Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Transfer 2: my testing reveals which Wi-Fi speaker affords considerably higher sound

The Edifier ES300 is an interesting retro-themed wi-fi speaker that undoubtedly made a sizeable impression on me once I first obtained it. There’s one thing undeniably charming about its premium, old-school radio vibes, with its monochrome shade palette and gold accents, and built-in lighting. Whereas many audio merchandise swing for this sort of aesthetic, far fewer efficiently hit their goal bang on.

Nevertheless, there’s one thing else that struck me about it, one thing that gave me just a little little bit of gadget deja vu. The Edifier is a cumbersome Wi-Fi speaker – sometimes one thing you’d set and neglect in an acoustic candy spot in your lounge, kitchen or bed room – however, unusually, it additionally has a battery for listening on the go. This instantly jogged my memory of one other entry within the annals of one of the best wi-fi audio system: the Sonos Transfer 2.

The unique Transfer was thought of a little bit of an oddity on its launch. It was a chonky boi, extra at dwelling on a shelf or counter than slung in a backpack and brought tenting, and might be used as a part of a multi-room speaker system. But, it had a built-in battery and IP56 ingress safety, which means it may simply address the nice outside in case you had the means to move it.

You might like

However the Transfer undoubtedly recognized an ecological area of interest for itself and the Transfer 2 that adopted it, a significantly good speaker providing high-end audio and fashionable connectivity that would simply do double responsibility spinning tunes at a picnic or a pool celebration. And that’s a distinct segment that Edifier has seized on with the ES300. So which of those moveable Wi-Fi audio system thrives greatest on this house?

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Transfer 2: value and availability

The Edifier ES300 was first launched on June 20, 2025, whereas the Sonos Transfer 2 was launched again on September 20, 2023. The ES300 has an inventory value of $349.99 / £299.99 / AU$399, and the Sonos Transfer 2 has an inventory value of $449 / £449 / $799. Nevertheless, offers exist on each: for instance, on the time of writing, you could find the ES300 on Amazon UK for £247.76, whereas the Sonos Transfer 2 is offered from $432.49 at Amazon US.

There are a number of variations of every speaker obtainable. The Edifier ES300 is offered in white and gold or black and gold colorways. In the meantime, the Sonos Transfer 2 is available in three hues: black, white and ‘olive’ (which, on the threat of sounding pretentious, I’d describe extra as artichoke).

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Transfer 2: specs

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Transfer 2: options

Wi-fi audio system have a tendency to take a seat on the bleeding edge in terms of options, typically rocking extra progressive performance than their wired or Bluetooth contemporaries. Neither the Edifier ES300 nor the Sonos Transfer 2 is an exception to this, though I discovered that one was appreciably smarter than the opposite.

The ES300 options you’ll in all probability use most are its sound profiles and EQ settings. Edifier supplies 4 preset profiles: Traditional, Monitor, Recreation and Vocal. A few of these felt like odd decisions to me. Neither Monitor nor Recreation actually match the overwhelming majority of customers; I’d have thought that together with a Bass mode as a substitute would’ve been a no brainer. Fortuitously, it has a six-band EQ that allows you to tailor the sound a bit extra to your liking, though many cheaper audio system supply a extra granular nine-band EQ, such because the Tribit StormBox 2.

At first, the Sonos Transfer 2 could appear much more restricted than this, its fundamental adjustable EQ settings within the app solely permitting you to regulate bass, treble and loudness. However its smartest function is that, for probably the most half, you shouldn’t ever must get your fingers soiled massaging frequency bands to get higher sound. That’s as a result of its Automated Trueplay algorithm usually assesses the speaker’s environment, calibrating its audio output for the form of the house it’s in. And it really works astoundingly properly; I by no means actually felt the necessity to tinker with its output to rebalance the sound.

One function that the ES300 has over the Transfer 2 is its built-in lighting modes. There are three patterns on supply: Static, Respiratory and Water-flow (a moderately grandiose time period for lights that simply cycle counter-clockwise). And you may as well choose between two colours: a cool white and a hotter yellow. Whereas I’d argue this isn’t a radical departure by way of options, I do discover the general impact pleasing, and I loved it sufficient that I stored it on even once I wasn’t listening to music.

You might like

Every machine provides you number of choices for controlling it. The ES300 options some aesthetically pleasing touch-sensitive controls on its high floor, together with two dials for setting its quantity and the brightness of its built-in mild, normal playback controls, and supply choice. In the meantime, the Edifier app supplies additional choices, together with configuring the Wi-Fi community, switching sources, establishing the stereo channel, EQ customization and light-weight impact settings.

