Edifier ES300 vs S300 vs D32: Which Edifier Speaker Should You Buy?
The Edifier D32, ES300 and S300 side by side. The ES300 sits nicely in the middle, while the S300 is clearly the larger and more premium home speaker.
I received the Edifier D32, ES300 and S300 for review purposes. This article may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy through my links, at no extra cost to you. All opinions are based on my own long-term testing.As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchase.
I have reviewed quite a few Edifier products over the past few years, from earbuds and headphones to bookshelf speakers and tabletop speakers. And if there is one thing I have learned, it is this: Edifier knows how to make audio products that feel more interesting than the usual black plastic box.
That matters to me.
Sound quality is obviously the most important thing. But I also care about design. I care about how a product looks in my living room, how easy it is to use, whether it fits into my daily routine, and whether I still enjoy using it once the excitement of unboxing has disappeared.
Over the last few months, I have tested three of Edifier’s most interesting speakers: the Edifier ES300, the Edifier S300, and the Edifier D32. They all share some of the same Edifier DNA. Warm sound. Strong design. AirPlay 2 support. Hi-Res Audio features. Proper character.
But they are not the same speaker.
The Edifier S300 feels like the premium home speaker. The D32 feels like the stylish retro tabletop speaker. And the ES300? For me, that is probably the best overall choice for most people.
Not because it beats the S300 in every area. It does not.
But because it gives you the best balance of everything.
The ES300 Is the Best Overall Choice
If I had to choose just one of these three Edifier speakers, I would go for the Edifier ES300. It offers the best balance of sound quality, design, features and everyday flexibility, making it the easiest speaker of the three to recommend to most people.
The Edifier S300 is the better choice if you want the most premium home speaker and the strongest sound. The Edifier D32 remains a great option if you prefer retro styling and a slightly more compact tabletop design. But as an all-rounder, the ES300 is my winner.
Edifier ES300
Edifier S300
Edifier D32
ES300
Design and Build Quality
The Edifier D32 was the first of the three I reviewed, and I still think it looks fantastic. It has that retro-inspired design with a grille and piano-style buttons that make it feel like something you would actually want to display. It is not trying to disappear into the background. It has charm.
The S300 goes further. Much further.
This is the most premium-looking speaker of the three. The wooden cabinet, braided grille, metal controls and overall finish make it feel like a proper piece of home audio equipment. It has presence. It looks expensive. It looks especially good next to a turntable, which is how I tested it at home.
But the ES300 is the one that surprised me the most.
The version I tested is the Ivory model, and honestly, it looks superb. It has a retro feel, almost like a modern guitar amp, but it also feels cleaner and more contemporary than the D32. The faux leather finish, the grille, the touch controls and the ambient lighting all make it feel like a premium lifestyle speaker.
And that is probably why I like it so much.
The S300 is the most luxurious. The D32 is the most retro. But the ES300 feels like the best mix of modern and classic design.
It looks good without looking too serious.
The Edifier ES300 next to the larger S300. This photo shows why the ES300 feels like the more flexible all-rounder, while the S300 is better suited to a fixed home audio setup
Three Edifier Speakers, Tested in Real Life
I tested the Edifier ES300, S300 and D32 separately in my own home before putting this comparison together. This was not based on spec sheets alone. I used each speaker in the kind of situations where I would normally listen to music, watch something, work, or relax.
That matters because these three speakers are not aimed at exactly the same person. The S300 feels like a more permanent premium home speaker, the D32 brings more retro charm, while the ES300 offers the best overall balance of sound, design and flexibility around the home.
Sound Quality
This is where the comparison becomes more difficult, because all three speakers sound good.
Very good, actually.
The D32 has a warm, balanced sound with enough power to fill a room. I used it with Spotify, Qobuz, my iPhone, my MacBook Air and even my Audio Technica turntable through AUX. It has a really enjoyable sound signature. Vocals sound natural, the bass has depth, and it works beautifully as a stylish everyday speaker.
The S300 is more powerful and more refined. You can feel that it sits in a higher category. It has 80W of total output power, and in real life that gives the speaker more weight, more control and more authority. When I played vinyl through it, especially music with depth and texture, the result was excellent. It has that warm, rich sound that reminds me of good old analogue speakers from the 80s or 90s.
The ES300 sits somewhere between the two.
It has 60W of power, like the D32, but it feels slightly more modern and more versatile in daily use. The bass is strong, the sound is warm, and it can easily fill a room. You do not need to push it to maximum volume. In fact, if you push it too far, you may notice a little distortion, but this is not really a problem because it gets loud enough before that point.
