The Edifier R1280T is an active two-way stereo speaker set belonging to the Chinese company's long-running R1280 family, and it is the wired-only version of that range - there is no Bluetooth receiver inside. One cabinet holds the amplifier and controls and feeds its passive partner over a supplied speaker lead. The US list price is USD 149.99, and the pair comes in brown, black or white.
Key specs that matter
Amplification is rated at 21 W + 21 W RMS, or 42 W for the pair. Each cabinet carries a 13 mm silk dome tweeter, listed with a 4 ohm impedance, and a 4 inch (106 mm) bass unit rated at 6 ohm. Edifier quotes a frequency range of 52 Hz to 20 kHz and a signal to noise figure of at least 85 dB(A). Two RCA line inputs are fitted, with input sensitivity of 750 mV plus or minus 50 mV on one and 550 mV plus or minus 50 mV on the other. Every enclosure measures 146 x 234 x 196 mm, and the net weight of the system is 4.9 kg.
Engineering and use context
The crossover is active, so the tweeter and the bass unit are fed by separate amplifier channels after the signal has been divided. Cabinets are built from MDF with a wood-effect finish, and a calibrated, flared reflex port opens on the front baffle rather than at the rear. The front plate covering the drivers can be removed, and Edifier states that the enclosure design aims to keep acoustic resonance low. Bass, treble and volume dials sit on the side panel of the powered speaker, and a small wireless remote handles volume and mute from the listening seat. The mains supply accepts 100 to 240 V, so the same unit works across regions. In the box are the two speakers, the remote, the connecting speaker cable, an RCA cable and a 3.5 mm adapter lead for phones or laptops.
Pairing
Because both inputs are analogue RCA, the R1280T accepts a record deck that has its own phono preamplifier, a CD player, a TV analogue output or an external DAC. Two sources can stay plugged in at once and be switched without recabling. A computer or phone connects through the supplied adapter lead, while digital-only sources such as a TV with nothing but an optical port will need a separate converter. Since the amplifier is built in, no separate power amplifier or receiver is needed, and a streamer or preamplifier with a variable line output can feed the RCA sockets directly.
Alternatives
The Edifier R1280DB keeps the same R1280 bookshelf format but adds Bluetooth reception plus optical and coaxial digital inputs.