TECH2

Measurements

Frequency response

61 Hz to 20 kHz ±4.2 dB (on-axis)
61 Hz to 20 kHz ±4.2 dB (averaged)

Bass limit

40 Hz at 90.9 dB

To measure the quasi-anechoic frequency response of the Edifier Spinnaker, I placed the powered speaker atop a 2-meter stand and placed the microphone at a distance of 1 meter, enough to incorporate the contributions of all the drivers. I placed the microphone slightly above the unit, which gave me the flattest response.. The quasi-anechoic method I used removes the effects of reflections from nearby objects, simulating measurements in an anechoic chamber. I placed 2 feet of attic insulation on the ground between the speaker and the mike to kill the ground reflection and reduce the minimum measurement frequency. To get the bass response, I close-miked the vent at the front of the speaker, scaled the bass response appropriately, then spliced the result to the average of quasi-anechoic measurements taken at 0°, ±10°, ±20°, and ±30°. (You can also see the on-axis result in the graph). I used a Clio FW analyzer in MLS mode for the quasi-anechoic measurements and log chirp mode for the close-miked measurements, feeding the test signals into the Spinnaker’s line input.

Even a lot of $20,000/pair speakers might envy the smoothness of the Spinnaker’s frequency response above 150 Hz, and few can match its horizontal dispersion. Through almost the entire audio band, the Spinnaker’s response measures ±2.6 dB averaged across ±30°, ±2.5 dB on-axis. Off-axis response is outstanding out to ±30°. It’s still impressive further out, but past ±45°, a peak starts to appear at 9 kHz. There’s a big, +5.5 dB resonant peak centered at 90 Hz, which is how Edifier gets such good bass output from the relatively small enclosure.

Bass output measurements were performed using CEA-2010 technique at 2 meters, then scaled up +6 dB per CEA-2010 requirements to give an equivalent of a 1-meter measurement. Lowest measurable output was at 40 Hz, where I got a solid 90.9 dB — impressive for a 4-inch driver. At higher bass measurement frequencies, the output  was dictated by an internal limiter or a conservative maximum volume level, which means bass distortion will be low. These measurements are for just one speaker; figure on approximately +6 dB additional output for the full system.

Bottom Line

I’m not sure what to call the Spinnaker — a lifestyle system, or a desktop system, or an audio objet d’art — but whatever it is, it’s easily the best product in its genre(s) that I’ve heard. It’s one of only a very few products I’ve ever reviewed that I could recommend for anybody, no matter what their budget or their taste in sound or music.