Edifier G5000 review

Our Verdict

73%

These gaming PC speakers are big, powerful and feature-rich but they're also pricey and garish-looking.

Edifier is one of few companies still making dedicated PC speakers, and we’ve been consistently impressed by the great sound and fantastic value of its products. With the Edifier G5000 series, though, Edifier has abandoned the classic look of its previous products and gone into full gamer mode.

Out is the simple cuboid shape and faux wooden or black vinyl finishes of the R1280DB, and in is an aluminum-clad, multi-faceted, RGB lighting-adorned design. The main body of each speaker is a very hefty wooden box that’s painted in a wonderfully smooth matt-black finish. However, thick aluminum plates are slapped on the sides, and they also extend beyond the back of the speaker like a spoiler.

The RGB lighting sits between the body and the metal plate, shining from a plastic strip running around the edge of the plate. The lighting also shines through a ‘GAMING’ logo in the center of each side of the speaker.

As a competitor to the likes of the Razer Nommo speakers – with their RGB illuminated bases – the G5000 delivers the lighting goods, but the design is a little over the top. If Edifier did away with the ‘GAMING’ and ‘LED TECHNOLOGY’ labels on the sides, the whole design would look classier.

Moreover, the lighting isn’t compatible with any of the usual RGB lighting-control apps, so you can’t sync it with the rest of your system. Instead, you can choose from 11 different lighting effects, selected by double-tapping a button on the top of the right speaker.

That same button cycles through three different audio modes with a single press, while holding it down turns off the lighting. Greeting each change in audio mode is a strongly-accented voice alert to tell you the current mode, or ‘mood’ thanks to that accent. That same voice tells you which input you’ve selected too, and frankly, it’s irritating, especially as its volume doesn’t change along with the volume control.

Powering on (accompanied by a revving engine noise) is controlled by a second button (when held down) on the top of the right speaker, and that button also cycles through the input options when tapped. In between the two buttons is a volume switch that you tap or hold up and down to adjust. The volume up control is a little unresponsive, which was quite irritating.

Round the back of the right speaker is a USB Type-B input for connection to your PC, along with coaxial and optical digital inputs and a 3.5mm analog input, though there sadly isn’t a headphone output. Meanwhile, the left speaker is attached via a proprietary 9-pin cable, which provides power for the RGB lighting as well as the audio signal.

Given these speakers’ large size, it’s no surprise they deliver masses of volume and power, but they work well at low volumes too. They also deliver excellent clarity, with a strong but not overly-forced bass presence. Huge, pounding sub-bass isn’t quite there, but these are desktop speakers after all.

The movie and game audio modes do a reasonable job of enhancing dialogue and bombast for the former, and bringing out detailed trebly noises, such as footsteps, for the game mode. However, we generally left the speakers in music mode for a flatter, more natural sound that we found suited most needs.

Edifier G5000 pros and cons

Pros:

• Big, powerful sound
• Lots of connection options
• Fantastic build quality

Cons:

• Gamer styling is cheesy
• Very large for desktop speakers
• Expensive

Edifier G5000 specs

The Edifier G5000 specs list is:

Edifier G5000 price

The Edifier G5000 price is $500, making this a premium gaming speaker set.

Price: Expect to pay $500 (£480).

Edifier G5000 review conclusion

The Edifier G5000’s ‘gamer’ design additions are unsubtle and not genuinely useful for gaming, plus it’s a shame the lighting can’t be software controlled, and the various sound effects and voice queues are pure cheese too. It’s a shame as this is otherwise an excellent set of PC speakers with top-notch audio quality and plenty of connection options – it just can’t justify its $500 asking price.

For more computer speaker recommendations, check out our best computer speakers guide. Meanwhile, if you own a set of the Edifier G5000 or are tempted to buy some, let us know your thoughts and questions via the Custom PC Facebook page, Twitter page, or by joining our 400,000+ member Custom PC and Gaming Setup Facebook group.