Audioengine A2 Premium Powered Desktop
These little babies are a godsend for audiophiles and music lovers who spend a lot of time in front of their computer. Full disclosure: I have been an audiophile for decades, and have invested a lot of money in high-end gear. But like many others, I find less and less free time to relax and listen to that system...probably because I spend too much time at a computer. If you fit that description, pick up a pair of AudioEngine 2's right now. You'll be rewarded with vastly better sound than what you probably have now, and you'll find yourself listening to music a lot more often. If you are currently relying on cheap plastic speakers, or worse yet, built in speakers, you probably don't even bother to listen to music when working on a computer. I rarely did.
Two-hundred bucks will seem like a lot to many people, but these speakers have the kind of build quality that will immediately let you know you got your money's worth. The cabinets are very solid, the inputs and binding posts are rugged, and the exposed drivers look great with the high gloss white finish. I am driving mine with a Cambridge Audio DACMagic digital-to-analog converter, which makes for a wonderful combination. I am rediscovering my iTunes library. (A DAC isn't required, of course, but I found computer-based music much more enjoyable since getting one.)
Allow them to break in for 20 or 30 hours before you pass judgement; like most speakers, they will improve with time. Most "computer speakers" have a pretty tinny midrange, which the manufacturer tries to cover up with a big mid-bass bump from a subwoofer. The AudioEngines, on the other hand, deliver a real midrange. They won't give you thundering bass notes or sparkling, extended highs....nothing at this price point will. But what you will get is an honest speaker that makes you want to listen to music.
These little babies are a godsend for audiophiles and music lovers who spend a lot of time in front of their computer. Full disclosure: I have been an audiophile for decades, and have invested a lot of money in high-end gear. But like many others, I find less and less free time to relax and listen to that system...probably because I spend too much time at a computer. If you fit that description, pick up a pair of AudioEngine 2's right now. You'll be rewarded with vastly better sound than what you probably have now, and you'll find yourself listening to music a lot more often. If you are currently relying on cheap plastic speakers, or worse yet, built in speakers, you probably don't even bother to listen to music when working on a computer. I rarely did.
BalasHapusTwo-hundred bucks will seem like a lot to many people, but these speakers have the kind of build quality that will immediately let you know you got your money's worth. The cabinets are very solid, the inputs and binding posts are rugged, and the exposed drivers look great with the high gloss white finish. I am driving mine with a Cambridge Audio DACMagic digital-to-analog converter, which makes for a wonderful combination. I am rediscovering my iTunes library. (A DAC isn't required, of course, but I found computer-based music much more enjoyable since getting one.)
Allow them to break in for 20 or 30 hours before you pass judgement; like most speakers, they will improve with time. Most "computer speakers" have a pretty tinny midrange, which the manufacturer tries to cover up with a big mid-bass bump from a subwoofer. The AudioEngines, on the other hand, deliver a real midrange. They won't give you thundering bass notes or sparkling, extended highs....nothing at this price point will. But what you will get is an honest speaker that makes you want to listen to music.
These speakers aren't cheap. Nor are they able to withstand physical abuse. I've seen other computer speakers you can bounce on the floor and be fine. Not these. There's a reason why they come beautifully packaged in Styrofoam and cloth bags. Any shaking or accidental push on the front speaker mesh and you could get that distorted hum/rattling sound other reviewers have mentioned. In addition, Audioengine claims all cables are included. Technically speaking, they're correct. They do include two short, flimsy, poor quality cables (neither of them with the stereo RCA jack). One worked okay, but the other gave me a loud hum unless I got it just so. Given the cost of the speakers, it would have been nice to have something better. I ended up replacing them quickly with a quality HOSA cable, and could hear the difference.
BalasHapusI should also say that the size of these speakers is NOT what Amazon lists (they say 1.5 x 1.1 x 0.8 inches). Wrong. They're actually 4 1/8 inches wide by 6 1/8 inches tall and 5 1/2 inches deep. I was expecting a little cube type speaker. They're not that small.
Given everything I've said, you might wonder why the 5 stars. When they're treated with care and delicacy and kept safe (I don't fully trust the speaker stands that they sell for these speakers), the sound is amazing. There are a lot of professional website reviewers who were wowed by them, and I can see why. Their glowing comments were right. I hooked it to a Creative X-Fi card in a small computer room to replace a 4.1 Klipsch system. Despite the lack of a separate sub-woofer (which you can buy if you're loaded with cash), music is rich and full. In fact, it's so good, that you'll soon realize how varied the recording quality is for different sources of music. Some CDs may sound flat or tinny, others wonderful. The fault is not with the speakers but the original source.
It's always important to recognize what something is or isn't. Audiengine A2 is not as good as a high end dedicated home theater system with a sub-woofer. For that, you need something else. Nor can you play football with it, so if you have rowdy animals or kids, you might want to go with something that can better handle abuse. But what it does do is give you great sound from a computer, especially if you upgrade your cable and have a good sound card, which lets you adjust the bass and treble to suit your taste. They take up a lot less space than a 7.1, 5.1, or 4.1 computer speaker system and have sound that's hard to beat.
Perfect option for loud and high quality remote music. No subwoofer needed and the airport express plugs right into the back.
BalasHapusI've been using the same Logitech 2.1 speakers for many generations of computers. Decided to finally upgrade to something that didn't require the subwoofer which I never felt I really needed. Yes, it's only my first week using them, but I am so incredibly impressed. They feel very solid and unlike any cheap plastic speakers. I am not an audio expert just a happy computer user.
BalasHapusBeing a musician, when I was looking for speakers I wanted to find the best two piece set with the best sound. I did tons of research, and there is no doubt these are the best. They have amazing sound quality, however the bass in not overly loud for hip-hop and such. If they are placed close to a wall the bass gets much more distinct, whereas when they are freestanding in the middle of a room they are less loud. Overall, would DEFINITELY recommend these; you will not be disappointed.
BalasHapus