I'm very pleased with these speakers. While I'm not an audiophile, I'm a musician and want to hear good quality sound out of my speakers. I listen mainly to classical as I work at my home office desk. For the past 5 years or so, I've used Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 (two desktop speakers about the same size as the A2+, and a subwoofer), which I've been happy with but decided to try an upgrade. I'd had my eye on these Audioengine speakers for a while, as they seem to get very favorable reviews. My conclusion as that those reviews are justified.
As somewhat of a side reference, a year or so ago I found a set of Bose Companion 5 speakers at a good price, and gave them a try. Hooked them up, and my first impression was that they sounded good, but empty in the middle. Sure enough, when I A/B'd them against the ProMedia 2.1's, it was no contest... the Klipsch speakers had a full midrange, while the Bose was all highs and lows with a big hole in the middle. They were (to my ears) very nice highs and lows, but I was missing a lot of the musical content. So, despite the very attractive and compact satellite speakers that Bose offered, I sold them.
The Audioengine A2+ was, to a lesser extent, the same experience vs. the ProMedia 2.1s, but in reverse... A/Bing the two sets, the Audioengine speakers sounded noticeably fuller, but still very clear and articulate. That said, the Klipsch speakers still sounded great, and I would have been happy keeping them.
One caveat, I personally feel that the A2+ speakers need a subwoofer. Again, I listen to classical, not bass-heavy rap, etc., and though I'm not into thundering, booming, room-shaking bass that is pumped up so much that it displaces everything else, I still like a very solid low end (double-basses, tympani, etc.)... I want just a slight hint of "feeling" these low instruments, not just hearing that they are there. The
Orb Audio subMINI
was what I went with, and I think was a good choice... it's one of the smallest subs sold on Amazon, but for my purposes (just solidifying the low end) it was perfect.
I'm using the built-in USB DAC, connected to my cylindrical Mac Pro. Another reviewer mentioned encountering some random clicks during listening, but so far I have not (I first had the speakers connected to the USB port on my 30" Apple Cinema Display, and then later connected it to a basic USB 2.0 hub... both configurations worked fine for me, though I did not try connecting directly to the Mac).
For me, one very useful feature is being able to simultaneously use multiple inputs, as the same set of speakers needs to provide audio both from the computer and from the wall-mounted TV. I did experience a noticeable hum when both were connected (as was the case with the ProMedias too, so it's a ground loop problem with my setup, not the speakers). This
Ground Loop Noise Isolator
on the TV connection inexpensively and easily fixed the problem.
Update 2/4/16: I did get a few surprisingly loud pops when I restarted my computer (again, the speakers are connected via USB)... need to remember to shut off the speakers before restarting next time.
| Speaker Type | Bookshelf |
|---|---|
| Recommended Uses For Product | Music |
| Controller Type | Corded electric |
| Color | Black |
| Product Dimensions | 5.25"D x 4"W x 6"H |
| Item Weight | 3.6 Pounds |
| Is Waterproof | FALSE |
| Number of Items | 2 |
| Control Method | App, Remote |
| Speaker Size | 3.5 Millimeters |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | 95 dB |
| Woofer Diameter | 1 Inches |
| Package Type | Frustration-Free Packaging |
| Subwoofer Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Connectivity Protocol | Bluetooth, USB |
| Includes MP3 player? | No |
| Is Electric | Yes |
| Number of USB 2 Ports | 1 |
| UPC | 819955270075 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00819955270075 |
| Manufacturer | Audioengine |
