The Amplifier

Unlike the speakers and subwoofer, the Edifier C3’s amplifier is housed within a solid steel enclosure. Therefore, it is a much more solid component and is not easily damaged.

The amplifier has a large silver volume knob in the middle with a silver motif around it. This is a pretty elegant design works that works equally well when placed horizontally or vertically.

Compared to the boxy speaker and subwoofer, the Edifier C3's amplifier is a breath of fresh air. It really looks good. Just remember to hide the subwoofer!

To top if off, the volume knob is surrounded by a strip of clear plastic that is lit up by an orange LED. The glow from the LED complements the amplifier's orange LED digital indicator, and greatly accentuates the amplifier's looks.

Depending on how you place the amplifier, there are four buttons on the side or the top. Finished in silver, the buttons complement the silver accents around the volume knob. Even their suitably large labels are in silver.

The main power button is located at the back, right next to the power port. Generally, there's no need to touch the power button as the unit can be put in standby mode using the soft-power button on the front console. The amplifier's fuse is user-removable. You can access it at the back, just above the power port.

Heat from the amplifier is dissipated passively from ventilation holes on the sides. The amplifier can get pretty hot, especially after long use at high volume. If you peek through the small holes, you can discern the large aluminium heatsinks used to passively cool the amplifier.

Indicators

There are four green LED indicators on the amplifier console. Two of these LED indicators are used to show which input is selected :

• CD/Auxiliary input through the front or back 3.5 mm stereo ports; or

• ‘PC’ input through the RCA ports at the back

The dynamic digital indicator in orange constantly shows the volume. The volume indicator has a range from 0 to 60.

The bass and treble green LED indicators light up when bass and treble settings are adjusted. Both show their corresponding levels on the dynamic digital indicator when you fiddle with them. The bass indicator has a range from -9 to 9 while the treble indicator has a range from -7 to 7.

These indicators are quite useful. You should have no problem using them to help you tweak the speaker system to your own tastes. The settings are maintained even when the Edifier C3 goes into standby mode. However, because they are stored in volatile memory, they are lost if the amplifier is powered off, or there is a power cut.