Edifier IF500 Luna Ipod Dock
Review: Edifier IF500 Luna Ipod Dock Review
Pros:
Unique Design
Excellent Bass/Treble. Overall Sound Very Good!
Touch Sensitive Buttons Easy to Use
Cons:
Very Heavy
Lots of Space Needed. Very Big
Though it might look like across between a hot-air balloon and a tiny robot with a massive Afro, the Edifier Luna is a design on the cutting edge of art school, avant cool. The official Edifier site lists it as “a statement of design excellence” and for the asking price (nearly £200) it had better be. So, is the Luna one of the best top-level docks out there or is it a massively expensive Afro-headed robot folly? (Great moments in sentences you never thought you’d write). Our reviewer field tests this bad boy and finds out...
Introduction
The technical information for this speaker dock reads like hardcore nerd porn. The subwoofer (a 5¾ inch, 6Ω speaker), the tweeter (2½ inch, 6Ω) and the midrange/high unit (2¾ inch, 6Ω) are all magnetically shielded, high quality components. It’s a 5-driver speaker system par excellence, with a power output that can be as high as 32W and everything boosted up to 11.
What’s more, the Luna gives you almost complete control over the sounds you hear. You can increase/decrease the bass and treble as much as you like, while the dock itself controls the vibration and resonance of your sounds to prevent feedback.
Oh yeah, the light-up buttons are motion-triggered, not only saving energy, but also avoiding keeping you up all night and looking damn cool in the process.
At £179.99, this dock is pretty far from most people’s price range. However, those with the disposable income appear to be in for a real treat.
Hardware / Design
The sound is big and rich, but also crystal clear as well. In the past, we’ve tested a lot of docks that are super loud, but not especially clear and more than our fair share of docks that are pitch perfect, but don’t get very loud. The Luna marries the best qualities of both to winning effect.
The controls are both easy to fathom out and to use. So although the belly of this beast may contain complex engineering wizardry, all you need to operate it is a working set of ears and an opposable digit or two. The remote control works like a charm, while the large speaker seems to really boost the sound.
In the past, we’ve field tested Edifier designs that looked smart enough, but were ultimately impractical and somewhat frustrating to actually use. The Luna, however, eschews any notion of this entirely, as it is supremely user friendly, whilst at the same time looking unique and trendy.
It’s certainly not a travel dock, however. It is heavy and ungainly to carry, but at the same time feels generally sturdy and well built. The Luna is definitely an indoor player and can be used to great effect in the corner of a particular room, but I personally wouldn’t like to carry it to a party across the street.
Conclusion:
This is an excellent speaker that lives up to its boasts in almost every way. A quirky, yet stylish design, combined with a high spec interior and a simple, user-friendly control interface make this a dock that’s well worth a purchase.
About the only area I can knock is the price, but this dock does at least earn its money with loud and clear sound reproduction that is, to borrow an oft-used Python-ism “guaranteed to break the ice at parties”. All things considered, this is an excellent speaker dock from Edifier.
£179.99
£199.99
£199.99
£199.99
£199.99
£199.99
NB! Confirm the retailer's price and product information prior to making your purchase.
Was: £199.99
Now: £179.99
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Customer Reviews
Honest reviews of the Edifier IF500 Luna Ipod Dock from previous customers
There aren’t many reviews over on Amazon.co.uk, but those that are there are entirely positive. The three detailed reviews gave this dock 4/5 or 5/5 scores. So let’s take a more detailed look, shall we?
‘Hip Hop Lover’ (5/5) called this the “best iPod dock ever!” saying, “I tend to play a lot of Hip Hop and RnB and I have to say, the depth of the base, and the clarity of the treble are amazing. More importantly, you can increase/decrease the bass and the treble as you like. This has been a major gripe of mine with other docks. It's very easy to use, and sounds incredible”.
‘J. Aidi’ (4/5) praised the ease of use and “stylish” design, but knocked the price tag (reasonably enough, I feel).
Finally, ‘Runrig’ (5/5) made an astonishing claim in his review (entitled ‘Far Superior to Bose’) in which he said that he had replaced his Bose speaker with the Luna because it was so much better. Its high praise indeed, although I personally don’t know if I’d go quite that far.
We encourage you to read them prior to making your final purchasing decision.