I've finally found desktop speakers that look as good as they sound

When we reviewed the original Edifier G2000 speakers back in 2021, we said they were "Small sound savages that are absolutely worth the price". This statement is also true of the G2000 Pro speakers, but with the added benefit of being one of the best-looking speakers on the market. But with a long gap between releases, are these going to be good enough to keep up with the best computer speakers in 2025?

For PC gamers, matching sound to your setup can be a challenge. Of course, headsets are where the majority of the focus is when gaming, but a lot of people underestimate how immersive modern speakers can be. For that reason, brands like SteelSeries and Razer have tried to create more appeal with out-there designs, and RGB often comes into play.

But Edifier has really taken that a step further with the G2000 Pro. So we have great sound, and a really unique visual appeal - So what’s the catch? You’ll need to put up with a price tag of $249 / £149, which may put a spanner in the works.

Design

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and although a few brands have ventured out into more flashy designs when it comes to desktop speakers, you can’t deny that nowadays most speakers are relatively boring black pieces of plastic. That is not something you can say about the Edifier G2000 PRO Gaming Speakers, and whether you like the look is going to be a deal breaker because subtle they are not.

Coming in three different colours of Black, White, or Pink, they will cater to a large audience, especially considering Transparent Tech is making a comeback. You also get RGB lighting (called TempoFlow™ Lighting Technology) that has 7 themed lighting effects and can be synced to sound, and will no doubt be a great accompaniment to the RGB shining from within your gaming PC. I personally love this design, the speakers are really small (the base is smaller than your palm), the transparency design gives a minimalist, sleek look while the lighting accentuates the design without being overwhelming (and you can turn off the lighting if it's not your thing). There are so many people I know that have curated desk/gaming setups that are all black, all white (and increasingly all pink) who are crying out for speakers like these. Previously, the one bit of tech that didn't fit in with a lot of these setups where the grey or black ugly speakers. I’ve even had friends spray paint speakers to make them match the rest of their setup. I feel like I've been living in the dark (when it comes to the colour of my speakers), but the Edifier G2000 Pro Gaming Speakers have made me realise I can never go back to a boring, colourless design.

I feel the need to mention it's just a two-speaker system; you don’t get a subwoofer like some other desktop speakers, like the Logitech Z407, which offer a 2.1 loadout for less cash. They’re small enough to fit under some monitors, and are linked via a single left-to-right cable. The buttons on the top, which you use to change between modes, volume up / down, and power on, work just fine. However, the minimalist, subtle look means that they can't really be operated without looking at them closely. I always prefer a button I can recognise by touch without looking down, but with these, I kept having to check what I was pressing. Hardly a deal breaker at all, but it is sometimes frustrating having to stand up from my desk to push the mode button. If that’s a problem for you, you might need to seek out something with a remote or a control puck.

The power button also cycles through different connection methods/pairing via Bluetooth. The volume buttons also work in combination with other buttons to turn notifications on / off or reset the system. Double-pressing the G button, you can also toggle through built-in lighting effects or turn them off altogether. For more nuanced control of the lighting, you will need to download the HECATE Gaming Center software, more on that below.

Features

When I first held one of the speakers in my hand with the base fitting right into my palm, I was amazed at how Edifier has managed to fit a 3-inch driver into such a compact package. With the DSP Chip, you get a total output power of 64W, which is mighty impressive; you'd be hard-pressed to find any speaker this small with the same specs. Managing to fit all of this tech, sound, and specs into such a small package is commendable; however, it comes at a price.

You get three modes, which are movie, gaming, and music. Switching between them is done with a simple press of the “G” button, which will indicate a change with a different sound and colour. I heavily recommend switching modes depending on what you are doing, but more on that and how it affects performance later.

The RGB lights also sync to the sound while you're gaming or watching a movie. While it did a great job of adding to the vibe while gaming, I stopped using this feature after a particularly hard boss fight in Hades 2. I started paying attention to the lights syncing with my attacks and immediately died. I blame the speakers and definitely not my lack of skills or apparent inability to not be distracted by pretty lights. So if, unlike me, you can actually focus on one thing for more than five seconds, I'm sure it's a nice feature to have.

There are a bunch of connection options for the G2000 Pro Speakers with Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C, and an AUX input. It also comes with a USB-A to USB-C adapter and an AUX cable in the box, which is a nice touch to ensure a wired connection is possible straight away. I would recommend using a wired connection with these speakers over using Bluetooth, but I’ll cover that in the Performance section below. For the real audiophiles with a streaming mixer, that 3.5mm Aux Input will come in really handy. With all of these options, you’ll be able to connect to any console, computer, or TV in your house, which is something you can’t say of all desktop speakers on the market.

To make the most of the Edifier G2000 Pro Speakers, you’ll need to download the HECATE Gaming Center software, which, unfortunately, is only available on Windows (even so, I’d still recommend Mac owners don’t overlook the speakers). The software is easy to use and simple while still being incredibly useful. You can tweak the sound with the equalizer to your liking, turn off or change the lighting settings to your preference, enable the 7.1 virtual (the word virtual doing a lot of heavy lifting here) surround sound, and update the speakers' firmware. It’s all standard but welcome stuff for a 2.1 system of this price.

