Compact, modern design; surprisingly good sound at close range
Sound quality degrades considerably when you move a few feet away from the speakers
The Edifier MP300 Plus is a well-designed and affordable PC-speaker system for laptops, but it only sounds good at close range
6.7 Good
Reviewed by David Carnoy
Edifier is a Canada-based company that makes a variety of funky PC-speaker systems. Available for around £50, the MP300 Plus is designed for use with laptops, but can also be used with desktops.
Design
The system is composed of two small, ball-shaped satellite speakers and a tubular subwoofer. The idea is that you stick the subwoofer behind your laptop and the bass fires out from the ends of the tube.
The MP300 Plus looks very similar to its predecessor, the MP300, but there are some small differences. The MP300 Plus comes in black instead of silver, has wire-mesh grille covers on the satellites, and sports a more powerful 15W subwoofer.
The satellites attach to the subwoofer via a proprietary cable, and there's a single line-in input on the subwoofer that allows you to connect either your PC or an audio device to the speakers. It would be good if the MP300 Plus could be powered by a USB connection, but the subwoofer seems to require more power than could be supplied in that way, so this model uses a standard 12V AC adaptor.
Performance
The MP300 Plus sounds pretty good if you're sitting right next to your computer and, obviously, the speakers. The bass from the subwoofer comes through well and the satellites offer enough detail to make you think you're listening to a bigger speaker system. But, when you move your chair back just a few feet, the sound degrades considerably and becomes much thinner. The effect is similar to pulling a set of over-the-ear headphones away from your ears by half an inch or so and losing the seal.
Conclusion
The Edifier MP300 Plus is a cool-looking, affordable PC speaker system that sounds pretty good at close range. We wouldn't recommend it if you're hoping to fill a small room with sound, though. Just stay close to your computer and you'll be happy.
Additional editing by Charles Kloet
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