The Transfer 2 options controls on its high floor to deal with play/pause, skip, replay, modify the quantity, and group or ungroup merchandise. Its app affords you the power to manage a number of options, together with community settings, its Automated Trueplay function and toggling on loudness correction. You’ll additionally discover one setting right here that you simply received’t see within the Edifier app: voice management. The Sonos affords you the choice to manage your speaker utilizing both Sonos Voice Management or Amazon Alexa, one thing sorely lacking from its rival.

In terms of connectivity, neither speaker precisely reinvents the wheel, however they each include vary of choices. As you’d count on from a wi-fi speaker, they each supply Wi-Fi, whereas the ES300 supplies Bluetooth 5.4 and the Transfer 2 has Bluetooth 5.3. Each gadgets help you play immediately from streaming apps like Spotify and Tidal, or you’ll be able to push out audio direct out of your gadgets through AirPlay 2. By way of bodily ports, the Edifier has a USB port and three.5mm enter, whereas the Sonos rocks a USB-C port.

There’s a slight distinction within the audio decision every machine can muster. Whereas the Sonos Transfer 2 is able to lossless, CD-quality sound, the Edifier ES300 can stretch to 24-bit/96kHz hi-res sound from appropriate sources. Naturally, this implies you’ll must both stream from an LDAC-compatible machine, stream ALAC over AirPlay 2, hook up a service able to hi-res audio like Tidal or plug immediately into its 3.5mm jack.

As I remarked once I began this piece, maybe probably the most notable function of both of those Wi-Fi audio system is their built-in battery, one thing that’s nonetheless vanishingly uncommon available in the market.

Each items have respectable longevity. I performed music repeatedly on the ES300 over AirPlay 2 at 50% quantity with the sunshine off for six hours – throughout that point, its battery solely dropped right down to 60%, which means it may probably final 15 hours whole, considerably greater than the 12 hours Edifier predicted. However the Transfer 2 nonetheless blew previous this, lasting over 24 hours, which means it’ll nonetheless be swinging lengthy after its opponent is out for the rely.

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Transfer 2: sound high quality

Given its pricing and styling, it is secure to say that I had sure expectations of the Edifier ES300 going into my testing. And but my preliminary impression of its sound was actually fairly lukewarm. It’s okay, however I really feel like as you enter the mid-range of the Wi-Fi speaker market, you’re entitled to count on higher than simply okay. As compared, the Sonos Transfer 2 is costlier however sounds each bit the sort of speaker I’d count on for its value.

Admittedly, once I performed Otomo by Bonobo on the Edifier, the woody-sounding percussion was actually tightly expressed, whereas the tribal, choral vocals rose above every thing clearly. Nevertheless it’s when that bassline drops that the specifics of the ES300’s sound profile are laid naked. There’s sufficient higher bass which you could hear the bass swell – it’s not fully AWOL, luckily – however in case you’re hoping for something extra tangible than this, you’re going to be left wanting.

Conversely, the Sonos Transfer 2 brings rather more low-end guts to the identical drop, giving the observe a much more secure basis. Now and again, it truly may sound just a little overblown, with the sub sounding overly resonant and swamping the decrease finish of the combo. Nevertheless, I quickly found that this was an artifact of the speaker’s loudness correction – issues sound quite a bit clearer with it off, though this does come at the price of some bass presence at decrease volumes.

I used to be just a little extra impressed with how the ES300 handles vocal-heavy mixes. Sticking on How Does It Really feel by London Grammar, I used to be pleasantly shocked by the wealthy timbre of the vocals and the way they rose above the remainder of the combo. However when making an attempt the identical tune out on the Transfer 2, I may see how a lot I used to be lacking out on – Hannah Reid’s honeyed vocals by some means felt much more rounded and held extra gravitas, whereas the heat to the observe’s low-end and pump to its kick added some much-needed glue that held the combo collectively.

A private pet peeve of mine is when speaker producers pump up the treble to compensate for a scarcity of dynamism within the decrease frequencies. The Edifier, luckily, doesn’t fall into this entice. Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Personal Approach is a good observe for exposing a very brilliant and glassy combine, and but the ES300 manages to keep away from these jangling guitars sounding too sharp. It does pull its punches just a little an excessive amount of in comparison with the Transfer 2, although, which gave the transients of the drums a lot crisper edges and enabled them to puncture by the combo with out ever sounding over-exposed.

The Edifier ES300 can often rally, although: at louder volumes, a few of these truant frequencies begin to labor just a little more durable. Whereas I used to be listening to Reflection by Ben Böhmer & Wooden, its swelling sub truly put in a correct shift, serving to to help its thumping kick. The end result wasn’t what I might name balanced, although – naturally, the mids are boosted too, so could be fairly intense – and the Transfer 2 exhibits it is potential to nonetheless acquire spectacular efficiency without having to crank issues as much as 11.