One of the downsides of these speakers (and many others on the market today) is that the marketing for them says they have 7.1 surround sound, which isn’t just a lie, it's physically impossible. I’ve seen marketing and material for these speakers adding the word ‘virtual’ to this, but I feel this is a strange get-out clause. This is a 2-speaker set without a subwoofer, instead of the 7 speakers and one subwoofer needed to qualify as a 7.1 surround sound system. I don't know why speaker companies think they can convince you that two speakers in front of you will deliver 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, even if they can support audio protocol through software. Do not buy these speakers if you’re interested in true surround sound. There is some digital trickery going on to simulate noises in gaming mode that appear to originate from correct positions, but it's not going to compete with actually having separate speakers placed around your gaming room.

Performance

Due to how good these speakers look, I was expecting them to be ‘All style, no substance’. I could not have been more wrong.

As mentioned before, you get a 3-inch driver in each speaker, a total output power of 64W, and a frequency response range of 75Hz to 20KHz. This is a technical way of saying that they can get much louder than you would expect for their size and are great at producing both low and high notes with clarity. They are the perfect balance of size and power; you won’t need them to be any louder if you’re using them in a fairly standard desktop setup, and they don’t take up too much space, which only adds to their versatility.

Coming back to those three dedicated sound modes, you need to ensure you have the speakers in the right one for your activity, as it makes a huge difference. I accidentally had them in gaming mode after a late-night session, and listening to music the next day sounded very off.

Thanks to my partner and me having very different music tastes, I was able to test out music mode with everything from thrashing rock to drum and bass to pop and classical. I compared the G2000 Pro speakers against my Mackie MR824 studio monitors, which are used for professional studio mixing and have much larger drivers. For half the price and a quarter the size, I was genuinely shocked to discover they deliver comparable results. The music mode offers a great, balanced sound that may push the bass a little too much, but it’s hardly noticeable.

Movie mode delivered crisp dialogue even during loud action scenes, as well as balanced audio during quieter moments to ensure clear audio throughout. I was comparing them to my TV’s multi-speaker and they fared well in all aspects apart from the depth and volume of the bass on offer. Without a dedicated subwoofer, this is unsurprising, and realistically, these will not be used on a large living room TV to watch movies with. As desktop speakers that you’ll have an arm's reach away from you, they are great.

With these speakers clearly aimed at gamers, I was excited to try out this mode most of all. I tested them across a range of consoles (Switch 2, PS4 Pro, PS5, Gaming PC, and Steam Deck) while playing a large variety of games. True to form, they maintained their high level of performance in this mode. While playing Helldivers 2, I could still hear my teammates' instructions while swarms of enemies and explosions blanketed the soundscape. They handled the pounding action of a boss fight in Hades 2 well, before being quick to follow up with clear dialogue and calmer melodic music. I played some Warzone to test out if I could discern where sounds were coming from while trying not to get shot in the back. They did a mediocre job with their ‘virtual’ surround sound, but it’s not something I’d rely on (maybe check out our best gaming headset list instead). Other than this slight blemish, I could not fault the G2000 Pro in any of my gaming experiences.

There are two slight issues with performance that I feel I need to highlight. If you push the volume past 80% the audio starts to distort; it’s nothing too jarring, but it is noticeable. I actually never pushed the speakers past 50% most of the time due to how loud they are. It still surprises me how loud they can get for their size. You genuinely could use them for a house party at max volume (as long as you don’t mind a bit of distortion).

The second small issue is that I noticed a difference in audio quality with Bluetooth compared to a wired connection. Even with a relatively up-to-date Bluetooth 5.4, I definitely noticed a dip in the clarity and depth on offer compared to USB-C or the Aux input. It’s a small issue, and Bluetooth is great for flexibility; however, if you’re a big audiophile, you’ll probably want to make sure you use these plugged in physically.

Should you buy the Edifier G2000 Pro Speakers?

I won’t sugarcoat it: the main reason to buy the G2000 Pro is for looks. There are better value speakers out there, and there are better audio quality speakers if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of sound details. There are bigger ones, systems with subwoofers, but there are none that look like this.

Sure, they are a little pricey, but you do get fantastic audio and features in a package that for many people, will be the perfect piece of the puzzle that completes the desk setup they’ve been building for years. Alternatives like the SteelSeries Arena 7 might be an option for you, but I’d take the transparent and more adventurous design that Edifier has gone for any day of the week.

How we tested the Edifier G2000 Pro speakers

I’ve been testing the Edifier G2000 Pro Speakers at home for the last four weeks in a variety of situations. I’ve been comparing the music performance against my professional-grade balanced Mackie MR824 studio monitors. Using a variety of music genres and tones with tracks I know well, compare and contrast. For gaming, TV, and movie performance, I’ve been switching between the Edifier G2000 Pro and my Samsung speaker setup, which includes a soundbar, subwoofer, and two rear speakers. Testing across a variety of platforms, which include my PS4 Pro, PS5, Gaming Laptop, Steamdeck for gaming, and YouTube, Netflix, and Blu-rays for movies and TV Shows.

For more on how we test the latest tech, check out the full GamesRadar+ hardware policy.

For more on PCs and components, check out the best RAM for gaming, the best graphics cards, and the best Alienware gaming PC.