Short answer: the Edifier MR4.5. It ranks #69 of 108 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 3.6/5, at $199.99. The Edifier MR4 ranks #72, rated 3.5/5, at $169.99, $30 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
The MR4.5 is the MR4 with real bass. Its 4.5-inch woofer reaches about 60Hz at -3dB and 44Hz at -10dB in Erin’s measurements, where the MR4 is 3dB down at 79Hz and 10dB down at 59Hz. That makes the MR4.5 sound much fuller on its own, and it has almost twice the amplifier power at 80W in total.
Tonal accuracy is similar, with different flaws. The MR4.5 scores about 3.9 on its own and 6.1 with an ideal subwoofer, against 3.25 and 6.00 for the MR4, so most of the MR4.5’s lead comes from bass extension. The MR4.5 has a broad upper bass bump around 120 to 150Hz, a dip around 2 to 3kHz and brighter treble, plus strong vertical lobing, so aim its tweeter at ear height. The MR4 is flatter overall but has lower treble unevenness.
The MR4.5 is the better connected speaker. Both have balanced TRS, RCA and aux inputs and a front headphone output. The MR4.5 adds balanced XLR, Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC and multipoint, and room compensation settings in the ConneX app, where the MR4 has no Bluetooth and only Monitor and Music sound modes. Both compress and distort when pushed hard, so either is best kept to nearfield desk listening.
Buy the Edifier MR4.5. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $30 with the Edifier MR4 does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Edifier MR4.5 | Edifier MR4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.99 per pair | $169.99 per pair |
| Ranked | #69 of 108 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #72 of 108 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Dimensions | 5.5”W x 9.6”H x 9”D (140 x 244 x 229 mm) (active); 140W x 244H x 208D mm (passive) | 9”H x 5.5”W x 7.6”D (228.6 x 139.7 x 193 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 50Hz-40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 60 Hz-20 kHz (-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | Balanced XLR, balanced 6.35mm TRS, RCA, 3.5mm Aux, Bluetooth | TRS Balanced, RCA, Aux |
| Outputs | 3.5mm headphone | Headphone |
| Weight | 14.6 lbs (6.63 kg) | 9.9 lbs (4.5 kg) |
| Drivers | 4.5-inch mid-bass driver + 1-inch silk-dome tweeter (each) | 4” (102mm) woofer, 1” silk dome tweeter |
| App | Yes (Edifier ConneX) | No |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | LDAC, SBC | - |
| EQ | Yes (app EQ, room compensation settings and rear high/low controls) | Yes (Monitor and Music modes) |
| Amplifier Power | 80W RMS total (Manufacturer specified) | 42W RMS total (21W per speaker) |
| Maximum SPL | 98dB (Manufacturer specified, 1m) | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 79Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 59Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.86 (calculated from Erin’s Audio Corner CEA2034 data) | 3.25 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.10 (calculated from Erin’s Audio Corner CEA2034 data) | 6.00 |
| Measurement Source | Erin’s Audio Corner | - |
| Headphone Output | Yes | Yes |
| XLR Input | Yes | 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 |
| Bluetooth | Yes | No |
| Sensitivity | - | 78dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
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