Looking for desktop speakers that sound great, are easy to use and makes you want to listen to your music collection everyday? If yes, chances are you've come across Audioengine A2+ Desktop Speakers and A5+ Powered Bookshelf Speakers before. Audioengine is one of the well-known American brands that is committed to offer high quality powered speakers to deliver music as they were meant to be heard. It offers a wide range of wireless powered speakers, desktop amplifiers, DACs and accessories. Here, in today's article we are going to discuss Audioengine A2+ and A5+ speakers, their specifications, audio quality, strengths and pitfalls, customer reviews and where you can buy Audioengine speakers in Malaysia. Let's explore...
Where Audioengine is based, and is Audioengine speakers any good?
Audioengine is a leading speaker company based in Austin, Texas. Founded back in the year 2005, its mission is to help you rediscover your music passion and appreciate it with the highest sound quality. Both Audioengine founders, Brady Bargenquast and Dave Evans, are ardent music enthusiast who aspires to change the way people listen to music everyday. Audioengine bookshelf speakers and audio accessories are inspired by you and how you listen to music. In our opinion, the Audioengine speakers are minimalist, stylish, delivers a fun near-field listening experience & highly detailed three-dimensional soundstage for its price!
Even if you’re not an audio enthusiast we guarantee your music will sound better! (Audioengineusa)
Audioengine speakers deliver a stellar sonic experience aimed at audiophiles with 24-bit upsampling to ensure high-quality Bluetooth audio! (Time Gideon – Author at pcmag.com)
Looking to upgrade your desktop audio system? Can’t go wrong with Audioengine speakers! Their speakers have been getting rave reviews from professional reviewers as well as consumers. (TechX Malaysia)
Review: Audioengine A2+ vs A5+
Audioengine A2+ Review
What can you get with this speaker?
- ¾ inch Silk Dome Tweeters
- 2 ¾ inch Aramid Fiber Woofers
- TI PCM2704 DAC chip
- Dual Class AB monolithic amplifier
- 3.5mm, RCA, USB, Bluetooth (Inputs)
- 15W RMS/ 30W peak per channel
The Audioengine A2+ speaker is an update to the old A2 speaker. What makes it different from the original A2 speaker is an integrated DAC as well as a variable output by which you can easily add a subwoofer. It is a powered speaker which means that it works without an amplifier or a receiver. With its USB audio input, it receives a clean signal from your laptop/desktop and delivers enhanced near-field listening experience.
Now, let's explore how this speaker sounds
These speakers were developed with desktop use in mind. These are not for somebody who likes a lot of bass or listens at a loud volume or listens to fairly complex music. This is going to be more for somebody who listens to fairly simple music i.e. vocals, chamber music, jazz, quintet and the occasional pop track. It’s also for someone who values speakers delivering exceptional clarity and a wide soundstage.
For sound signatures, they do take on the V-shaped, meaning the treble and bass is going to boosted a little. Despite having an overall presentation that resides in the forward if not slightly thin side of neutral, they’re still enjoyable on mediocre recordings, which is pretty cool. These are fairly transparent speakers, feed good quality recordings and the treble will be lively, forward, very listenable if not even smooth sounding. The upper mid-range is going to be a little bit thin, but the tone is still very pleasant. After 40 or 60 hours of break ins, the bass tones down but you’re not going to get much below 100Hz. The bass is going to take a warm character, for something at this size isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The strength of these speakers is when you play high fidelity recordings with vocals. They sound phenomenal, the tone clarity and the sense of scale is almost properly audiophile. You’ll be able to discern the tiniest nuances of a recording. The sound imaging is very holographic in a desktop environment, very well focused in between the speakers where it almost sounds like its coming from behind a monitor.
Now, getting to some of the weaknesses. First, these are small speakers, if you were to buy them you’ll need to accept the performance limitations that come from a set of speakers that are this small. Moving on to smaller complaints, some might hear a little bit of noise or hiss as with well just about any affordable active speakers. We don’t think the noise is too bad but it’s still worth mentioning. Next, the volume control being on the back of the speaker. Some might find it annoying! Lastly, no remote control included.
To recap, Audioengine A2+ is definitely a great choice for a desktop environment especially for people who listen to fairly simple music and don’t have the tendency of cranking the volume. It’s also going to be great for somebody who wants to connect it to their TVs to improve speech or voices coming out of the TV panel, better than say a conventional soundbar. Very clear, relatively transparent sounding, huge imaging and you have to live with the other limitations of something that is this small.
User Reviews
"These beautiful small Audioengine A2+powered desktop speakers are beyond amazing. On recommendation of reviews I also purchased a 10" subwoofer to help with the bass. OMG, my son was in awe as I played the Rolling Stones and funky soul music with the bass bouncing off the walls. You do not need a subwoofer but if you like deep bass I would recommend it. Regardless, I couldn't stop listening to music when they arrived."
"The speakers sound terrific. The soundstage is very nice, and they seem to have a very balanced, neutral sound. I'm used to listening to Magnepan MMGs, and, while these sound different, they easily hold there own. I really enjoy listening to these speakers! Highly recommended."
