Audioengine A5B Powered Bookshelf Speaker System - Black Finish
See it at Amazon.com for $325.00Average Customer Rating
(5.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First (5 out of 5)Quality construction and performance
These really do deliver remarkably clean, powerful sound for their size, and they also do well at lower volumes. There's no shortage of gushing reviews for these on the web, so I'll just add a few tidbits of possible additional interest to prospective buyers:
- Each speaker is satisfyingly heavy, and the entire bottom surface is covered by a solid rubber pad to help keep the speaker in place when you're driving them hard.
- The speaker enclosures are silky smooth (no sharp edges or seams anywhere) and feel thick and well made. Overall fit and finish is lovely to behold. You can't help but believe that these will last for a long time.
- The large speakers are exposed (as pictured), but they're made of kevlar, so they look tough and feel tough, and you won't think twice about the lack of a speaker grille.
- The volume control is on the lower-right corner of the left speaker. It's a knurled dial the size of a standard button, and it turns with a nice, smooth resistance for a feeling of scratch-free precision. Ideally, I'd like to see the volume knob on the top of the speaker for easier access, and I'd rather it extended outward a bit further (it's a bit shallow). But tastes will differ depending upon speaker placement.
- The LED power light is on the lower-left of corner of the left speaker. It's a muted, cool blue that looks great when the lights are off. Not too bright to be a nuisance. The kind of blue light that you know is there but almost seems to disappear into the blackness.
- The power on/off switch is on the middle back of the left speaker, near the outside edge, so you can easily wrap your fingers behind the speaker and feel for the switch to turn it off. Not as easy as I'd like it to be, but not a big hassle. Still, if you like to turn your devices off when not in use, you'll want to place them in a way that allows you easy access to the left side of the left speaker.
- The USB port on the top is for charging only, not for audio pass-through from your iPod, but the makers helpfully provide several short lengths of audio cable suitable for connecting your iPod or other device.
- The secondary audio input jack on the back is analog, not digital, so you won't be able to take advantage of the digital audio-out option of an AirPort Express, for example, but the analog connection sounds fine.
- There's no remote control. Here the speakers suffer in comparison with some similarly priced systems that appeal to iPod users, but clearly the decision was made to divert the cost of that feature into creating the best possible sound at this price point.
- When driving these speakers hard for extended periods, the back of the left speaker (containing the power supply) gets very hot. Very hot. Seriously--you could fry an egg back there, so you'll want to ensure proper ventilation if you plan to rock out a lot. My only concern here is that the hottest area is the area surrounding the AC jack into which I plug my AirPort Express. Can the AirPort Express take the heat? Well, it has so far.
- The bass response is great on these, but if you want even more, you can always hook up a subwoofer, because a subwoofer jack is provided. What more could you ask?
(5 out of 5)Excellent!
These speakers are just plain awesome! There's no excuse for buying an iPod hifi, EVER. These speakers are the same price and so much better. Which is to say they are a bit pricey but they have the sound of much more expensive speakers. People say they are too big for my desktop, but I just tell them that their sound is too big for my apartment and their quality too big for my budget, but they magically fit into both of those spaces anyway. So bottom line, if you are looking to spend anything close to this amount on some speakers, I would definitely recommend shelling out just a bit more to get these Audioengines.
A side note to any buyers, these speakers benefit greatly from a break in period. First time I listened to them they sounded nice but gave me a headache after 20 minutes of listening. Don't be discouraged. Leave them with music playing for 24-48 hours (like the manual suggests) and the harsh sound just smooths out and is so much better. I can't say enough good things about these speakers.
(5 out of 5)Too good for MP3
These speakers are amazing. I have had them for 5 months and they produce amazing sound regardless what I am using them for. Only downside to them is that you can hear the compression on MP3 files. So what may sound acceptable on your ipod when your on the go may sound flat on these speakers. So make sure you encode your music files to at least 192kps with a variable bit rate. Anything lower and your music will sound flat.
(5 out of 5)The BEST Speakers made period for digital audio devices...
I bought these babies for my iPod and they are hands down the best speakers you can find for mp3 or any other digital audio device made. I bought a second pair for my Squeezebox and I'm amazed by the incredible audio quality that comes out of them! Highly recommended find!!!
(5 out of 5)I strongly recommend these speakers
I bought these speakers direct from the manufacturer a few months ago. They came packaged in double cardboard individually wrapped in cloth bags. All wiring needed was included with the speakers. Though I do not own an IPOD I do have a MP3 player and portable CD player. Once connected and plugged in, these speakers simply shine. The sound is very, very good for the size of the speakers. I own a pair of "soundworks" speakers from Cambridge Soundworks and the Audioengine speakers blow the Soundworks away. They have a much cleaner sound with crisper highs and much better mid range. Get a set and hear for yourself then post your review. Yes, they are worth every penny!