Short answer: the Edifier MR3, and the measurements back it up clearly. It ranks #11 of 48 small powered bookshelf speakers at $149.99. The Eris E5 ranks #77 of 108 medium powered bookshelf speakers at $186.98, near the bottom of its class. The PreSonus Eris E5 is discontinued; its replacement is the PreSonus Eris Studio 5.
Erin’s Audio Corner measurements are the deciding factor here. The MR3 shows little overall tilt across the listening window, which helps voices stay naturally balanced at desk distance, and it scores well enough in Erin’s testing to be called a useful budget nearfield option rather than a full reference monitor. It still has real measured flaws: a 4.5dB ripple across the 300Hz-5kHz span, and a limiter that caps effective single-speaker output around 86 to 87dB at 1 meter, meaning it won’t play especially loud even though its rated max SPL is 93dB. The Eris E5’s notes describe a fuller low end than some bass-light monitors, but explicitly caution that a fuller bass balance is not the same thing as a neutral one, and its own placement adjustment doesn’t substitute for a properly integrated subwoofer.
Connectivity favors different users. The MR3 includes Bluetooth alongside aux and RCA, while the Eris E5 sticks to studio-standard balanced TRS and XLR inputs plus RCA, better suited to a dedicated audio interface than a Bluetooth source.
What the MR3 adds that the Eris E5 doesn’t: tone controls for bass and treble, Bluetooth 5.4 streaming, and measured bass extension down to 52Hz at -10dB from Erin’s Audio Corner testing, numbers the Eris E5 doesn’t have independently measured and published here.
Buy the Edifier MR3 for meaningfully more accurate, better-measured sound in a smaller footprint, especially at a desk.
Buy the PreSonus Eris E5 only if you specifically need balanced XLR or TRS studio inputs and are willing to trade tonal accuracy for connectivity and a bigger cabinet.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Edifier MR3 | PreSonus Eris E5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.99 per pair | $186.98 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #11 of 48 in Small Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #77 of 108 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) | 10.2”H x 7”W x 7.7”D (259.1 x 177.8 x 195.6 mm) |
| EQ | Yes (rear knobs and app room compensation) | Yes (Room adjustment) |
| Frequency Response | 52Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 53Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | Balanced TRS, RCA, Aux, Bluetooth | TRS, XLR, RCA |
| Weight | 8.5 lbs (3.85 kg) | 10.1 lbs (4.6 kg) each |
| Drivers | 3.5” mid-low driver, 1” silk dome tweeter | 5” (127mm) woofer |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 70Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| Bluetooth | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | - |
| Amplifier Power | 36W total (18W per speaker) | 80w Per Speaker |
| Sensitivity | 83.3dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| Maximum SPL | 93dB @ 1m (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.91 | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.53 | - |
| XLR Input | No | Yes |
| 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 | No |
| Outputs | 3.5mm headphone | - |
| Headphone Output | Yes | - |
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