Audioengine speakers


Anyone own/heard the Audioengine A2 powered speakers. Please comment on application and sound quality. Thank you.
celtic66
I have not heard it, but know quite a bit about it. You probably already know the bass is rather limited. It's a single speaker that throws off left and right channel signals--so it's kind of unusual in that sense. It would seem to me that set up would require uniform reflections on left and right side to get reasonable stereo image. Obviously it's a lifestyle statement piece--a sculpture in a sense that also delivers sound. I would be very curious of anyone that owns one what sort of issues they have had with placement and if they can acheive any kind of imaging and soundstage, but somehow I think it's not the person on this forum that would buy a single speaker to project 2 channel stereo. I could be wrong though.
According to the Stereophile review, it's a pair of speakers, not a single unit.

I would be especially curious to know how it stacks up against the NHT M-00's.
I am a road warrior, have a pro touring company, and travel 200,000 air miles a year supporting many live shows. I am always in the hunt for great sounding and petite equipment when I am killing time in hotels.

Have owned these for a year. The entire product line rocks. Works well with MP3s--pitch perfect with an Apple iPod or Apple laptop. I like the 5's over the twos--fuller, richer sound.

You should also look at Blue Sky Audio's EXO product. Has a better nearfield soundstage, is a serious musician/studio product, and you get 150 watts divided by 2 speakers and a subwoofer. Sold through Guitar Center. Perfect for a small room that is den proportions. I got mine wholesale for $200 and none of my musician friends can believe the quality.

I also like the Logitech mm50--best portable docking station--$100 and blows away everything else I have heard--just throw in a backpack and go.

I own all three. Can personally endorse all three as best in class for the money. For my tastes, like the Blue Sky more for sound--very neutral with better defined bass. Hip Hop sounds fantastic on them.
My mistake. My comments were completely off. I was thinking of this speaker which is the "art engine"
I have not, but I know the designer. He says it's very good mid and highs, but has very little output at the bottom end. The single column for right and left is kind of odd and provides stereo, but not a lot in the way of soundstage. Again--this is second hand as I have not heard it directly. Obviously it's as much or more about the look.
I was curious because of all the reviews, so for $200 with free shipping and 30 day return policy, what have I got to lose? The speaker came last week, hook it up to my Slim device connected to Audio Mirror DAC-1. BIG SMILE ON MY FACE!!! I'M KEEPING IT PERIOD!
I did the same thing. I feel the mid-range depression noted in JA's measurements is pretty noticeable and somewhat unfortunate, but the sound otherwise is quite nice, very nice even. Also, treble rolloff in the vertical axis means you may not want to just plop them on the desk and leave it at that. But talk about listening all day without fatigue! And the packaging, documentation, fit and finish -- all of that is great at a level that puts most of the high end to shame, and at $200. I may try the 5's just to see how much better, if at all.

Anyone seen good sale prices for the "Audioengine 5" (white finish)?

Great reviews for their application!
Strengths: Very clear, very punchy, surprising bass for it's size, reasonably extended highs. The look is FANTASTIC.

Weakness: To my ear it sounds congested and not very pleasant. To be fair, I have always been a TUBE guy and I value nuance and relaxed sound.

Bottom Line: This is built to particular sonic taste. I think that some will love it, and some will find it unacceptable. I think that people who generally find they prefer tube gear over transistor are the type that will not be able to live with this.

Not all transistor gear is unacceptable to me, not by a long shot. I LOVE the sound of my Monitor Audio iDeck - also stereo, separate speakers, not nearly as cool looking as the A2, but it sounds NATURAL. Not quite as clear as the A2, nowhere near as punchy as the A2, probably lacking in bass compared to the A2, but it just has a natural sound that grabs me.

So the A2 is VERY worth trying out. 30 day money back guarentee, if you are one of the lucky ones that LOVE it, then I envy you.
Nowadays I have the Audioengine A2 as my main rig :) I use the Benchmark DAC1 to connect directly to the speakers. The source is a modded Slim Devices SqueezeBox playing FLAC recordings.

The sound is quite amazing for a small box. The bass is really fantastic for the small size. The mids and highs are well integrated and I feel it is a great buy. I keep things in perspective and remember the size and cost of the speakers.

I have it setup on my workdesk which has a glass layer over a wooden top surface. I listen no more than 2 feet from the speakers. I prefer it in some ways over a pair of Senheiser 5?? headphones that were highly rated on this site and others. I think the fact that I listen so closely to them makes me like them more. The little bit of air around my desk that it moves sounds really good.

I gave my old high gloss pair to my parents when I got them a laptop and bought a new pair of A2 for myself. I was a litle disappointed that the new version did not come in the high gloss style. I got the black one but it has a more duller sheen.

The A2 replaced Revel Salon1.
I have the Audio Engine 5 in white but not for sale. I use them in an I-pod based garage system. Currently playing them in the basement while I clean records. I find them enjoyable in this application, a great alternative to one piece systems like the Apple HI FI which I find to be a waste of time. I'm not familiar with the A2 but would definitely recommend the 5s as long as you're not expecting some truly reference quality sound.