Edifier’s Latest Desktop Speaker Embraces the Gaming Aesthetic but Falls Short

A unique speaker design mimicking a gaming PC raises questions about its practicality in a gaming setup.

Edifier Speaker

I find gaming PCs quite striking, and in my profession, I’ve filled mine with RGB lights, making it visually appealing. However, I’m unsure if Edifier’s new desktop speaker, designed to look like a gaming setup, captures the same allure.

Product Overview

The speaker is named Huazai New Cyber and is causing a stir online. At first glance, its slim design appears to house hardware like a CPU cooler or AIO radiator. Oddly, it is just a Bluetooth speaker. What does this mean for the gaming aesthetic?

For many, modern gaming desktops are expensive and a status symbol. This speaker blurs the line between home decor and gaming aesthetics.

Functionality vs. Form

Cleverly, the design utilizes speaker wires that resemble water-cooling tubes. The purported graphics card is a power supply, topped with nostalgia-inducing screens like those used in GPU cooling systems. Despite being appealing, critics argue about its practical advantages.

The speaker houses a 4-inch subwoofer for bass and two 52 mm drivers for mid and high frequencies, likely providing a solid audio experience for a desktop setup.

However, it’s important to note its retail price of approximately 1499 yuan (~$210), which is less than entry-level gaming rigs yet lacks their functionality.

Ultimately, the market will judge whether such a design resonates with consumers, but personally, I see such aesthetics more as mere novelties rather than genuine improvements.