TechRadar Verdict
The Edifier ES60 is a real eye-catcher, with an attractive retro-style design and satisfyingly customizable LED lights. Things like USB-C audio passthrough and a built-in mic for hands-free calling are also welcome, although the speakerphone has some notable flaws. Above all, the audio just isn’t particularly refined, with limited nuance and occasionally harsh treble. Battery life isn’t the best either, making the ES60 difficult to recommend, especially given its relatively high price.
Benefits
- +
Attractive retro-style design
- +
Customizable LED lighting
- +
Solid bass output
Disadvantages
- –
Overzealous treble and limited nuance
- –
Disappointing battery life
- –
Very restrictive EQ options
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Edifier ES60: two-minute review
Elegant and supreme. According to Edifier, these are the two words that define its “ES” line of speakers. So, as you can imagine, my hopes were pretty high for the Edifier ES60 – a Bluetooth speaker that promises “immersive” and “high-quality 360-degree sound.”
And in a way, it lived up to my expectations. Particularly regarding its ‘Elegant’ side. Yes, it’s a very nice speaker. Its retro-style design – clearly quite inspired by Marshall – is a success, with its gold details, its faux leather casing and its pretty speaker grille which appeal to me.
Sure, it’s not the lightest speaker in its size class, and its IP66 waterproof rating has been surpassed by many of the best Bluetooth speakers, but it’s still very portable and capable of withstanding a good splash.
I wasn’t entirely convinced of the ES60’s supremacy, however, especially in the audio department. This is a solid sounding speaker overall, with clear overall audio output and decently punchy bass. However, it lacks the nuance offered by many similarly priced competitors. Vocals aren’t nicely separated and aren’t as expressive or energetic as models like the JBL Flip 7. The highs are also a bit overzealous and sound particularly harsh at higher volumes.
The ES60’s feature suite is also a bit of a mixed bag. I’m a fan of the customizable ambient lighting, USB-C audio compatibility, and the inclusion of a built-in mic for hands-free calling. However, the EQ options are very basic and there is no custom option, which I would have used to slightly temper those highs.
Additionally, this model only gives you nine hours of battery life, which is disappointing compared to most competitors in this price range. For example, the aforementioned Flip 7 can last up to 16 hours, and the Marshall Emberton III can last up to 32 hours.
Considering the Edifier ES60 typically costs $199.99 / £119.99 / AU$199.99, that just doesn’t seem like great value for money. Competitors outperform it in many crucial areas, including audio performance, battery life, and waterproofing. It’s still a solid speaker overall, with a particularly eye-catching design, but unless it’s on sale I can’t recommend it wholeheartedly.
Edifier ES60 review: price and release date
- $199.99 / £119.99 / AU$199.99
- Launched in March 2025
The Edifier ES60 was launched in March 2025 as part of Edifier’s ‘ES’ range, which also includes models like the palm-sized Edifier ES20 and the larger Edifier ES300. It usually sells for $199.99 / £119.99 / AU$199.99, but I’ve seen it on occasion for less than $150 on Amazon US. You can pick up the ES60 in black or ivory.
Edifier ES60 review: specifications
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|
Drivers |
1x 18 W mid-bass driver; 2x 8W tweeters |
|
Dimensions |
7.5 x 3.6 x 3.9 inches / 190 x 92 x 98 mm |
|
Weight |
2.3 pounds / 1 kg |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C |
|
Battery life |
9 hours |
|
Waterproofing |
IP66 |
Edifier ES60 review: features
- Attractive customizable lighting
- Limited EQ options
- Nine-hour battery life isn’t great
Under the hood the Edifier ES60 has a fairly standard configuration for a speaker of its size. It’s equipped with a single 18W mid-bass driver, along with two 8W tweeters. This means you get a maximum output of 34W – similar to that of the JBL Flip 7, but significantly more than its main rival, the Marshall Emberton III.
So, exactly how good does it sound? I’ll get to that later – let’s take a look at its feature list for now.
You get plenty of the usual features here, like multipoint connectivity, dual-speaker pairing, and companion app compatibility. However, you do get some nice extras, including a high-sensitivity microphone, which lets you take calls hands-free. This one even has noise-canceling technology, which can mask your voice in a busy environment.
Another notable inclusion is the EQ settings, accessible through the Edifier ConneX app. Honestly, these are pretty basic. You get the default music setting, plus game, movie, and exterior calibration. There are no gender-specific alternatives and no custom settings are available. That last part is a real shame – if I’m aiming for a specific sound, I always appreciate the ability to implement it.
