The Edifier R1700BTS is an excellent pair of budget active speakers to get your hands on. It comes with a plethora of features and has a very modest price tag too. Edifier R1700BTS is also an ideal choice to be a desktop bookshelf speaker for nearfield music listening. To make it even more worthwhile, the R1700BTS also comes with a dedicated subwoofer output.
The sub output alone is already a good enough reason to get the Edifier R1700BTS instead of its predecessor. Now the question is which subwoofer should we choose to match with these affordable active speakers. To find out, we will need to learn more about the Edifier R1700BTS sonic performance and characteristics.
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Sound Characteristics of Edifier R1700BTS
Usually, budget speakers just look cheap but not the Edifier R1700BTS. The MDF wood design adds a certain level of elegance to its visual aesthetics and the R1700BTS will look good as desktop speakers. There is a slight angle slant that helps to direct the sound to its users and also makes it look more expensive than it should be. We prefer to have the speaker grille on though and is up to you whether you want to remove it. There is no difference in sound quality with or without the grille on anyway.
When you remove the speaker grille, you will find a 0.75″ (19mm) tweeter located at the top, followed by a 4″ (100mm) midbass driver. Right at the bottom will be the Edifier R1700BTS front-firing bass port and this allows us to place the active speaker nearer to the walls. The R1700BTS active speakers have built-in amplifiers and provide a total power output of 66 Watts. Another notable feature will be the Bluetooth connection with Qualcomm aptX which will be amazing for wireless music streaming.
More Details at Amazon – Edifier R1700BTS Active Speakers with Subwoofer Line Out
With so many features and a built-in amp, the Edifier R1700BTS is already well worth the money been invested in them. Still, the speaker’s sound quality will play a major role to determine how good it really is. The Edifier R1700BTS is easy to listen to and we are able to sit through the listening session with ease even if the recording is bad. These active speakers have a knack for providing their listeners a good time, the music presentation is energetic and ‘fun’ but it does lack accuracy though. Edifier R1700BTS is certainly not made for critical listeners.
The energetic performances are partly due to the aggressive bass delivery. Which does catch us by surprise as we didn’t expect so much bass can be produced by such a small bookshelf speaker. This adds weight to the overall sound reproduction but compromises the clarity level of the upper registers. Edifier R1700BTS doesn’t dig deep into the bass extension though and this is where you will need a subwoofer to supplement the subsonic low-end performance. With the subwoofer dishing out the sub-bass, the overall music delivery sounds even more energetic.
To keep up with the enthusiasm of the Edifier R1700BTS, you might want to go with a ported subwoofer instead. The R1700BTS has a warm and lively personality, it is ideal for listeners who just want to enjoy listening to their music. It doesn’t sound harsh when pushed but can be a bit boomy. Based on these, we have prepared a list of the best subwoofers which you can go for and match with your Edifier R1700BTS. Their price points have been taken into account as well and you might want to work out a budget that you are willing to spend on a subwoofer.
Edifier R1700BTS Specifications
- Total Power Output: 66 Watts
- Drivers: 0.75″ (19mm) Tweeter, 4″ (100mm) Midbass driver
- Frequency Response: 52Hz-20kHz
- Wireless: Bluetooth with Qualcomm aptX
- Dimensions: 155mm x 250mm x 212mm | 6.1″ x 9.8″ x 8.3″
Best Subwoofers to partner with Edifier R1700BTS
Klipsch R-12SW is one of the most highly rated subwoofers at this price range and it is very friendly to our wallets too. The R-12SW subwoofer is definitely a good match with the Edifier R1700BTS active speakers. This is a 12″ front-firing ported subwoofer with up to 400 Watts of dynamic power which is already quite impressive for a sub at this price point. It is capable of producing very deep bass frequencies and could go loud when it needs to. We find the Klipsch R-12SW sub more suited for home theater use.
More Details at Amazon – Klipsch R-12SW Powered Subwoofer
For listeners who have really limited space or want to mount the subwoofer onto a wall then the Monoprice SSW-8 will be an ideal choice for you. This is an ultra-slim and compact 8″ ported subwoofer. The low profile design enables you to fit the Monoprice SSW-8 almost anywhere in the room such as below your sofa, behind the monitor, etc. What’s even more impressive will be its ability to hit down to 30Hz bass extension. The price point of the SSW-8 subwoofer is also well suited for the Edifier R1700BTS.
More Details at Amazon – Monoprice SSW-8 Slim 8 Inch Subwoofer – Black
If you prefer a subwoofer that will match seamlessly with the Edifier R1700BTS, we will suggest checking out Edifier T5. This is another excellent 8″ ported subwoofer with a very modest price tag to boot. The T5 sub is capable of reaching down to 38Hz and would be great for nearfield listening. It can hit rather hard for a subwoofer of this size and power (70 Watts RMS). The bass quality of the Edifier T5 complements the Edifier R1700BTS very well, probably due to similar sound signatures. We don’t recommend pushing the T5 subwoofer too hard.
More Information at Amazon – Edifier T5 Powered Subwoofer
The SVS PB-1000 will be an exceptional ported subwoofer for those who want to ramp up the SPL and shake the room. It may not be the cheapest among the listed subwoofers here but it has incredible bass performance for the money. This is a 10″ ported subwoofer with up to 720+ Watts of Peak power and could reach down to 19Hz bass extension. The bass energy produced by the SVS PB-1000 will surely match the Edifier R1700BTS low-end performance and then some. This is certainly a fantastic choice for listeners who watch a lot of movies using their desktop sound system.
More Details at Amazon – SVS PB-1000 300 Watt DSP Controlled Subwoofer
This is another extremely highly rated subwoofer and the Polk Audio PSW10 will match well with your Edifier R1700BTS active speakers. The 10″ Polk Audio PSW10 subwoofer is well-regarded by many of its satisfied owners. It is a ported subwoofer with a price tag that will fit most listeners’ budgets. The PSW10 will do well in both movie and music playbacks thanks to its good bass quality. The bass delivery is quite tight and controlled which is impressive for an entry-level ported subwoofer.
More Info at Amazon – Polk Audio PSW10 Subwoofer – Power Port Technology, Black
Listeners who only use Edifier R1700BTS for music playbacks might want to aim for a studio subwoofer instead. Studio subs are usually more accurate when it comes to bass reproduction and deliver the low-ends cleanly without much exaggeration. The PreSonus Eris Sub 8 will be a good match with your Edifier R1700BTS active speakers. It is a compact 8″ ported sub with a modest price tag and is made for professional use. If you prefer bass quality over quantity, you definitely should check out Eris Sub 8.
More Details at Amazon – PreSonus Eris Sub 8 Active Studio Sub
To Sum It Up
As mentioned earlier, we take the price points of the subwoofers into account and most of them listed here are closely match with the Edifier R1700BTS speakers in terms of pricing. If you have a bigger budget, we recommend taking a further look into the SVS brand as they specialize in making high-performance subwoofers. The subwoofers listed here are worthy of your time to audition them.
