Edifier MR4 Plus macbook pro m1 Base Model 2020

[mfxv]

I just bought the edifier MR4 monitor speaker, i have downloaded a lot of FLAC format music, do you think i need an external DAC ? Beside i already have a mbp M1 base 2020. I just got into this audiophile stuff so theres a lot to learn...

 

[staticV3]

Hi @mfxv! Welcome to ASR.

An external DAC is definitely not required as the one built into your MacBook is fully transparent.

The best investments would be some monitor stands to get the tweeters up to ear height, a measurement microphone to measure your in-room frequency response, and finally SoundSource for Mac to put those measurements to use by applying room correction.

 

[Robin L]

I just bought the edifier MR4 monitor speaker, i have downloaded a lot of FLAC format music, do you think i need an external DAC ? Beside i already have a mbp M1 base 2020. I just got into this audiophile stuff so theres a lot to learn...

Short answer: no.

The first thing to learn—it gets repeated hereabouts just about daily—is that DACs have close to no impact on sound quality. That is to say, the only way a DAC could be audibly different from another DAC is if one of them is malfunctioning, often by design. DACs are the least of your concerns.

You have selected a pair of practical small monitors, Amir has reviewed them:

Edifier MR4 Review (Budget Monitor)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Edifier MR4 powered "studio" monitor (speaker). It was sent to me by the company and costs US $130. This is a very small speaker. It looks larger in the marketing material. You can easily carry it with one hand. I was impressed by the use of...

www.audiosciencereview.com

TLDR: "If you need an ultra cheap, active speaker and can use a bit of EQ, the Edifier MR4 makes a decent option. Just keep your expectations low as far as playback level."

If you are seeking better sound, you might want different speakers. The Adam T5V costs nearly twice the price of the Edifier speakers, but Amir finds them to be extraordinary performers:

Adam T5V Review (Studio Monitor)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Adam T5V Powered Speaker. It was kindly purchased new by a member and drop shipped to me. The T5V costs US $200 each. Much like the rest of Adam speakers, the T5V has a serious look to it: Back panel shows good connectivity and usual...

www.audiosciencereview.com

" . . . Really, I live for days like this. Discovering a budget speaker that exceeds your expectations and produces great sound with almost no faults. No need for, "well you always need a sub." No, a good speaker should not need a sub to sound good. The subwoofer should be augmentation, not filling design deficiency. A bookshelf speaker needs to deliver enough bass to balance the rest of the response and the Adam T5V does that. Ditto for ability to get loud.

It is my pleasure to strongly recommend the Adam T5V."

If you can return the Edifiers and get the Adam T5Vs I guarantee you will get better sound. Your source is fine, but it's speakers that have the biggest impact on sound quality. As such, the Edifiers are a bottleneck.