This budget speaker looks totally premium — and it almost nails it in the sound department too

The Edifier ES20 is an incredibly sleek-looking Bluetooth speaker with a premium build that can get very loud, but is it one of the best Bluetooth speakers? Well, I don’t think so, but it’s not inherently bad either.

It’s compact and great for outdoors, and even has a stereo pairing option. But as someone who listens to a lot of rock and punk music, I was let down by the static on heavy tracks, which caused some clipping. There’s also no control in the app to alter the EQ to fix this.

If you’re in the U.S., you’re also going to be paying nearly double the U.K. price — but it’s still under $100. So, you can find out if this is the right speaker for you by reading this full Edifier ES20 review.

Edifier ES20 review: Specs

Edifier ES20 review: Price & availability

The Edifier ES20 is an uber cheap small speaker… if you’re in the U.K.. The pricing in the U.K. makes this speaker pretty affordable for £49 at Amazon U.K., but when you head to the American point of purchase, the price increases to $89 on the Edifier USA online store. And while I certainly recommend this speaker at the price point in the U.K., it’s quite the jump to the U.S. pricing. Although we can’t say for certain why there’s such a price discrepancy, last year, Edifier confirmed to my colleague Erin that it was forced to increase prices due to tariffs.

So, if you want and even more budget-friendly speaker, let me point you in the direction of the Tribit PocketGo ($34/£29). Now, that is a speaker giving you value for money. It’s no secret that it’s one of my favorite speakers; however, the ES20 has an awesomely loud sound that packs a punch in the bass department. If bass is something you care about, it might be worth the extra investment.

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 ($89) is our pick for best Bluetooth speaker for outdoors and has the same larger-than-life sound but offers a more rugged-looking design. But personally, I’d stick with the ES20 since I love the sleek look.

Edifier ES20 review: Design & controls

• Sleek and good-looking
• IP67
• LED lighting at the back

The Edifier ES20 looks far more premium than its price tag would suggest. The speaker is available in an Ivory color, which I tested, that comes with champagne metal accents to complement the faux ivory leather finish. The ES20 is also available in black with black and champagne metal accents. Both versions of the speaker look great, and a lot like the Marshall Willen II ($99).

As I mentioned, the speaker is small enough to hold in the palm of my hand. It measures just 3.7 x 3.6 x 2.0 inches. Despite its compact size, it’s markedly heavier than other speakers in its size class. At 11.5 ounces, the JLab Pop Party’s ($24) 8.7-ounce weight takes the crown for portability here.

But that doesn’t mean it’s hard to take with you anywhere you go, since much like the Tribit PocketGo and the JLab Pop Party, there is a handy strap that can be secured to the outside of your bag.

If you want something with the same cool style that’s a little bigger, Edifier also makes the ES60 ($199), which would be a better option for a speaker with meaty bass, but the lower battery life is a bit of a turn-off.

If you were planning on taking the ES20 with you on adventures, then its IP rating will please you. It has a dustproof and waterproof rating of IP67, meaning it can actually be submerged in water, even though it doesn’t look like a rugged speaker. In fact, it looks pretty premium. It resembles the look of one of my Fender guitar amps, which I really like, and even looks pretty similar to the Marshall Willen II (cough cough). It makes the ES20 speaker feel more like music equipment to be taken seriously rather than just another plasticky speaker. Until you turn it around, then it’s a whole different story.

That brings me to the feature I don’t really use on the speaker because, frankly, I don’t quite understand its purpose: LED lighting. I feel this way about most Bluetooth speakers that come with this feature, but more so with the ES20 because, well, you can’t see it. The LED lighting that surrounds the edges of the speaker is at the back, where I typically wouldn’t be looking. And unless you have the speaker reflecting against the wall so it can reflect the light, it’s pretty much pointless and drains the battery. To me, they cheapen the otherwise premium feeling (and looking) design.

