Gamers often swear by some of the best gaming headsets on the market, but some would argue that nothing beats the immersion and loud sound provided by high-quality speakers plugged into your devices. Edifier is one of the industry’s most established names, known for budget-oriented audio gear that still sounds as good as its more expensive counterparts.
At $500, the new G5000 from its Hecate sub-brand is a big investment, but it’s being advertised as an upgrade for people who use the popular G2000, which AP recommends as one of the best Chromebook speakers. So, I put it to the test in a variety of scenarios to see if it’s worth the praise or if it’s better off buying dedicated studio monitors.
Edifier Hecate G5000 Watch
The Hecate G5000 is a traditional dual-channel rear-firing speaker with a simple design, Hi-Res certification, and support for almost every audio input imaginable. If you’re okay with the prominent “Gaming” branding and RGB LEDs, you’re getting a lot for the price.
- Built like a tank
- Clean, diffused RGB lighting with dedicated off mode
- Multiple audio input sources are supported.
- Simple controls with a named panel.
- Gaming brand in your face
- Lacks remote controls and app sync for home theater use.
- Lacks interactive lighting mode with sound
- Medium imaging and spatial depth
Pricing and Availability
It seems pretty steep unless you’re the target audience.
The Hecate G5000 sells for $500 on Amazon and Edifier, and occasionally drops to $350 for a few days on the former site. For that price, you can buy a full 5.1-channel home theater system like Logitech’s 500-watt Z906 series, making the G5000 a tough sell. If you’re looking for bookshelf speakers for office use, the highly regarded $600 KEF Q150 is also great, and often drops to $350 like the Hecate. However, the specs have a big impact on sound output.
What’s good about Hecate G5000?
Strong and powerful voice
Opening the G5000’s box can be a bit of a chore, but it’s a quality sounding box, and you can tell that the speakers are solidly built. However, it’s worth noting that the brushed aluminum side panels sit above the MDF wood case. There’s also a mesh grille protecting the high-frequency drivers, but the HD branding on the front spoils the otherwise symmetrical design.
The G5000’s black front panel looks premium, and it angles upward, pointing directly toward your ears when used as computer speakers or when placed at some distance in a home theater setup. I also like the volume rocker on the top of the right unit because it feels like the power window switches in a car. Next to it are two buttons: one for switching inputs and another for controlling RGB lighting and sound mode. The speakers also remember your volume setting and RGB mode selection from the previous session every time you turn them on.
control Board
You’ll notice that Edifier comes with almost every supported input cable in the box, along with a detachable power cord. And while these headphones support Qualcomm AptX and AptX HD over Bluetooth, a wired connection can transmit lossless audio with minimal latency, which is crucial in gaming.
Input/Output on the back panel
Speaking of sound, the G5000 has great sound separation between the left and right channels, but its open-back design makes speaker placement crucial to getting clear sound. I found the Music placement to be the closest to a natural, uncolored sound, with a V-shaped signature that delivers deep midranges and a woody bass—typical of MDF speakers with such pairs of tweeters and woofers.
The Hecate G5000 is also a great alternative to a soundbar because it gets very loud and immersive in movie or game mode, although the latter does confuse the low range.
What’s bad about Hecate G5000?
The gamer-friendly aesthetic and lackluster sound aren’t for everyone.
All RGB lighting colors
Edifier is definitely targeting gamers with the Hecate G5000, but it didn’t have to be a speaker with RGB backlighting on the sides of the speaker. The lights-off mode is a great feature here because the sound these speakers deliver is definitely an upgrade over most sub-$200 PC speakers.
Make no mistake, though, you won’t get anywhere near reference sound from this pair. While you can tell where footsteps are going in battle royale titles, the soundstage lacks width, and poor imaging makes instruments spatially indistinguishable. I also noticed a slight left-biased channel imbalance, and I’d stay away from these headphones for anything serious, like video editing or music mixing.
It is suitable for living rooms and small home theaters as well.
Even from a home theater entertainment user’s perspective, it’s hard to ignore the lack of a remote control and companion app to adjust the sound profile. Most powered speakers offer some modulation via built-in buttons for low, mid, and high frequencies, but even that’s absent here, leaving users at the mercy of software equalizers. And while I appreciate the audio prompts to switch between mode and input, the speakers turn on and off like a car is revving for a few seconds, which made me jump out of my skin the first few times.
Finally, any upgrade plans involve a complete replacement because the G5000 doesn’t have a subwoofer output and relies on a proprietary cable to connect both sides.
Should you buy it?
Yes, if you have the space and like bass.
In a world where most games support 5.1 surround sound, it’s hard to buy $500 dual-channel speakers, but the Hecate G5000 makes a strong case for itself with loud, distortion-free, room-filling sound that’s comparable to the older Edifier MS50A we reviewed.
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While the lighting on these speakers is a matter of personal preference, they’re great for a living room or theater (even without a dedicated subwoofer) if you can fit them properly on a sturdy, deep desk or media console. They’re a clear upgrade from the old G2000 computer speakers I mentioned at the beginning.
However, discerning listeners would be better off spending $500 on a dedicated near-field speaker like the Edifier R2000DB or similarly priced models from Polk Audio. I think the G5000 will appeal only to casual users who don’t dismiss speakers just because they have RGB lighting.
Edifier Hecate G5000 Watch
These are the best speakers if you want deep, powerful sound without much distortion. They’re great speakers for your living room or PC, but we recommend other options if you want more precision in your sound or aren’t a huge fan of RGB lighting.