For everyday listening, the ES300 is excellent.
Music sounds full. Voices are clear. The bass has body. It is the kind of speaker I can use while working, cooking, watching something on Apple TV or just relaxing in the evening.
Is the S300 better for pure sound quality? Yes, I think so.
But is the ES300 the better all-round speaker for most homes? Yes, I think so too.
The Edifier D32 has the strongest retro personality of the three, with its compact shape, front buttons and classic tabletop speaker design.
AirPlay 2, LDAC and Connectivity
One thing I really like about these Edifier speakers is that they are not just standard Bluetooth speakers.
All three support modern wireless features, including AirPlay 2 for Apple users and LDAC for compatible Android devices.
That is important.
If you use an iPhone, you will not get LDAC. That is not an Edifier problem. That is just Apple being Apple. But AirPlay 2 gives you a very good way to stream music from your iPhone, iPad or Mac, and once it is working, it is very useful (setup is not that easy…).
If you use Android, especially with a music service like Qobuz or Tidal, LDAC makes these speakers even more interesting. You can get higher-quality wireless audio than you would through standard Bluetooth.
This is where all three speakers perform well.
The D32 worked very nicely with my Apple setup. I used it with my iPhone and MacBook Air, and the experience was smooth.
The S300 also supports AirPlay 2 and LDAC, and because it is the most premium speaker of the three, it makes sense if you want to get the best possible sound from a good source.
But again, the ES300 feels like the most flexible choice.
You get AirPlay 2, Bluetooth 5.4, LDAC, USB and AUX. You also get a speaker that can move more easily around the house than the S300.
For me, that is the real strength of the ES300.
It gives you many of the benefits of a serious home speaker, without locking you into one room.
The Edifier ES300 in Ivory.
Portability and Everyday Use
This is where the S300 loses a few points.
Not because it is bad. It is not. It is excellent.
But it is not really portable.
The S300 is bigger and heavier than the ES300 and D32. It is the kind of speaker you place somewhere and leave there. In a living room, office or listening corner, that makes complete sense. It has the presence and sound to justify it.
The D32 is easier to live with. It has a built-in battery and is more compact, although I mostly used mine plugged in at home. It works well as a tabletop speaker, and I can see it fitting beautifully in a living room, bedroom or home office.
The ES300 is also not a small portable speaker. Let’s be honest. This is not something you throw into a backpack before going to the park.
But it is portable in a more realistic, home-friendly way.
You can move it from the living room to the kitchen. From your office to the garden. From the bedroom to the dining room. It has enough battery life to make that useful, and enough power to make it worthwhile.
That is why I think Edifier got the positioning right.
The ES300 is not a tiny Bluetooth speaker. It is a premium portable speaker for the home.
And that is exactly how I would use it.
Using Them With a Turntable
If you enjoy vinyl, both the D32 and S300 are very interesting.
I tested the D32 with my Audio Technica turntable, and it worked very well. The sound was warm, clean and enjoyable. It gave the D32 an extra layer of charm because the speaker already has that retro-inspired design. Visually and sonically, it made sense.
But the S300 is better for vinyl.
No hesitation there.
The bigger cabinet, stronger sound, richer bass and more premium build make it feel like a better match for a turntable setup. When I connected it to my Audio Technica, the result felt more immersive and more serious.
The ES300 also has AUX, so it can work with wired sources, but if vinyl is your main reason for buying one of these speakers, I would choose the S300 first and the D32 second.
The ES300 can do it, but the S300 feels more made for that kind of permanent home listening setup.
The Edifier S300 is the most premium speaker in this comparison, with a larger cabinet, physical controls and a more serious home audio feel.
Using Them With Apple TV
This is one of the reasons I really enjoyed the ES300.
I connected it through AirPlay to my Apple TV, and the result was surprisingly good. My Philips TV already has decent sound, but adding the ES300 gave everything more depth and presence. Films and shows felt bigger. Not full home cinema bigger, of course, but definitely better than standard TV audio.
I also tried using the S300 with Apple TV through AirPlay, and the sound was impressive. In fact, using the S300 and ES300 together through AirPlay 2 was a real treat.
The App Situation
Now, one thing Edifier still needs to improve is the app experience.
This is something I have mentioned before.
There are different Edifier apps depending on the product, and if you own several Edifier speakers, earbuds or headphones, it can become confusing. Some products use Edifier Connect. Some use Edifier ConneX. The ES300 uses Edifier Home.
Come on, Edifier. One app would be better.
