A lot of us use our portable devices, such as laptops, tablets and phones, as our entertainment centres. We are all quite happy to stream TV shows, films, YouTube, listen to music or play games from these devices – and we can do so pretty much anywhere we are. But a lot of these devices don’t have the best of sound, generally not loud enough or distorted when the volume is turned up more. Personally, if I want to want to watch a TV show or film from my laptop or tablet, I like to connect it to a better quality external speaker. And I have been using the perfect speaker for the job, one that is portable, wireless and sounds excellent – the Edifier MF200 Portable / Tabletop Bluetooth Speaker.
I am a big fan of Edifier and have been using their earbuds, headphones and speakers for several years. Over the years I have always been very impressed with the sound quality, build quality, stylish looks and their affordable prices. But for me, as much as I love their designs (especially of some of their home speaker systems), the MF200 portable speaker is my favourite yet – it has so far been used in several rooms at home and even outside.
Edifier’s MF200 Portable / Tabletop Bluetooth Speaker is the ultimate travel companion for work or leisure – it’s a lightweight wireless speaker, a mini soundbar, with up to 10 hours battery life that will easily fit into your bag, backpack or boot of the car to be used anywhere!
The Edifier MF200 speaker is a wedge-shape portable speaker measuring (W)293mm x (H)45mm x (D)53mm. It comes supplied with a carry pouch, USB C-to-C charging cable and instruction manual. Lightweight with a weight of approx. 0.5kg it doesn’t feel poorly made or flimsy, when you hold it in your hand it feels extremely solid and well-constructed – although I expect nothing less from Edifier.
Features:
- Up to 10 hours of playback from a single charge
- Multiple input types: Bluetooth, AUX, and USB-C
- Built-in Soundcard
- DSP Digital Circuit
- Class D Amplifier
- Bluetooth V5.0
- Easy operation by touch and press
- High-quality, crisp and mesmerising music from two 36mm drivers
- Power Output: 4W+4W (RMS)
- Space saving compact design
- 2200mAh high-capacity lithium battery
Described as a portable or tabletop speaker, it looks like a soundbar that you would have connected to your television, just in a smaller format. It doesn’t have a subwoofer or HDMI, RCA connections, no remote control and no permanent power source but it does feature within its small space-saving footprint a built-in soundcard with a DSP digital circuit, a class-d amplifier and a 2200mAH high-capacity lithium battery. Features two 36mm full-range driver units with 4W + 4W total output power (RMS).
The MF200 speaker offers nice aesthetics, excellent portability, a good battery life and great sound for small rooms and gardens. It is small and lightweight enough to carry around and can be used with smartphones, laptops and tablet computers. Equipped with a 2200mAh high-capacity battery that has up to 10 hours use depending on volume level and your settings. The perfect accessory for laptops, tablets and phones to improve the sound quality and volume levels on our favourite portable devices.
Measuring just short of 30cm in length (approximately the size of a ruler), it is a very good size to accompany our portable devices and is light enough at 0.5kg to make it extremely portable and be used anywhere. It is even supplied with its own protective carry pouch to prevent it getting scratched whilst in your bag or in the boot of the car. And it looks great in its grey and black aluminium alloy enclosure. It looks simple, stylish and unassuming but packs a punch.
Whilst it is a wireless speaker, it does have several connectivity options – it can be used wirelessly via Bluetooth, it can be connected to a laptop (it has a built-in soundcard for better audio quality) using the supplied USB C-to-C cable, and it also features a 3.5mm jack for an Aux connection (there is no HMDI, RCA or optical connection).
Connecting to a device and using the speaker is simple as it isn’t cluttered with lots of buttons. The power button is a multi-functional button – as well as powering the speaker on and off, it is also the mode select and battery level button. When the speaker is powered on (press and hold the button to power on/off) you can cycle through the modes by pressing the button – the LED light around the button will change colour to indicate the mode you are selecting; blue is for Bluetooth mode, red is for USB mode (when connecting to a laptop or computer) and green is for Aux mode. If you double press the power button it will tell you the approx. battery level (spoken through the speaker). When using the USB or Aux connections it is just a matter of plugging in using the required cable and off you go. If wanting to use via Bluetooth you will have to enable Bluetooth on your device, scan for new devices and select Edifier MF200 to connect (your device will then remember this unless you tell it to forget it). That’s it, no complicated set up, no hassle and is quick and simple to operate.
Once the speaker is connected to your desired device it can be controlled through that device. But if you don’t want to always be picking up your phone or tablet to change volume, skip tracks or pause/play videos, the MF200 has a touch panel on the front right-hand side of the speaker grill to easily turn the volume up and down or play/pause (as it is a responsive touch panel that is flush with the casing there are no protruding buttons).
Whilst it looks great and is easily portable, wireless, good battery life and easy to use, what about the most important aspect – how does it sound? There is no point in having a great looking portable speaker if the output sounds like it is in a tin can or is no better than the speaker already in your phone or laptop. Well, in small to medium sized rooms, such as a bedroom or kitchen, the sound is excellent, loud and clear, putting out 8W (4W+4W) of total power (RMS) from its two 36mm full-range drivers. It is not overly loud but is certainly loud enough for comfortable listening (without annoying the neighbours) and louder, better quality sound than most laptop speakers. Outside it is perfect for gardens and parks, barbecues and picnics, loud enough for people in the immediate vicinity to enjoy the sound clearly and crisply. The bass is good for most audio, except at the highest volume level where it does lose some of its quality.
As this is a portable speaker it obviously has an internal battery. This means that it will need charging every so often. Charging is simple, just like your phone or tablet. It is charged using the supplied USB C cable (you will need to use your own charging plug or plug it into your laptop etc.). Whilst plugged in to charge, the LED is red whilst charging and goes off when fully charged – it charges reasonably fast in a couple of hours. The battery life from a full charge is impressive for a speaker of this size and weight with up to 10 hours of use on a single charge.
Overall, I absolutely love this portable speaker/mini soundbar. There are many reasons to love it; its size, portability, battery life, sound and build quality. I love that I can use it indoors (it has rubber strips on the base so that it stays put on a shelf or table), in the garden and even in the park and any other outdoor setting. It is a good size, lightweight and has an excellent build quality – it feels substantial. As for the sound, it’s great for listening to music, watching YouTube and watching streaming services (the speaker in my tablet or laptop isn’t the loudest when watching video from my favourite streaming services and this speaker certainly improves the listening quality).
I think that the Edifier MF200 portable wireless speaker is excellent with great sound and easy connectivity that is so simple to use. It has a great battery life, it looks good and has fantastic quality build. It sounds great in most settings and is extremely portable. Its size and weight make it a perfect portable speaker for indoor use and just as great for outdoor enjoyment in the park or garden (although it isn’t IPX rated, so it isn’t water/splash/dust proof).
The Edifier MF200 Portable Speaker is a simple, elegant and great sounding wireless speaker. And with a price tag of under £70, it is very affordable and value for money.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £69.99
For more information, visit www.edifier.com. Available to buy from www.tech4.co.uk.