Another negative for me was the battery life of the speaker. It only offers nine hours of listening time, which simply isn’t a lot for a speaker in its size class. In comparison, the JBL Flip 7 offers up to 16 hours, while the Marshall Emberton III offers a colossal 32 hours of battery life.
But it’s not all bad news. One of the best features of the Edifier ES60 is its integrated LED lighting. This emits from underneath the speaker and can shine onto a surface to create a bit of ambiance. You can customize the color and effect of the lighting in the Edifier ConneX app, which is a nice touch. This can also be turned off entirely if you want to focus on conserving battery life.
You can also access wired audio through the speaker’s USB-C port, which opens up more stable, higher-resolution listening. It’s an enticing inclusion, and something many of Edifier’s rivals overlook.
- Features rating: 3.5/5
Edifier ES60 review: sound quality
- Decent at mid-volume, with solid bass output
- But the treble can sound a little too enthusiastic
- Not the best in terms of nuances and instrument separation
I absolutely loved the signature sound of the Edifier ES60’s little brother, the Edifier ES20, so I had high hopes for this one. On top of that, Edifier itself claims that the ES60 delivers “superior sound performance” with “deep, punchy bass,” so I was pretty excited to embark on my listening test.
With I just want to stop by Gino Vannelli, the overall sound was quite pleasant at mid-volume, with clear vocals and well-balanced bass. However, I felt that the drums in the treble range were a bit exaggerated, which was only highlighted when I turned up the volume.
It was a similar story in the more optimistic version Keep the fire burning by Gwen McCrae – the bass was tempered but clean, but those higher percussive elements were a little too enthusiastic. Again, the vocals were quite clear, but not nicely separated. More generally, instrument separation isn’t incredible on the ES60 – it doesn’t feel like each individual element can fully express itself.
After that, I tried something a little different, with a bass-heavy sound. Fascinator by Max Dean. I was quite impressed here, with the build’s deep, powerful bass sounding nimble and decently regimented. These highs were again quite aggressive, and they could potentially become irritating over long listening periods, but the vocal chops in the midrange were fairly well balanced and didn’t seem obscured.
M-High 12 OC Riddim was also handled pretty well. The bass gets very dark on this track, and while the ES60 failed to muster the full-bodied bass needed to reproduce this, it certainly produced a meaty effort. At higher volumes, however, the bass weakens a bit and there’s very obvious compression – those highs go from overzealous to shrill, and vocals lose tonal precision.
Another positive is that the ES60 sounds pretty good from all listening angles. I tried walking around our music testing space and office, and the speaker remained pretty consistent at all times.
But how does this model compare to the competition? Well, I tested the ES60 alongside the JBL Flip 7 – a speaker with similar power and a similar price (at least in the UK). And this comparison showed why the Flip 7 is at the top of my best Bluetooth speakers guide.
The main difference I noticed was the Flip 7’s ability to highlight vocals and bring them to the forefront, creating a truly moving listen. At Ned Doheny I have your numberthe strumming guitars were beautifully weighted on the Flip 7 and sounded like they occupied their own pocket, while the soulful vocals came through with clarity and direction. The ES60 offered a rather monotonous performance, which never sounded harsh or unpleasant – it just lacked the nuance of JBL’s speaker.
In the meantime, Love at first sight – Kid Creme Vocal Dub by Kylie Minogue just got a little more energy and dynamism on the Flip 7, a speaker that ultimately surpasses the ES60 in terms of control, instrument separation and expressiveness. So while Edifier’s speaker sounds solid overall – especially in the low end – I just don’t think its audio performance can compete with that of some big rivals.
If the ES60 had a custom EQ or even a few extra presets to play with, it might just compete more effectively. ement, but as I mentioned in the “Features” section, the options available to you are very limited.
It’s also worth pointing out that this model only supports the most basic SBC audio codec – there are no fancy features like LDAC or aptX Adaptive on board, and even no love for AAC. This means you won’t get the most insightful high-res listening if you’re streaming via Bluetooth.
- Sound quality rating: 3.5/5
Edifier ES60 review: design
- Attractive retro-style aesthetic
- Decent IP66 waterproof rating
- Pretty solid feeling
The category in which the Edifier ES60 arguably excels the most is design. Of course, it’s clearly inspired by Marshall’s Bluetooth speakers, particularly the Emberton range, but Edifier has nailed the retro style well here.
It has a nice speaker grill, faux leather casing, and gold details that make it stand out from most others. You can also get this model in black or ivory, and both colors complement the speaker’s luxurious look beautifully.
On the upper side, this model has a set of simple and effective buttons, which allow you to adjust the lighting, reading or power in an instant. You’ll also find a USB-C port on the back of the speaker, which can be used to charge it or access wired audio.