The actual setup is not difficult once you know which app to use, but from a user point of view, it could be cleaner. Especially now that Edifier is making more premium lifestyle speakers. The hardware is getting better and better. The app ecosystem needs to catch up.
It is not a deal-breaker.
But it is something worth mentioning.
The Good and the Less Good
What I Like
- The ES300 gives the best overall balance of sound, design and flexibility
- The S300 feels like the most premium and serious home speaker of the three
- The D32 still has real charm, especially if you like retro-inspired design
- All three speakers support AirPlay 2, which is great for Apple users
- LDAC support makes them more interesting for Android users
- The sound signature across all three feels warm, rich and easy to enjoy
- Each speaker has a clear purpose, so the choice depends on how you listen
What I Don’t Like
- The S300 is the least flexible option because it is bigger, heavier and more expensive
- The ES300 is portable around the home, but it is not a small grab-and-go Bluetooth speaker
- The D32 does not feel quite as premium or powerful as the S300
- The Edifier app situation can still feel confusing if you own several Edifier products
- iPhone users will not benefit from LDAC, even though AirPlay 2 works very well
- The ES300 can show a little distortion if pushed too hard, although it gets loud enough before that point
Which Edifier Speaker Should You Buy?
Here is how I would break it down.
Buy the Edifier ES300 if you want the best overall speaker
This is my top recommendation for most people.
The ES300 gives you the best mix of sound, design, features and flexibility. It sounds powerful, looks premium, supports AirPlay 2 and LDAC, has useful inputs, works well around the home, and can even improve your Apple TV setup.
It is not the cheapest speaker here, and it is not the smallest. But it feels like the most complete option.
If I had to choose one Edifier speaker from this comparison to recommend to most readers, it would be the ES300.
Buy the Edifier S300 if you want the most premium sound and design
The S300 is the speaker I would choose if I wanted something more serious for one room.
It looks stunning. It sounds excellent. It works beautifully with vinyl. It feels like a proper premium tabletop speaker.
But it is also bigger, heavier and more expensive. This is not the one I would buy if I wanted flexibility around the house.
It is the one I would buy if I wanted a beautiful speaker to keep in my living room, office or dedicated listening space.
Buy the Edifier D32 if you want retro charm and great value
The D32 is still a lovely speaker.
It has a gorgeous retro design, AirPlay 2, LDAC, a built-in battery and a warm, enjoyable sound. It is probably the easiest one to love visually, especially if you like vintage-inspired audio products.
It is not as premium as the S300 and not as flexible as the ES300, but it still makes a lot of sense.
If you want a stylish tabletop speaker that looks good, sounds good and works well with Apple and Android devices, the D32 remains a very strong choice.
Best Overall: Edifier ES300
For me, the ES300 is the best overall speaker in this comparison.
Not because it is the most powerful.
Not because it is the most expensive.
And not because it wins every single category.
It wins because it is the one that makes the most sense in real life.
You can use it for music. You can use it with Apple TV. You can move it around the house. You can enjoy AirPlay 2 if you are an Apple user. You can use LDAC if you are on Android. You get strong, warm, room-filling sound, and the design looks genuinely premium.
That is a very strong package.
The S300 is better if sound quality and premium design are your absolute priorities. The D32 is better if you want something more compact and retro. But the ES300 sits in the middle and does almost everything well.
That is why it is my winner.
Final Verdict
I like all three of these Edifier speakers, but I would not recommend them to exactly the same person.
The Edifier S300 is the one to buy if you want the most premium experience. It sounds superb, looks beautiful and feels like a proper home audio product. If you have a turntable or want a permanent living room speaker, it is easy to recommend.
The Edifier D32 is still a brilliant option if you want style, warmth and retro charm. It is not just a pretty speaker either. It sounds very good, supports useful modern features, and works well with both Apple and Android devices.
But the Edifier ES300 is the one I would choose as the best overall speaker.
It gives you the strongest balance of sound quality, design, features and everyday flexibility. It is powerful enough for proper listening, stylish enough for the home, and versatile enough to use in different rooms and different setups.
And that is what makes it so good.
Jerome
About the author: I'm Jerome, founder of Dapper & Groomed. I've spent the past 13 years testing and reviewing speakers, earbuds, headphones, skincare products, fragrances, grooming products, and men's lifestyle gear on this blog and on my YouTube channel. My reviews are never approved or previewed by brands — just honest, real-world testing from a dad who's been at this since 2013.
I tested the Edifier ES300, S300 and D32 in real life. Here is my honest comparison of sound quality, design, AirPlay 2, LDAC, portability and which Edifier speaker I would buy.