If you’re short on time and just want the highlights of this article, here it is:
The Audioengine A1 Bluetooth Speaker System is a great option for those looking for good sound quality without breaking the bank. It offers an 1/8″ input and Bluetooth connectivity with aptX support, which allows for wireless connectivity with compatible devices. The speakers consist of a 2.75″ woofer and a 0.75″ tweeter and output up to 15W per channel RMS, or 30W per channel peak.
The sound quality of the A1 speakers is very good with great clarity and balance. The bass could be better, and there’s a slight lack of treble at higher volumes, but overall the sound is satisfying. The connectivity options are also great, making it easy to integrate the system into any setup.
The most ideal users for the A1 speakers are those who are looking for a compact speaker system that offers good sound and connectivity. However, those looking for advanced features such as multi-room audio or voice control may find the A1 speakers lacking in this regard.
In conclusion, the Audioengine A1 Bluetooth Speaker System is a great product that offers good sound quality and easy setup at an affordable price. It’s perfect for audiophiles on a budget and casual users alike, although it lacks certain advanced features which may put off some users who are looking for a more sophisticated audio system.
Quick link:
Now let’s get to its bolts and nuts.
Audioengine A1 Review: Sound quality
Have you ever noticed that there often tends to be quite the opposite opinions about a speaker?
I can understand this for more "personal taste" kinda products like clothing, for example.
But for engineering products like speakers? Personal tastes and preferences probably still play a role. But shouldn't it be less?
Why is it that we can't set a universal metric for sound quality?
First time I asked this question to myself has been a pivotal day.
Because it turns out that in the mid 90's, Electrical Engineer PhD Floyd Toole came up with a method called Spinorama. This is exactly what he accomplished with this. Turns out that his book Sound Reproduction is like the bible of audiophiles.
Put it simply, Spinorama is a set of measurements that gives a comprehensive overview of a speaker's performance from various angles.
It allows you to compare the performances of different speakers before even laying your ears hands on them.
Isn't that amazing?
This is why Spinorama was apparently groundbreaking news for audio industry. Hence in the mid-late 2010's, most brands and magazines began publishing Spinorama measurements, despite the challenges of making such measurements.
Fortunately, now we have the Spinorama data for a bunch of quite popular speakers. Pierre Aubert put all this untidy data together and put it into https://www.spinorama.org/. This is a stunning source. Pretty valuable stuff from him right there.
All good up to this point.
Now there comes a caveat.
Since the sound speakers propagate are in the form of omnidirectional waves, all measurements are obtained in anechoic or semi-anechoic chambers (a super-quiet room where soundwaves don't bounce back, here's how different that room sounds [a mind blowing time-adjusted video]).
This is a problem because it means that Spinorama alone, unfortunately, won't give us all we need. Placement and reflections play an equally important role there too.
This is why most A-class brands (like SVS, Bang & Olufsen, etc) often come up with room correction features, adjusted either manually or automatically. The EQ adapts itself to the placement (room, corner, center, etc) for a better (deeper and more accurate) sound. Which is great.
Additionally they often emphasize the importance of placement, here is an example: https://www.svsound.com/blogs/subwoofer-setup-and-tuning/75365187-the-art-of-subwoofer-placement
Anyways...
The source code under Pierre Aubert's work is licensed under GPL (General public license). He didn't perform any of the measurements himself, and instead he compiled all of them into one place, so that makes sense.
At this point, I thought that if there was a tool that combined both the Spinorama with the room acoustics data, it'd be extremely useful.
Unfortunately, it turns out that there wasn't any.
This is where I stepped in and partnered with an Acoustics and Audio Engineering PhD in order to achieve this.
We combined Spinorama data with room acoustics and came up with Soundton. A very simple, 2D online tool that allows you to:
- Reveal optimal speaker positions in a room,
- Test with real speakers from real brands,
- Compare different speakers and different positions in the room.
It can be very valuable for the vast majority.
The colormap provides you the locations with the best (green) and worst (red) listening experience.
It works the best with subwoofers since Soundton processes low frequency response waves only.
- Soundton is going to be, say, 80% accurate. Not 100%.
- Because, other parameters such as the age/materials of the building, furniture/windows in place also have an impact on room acoustics.
- If you want absolutely the most detailed room analysis, then what you need is an acoustics consultant. Mind you that's going to require deep pockets and patience though... assuming you find the right person and they get the job done.
Anyways...