Maybe the one space the place I felt the ES300 took a palpable lead over the Transfer 2 is in instrument separation. Listening to Claire de Lune by Kamasi Washington, it gave every ingredient room to play, with the layered brass playfully dancing across the bass and piano.

Conversely, whereas Sonos’s speaker supplied fuller, extra cohesive sound, this often felt prefer it got here on the expense of extra discrete expression of various devices. This might properly be the work of Transfer 2’s Automated Trueplay algorithm, although, with it barely compressing the dynamic vary to forestall subtler parts getting misplaced within the house.

All informed, I discovered the Transfer 2 affords much more constant, genuine sound in comparison with the Edifier ES300. It appears able to a wider frequency vary, outdoing its rival at each the excessive and low finish, giving much more depth and context to a spread of genres. Sure, the latter rallies just a little at increased volumes, however I’d count on a speaker at this sort of value level to be extra constant at totally different loudness ranges.

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Transfer 2: design

One space the place the Edifier ES300 shines is in its design. In some methods, I really feel that this can be a speaker designed extra to be seen than heard. Significantly in its white and gold colorway, it effortlessly nails that retro vibe so many speaker manufacturers have aimed for and but not often hit.

Wrapping the ES300’s handcrafted wood speaker case is a ‘leather-like’ coating in both cream or black. Regardless of being a crunchy veggie, I’m not all the time eager on this sort of leatherette end – moderately than feeling classic, it typically comes throughout as low cost and a bit cheesy – however right here it feels pleasingly tactile and premium. Woven from braided material, the speaker cowl is available in both beige or black, whereas the plastic grille beneath is picked out in gold throughout each fashions. Cumulatively, this all helps the ES300 stand out in a market crowded with uninteresting black containers.

The Edifier’s built-in lighting is the cherry on high. Admittedly, the 2 hues and three lighting modes it affords aren’t precisely a scintillating aurora, however there’s no finish of celebration audio system on the market that may drench you in a cocktail of kaleidoscopic shade, so in some methods the extent of restraint proven here’s a breath of recent air. Wave a hand over the Edifier’s high floor and its buttons mild up as properly, albeit in a chilly white tone – it absolutely would not have been exhausting to have this shift with the hue of its fundamental mild, however that’s a minor nitpick.

As compared, the Sonos Transfer 2 defines itself extra by its brains than its magnificence. It’s an elliptical cylinder, with a mild curve towards the bottom the place it nestles into its cradle. That is additionally a pleasant contact, as moderately than having to plug in an influence cable to juice up its battery, you’ll be able to merely plop it down in its little nest to recharge.

The underside quarter and management panel on high of the Transfer 2 are fabricated from matte plastic – this feels gorgeously clean to the contact, with the olive/artichoke inexperienced coloration on the mannequin I examined including extra visible curiosity than the plain black or white colorways. In the meantime, the remainder of the machine is roofed in a positive metallic grille. Total, it’s a pretty package deal, nevertheless it’s undeniably fashionable and gadgety in comparison with the extra retro vibes the ES300 goals for.

For probably the most half, which machine takes the lead for you is probably going a matter of private style. Nevertheless, one clear space during which Sonos unarguably leads is weatherproofing. Whereas the Edifier has no safety towards both splashes or mud ingress, the Transfer 2 affords IP56 safety, which mustn’t solely forestall grit and dirt from interfering with its workings however can even face up to highly effective water jets from any path. So if you would like a poolside companion, the Sonos is the simple champ.

On condition that each audio system are designed to be semi-portable, their comparative bulk shall be an essential consideration. With the ES300 weighing in at 8.2 lbs (3.7kg) and the Transfer 2 at 6.61 lbs (3kg), neither of them is what I’d contemplate mild, however they’re each movable sufficient that you simply received’t battle carting them from room to room or out to the backyard. In the end, although, the Sonos takes the sting for me by way of maneuverability – it has a helpful carry deal with constructed into its again, which the Edifier lacks, making the previous extra handy for transferring as you drift from room to room.

Edifier ES300 vs Sonos Transfer 2: worth

There’s a fairly main caveat to every thing I’ve stated up to now: value. Whereas I’d argue the Edifier ES300 and Sonos Transfer 2 are each firmly mid-range audio system, there’s nonetheless a noticeable distinction of their price. The ES300 has an inventory value of $349.99 / £299.99 / AU$399, and the Sonos Transfer 2 has an inventory value of $449 / £449 / $799, which means the latter prices a good slice extra. And this hole is just widened when you consider gross sales costs on the ES300, which, on the time of writing, was discounted right down to £247.76 at Amazon UK.