep things clean rather than chuffy, even when I push the volume.

Enable LDAC in the app and Bluetooth genuinely sounds like a hi-res source rather than a compromise. The 6-band EQ in ConneX lets me tune the balance to taste, and once dialed in these will handle music, gaming, podcasts, and video editing without ever feeling out of their depth.

They're refined and engaging, which is rare at this footprint.

What could be improved

The deepest sub-bass rolls off, which is exactly what you'd expect from a 55Hz spec and drivers this size.

For most music it's fine, but if you live on heavy electronic, hip-hop, or film scores, you'll want to use the subwoofer output and add a small powered sub. Edifier sensibly built that door in.

Unfortunately you can only have one device connected to them at a time via Bluetooth; I'd love to be able to have my iPhone and MacBook Pro have a simultaneous connection.

There's also no desktop app, so all the EQ and lighting customization lives on your phone. It's a minor friction, but worth knowing if you'd rather tweak things from the machine you're sitting at than your phone.

A few smaller notes from daily use are that the cable that links the two speakers is fairly short, which limits how far apart you can place them.

The mirrored fascia is a fingerprint and dust magnet, though the included microfibre cloth helps. And the rear charging ports take a bit of a reach to get at. None of these are dealbreakers, just the honest texture of living with them.

Another thing to note, is that although the faux leather looks very lux and classy in general, there is a visible seem at the front, which I believe could have been wrapped better to hide it, see below.

Finally, the price. The $369.99 list is a fairly premium ask for an Edifier (however they're $269.99 right now thanks to Summer sales). At this discounted price the value proposition is insanely good.

My verdict

The Edifier QR65 is a statement desk speaker rather than a sterile pair of reference monitors, and I mean that as a compliment.

It nails the things I personally care about at a desk: it sounds refined and engaging, it looks beautiful, and it genuinely declutters the space by charging everything I own.

It's not the speaker for a basshead or for filling a large room, and the LDAC and app quirks mean you have to spend ten minutes setting it up properly to get the best out of it. Put that effort in, ideally pair it with a small sub if deep bass matters to you, and you've got one of the most enjoyable desktop setups going.

For anyone building a modern home office, a creator desk, or a recovery and wind-down corner, this is an easy one to recommend, and the white finish in particular has aged beautifully on my desk.

If you haven't already, signup for our free newsletter, for more quality outdoor content like this. -Alastair

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