Short answer: the Edifier MR3. It ranks #8 of 24 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $109.99; the Edifier MR4 ranks #48, rated 3.5/5, and costs $139.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The MR3 measures a little better despite its smaller size. In Erin’s measurements the MR3 earns preference scores of 3.91 on its own and 6.53 with an ideal subwoofer, against 3.25 and 6.00 for the MR4. Both have fairly little overall tilt, so neither sounds obviously bright or dull, but the MR4’s listening window carries more local irregularity, especially in the lower treble.
Neither goes deep, and the MR4’s bigger woofer does not help. The MR3 reaches 70Hz at -3dB and 53Hz at -10dB, the MR4 79Hz and 59Hz, so both roll off early and both benefit from a subwoofer for music with real low bass. Both also limit or distort audibly when pushed; the MR3 tops out around 86 to 87dB per speaker at 1m, which is fine at a desk but not for filling a room.
The MR3 is the newer and better equipped design. Both offer balanced TRS for an audio interface, RCA and aux inputs and a front headphone output. The MR3 adds Bluetooth 5.4, rear tone knobs and room compensation settings in the ConneX app, where the MR4 has no Bluetooth and only Monitor and Music sound modes. The MR3 is also the smaller cabinet at 220mm tall against about 229mm.
Buy the Edifier MR3. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Edifier MR4 and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Edifier MR3 | Edifier MR4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $109.99 per pair | $139.99 per pair |
| Ranked | #8 of 24 in Small Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #48 of 67 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| App | Yes (Edifier ConneX) | No |
| Dimensions | 8.7"H x 4.9"W x 7.3"D (220 x 125.5 x 185 mm) (active); 220H x 125.5W x 176D mm (passive) | 9"H x 5.5"W x 7.6"D (228.6 x 139.7 x 193 mm) |
| EQ | Yes (rear knobs and app room compensation) | Yes (Monitor and Music modes) |
| Frequency Response | 52Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 60 Hz-20 kHz (-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | Balanced TRS, RCA, Aux, Bluetooth | TRS Balanced, RCA, Aux |
| Weight | 8.5 lbs (3.85 kg) | 9.9 lbs (4.5 kg) |
| Drivers | 3.5" mid-low driver, 1" silk dome tweeter | 4" (102mm) woofer, 1" silk dome tweeter |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 59Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 70Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 79Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | - |
| Amplifier Power | 36W total (18W per speaker) | 42W RMS total (21W per speaker) |
| Sensitivity | 83.3dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) | 78dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Maximum SPL | 93dB @ 1m (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.91 | 3.25 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.53 | 6.00 |
| XLR Input | No | No |
| RCA Input | Yes | Yes |
| TRS Input | Yes | Yes |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Outputs | 3.5mm headphone | Headphone |
| Headphone Output | Yes | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Edifier MR3:
- Edifier MR3 vs Genelec 8010A
- Adam Audio D3v vs Edifier MR3
- Edifier MR3 vs Cambridge Audio L/R S
- Edifier MR3 vs IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor
- Edifier M60 vs Edifier MR3
Prices on this page were last checked September 23, 2026 at 11:24 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Edifier MR3: $109.99 per pair Amazon eBay
Pros: Erin’s measurements show little overall tilt across the listening window, helping voices retain a broadly natural balance at a desk. Scores of 3.91 standalone and 6.53 with an ideal subwoofer support it as a useful budget nearfield option rather than a reference monitor. Tone controls and app-based EQ provide unusually flexible adjustment, and its bass extends farther than the Fostex PM03’s. Measured bass extension of 70Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 83.3dB.
Cons: Local response ripples remain: the measured 300Hz-5kHz span is 4.5dB and listening-window narrow-band deviation is 0.538. Bass reaches -3dB at about 70Hz. The limiter protects the drivers but prevents much extra loudness when pushed; existing compression testing puts effective single-speaker output around 86-87dB at 1m. Vertical crossover interference makes tweeter height and tilt important.
Full Edifier MR3 review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 36W total (18W per speaker) |
| App | Yes (Edifier ConneX) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 70Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.7"H x 4.9"W x 7.3"D (220 x 125.5 x 185 mm) (active); 220H x 125.5W x 176D mm (passive) |
| Drivers | 3.5" mid-low driver, 1" silk dome tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (rear knobs and app room compensation) |
| Frequency Response | 52Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| Headphone Output | Yes |
| Inputs | Balanced TRS, RCA, Aux, Bluetooth |
| Maximum SPL | 93dB @ 1m (manufacturer specified) |
| Optical Input | No |
| Outputs | 3.5mm headphone |
| RCA Input | Yes |
| Sensitivity | 83.3dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.91 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.53 |
| TRS Input | Yes |
| USB Input | No |
| Weight | 8.5 lbs (3.85 kg) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Edifier MR4: $139.99 per pair Amazon eBay
Pros: Erin’s data supports a useful budget desktop monitor: a 3.0dB midrange span, little overall on-axis tilt, and preference scores of 3.25 standalone and 6.00 with an ideal subwoofer. Balanced TRS inputs and tone controls are practical at its price, and its response is more balanced than the measured R1280T. Measured bass extension of 79Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 78dB.
Cons: Bass reaches -3dB around 79Hz, so deep extension should not be inferred from the overall flat trend. Listening-window response still has local irregularities, including lower-treble unevenness. The existing review reports rapidly increasing distortion and audible distress when pushed well above moderate desktop levels. No Bluetooth, and adding a subwoofer does not cure every output or tonal limitation.
Full Edifier MR4 review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 42W RMS total (21W per speaker) |
| App | No |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 59Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 79Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 9"H x 5.5"W x 7.6"D (228.6 x 139.7 x 193 mm) |
| Drivers | 4" (102mm) woofer, 1" silk dome tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (Monitor and Music modes) |
| Frequency Response | 60 Hz-20 kHz (-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| Headphone Output | Yes |
| Inputs | TRS Balanced, RCA, Aux |
| Optical Input | No |
| Outputs | Headphone |
| RCA Input | Yes |
| Sensitivity | 78dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.25 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.00 |
| TRS Input | Yes |
| USB Input | No |
| Weight | 9.9 lbs (4.5 kg) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner Review Measurements More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Audio Science Review Measurements More from Audio Science Review →
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review Edifier MR4 vs Edifier R1280DBs sound.DEMO More from DSAUDIOreview →
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review Edifier MR4 vs Edifier R1700BT sound.DEMO
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review Edifier MR4 vs JBL 305P MKII sound.DEMO
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review Edifier MR4 vs Presonus Eris E3.5 sound.DEMO
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review Edifier MR4 vs iLoud Micro Monitor sound.DEMO
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review Edifier MR4 vs Presonus Eris E4.5 sound.DEMO
- DSAUDIO.review: DSAUDIO.review Edifier MR4 vs Mackie CR4-X sound.DEMO
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Jasper Tech: Best Desktop Computer Speakers for Every Budget – 2026 More from Jasper Tech →
- Jasper Tech: Are the iLoud Micro Monitor Pro the Best Studio Monitor Speakers for your Home Studio?
- Head-to-Head Comparisons