Edifier MF200 Bluetooth Speaker Review: At first glance, I’d dismissed it as a desktop speaker, three trips later and it convinced me this speaker is ideal for travelling with.
{Tech} for Travel
Edifier MF200 Portable Speaker
I enjoy reviewing Edifier speakers because they always pleasantly surprise me, and the MF200 has possibly achieved this more than others.
A great example was the MP230 Speaker, which I really didn’t think was suited to being outside of the home yet was surprisingly robust and could fill a field with sound, or the small but mighty MP100 Plus.
From the media images I saw prior to the MF200 finding its way to the {Tech} for Travel HQ, I had convinced myself it was a soundbar for the office desk…… I was wrong!
In this article:
Features//Edifier MF200 Portable Speaker
Thanks to some beautiful styling and design, the MF200 speaker appears longer in the images than it is. At only 293mm in width, or 11.5″, this portable speaker is slightly shorter than a MacBook Air 13″.
And the tapered Aluminum Alloy case, which comes in a Grey or Silver, matching most Apple devices, performs an optical illusion of providing a much bigger speaker grille at the front, as the back section runs down to the base.
This results in an angled shape that easily fits into most backpacks without demanding much space.
Inside are front-facing neodymium iron boron full-range dual 36mm drivers backed up by a Class D audio power amplifier.
A rather generous built-in 2,200mAh lithium battery powers the MF200 for 10 hours from a full charge delivered via the side-mounted USB-C port.
The MF200 has one physical button, creatively crafted into the righthand side of the speaker, and three touch-sensitive buttons on the front for volume up/down and pause.
On the underside is two rubber feet; although the MF200 can be used on any of its four edges, you’ll want to maintain the refined and modern-looking case.
Edifier thoughtfully provides a convenient travel pouch to store the MF200 when it’s not in use.
Audio Performance
Whilst I often focus on the playback performance when the volume is up, and I will get to this, it was the MF200’s performance at the other end that impressed me.
When set at a lower volume, the MF200 was still easily heard. Despite the lower volume, the speaker’s dynamic range remained intact, delivering rich and well-balanced sound across the frequency spectrum.
Turning the volume level up resulted in a pleasing yet loud performance from this Edifier speaker, and despite having only front-facing drivers, the MF200 still delivered an immersive audio experience.
Controls
Whilst the controls are simple, I still recommend a quick scan of the instruction manual to get started. The round single physical button to the speaker’s right toggles between the various modes, each with its own LED colour to confirm the selected mode.
Similarly, the touch panel controls, identified only by three small icons on the front panel, require some memory skills as each has a primary and secondary function.
There’s no dedicated app for the MF200, however, once paired, which is standard and straightforward over Bluetooth 5.0, most owners will use their phone as the primary control over the onboard options.
Power
The 2,200mAh internal battery performed better than expected during the review period and easily averaged Edifier’s quoted 10 hours of playback.
For prolonged periods of use with the volume up, I was only just getting 8 hours.
Charging is done over USB-C (cable provided), and it took 3 hours to obtain a full charge from flat.
Conclusion
A couple of omissions, such as any form of waterproof rating and a newer Bluetooth version, like 5.2, and no bespoke app, are the obvious exclusions.
Yet I didn’t find myself missing any of them when using the MF200.
I regularly alternate between three different-sized backpacks, and even with the smallest of these (Compared to some of the premium audio devices, this speaker is a fraction of the price, sounds almost as good and looks better than most.
Specifications//Edifier MF200 Portable Speaker
Dimensions | 293 x 45 x 53mm |
Weight | 500g |
Colour Options | Silver Grey |
Driver | Dual 36mm |
Frequency Response | 100Hz-20kHz |
Output | 4W + 4W |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 USB-C 3.5mm Aux |
Features | Aluminum Alloy Case Class D Audio Amplifier Onboard Sound Card One-Touch Control |
Battery | 2,200mAh |
Playback | 10 Hours |
In the Box | MF200 Speaker Travel Pouch |
Website | edifier.com |
Price//Edifier MF200 Portable Speaker
The Edifier MF200 Bluetooth Portable Speaker is priced at $58/£46.