There are buttons at the top of the speaker to control the volume and lighting. As I mentioned, the lighting controls aren’t something I used much, but the volume controls mean I don’t need to reach for my phone when I need to turn down the noise. Five lights beneath the buttons depict how much charge is left in the speaker.

Edifier ES20 review: Connectivity & app

• Not much control in the app
• SBC audio codec only
• Stereo pairing available

There is a notable lack of Hi-Res compatibility with the Edifier ES20, as it can only play in the SBC audio codec. I usually stream in AAC from my iPhone, and while it won't be glaringly obvious to everyone, I noticed some static in heavier genres. But this is a budget speaker, so some sacrifices will be made to keep costs down, especially given the premium build.

The speaker is very loud on its own, but if you want it even louder, it also offers stereo pairing. So if you purchase two speakers, you can create a stereo-like sound. It also offers a multipoint connection for simpler streaming across devices. I was able to stream music from my laptop and easily switch over to listen to the audiobook on my phone.

You can also use the Edifier ConneX app with the speaker, but I was pretty disappointed by it. There is a severe lack of control with the app, as you don’t get many customization options to have a say in how you listen. Other brands like Tribit and JLab allow you to make custom EQ adjustments, and I think this would have vastly improved my listening experience with the ES20.

The app does, however, give four sound effects: Music, Game, Movie and Outdoor. But they all sound the same. The only difference I noticed was that Movie used more bass performance to make the noise sound more rounded.

Edifier ES20 review: Sound quality

• Vocals are strong
• Issues with static on heavy tracks
• Gets very loud

For under $100, the Edifier ES20 provides awesome sound in a super small package. I was actually shocked when I listened to it for the first time, because there’s no denying it, this thing gets loud. It actually rivalled the Tribit Stormbox Lava ($129) — a much larger speaker — in volume.

I listened to Isn’t It Midnight by Fleetwood Mac. This song features a lot of breathy vocals and guitar solos that present the mids and highs excellently. The speaker handled the vocals well, and nothing was lost in this heavily layered song. The guitar solos were super bright and remained prominent even when the vocals kicked back in.

I then moved on to Alive by Empire Of The Sun, a synth-heavy track. The speaker did a great job of balancing the vocals with the bass without the higher-pitched synth getting lost. But with that said, there was some masking when the percussion kicked in as they battled with the softer vocals.

I played Helena by My Chemical Romance, and the guitar sounded pretty muddy. This song in particular sounded like it was being played over an old radio, which isn’t great. The static muddied the low end and made for a disappointing experience. Even so, the vocals remained strong, but I couldn’t get past the warped bass to enjoy the track.

Edifier ES20 review: Battery life

• 12 hours of battery life
• Lighting drains battery
• Charges via USB-C

The Edifier ES20 charges via USB-C and offers 12 hours of battery life per charge. But be wary that if you’re using the lighting on the speaker, this will diminish a lot faster. That’s a lot more battery life than its larger counterpart, the Edifier ES60, which is only nine hours.

However, the Tribit PocketGo offers a whopping 20 hours of battery life, so if you’re looking for something that can last you all day long for an outdoor adventure where you won’t have access to a charging point, that’s the way to go. Similarly, the Marshall Willen II, which is close in size to the ES20, offers 17 hours and would be more reliable for longer listening parties.

Edifier ES20 review: Verdict

The Edifier ES20 is a powerful speaker with style that delivers impressive volume and vocal clarity. It’s great for outdoor use since it can get incredibly loud and has a dustproof and waterproof rating of IP67. The speaker offers stereo pairing, so it's a great option for parties.

If you tend to listen to electronic or pop music, the speaker is a great choice, but if you lean toward heavier rock music, it might not be the right option. You can’t adjust EQ, even though other audio brands like JLab and Ultimate Ears offer custom EQ. The speaker is also a little more expensive in the U.S. than in the U.K.. Even so, it’s still under $100, but you might get better bang-for-buck elsewhere with the Tribit PocketGo.

With all that said, this is still a powerful speaker that packs a punch, and if you need a super compact that will look good anywhere, the ES20 is the way to go.