Overview:
If you want to hook up your MP3 player to a speaker set for a party, the main problem that you face is that most docks can be a little on the small side. They don’t quite give that ‘wow factor’ that you get from something you’d see a DJ carrying around on tour. Well, we’ve gotten our hands on the Edifier Luna 5 iPod Speaker, which first and foremost, is big enough to constitute a piece of furniture in its own right. But does its size correlate with its quality? Let’s find out.
Review:
If you’re on the hunt for an iPod dock, you may have noticed quite a disparity in what’s on the market. At one end of the scale are high-quality with a similarly high price tag docks such as the Zeppelin from B&W.
If you’re not willing to pay £390.00 for a device to blare out Bon Jovi, you’re main other option seems to be around the £40.00 range where Logic3, Music Angel and Cygnett brands prove to be popular.
If you want something middle of the road, there are a few docks there to choose from, but none that give the centre piece feel of the Edifier Luna 5.
First things first, it looks like something you’d see in a trendy club instead of your wooden panel living room. The design of the Edifier Luna 5 is more styled than a footballer’s wife, but it’s not just all show.
The unit itself feels solid, and the subtle red lighting on the base unit isn’t in your face. There are six touch-sensitive buttons on the base which respond even when you lightly hover your finger over one.
My one cringe on the design front was when I took out the remote control. It was yet another remote to add to my collection on the coffee table and it was larger than any other I had, so took up more valuable room away from my magazines.
I can see that they’ve gone for a big remote for a big dock, but for the number of buttons and functions on the control itself, something half the size would have not only looked better, but have been a bit more practical.
The remote does continue the round moon theme though with its curved back which does at least make it stand out from my 8 other remotes.
The most important aspect of a speaker though is obviously its sound quality, and in this I was sufficiently impressed, especially with its all-important bass capabilities.
The Luna 5 features a three-way, fiver driver speaker system and delivers a total power output of 55W which is broken down into a 32W sub-woofer and 20W output from the other four speakers combined.
All of this equates to excellent volume which would power off the warblings of Britney into any noisy party.
While the volume is strong, it doesn’t compromise on quality, with only very slight distortion when cranked all the way to full volume. When I say this, I do mean that the music was on so loud my neighbours have taken out an injunction against me, and in the crescendo to this, I truly could not fault the sound quality.
I played a rock track and a classical track to see how the Edifier handled different sounds. As mentioned before, the bass in the rock song was picked up clearly and sounded deep and rich enough for you to want to get on your hands and knees under the table to find an invisible external sub-woofer.
While its treble was also very impressive, especially amongst a classical string section, I felt that the mid-range was very slightly lost, even after changing the sound settings on the unit.
All in all though, the sound quality that the Edifier Luna 5 produces is extremely good quality for its price. If you’re looking for the absolute pinnacle of perfection, you would also be looking at shelling out another £150.00 which is a lot of money for something that’s only a couple of steps up sound-wise from this unit.
The Edifier Luna 5 also comes with an FM radio, which I think is quite a nice touch for when you just can’t bear to listen to your usual playlist yet again. The reception wasn’t brilliant for me, but I do live amongst a plethora of buildings and frankly, I’ve yet to find a device that will pick up radio here reliably.
In saying that though, if the Luna 5 came with a socket for an external aerial, this may help to alleviate the reception problem for myself and the large number of other people who live in the midst of cities.
One thing about this system that shows a bit of sophistication, is that it will automatically run down the volume of your music when you hit the off button, instead of abruptly cutting off Pavarotti mid-note.
The Edifier Luna 5 has come down in price since its release (SRP £199.99) and can now be picked up around the £150 mark. For this price, you really are getting a bargain because of the quality of design and sound that this system gives.
The Gaj-It Verdict:
Design: 9/10
Usability: 8/10
Features: 8/10
Value: 9/10
We Say:
The Edifier Luna 5 is a top quality iPod speaker at a mid-range price which makes it a fantastic buy for your money. It has made a similar statement in design as the iPhone did when it first came out, which makes the Edifier Luna 5 a very appropriate dock for Apple’s product.