Review: Audioengine A2 Speakers

Audioengine A2
Review by: Katie
http://www.audioengineusa.com
Price: $199.00

First, I must say that I am not an "audiophile" but I appreciate good music and quality speakers. But still, I've never considered spending $200 for a set of speakers that I would hook up to my laptop, I think the last pair I bought were a $35 open box special at Best Buy. After listening to the Audioengine A2 speakers for the past few months, I'll never go back to those cheep computer speakers again.

Audioengine sent me a pair of A2s to review shortly before Christmas so for my first test of the speakers I put them in my living room connected to my iPod playing my Christmas playlist. Everything from the most classical rendition of Silent Night to the Trans-Siberian Christmas Rock, the Audioengine played them all beautifully, even at at loud volumes. (My apologies to my neighbors.) I could actually hear the individual notes and the vibration of the strings in the orchestra while the bass was still strong and powerful. At one time I thought my iPod and Apple standard white earbuds that things were "just as good as anything else." Boy was I wrong.

Speaking of bothering the neighbors, you may want to use the A2s with caution because these things may be small, but they can get loud. While the speakers are only 6" x 4" x 5.25" they can pack quite a punch. With "regular" (aka cheap) speakers typically the louder you crank the volume, the more distortion in the sound you're going to hear. That wasn't the case with the A2s. I cranked these babies up and the music stayed clear and balanced. And I didn't have a single neighbor call to complain, so I think they must have approved of the A2s as well.

While these speakers may not pack the power of a home theater system, they're certainly going to work well attached to a Television or for a speaker system in a smaller room, perhaps attached to an Airport Express. I opted to put the A2s in my home office where I keep my MacBook and 23" Apple Cinema display, since after all most of my audio and video content is now on my Mac and much of the time I'm at my computer I'm listening to music through iTunes. I've occasionally had people over while listening to music and they've looked around for my speaker system, not expecting that sound to be coming from the two small speakers sitting on my desk. I'm finding that since my A2s don't generate the "noise" that my old speakers did I keep them connected to my Mac 24/7 and as a result I'm actually listening to more music, podcasts, and audiobooks while working on my Mac simply because of the better speakers. My old speakers I'd have to unplug when I was done using them because I'd frequently get feedback or a constant "buzz" sound. These annoyances were gone with the A2s.

The A2s are gorgeous, and the black finish nicely complements my MacBook and other electronic equipment. The speakers are also available in white so they'll blend into a variety of settings, no mater what "flavor" Mac you own. Thankfully, there are no extra cables or accessories to buy, everything you need comes in the box. The speaker features dual 1/8" stereo min-jack and RCA jacks along with all the accompanying cables. They also were kind enough to include both a short 1/8" cable and a long one so you could choose the appropriate cable depending on your setup.

My only criticism thus far is that while the speakers are shielded and allow you to place the speakers within a few inches of a monitor and other electronic devices (aka those typically found on your desk) I have on occasion picked up some of the "GSM Buzz" noise from my iPhone. Typically this only happens when I set my iPhone within a foot or two of one of the speakers, and it is certainly much better than my previous speakers that would start buzzing whenever my iPhone came within a few feet. While these speakers aren't cheep, but if you're looking for high quality speakers for your computer or a smaller room, you should strongly consider the A2s. Audioengine also offers a "30 day Audition" period where you can try the speakers in your home and if you find they're not right for you return them for a full refund. Though I would imagine that like me, once you try them you'll be hooked.

If you need a little more power, you may want to check out the A2's big brother, the A5s which pack more power, and a few additional features such as an iPod power and charger port, onboard volume control, and a power outlet that works perfectly with the Airport Express. After listening to the A2s in my study, I'm seriously thinking about picking up a pair of A5s to use with my home entertainment system.