Audio engine 5+ bluetooth speakers
Being an audiophile has never been so convenient.
Ever since portable Bluetooth speakers started pumping out deceptively decent audio, the space for smallform hi-fi has been narrowing. As such, it takes quite a lot to stand out in this category, but the latest from Audioengine manages to do so admirably by adding a twist of wireless convenience to these audiophile bookshelf speakers.
Available in black, white or bamboo (for an extra $100), the A5+ speakers are stylishly sleek and offer an understated, clean facade. This, in combination with their relatively compact size, allows them to blend comfortably into most modern decors, looking equally at home on a computer desk or the titular bookshelf.
The front panel of the master, left speaker offers a single dial that adjusts volume or puts the pair in a
power-saving sleep mode – the same controls (plus a mute button) can be found on the remote. All other clutter is relegated to the rear of this powered speaker, with an attachable antenna, Bluetooth pairing button, power switch, RCA and 3.5mm inputs, and the connections needed to link it to the right speaker. For most users, this will be enough in the way of inputs, offering the means for one or two fixed devices with the added flexibility of a Bluetooth connection.
After the painless set-up process, you’ll be pleased to know that the A5+ perform spectacularly at their primary function, effortlessly filling small-tomedium rooms with stunning audio. The unit’s built-in amplifier and 24-bit DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) makes for impeccable clarity and power whether the signal is sent digitally via Bluetooth or through the analog RCA and 3.5mm connections. The antenna offers increased range and a high tolerance for interference, and when tested in our Bluetoothheavy environment we experienced no stutters, drop-outs or loss of quality. Audioengine claims to have specially tuned these speakers to excel when playing the compressed and lossless files often found on mobile devices and streaming services (MP3 and AAC for example) and we have to say it works a treat. The produced frequency profile is very pleasing and, despite a slightly midforward sound overall, the treble is still present without being harsh and the bass is punchy without booming. Considering the size of the main woofers (5-inches), the low-end response is surprisingly powerful and clear, although you can hook up a subwoofer via the RCA output if you feel you need to really feel those sub-100Hz frequencies. The A5+ produce a distinctly hi-fi signal regardless of whether they’re dealing with your favourite film, game or movie, and even offer a decent platform for music production, although their lack of quarter-inch inputs may not gel as well with the latter.
While you can save $100 by grabbing the wired version, we think that the A5+ Wireless are worth the extra dosh and sit at a reasonable price given their awesome audio quality and wireless capabilities.
Verdict
A compelling reason to upgrade from portable Bluetooth speakers.