The Audioengine A1 Bluetooth Speaker System is an impressive setup, offering great sound quality in a compact frame. It consists of a 2.75″ woofer and a 0.75″ tweeter with aramid fiber woofers and silk tweeters, and a 15W per channel RMS output, or 30W per channel peak. The speakers are designed for big sound but with minimal digital signal processing or bass boost circuitry.
The sound quality of the A1 speakers is very good. They can reach up to 16 bits and 48 kHz native sample rate and feature a wireless latency of up to 30ms. The sound is clear, balanced, and detailed with good clarity and bass. It is great for both music and movies and satisfies even the most discerning audiophiles.
However, I can’t help but feel that the A1 speakers could have done a better job of producing bass. The front-firing port helps a lot, but at higher volumes, the bass still doesn’t reach the same intensity as it does on more expensive speaker systems. The treble also feels a bit muffled and slightly overwhelmed by the mids at times.
The A1 speakers also lack certain advanced features such as a dedicated subwoofer output. I believe that this could have greatly improved the sound quality by allowing the user to better control the bass output.
To sum it up, the A1 speakers offer good sound quality, great clarity, and a balanced soundstage. However, there are some areas where they could potentially be improved, such as bass and treble output. With some additional features, such as a dedicated subwoofer output, the A1 could be an even better product.
Audioengine A1 Review: Connectivity
The Audioengine A1 Bluetooth Speaker System offers great connectivity options, making it easy to integrate into any setup. It has an 1/8″ input but the real star of the show is the Bluetooth connectivity, which is made even better by the aptX support which allows for wireless connectivity with compatible devices. The speakers also feature an auto-switching power supply for convenience and a wireless latency of up to 30ms.
The setup is also engineered for simple setup. You don’t have to manually switch between sources and can easily connect to your TV or turntable via the 1/8″ jack or listen to your favorite streaming service via aptX Bluetooth. All connectivity is through the powered left speaker, which connects to the passive right speaker with speaker wire.
I found the connectivity of the A1 speakers to be quite good overall. The wireless latency is fast and the aptX support makes it easy to stream audio from compatible devices. The auto-switching power supply is also a nice touch, making the setup even easier.
The only downside is that the A1 speakers lack certain features, such as multi-room audio and voice control. This limits some of the ways you can use the speakers and could leave some users wanting more.
Overall, the Audioengine A1 offers good connectivity options. The aptX support is great for streaming audio from compatible devices, and the auto-switching power supply makes the setup easy. The only downside is that the speaker lacks certain features, such as multi-room audio and voice control.
Audioengine A1 Review: Most & least ideal user profiles
The Audioengine A1 Bluetooth Speaker System is an impressive product, offering good sound and connectivity in a compact frame. It’s great for audiophiles and casual users alike, so let’s talk about who the most and least ideal users are for this product.
The most ideal users are those who are looking for a compact speaker system that offers good sound and connectivity with no fuss. The A1 speakers are perfect for someone looking to add a great-sounding audio system to their home setup without having to break the bank. They are great for streaming music, watching movies, and listening to podcasts, and they offer great sound quality and easy setup.
The least ideal users, on the other hand, are those who are looking for advanced features such as multi-room audio or voice control. The A1 speakers lack these features, making them less suitable for those looking for a more advanced audio system.
In conclusion, the Audioengine A1 Bluetooth Speaker System is a great product for those looking for an easy-to-use and great-sounding audio system. It’s perfect for audiophiles on a budget and casual users alike, although it lacks certain advanced features which may put off some users who are looking for a more sophisticated audio system.
Audioengine A1 Review: Conclusion
The Audioengine A1 Bluetooth Speaker System is a great option for those looking for good sound quality without breaking the bank. It offers an 1/8″ input and Bluetooth connectivity with aptX support, which allows for wireless connectivity with compatible devices. The speakers consist of a 2.75″ woofer and a 0.75″ tweeter and output up to 15W per channel RMS, or 30W per channel peak.
The sound quality of the A1 speakers is very good with great clarity and balance. The bass could be better, and there’s a slight lack of treble at higher volumes, but overall the sound is satisfying. The connectivity options are also great, making it easy to integrate the system into any setup.
The most ideal users for the A1 speakers are those who are looking for a compact speaker system that offers good sound and connectivity. However, those looking for advanced features such as multi-room audio or voice control may find the A1 speakers lacking in this regard.
In conclusion, the Audioengine A1 Bluetooth Speaker System is a great product that offers good sound quality and easy setup at an affordable price. It’s perfect for audiophiles on a budget and casual users alike, although it lacks certain advanced features which may put off some users who are looking for a more sophisticated audio system.