The Audioengine A5+ Wireless Speakers (see image) are also available in matte black, glossy white, and bamboo veneer.
Within a few short years, speakers have caught up to the modern demands of wireless streaming and Bluetooth connectivity. Enter Audioengine: a well-established name in the music industry because of its capacity to adapt to new trends.
In this article, we will compare the brand’s two best offers for small to medium rooms: the Audioengine A2+ and A5+ Wireless Speakers.
In summary, if you’re looking for something that can do well in small spaces and doesn’t cost too much, then the Audioengine A2+ is a good option. On the other hand, if you have a bigger space and can shell out a few more bucks for better sound quality, then the Audioengine A5+ is the cream of the crop.
So how do you know which set to get? To help you weigh out your options, here is a comprehensive comparison of the two models.
Design and Build
The Audioengine A2+ Wireless Speakers come in a minimalist matte black or glossy and are ideal for a small setup. It measures only 6 inches tall, 4 inches wide, 5 inches deep, and weighs only 3 pounds. This is ideal if you have a more cluttered space. However, despite the size, they’re not too portable: the speakers have to stay close to each other because the left master speaker has to power the right speaker.
The Audioengine A5+ Wireless Speakers are also available in matte black, glossy white, and bamboo veneer. They measure 10.8 inches high, 7 inches wide, and 7.9 inches deep. While the Audioengine A5+ looks more industrial-looking than the A2+ set, it shouldn’t feel too clunky for your setup: the base has soft foam pads, along with threaded mounting screws if you want to mount them on the wall.
Features
The Audioengine A2+ is equipped with cabinets, a bass port, an amplifier, and 2.75-inch Kevlar drivers. The speaker set has a master and slave speaker system, where the left speaker contains all the electronics and needs a cable to connect it to the right speaker. The left speaker includes 15W of amplification, RCA inputs, a 3.5 mm input, and volume control. The two channels combined have 60W of peak power and a 65Hz to 22kHz frequency range.
The Audioengine A2+ also has stereo RCA input and output ports, volume controls, stereo mini-jack input, Bluetooth pair button, and USB and power inlet. As for amplification, the A2+ speakers come with a traditional amplifier configuration to provide the best audio quality.
The circuit boards for the power sections are vertically attached for maximum mechanical shock defense. Its ferrofluid-cooled silk dome tweeters use neodymium magnets, and the durable woofers are made from aramid fiber-woven glass composite with rubber surrounds.
The Audioengine A5+ also has a master-slave speaker system. The left speaker houses everything: the front panel has the volume knob, a LED power indicator, the remote control receiver, and the back panel has a Bluetooth antenna, a 3.5 mm aux input, a pairing button, RCA inputs and outputs, and a connection for the cable that plugs to the right speaker.
With over 150W of peak power, the A5+ has a frequency range of 50Hz to 22kHz. It has a similar build in terms of ferrofluid-cooled silk dome tweeters and aramid fiber-woven glass woofers, though the sizes are different: the silk dome tweeters are 20mm, and the Kevlar woofers measure 13 cm.
Additionally, the Audioengine A5+ has an included remote with four buttons: Volume Up, Volume Down, Mute, and Sleep Mode. However, even with the convenience of remote control that the A2+ doesn’t have, the functions are limited and don’t include buttons for playback and track navigation. It also comes with a thermal system to cool down the speakers.
Connectivity
As for wireless connectivity, the Audioengine A2+ (see image) comes with Bluetooth version 5, which allows an almost 60-meter range and has better sound quality.
Though it can connect to wireless streaming within seconds, the Audioengine A2+ is versatile when connecting to wired devices because it can connect via USB and vintage turntables to tape decks. Once the USB cable is plugged in, your PC will immediately recognize the device. As for wireless connectivity, the A2+ comes with Bluetooth version 5, which allows an almost 60-meter range and has better sound quality.
