Edifier QD35 Review – Bluetooth monoculture in styled up and spacy

1 - Einführung und Übersicht 2 - Konnektivität und App 3 - Klang-Check und Fazit

And no, that’s not some oversized underwater camera; it’s genuinely a real Bluetooth speaker. This beauty is called the Edifier QD35, and its street price is now 120 Euros (RRP 170 Euros). You really have to come up with such a design, and this piece was so distinctively different that I just couldn’t resist, price notwithstanding. Especially since I grabbed it from the distributor this time. You probably know the moment when you wonder what a designer must have been thinking to come up with such unique ideas?

And I’m a bit late to the party, as the usual sites have already covered it. I’m not an influencer, so naturally, the launch missed me. And since today is Monday, let’s not take things too seriously. But, be that as it may, the thing suddenly appeared here (intentionally on my part) and wanted to be taken out of its box and then put back in. An oversized Bluetooth mono-speaker as an LED-illuminated boom-box in galactic design? Why not? In this interpretation, it’s almost like a wildly flashing unicorn. So let’s dive in!

The box alone is cleverly designed. If you sneak past it on the shelf, the first thing you see is something with 35 watts. That’s even true, but completely different than you think at first. Yes, that’s how honest marketing works, just thought around three corners. But I’ll come back to that in a moment. First, of course, I want to know what is really hidden in this miracle box. So I quickly wash and degrease my hands once again, because you never know what you’re going to get…

Scope of delivery

And what do I find in the box? Of course, the speaker in ecologically pressed eggshell style carton, a quick start sheet, the manual, and a microfiber cloth to polish my grease residues on the body. In addition, there are power cables, a USB cable for the Hi-Res connection to the PC and a 3.5 mm jack cable for feeding from analog oldschool sources. These are also still available. The Hi-Res audio label could have been left out. After all, bats are not included.

Above all, the cloth (or should I better write THE cloth?) is the most important friend in the life of such a Q35. But more about that in a moment, because it makes less prints for the better impression.

Unboxing

Well, just unbox and be amazed. Only, what do you write about such a speaker now? Quite simple: with the Edifier QD35, we simply can’t avoid chatting about its “clearly unique” design. A matter of taste, sure, but this mix of “look-through” industrial look, fingerprint-eating glossy look, and disco lighting might make some think more of a UFO. Is it a bird? Is it an airplane? No, it’s … a loudspeaker! And that even in mono! The urge for acoustic monosyllabicity is more than made up for by the alien design. At least, it does if you stand on it.

Speaking of standing on it, the speaker weighs 2.64 kilos (without fingerprints) and looks just like a take-away roar cube with its approximately 28 x 17 x 14 cm, but it stands bombproof on nice soft rubber feet. And it unfortunately doesn’t have an integrated battery and thus always needs a power outlet. At the bottom left is a display, the speaker’s smartwatch, so to speak! It shows the time, but only when you say it with the app. And without juice? It lasts up to 7 days, after that it gets time-starved and needs a reminder (see mains connection).

The Edifier’s see-through face, with no makeup at all (i.e. grille or cover), could be the main attraction for all the little finger artists out there, especially with the colorful light show behind it. The top screams “Here I am!” with prominent Edifier branding that’s probably there to make sure you don’t forget what you’re looking at. The dark look is practically impractical, as you can really see every tap of your finger – unless you’re eating while listening to music with gloves on. But that’s what THE wipe is for. Wipe and away.

On the right, we then have a control trinity: a power button that acts as an input source changer in its spare time; a volume control that also plays along with play and pause, and acts as a sound DJ on the side. But the star of the show? The RGB controller! That’s where the party really gets started. It not only changes the brightness, but also the lighting effects. Who needs a disco ball? We’ve got the Edi… And the app? It helps out, too. The quality? Top. The buttons? Firm and accurate. Nothing wobbles!

Oh, the app and connectivity will be covered in the next chapter, so don’t get confused. I’ll also write something about the charging in a moment, so have a quick look at the data sheet and let’s continue!