Club Benefits
There's a common misconception when it comes to buying tech: if something is expensive or costs a premium, surely it's good. We've all been there. On a random Friday night, you're going through Amazon listings to try and find the best Bluetooth speaker when your eyes land on one that costs nearly $200. You think, "That's pricey! This will be worth the money, surely."
That couldn't be further from the truth. 'Expensive' doesn't mean 'good,' and it's a myth I constantly try to bust when speaking with friends and potential buyers, and it's what my reviews strive to do. Recently, I tested the Edifier ES60 which, at first glance, looks like a premium speaker worth the premium it clearly costs: $199 doubloons. And you'd be half-right.
If you're familiar with Marshall speakers, you'd probably quickly catch on that the ES60 looks a little like the Marshall Emberton III — a black body with gold accents and subtle branding. And it looks great! 10/10 to Edifier in the design department. But the ES60 has some notable drawbacks, and there are a few things that compel me to stick with my much cheaper Tribit StormBox Mini+.
Razzle-dazzle light show
The Edifier ES60 is a good-looking speaker, covered in soft faux leather, but that isn't even its best aesthetic feature. There is an LED strip that runs the length of the speaker's underside, and it lights up the surface it's sitting on, creating a bit of an ambience or vibe. It looks stunning and definitely adds to the "premium" factor.
You know what else features integrated lighting? The much, much cheaper Tribit StormBox Mini+ which I use nearly every day at home — and when I'm not using it, my partner is. On this speaker, the LED lighting runs along the length of the passive radiator, and unlike on the ES60, the StormBox Mini+'s LED lighting reacts and dances to the music, so you get a sound and light show all in one.
Both speakers are compact but the ES60 is much heavier (2.29lbs) than the StormBox Mini+ (19.2oz), but of course, this would be an unfair comparison as the former is designed to sit on a coffee table or a desk. The latter is more portable, so you can take it on trips with you. The one I'd choose, you ask? The StormBox Mini+, any day. And there's a good reason for it...
Looks can be deceiving
There's no point in buying a speaker — whether that's a cheap or expensive one — if it doesn't reproduce sound well. The Edifier ES60 sounds... good. The StormBox Mini+ sounds great. Thing is, the ES60 does a fantastic job of reproducing basslines with plenty of oomph and low-end impact. Percussion instruments don't sound tinny either, and there's lots of warmth for you to indulge in.
But the ES60 falls way behind the StormBox Mini+ when it comes to delivering well-rounded sound, as the vocals feel all over the place, with transitions between low hums and high-pitched "coos" sounding unclean. The StormBox Mini+, on the other hand, surprisingly handles vocals beautifully. I say it's surprising because it costs just under $40! Read all about my in-depth audio analyses in my Tribit StormBox Mini+ and Edifier ES60 reviews.
This isn't to say that the StormBox Mini+ is perfect, by the way. Given the speaker's tiny size, you'll experience some sound distortion when playing music at near-100% volume. This speaker is small, let's give it some credit. The ES60 doesn't suffer from this issue though, if distortion past the 80% volume mark is a dealbreaker for you (though it really shouldn't be).
Does the Edifier ES60 do anything better?
I've sung so many praises of the Tribit StormBox Mini+ that you may be wondering if the Edifier ES60 is good at anything. It is, actually! Aside from desk-shaking bass and pretty looks, the ES60 has other things going for it too. You get a USB-C port for hi-res wired playback, IP66 waterproofing and dustproofing, and Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint connectivity.
You also get up to 9 hours of battery life which may sound good but, again, the StormBox Mini+ upstages the ES60 here. Tribit's offering can last up to 12 hours between charges, making it the better choice if you want longer run time. And while the ES60 supports the most basic SBC codec, the StormBox Mini+ supports AAC which offers richer detail and better compression if you're using an iPhone or other Apple device.
It all comes down to what you value more
At the end of the day, it all comes down to the features you want and value most. Do you want a cutesy, colorful, poolside, portable speaker? Get the Tribit StormBox Mini+. You want a serious-looking, showoff-worthy centerpiece? The Edifier ES60 is for you. Desk-rattling bass? Either will suffice.
But which speaker offers better value for money? You see, the ES60 faces a lot of fierce competition from heavy hitters like Marshall, JBL and Bose. All three brands also have speakers that are in the same price range (sometimes cheaper, in fact), so why wouldn't you just buy one from them? Personally, I don't think the ES60 justifies the steep asking price. It's good and it could have been great, but it isn't, so I don't see why you'd drop a cool $200 on it.
The StormBox Mini+, on the other hand, fully justifies the asking price of $40. It's forty dollars. Bass sounds powerful and not booming; vocals sound crystal clear with smooth transitions between different pitches; and the treble isn't overzealous.
My job is to ensure you don't regret the money you spend, and that you make a well-informed decision before purchasing something. My two cents? It's the StormBox Mini+ all the way, all day, any day.
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More from Tom's Guide
- 'More than just a pretty face’: the Edifier ES60 is a fantastic speaker... with a couple of compromises
- This Bluetooth speaker sounds so good my partner thought it was Bose — but it costs only $39
- ‘I didn’t think a traditionally budget brand could make such good premium speakers’ — here’s why the Edifier QR65 are never leaving my desk
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