Today I’m reviewing the Edifier M90 active speakers. We are going to talk about them, compare them a bit to the Edifier M60, and cover all the features and how they sound.

The price is around $369, which is a bit of a step up in price from a lot of Edifier’s other speakers, but there are a few good reasons for that. These are pretty powerful boxes for their size, and they deliver a bigger, bolder sound than you might expect.

Disclaimer: This sample was provided by Edifier for an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own, based on my experience with the product.

Edifier M90

Design and Build Quality

In terms of build quality, I think these are really nice and they look fantastic. They come in either white or black with a beautiful matte finish on them. The cabinets are made of MDF rather than resin, which is great because it gives them better sound properties, helping to absorb more internal sound waves rather than just bouncing them all around the cabinet.

One thing to note is that these do not come with a grill, so the drivers are always open. Because of that, I really wish Edifier could have put a little plastic X over the tweeter dome. The silk dome is very, very soft, and if you’ve got young kids in the house – or just a drunk uncle or anyone else coming by, it’s always tempting to touch it. You have to be careful because if anyone pushes that in, they could destroy it quite easily.

Features and Connectivity

These are heavily featured multimedia speakers. For the drivers, we’ve got a 1-inch silk dome tweeter at the top and a 4-inch long-throw aluminium diaphragm midbase driver. I’m glad Edifier called that a midbase driver instead of a woofer, because obviously a 4-inch driver is not going to give you the same kind of effect as a dedicated subwoofer.

Feature-wise, you are getting Bluetooth 6 with LDAC support, optical input, USBC input, and standard auxiliary inputs.

Looking at the back panel, here is how everything is laid out from top to bottom:

• Bass Port: These are rear-ported, so positioning does make a difference. Depending on how close you put these to a wall or a corner, it can change the bass output quite significantly.
• Controls: There is a volume knob on the back which also acts as your input select and power button. Unfortunately, there is no volume dial on the front, so if these are on your desktop, you’ll have to reach around the back to adjust it.
• Remote Control: To remedy the rear volume knob, Edifier includes a fully featured remote. It is a pretty generic plastic remote, but all the buttons and features are there, it works really well, and it’s pretty necessary.
• HDMI eARC: This input is quite interesting. It means you can plug your TV directly into these speakers and then control the volume of the speakers directly with your TV remote. It’s super useful if you plan to use these as your TV speakers.
• Speaker Interconnect: The cable that goes between the two speakers is excellent. I didn’t measure it exactly, but it’s at least 4 or 5 metres long. That is definitely useful if you are planning on using them in a larger room or spacing them out around a television.
• Subwoofer Out: There is a little 3.5 mm subwoofer out on the back, and that is fantastic for getting the full sound spectrum.

Sound Quality

To put the power into perspective, the smaller Edifier M60 only has an output power of 66 watts, while the M90 pushes 100W RMS. That 100W is no joke; these get plenty loud indeed and can easily fill a larger sized room.

Before diving into the sound characteristics, it is worth mentioning that there are three built-in EQ presets: Classic, Dynamic, and Monitor.

• Monitor is your neutral tuning. I wouldn’t call these reference neutral in terms of absolute studio accuracy, but they are pretty good. If you’re just an amateur content creator like myself, these are perfect for editing videos or mixing music.
• Classic EQ is a little bit warmer and a little more musical.
• Dynamic is a bit more vibrant, lively, and slightly V-shaped.
• Note: If you don’t like any of those, you can use the Edifier Connect app which features a 9-band custom EQ. The speakers respond quite well to EQing.

Overall, the Edifier M90 has a very clear presentation. The mid-range across all three EQ presets is fairly close to neutral, so it’s not an overly thick mid-range. In fact, if you have them in monitor mode, the mids might come across as a little bit dry, but they do have excellent clarity. Vocals are nice and forward, and there’s good instrument separation.

When it comes to bass, the depth is really quite surprising for something this compact. If you have them placed correctly, they really have some good impact and power in the lows. It’s a nice, tight bass that is reasonably fast, and it doesn’t sound bloated or slow in any way. Due to the laws of physics, they do not have a massive sub-bass output—they reach down to about 50 Hz—so you won’t get those deep, rumbly notes. You don’t specifically need a subwoofer with these, and a lot of people wouldn’t even notice the missing low-end, but plugging a sub into that subwoofer out adds another layer of depth where these speakers can really shine.

As for the treble, it is pretty easygoing. These are not a bright sounding speaker, though the upper mid-range can sound a bit bright at times. The treble is pretty safe in terms of tuning, but the highs are still quite detailed, letting a good amount of micro-details come through.

The soundstage is also quite good, creating a fairly wide stage. Again, this is going to depend on how you position them—whether you’ve got them facing straight forward or whether they are towed in to a central listening position.

Comparison

M90 vs Edifier M60: The Step Up

It is impossible to talk about the M90 without mentioning its smaller sibling, the M60. While they share a similar design aesthetic, the M90 represents a massive step up in pure horsepower.

The M60 tops out at 66 watts of output power, whereas the M90 pumps out a hefty 100W RMS. This extra headroom completely changes the presentation. While the M60 feels right at home on a tight desktop, the M90 behaves like a much larger monitor. It projects a larger sonic image, possesses far greater dynamic authority, and can comfortably fill a medium-to-large living room without straining or distorting.

Verdict

The Edifier M90 is a really versatile, really powerful, and really compact set of speakers. They sound great, look great, and work in pretty much any room.

I especially appreciate the HDMI eARC because you can plug them straight into a TV and get sound as easily as that. You don’t need a separate receiver, a standalone DAC, an amplifier, or any of that business. In fact, I’m even considering changing these out for my current TV speakers just to get rid of my large receiver and free up so much more room in my living room.

Whether you are looking for a little speaker system for your desktop or your living room, you should definitely consider getting yourself a pair of these.