Earlier, I talked about the speaker’s LED lighting, which evokes a bit of ambiance for immersive listening sessions, and is customizable in the Edifier ConneX app.
So I’m a big fan of the layout and looks of the Edifier ES60, but how does it perform in terms of practice? bedded? Well, not too bad. First of all, it’s not the lightest speaker, weighing around 2.3 pounds/1 kg. However, it’s just about small enough to carry with one hand, and a fabric strap is included if you’re traveling a short distance.
The ES60 is also IP66 rated, meaning it is completely dustproof and able to withstand powerful jets of water from multiple directions. This rating is generally decent, but much of the competition goes further, with the JBL Flip 7, for example, holding an IP68 rating, allowing it to survive submersion in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes.
Still, it’s a solidly built model and should survive the occasional drops when you’re on the move. Combine that with its gorgeous looks, and the Edifier ES60 earns plenty of points in the design department.
- Design rating: 4.5/5
Edifier ES60 test: value
- Quite expensive, especially in the United States
- Better value rivals
- However, he is by no means a bad speaker
Although the ES60 is surpassed in the latter category, it falls a bit flat in terms of value. It’s a fairly expensive model, coming in at $199.99 / £119.99 / AU$199.99. It’s especially expensive for US buyers, although I’ve seen it a little cheaper from time to time – it actually sells for around $149.99 on Amazon US.
Despite this, it’s a considerable amount of money to pay for a speaker of this size, especially considering the imperfect audio quality and feature set on offer. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice speaker, and it doesn’t sound bad at all, but the competition is just too strong.
Take the JBL Flip 7, for example. It’s regularly available at a lower price than the Edifier ES60, and it sounds better, offers superior waterproofing, and offers a much longer playback time. Even the Marshall Emberton III – which this speaker is inspired by – offers great sound, stereo sound capabilities and an even more luxurious look.
As a result, the Edifier ES60 isn’t the wonder of its sibling, the Edifier ES20 – and until it gets a juicy sale, I won’t be able to recommend it wholeheartedly.
- Value rating: 2.5/5
Should I buy the Edifier ES60?
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|
Attributes |
Remarks |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
Neat built-in mic and lighting, but mediocre EQ options and battery life. |
3.5/5 |
|
Sound quality |
Decently clear with solid bass, but lacks nuance and the treble is overexcited. |
3.5/5 |
|
Design |
Attractive aesthetics, well built, IP66 rating isn’t too bad. |
4.5/5 |
|
Value |
It’s not a bad speaker by any means, but it can’t compete with the competition in this price category. |
2.5/5 |
Buy it if…
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| Header Cell – Column 0 |
ES60 edifier |
Marshal Emberton III |
JBL Flip 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$199.99 / £119.99 / AU$199.99 |
$159 / £159 / AU$289 |
$149 / £129 / AU$179 |
|
Drivers |
1x 18 W mid-bass driver; 2x 8W tweeters |
2 10 W full-range speakers, 2 passive radiators |
1 mid/bass driver 45 x 80 mm, 1 tweeter 16 mm |
|
Dimensions |
7.5 x 3.6 x 3.9 inches / 190 x 92 x 98 mm |
6.3 x 2.7 x 3 inches / 160 x 68 x 76.9 mm |
2.8 x 7.2 x 2.8 inches / 70 x 183 x 72 mm |
|
Weight |
2.3 pounds / 1 kg |
1.5 lbs / 0.7 kg |
1.2 lbs / 0.6 kg |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C |
Bluetooth5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C |
|
Battery life |
9 hours |
32 hours |
4 p.m. |
|
Waterproofing |
IP66 |
IP67 |
IP68 |
- Tested for a week
- Mainly used in Future Labs music testing space
- Tested primarily with Tidal
I spent hours and hours testing the Edifier ES60, listening to a ton of music and playing around with its various features. During my testing, I tried all of its light customization and EQ options, and I made sure to try it in a variety of settings.
However, most of the time I used the ES60 in the Future Labs music test room. When I was listening to tracks, I browsed through the TechRadar test playlist, which features tracks from various genres. But I also sifted through a bunch of songs from my personal library — mostly through Tidal, but occasionally on Spotify.
More generally, I’ve reviewed dozens of speakers, headphones, headphones, soundbars, and more here at TechRadar, where I have a particular focus on AV technology. I’ve tested most of the ES60’s competitors, so I know what it takes to make a speaker stand out in a very complex market.
- First revision: January 2026
- Learn more about how we test
Harry is a review editor for TechRadar. He reviews everything from party speakers to wall chargers, and has a particular interest in the worlds of audio and gaming. Harry has a background in business technology journalism, particularly in the telecommunications sector.