Audioengine A5+ Review
What can you get with this speaker?
- ¾ inch Silk Dome Tweeters
- 5 inch Aramid Fiber Woofers
- 3.5 mm, RCA L/R (Inputs)
- 50W RMS/ 75W peak per channel
- Advanced Bluetooth* - A5+ Wireless Version
- Subwoofer Output
- Remote Control
Now, let's explore how this speaker sounds
You might be wondering, how much better the Audioengine A5+ sounds than the A2+. From our experience, they sound a lot alike. Having said that the Audioengine A5+ can play louder, they definitely deliver bigger, richer sound with deep, tight bass and excellent clarity. With either the A5+ or A5+ Wireless Powered Speakers, it is possible to hear more of the subtle details and nuances in your music than ever before. You just get fuller, smoother sound that has that much more detail.
We played a number of tracks; 'Led Zeppelin - Ramble On', 'Bob Marley & The Wailers - Turn Your Lights Down Low', 'Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight', 'The Chemical Brothers - Das Spiegel', 'Max Roach - Lonesome Lover'. They sound big, expansive and very musical. We can hear guitar strings being strummed, vocals are clear, symbols crash without blending into other highs; bass and frequency response is low, tight and can be heard resonating through the rest of our store. An hour of just playing and enjoying music. 😌😊
A review article on AudioAdvice stated that you won't find any simulated bass boost in Audioengine speakers, trying to trick you into thinking you have real bass and we couldn't agree more. The A5+ Wireless Powered & Powered Bookshelf Speakers have deep and tuneful bass where you can actually hear the tonality of the bass guitar or other low-frequency instruments.
In our view, Audioengine A5+ powered speakers provide a pretty close to a high end listening experience with its minimalist & quality design that are easy to use. Miles ahead of other generic computer speakers on the market today i.e Armageddon, Sonic Gear, Logitech, Edifier and more. They don't just sound good with music, any media (movies, sound tracks, or games) through these speakers is bound to impress you.
User Reviews
"I consider myself a budding (and budget) audiophile. When I plugged in my iPhone and played "I hope I didn't Just Give Away the Ending" by the New Radicals (16 bit, 44.1kHz, apple lossless m4a), the speakers had an amazing sound quality and soundstage to them. The mids and highs were a lot more defined than my Mission 733s although the Missions had a lower bass extension. I was immediately very impressed with them. These speakers have as much bass output as you can expect from a 5" driver, but if you listen to a lot of hip-hop, reggae, dubstep, movies, etc, you may want to consider getting a subwoofer. "
"Wow! The sound quality out of these speakers is absolutely fantastic! The build quality is sturdy and looks great. The clarity of the speakers is fantastic as is the low end. Even though I have a sub, I used the crossfade to put more low end onus on the speakers, just to see how they would do and they were great! I highly recommend these."
Let's briefly summarize the differences between Audioengine A2+ & A5+
Audioengine A2+ comes with a 2 ¾ inch aramid fiber woofers and ¾ inch silk dome tweeters, tuned front port slots and an integrated 60W Dual Class AB monolithic amplifier. Whereas Audioengine A5+ has bigger midrange/woofer driver, ports on the rear and an integrated 150 Dual Class AB monolithic amplifiers. Although the sound quality of Audioengine A2+ is pretty good, the Audioengine A5+ can play louder due to the cabinet size & higher output amplifier, and they do have a little more low-end extension.
From our own testing, the A5+ will offer a better experience for an active listening across the room where the speakers are. For near-field listening or listening done right in front of the speaker in a desktop setup environment, both the Audioengine speakers will be equally suitable. However, do bear in mind the A5+ is much larger than the A2+.
If you're constrained with space and need a speaker that fits in a smaller desktop area, A2+ will be a better bet. Moreover, Audioengine A2+ is a front ported speaker, whereas the A5+ is rear ported. In a setup where the speakers will need to be placed very close to the wall, A2+ will be more forgiving as far as reflections go.
Where to buy Audioengine speakers in Malaysia?
Want to test or buy the Audioengine speakers in Malaysia? TechX is the authorized distributor and reseller of Audioengine in Malaysia. Over the last year TechX is the fastest growing home audio electronics online retailer in Malaysia.
Visit our online e-commerce store or walk-in to our retail store in Damansara Perdana. We'll be more than happy to assist you in making an informed decision. Our pride is our customer's satisfaction!
Conclusion
In summary, both these speakers are perfect for your desktop audio setup but the decision of choosing between the two depends on your budget, the size, and individual listening preference. Audioengine A2+ and A5+ share a very similar design, the A5+ plays louder, have a little more low-end extension and is much bigger as compared to the A2+. Without a doubt, the Audioengine speakers are some of the best computer speakers you can buy today in Malaysia! They're very much worth the price.
For further queries, please do not hesitate to WhatsApp or Call Us +6014 251 1062!
"The Audioengine speakers are expensive, but if you're on the market for high-fidelity audio, these speakers are worth the price." (Bill Thomas - Lifewire)