The Audioengine A5+ speaker retains its numerous handy inputs and connectivity options for connecting to computers, stereo receivers, and turntables from Audioengine’s A5 speakers, so its most significant upgrade is its streaming feature. The built-in Bluetooth receiver and 24-bit DAC make it extremely easy to stream from music apps and support high-res streaming from Bluetooth aptX, SBC, and AAC.
Check out the technical specifications of A5+ Classic Speakers on Audioengine's website.
Sound
Let me tell you something right off the bat.
Room acoustics, particularly room dimensions and speaker positioning, will have an immense effect on sound quality.
The impact of the combination of these two is actually so strong that in most cases, it doesn't even make sense to utter a single word on sound quality without speaking of them.
This is why I'd hiiiiiiighly recommend you to check out this simple, 2D, online speaker placement calculator.
It's GOOOOLLLDDDDD. I've had an Acoustics & Audio PhD build this tool specifically for this purpose:
Default values:
- Ceiling height: 106 inches or 8 feet 10 inches or 2.70 meters
- Most standard ceiling height
- Listener's height: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Average height of a sitting person
Central heights of speakers (measured from the ground) and examples to them:
- Soundbars: 30 inches or 2 feet 6 inches or 0.75 meters
- 8", 10" or 12" Subwoofers: 8 inches or 0.20 meters
- 360 degree speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Horizontal speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Floor standing speakers: 20 inches or 1 feet 8 inches or 0.50 meters
- Bookshelf speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Center speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
Side note: This tool can and will return inaccurate results for small, portable Bluetooth speakers such as JBL's Go Series. It will, however, deliver just fine for more powerful, packed bluetooth speakers such as this one.
ASAP Science made a video on the loudest and quietest rooms in the world. A mind blowing example of the importance of acoustics (time adjusted video).
Other parameters such as the age/materials of the building, the furniture & carpets in place, etc can and will, of course, have an effect on room acoustics, too. But much less.
Also...
Did you know you could also virtually hear any speaker online?
Crutchfield had recently created a tool that virtually simulates the sounds of many different speakers; such as those of SVS, Klipsch, KEF and B&W. Nothing will, of course, beat hearing the speakers in reality. But I'd still recommend you to give it a shot.
While you're at it, blast my Hidden Electronic Gems list to test them:
Anyways...
The Audioengine A2+ speakers push well above their weight and size. Overall, the overall sound quality has decent treble and midrange because the A2+ doesn’t struggle with below 100 Hz. It has a little less bass, though you won’t encounter these problems if you’re using them in small spaces.
The Audioengine A5+ speakers perform best in small and medium-sized rooms. It delivers a good thump that can pass as decent for most bass lovers. The speakers can provide powerful sound and can reach a deafening volume before the sound starts being distorted. The overall sound is smooth and full, with excellent clarity, and not thunderous compared to bass-boosted systems.
Price
The Audioengine A2+ Wireless Speakers (see image) come in a minimalist matte black or glossy and are ideal for a small setup. It measures only 6 inches tall, 4 inches wide, 5 inches deep, and weighs only 3 pounds.
The Audioengine A2+ Wireless Speakers are a fantastic choice for entry-level speaker systems that don’t go over $300. You get premium features, a crisp and accurate sound performance, and excellent connectivity for a less expensive price point.
In comparison, the Audioengine A5+ speakers are a bit more expensive with its $400 range, so they’re not exactly the more affordable option compared to other speakers..
Verdict
In conclusion, both speaker sets perform well for their recommended usage. They have versatile connectivity options and excellent wireless streaming.
What makes them different from each other is how their hardware is designed to suit a specific room size. So which speaker is better? Below is our verdict, depending on their specifications:
- Size and weight - Winner: Audioengine A2+
- Connectivity - Winner (by a tiny margin): Audioengine A5+
- Frequency range - Winner: Audioengine A5+
- Sound - Winner: Audioengine A5+
- Thermal system - Winner: Audioengine A5+
- Performance in small rooms - Tie
- Performance in medium rooms - Winner: Audioengine A5+
- Price - Winner: Audioengine A2+