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We start off the new year with a review of a product from quality conscious Edifier.
Edifier has updated their IF500 with better sound and the same, sleek design in a new dock by the name of Luna 5 Encore. With five speaker units and the possibility of connecting your iPod, iPhone and MP3 player as well as play FM radio, the audio device we are dealing with is immensely versatile.

The product was kindly lent to us by Edifier.com

Edifier was created in 1996 with the goal of producing quality audio equipment at a reasonable price. They started out on the Chinese market, but began exporting to markets around the world just two years after. Today the group consists of three divisions; one focuses on enterprises while the second caters to private consumers, and the third makes electronic products unrelated to sound.

The headquarters are now in Canada, far away from the Chinese origins even though it is there they conduct the majority of their business.

Edifier’s line-up consists mainly of audio products, but they cover the whole spectrum within the field to compensate, with everything from large 5.1 systems to home cinemas to iPod docks and headphones. They make about 8 million products a year and employ about 3,000 people, so Edifier is still a larger player on the audio market.

Lune 5 Encore is an iPod dock in the high end of the scale with a design to match. As such we have high expectations of the sound and are interested in whether it can measure up to docking stations like B&W’s Zeppelin or Bose Sounddock.

Specifications:



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Category
The discerning user who seeks a serious candidate to replace his old stereo system.

Series
The iF series consisting of iPod docks

Output
- 1* 5.75" Subwoofer
- 2* 2.75" Medium- 2*1" Treble

Subwoofer
30 W, Medium and Treble = 20 W (THD=10 %)

Input
Aux, iPod interface and digital FM radio

Price
Around €200

Construction & Design

This dock deserves a bit of a look as it is something of a beauty. We will also look at the accessories as there is a very useful remote control included in the package.

Package contents:

- Luna 5 Encore
- iPod adaptors for the dock
- Manual
- Power supply
- MiniJack cable
- Remote
- Batteries

There will always be conflicting opinions when it comes to design. Some will liken Luna 5 Encore to an overgrown fungus while others will find it uniquely stylish. In any case, those familiar with B&W’s Zeppelin dock will immediately “cry out”. The resemblance is not surprising when you consider that Edifier’s director of Research & Engineering was once an engineer at Bowers & Wilkins.



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The dock arrived nicely in a bag to protect it against fingerprints. After unwrapping we have here the front of the stylish dock, dominated by the large sheet of fabric that hides the five speakers.



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The front of the dock is glossy black with red touch-buttons and aluminium that creates a brilliant contrast. At the front, hidden behind a small piece of rubber, you find the 3.5” miniJack to connect it to your computer or MP3 player.



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Click on the picture – Provided by Edifier

It comes in either glossy white or black editions. Besides changing the colours, these editions have a differently coloured diode at the rear; the white model has a yellow while the black model has a red diode.
This diode is actually enough to light up the wall behind it if the room is dark, which looks really good.


Click on the picture – Provided by Edifier


Click on the picture – Provided by Edifier

The the surface of the rear is broken on both sides of the rear, with pieces of the shell having been deliberately carved out. You probably will not notice it everytime you use the dock, but it is a fine little detail that adds a whole new dimension to the product.

Construction & Design



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Click on the picture – Provided by Edifier

The device is not all that deep, in which case it would easily have come across as round and clumsy, but is instead very elegant thanks to the relatively thin design.



Click on the picture – Provided by Edifier

As noted earlier, the dock can be controlled via a number of touch buttons with the following functions attached:

- Power – on and off
- Volume – up and down
- Forward and reverse
- Input - FM, AUX and iPod



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Click on the picture

The included remote is a necessary feature to control all the dock’s (and your iPod’s) functions. It works really well and you can quickly navigate around the menus of your iPod via the remote.
It is a very good solution and much preferable to having too many many touch buttons on the dock itself. In addition, the design means you can proudly display it next to the other remotes in your home.



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Click on the picture – Provided by Edifier

As with most other iPod docks, there is no hassle with regards to installation. All you have to do is unwrap Lune 5 Encore and connect it to the power supply, and once you have found the correct iPod adaptor (and that can be tricky) you simply slap your iPod into the dock and it is ready to play.

Audio

Since we do not have all that much of a sound studio with which to test the speakers, we have done the best we could without and ask you to note that the sound has been judged by a human ear. We are focusing on how loud it can play, as well as its ability to play different genres without distorting the sound. As such we have tested it in different rooms and with different genres that each have their unique acoustics to put through the speakers.


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Two words describe the sound of Luna 5 Encore: honest and smooth.

The sound of Luna 5 has been tuned in collaboration with Phil Jones (earlier of Wharfedale speaker brands of Acoustic Energy), who has worked on creating a linear curve and cleaner sound than you would otherwise have expected on a system like this.

With a total of five units there should be plenty of scope to paint a wide, musical picture.

It was pretty exciting to see just how smoothly and nuanced the system could play. Edifier has previously surprised us with their IF300plus, which played much better than we had ever anticipated. The first impression began to take form after the first hour of intensive listening and was very positive. The system’s biggest advantage is a double-edged sword, namely a very “flat” audio reproduction. Many manufacturers deliberately soften or sharpen the sound a bit, but here Edifier has tried to give as honest an audio impression as possible.

One of the greatest features about the system is the bass unit; people always try hard to find the subwoofer, but the built-in system works perfectly and helps provide a deep and powerful bass, balanced out perfectly so as not to muddy the rest of the sound.

Conclusion

All in all, Luna 5 Encore has impressed us here at Laptop-Review, and we once again have to admit Edifier has surprised us. The combination of a speaker and an exciting design has made a great visual impression. The sound is not top notch, but we do not believe there are any serious competitors at the price. iPod docks have become incredibly popular because they simultaneously allow you to listen to the music on your iPod at home and recharge it, the best of both worlds.

Luna 5 Encore is not just an iPod dock; it is an icon of style that fits perfectly with the Apple aesthetics. It does not just allow you to listen to music on your iPod, but adds a new element with the FM radio (although this is being phased out in certain parts of the world). I used the dock daily for 14 days, and at no point did I tire of the sound. Luna 5 Encore can replace a stereo system in your living room if you stay away from party volume levels, but I would particularly recommend this product as the best take on a dock in the price class for the office, bedroom or kitchen.

Pros:
Great sound
Unique design
Fully functional remote

Cons:
FM radio (DAB?)
Sound appears flat at times

Construction:	5 / 5
Innovation:	4 / 5
Performance:	4 / 5
Design:	5 / 5
Price:	4,5 / 5
Overall:	4,5 / 5