Gadgetory

hey this is Dimitri with Harwick Knox and today we're taking a look at another audio engine product we've recently reviewed their d1 deck so go ahead and make sure to check that out so these are the a5 + stereo 2.0 arrangement bookshelf slash desktop speakers we've got the bamboo here that will set you back around $450 but the white and the black versions will slice the premium by about fifty dollars now personally very excited about these powerhouses to see exactly how these speakers play out I've heard very good praise and audio engine look like they know what they're doing the a5 Plus come very well packaged and protected inside the box and take them out they're a lot bigger than expected if you plan to use these as desktop speakers it is recommended they're at least six feet apart for best sound staging and imaging and at least six inches away from the wall behind them for proper bass response so take this into account if they are placed inside the bookshelf cabinet as well now these can be placed on the sides where the tweeters on the outside if you prefer that type a setup and there's a quarter of an inch threaded insert at the bottom along with some padding for mounted ease on speaker stands so the bamboo finish from these is exceptional I didn't notice any imperfections in the wood and I really love the way these look while some people say bamboo is not the best word for acoustics this would be mainly for aesthetics and these are not marketed as reference monitors so there is quite a bit of coloration going on but we'll get that in a moment now the whole point of having this 2.0 set up is the ability to get powerful sound without needing a subwoofer the large five-inch Kevlar woofers are the reason for the size of the speaker so you can still experience that tight and powerful bass 20 millimeter tweeters above are not centered I personally don't mind this look but you might but one thing missing are the speaker grilles although they wouldn't look as clean with some type of protective front element the right speaker is the active power that has a built-in volume knob and can mute the speaker by pressing it the LED on the Left indicates the power and volume adjustments and beside it is a remote receiver as a very convenient control is included that can put the speakers to sleep mute and adjust volume at the back of the active speaker we'll get a whole bunch of inputs and outputs that could make this quite a versatile setup so first we have the three-and-a-half millimeter input so connecting you in computer sound card your phone or really anything that you have available there's a USB power output to charge your mobile devices then we have the RCA stereo input so you can connect these to a dag and there's also an RCA variable output with a built-in preamp so you can connect a subwoofer to the setup then we have the output to the passive right speaker on which there are a pair of RCA inputs with binding connectors so just insert the speaker wire and secure the ports coming back to the left speaker there is a power on/off switch voltage select based on your region and that's already pre-selected you can also change the fuse in case you mess up your voltages and finally there's the AC power Inlet also notice the large external heatsink that has been added to cool the speakers when you continuously run them at extreme volumes the heatsink does get somewhat warm and it will prevent from overheating that was a common issue on the previous a5 speakers all the cables are also included so you can get started right out of the box and we tested these through the d1 DAC using the RCA inputs audio engine recommends a good 60 hour break-in period before any critical listening so we plug them in and let the listening begin now like I said earlier these are not reference monitors so the a5 Plus wouldn't be ideal for music creation but man are they really fun to listen to the bass response due to the 5 inch woofers is really tight and dominant these would be totally overkill for casual listening but if you plan to fill the room with powerful sounds for parties and blast them out to watch some movies you'll be completely satisfied I think the looks are slightly misleading is I was expecting clean and controlled response instead of punchy and fun the lows are too dominant it's an overly warm sound with very smooth high ends so you do lose out on plenty of brilliance meaning guitar picks that shoot sound crisp and natural sound soft and distant the main range on the a5 plus moderately recessed but definitely open up after about 40 hours or so of listening I was initially disappointed by the reserved vocals and was wondering where instrument separation was but be patient and you'd be pleasantly surprised when the vocals move forward and the clarity in the entire ment range improves there's still way too bass heavy for my personal taste so I adjusted the EQ particularly on the high end for additional sparkle to really brighten up the sound one thing I was very impressed was with stereo imaging these do a fantastic job in creating soundstage run in front of you but sound Direction does change depending on speaker angle and your proximity to them if you're not satisfied with the sound remember about the break-in period the distance between and the angle of the speakers and the distance from any walls or surfaces behind the speaker once I figured out the optimal arrangements for my listening I didn't want to put my headphones on and I had these blasted it was a very pleasant way to experience my audio although not the most accurate or detailed sonic signature the a5 Plus have quite a bit of coloration as I said earlier but that is sort of an expectation given these are not reference monitors having said that these are fun speakers and are intended for party listening with an extremely powerful sound and great imaging the drivers have potential with excellent deep bass response and smooth out high-end the build quality is totally outstanding and the multi color options are always appreciated what makes this even more attractive though is the versatility due to multiple inputs and outputs plus the added heatsink to prevent overheating and the volume knob on the speaker itself for direct control of the volume plus that small remote is included now if you expect reference style tunnels the a5 Plus cannot deliver with its overly powerful bass and slightly distant and muted mid-tones but don't be afraid to add some sparkle in the EQ for the extra detail but I guess we all have our preferences at $400 for the white and black versions and the $50 premium for the bamboo I'd really say consider whether or not you have enough space to properly drive these as speaker placement is crucial also if you don't care whether or not you get reference signature but want something with energy and fun and lots of headroom for bigger spaces then we certainly recommend these damn good speakers now what about you guys would you rather spend the money on a pair of headphones or if you're picky about natural sound go with reference monitors let us know in the comments below don't forget to subscribe for more audio reviews thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next one