Audioengine 2: Audiophile grade computer speakers for $199

(Credit: Audioengine)

I can't claim to be any sort of expert when it comes to computer/PC speakers, but if my recent CNET reviews of Bose, Creative, and M-Audio speakers are any indication of what's out there, the Audioengine 2 is a truly awesome design. I auditioned the Audioengine 2s at home where my desktop workspace is pretty crowded, but the speaker's tiny 4 by 5.25-inch footprint was easy to accommodate. It's 6 inches high.

Judged as a speaker, and I've reviewed well over 500, the Audioengine 2 is terrific. It's so good you don't have to be an audiophile to notice the little thing makes a lot more bass than something its size has any right to. But it's no muddy boombox, the bass is deep and yet nicely defined, no need to add a subwoofer. The midrange and treble refinement are exceptional, so Jonny Greenwood's orchestral score for There Will Be Blood sounded spacious and clear as can be.

The left speaker has stereo 3.5 mm and RCA inputs and really nice all-metal speaker outputs that connect to the right speaker. The left speaker also houses the power on/off and a machined metal volume control. Instead of the usual mini wall wart power supply, the Audioengine 2 comes with a healthy outboard power supply; hook up cables are included. You can also use these things as iPod speakers.

The built-in Class A/B amplifier delivers 15 watts per channel; the two-way speakers have a 2.75-inch Kevlar woofer and a .75-inch silk dome tweeter. The medium-density fiberboard cabinet in painted, my samples looked demure in satin black, and they also come in gloss black or white. When you open the shipping box you'll find the speakers packed in cloth bags so you really feel like you've purchased a quality product. A three-year warranty ensures long-term satisfaction.

I moved the Audioengine 2 out from the desktop and played them in my bedroom hooked up to a CD player. Wow, with more breathing room the sound was even better and stereo imaging stretched way beyond the actual locations of the speakers. True, rocking out with Spoon's Gimmie Fiction CD revealed they don't sound like a set of mighty floorstanding tower speakers, but the Audioengine 2s are a leap over the pint-sized competition or one-piece iPod speakers. The Audioengine 2s can play fairly loud, but sound best at low to moderately loud volumes. Even audiophiles used to the good stuff will dig these speakers, they're that good.

My friend Gary Krakow, over on The Street.com raved about them in his "Hark! These Herald Headphones Sing" The Good Life blog from late last year. Now that I've heard them I agree; the Audioengine 2 goes for $199 a pair and UPS Ground shipping is free. The Audioengine website sells the speakers with a 30 day money-back guaranty.

[schtan]

i agree , at the desk , great , filling the room with sound , great , at low volume they could use a bit more bass and i repeat a bit more bass . and that leads me to the A5 speakers connected to my subwoofer , very pleased , my first pair of A2 died within weeks , my misteak hooking up and unhooking , checking all the different ways to use them here , so customer service thru e mail was quick and friendly and the A2 speakers replaced in a few days . try the A5 also

[longveu]

I ordered a pair of the A2's based on this review and received them this past week. I have to say...so far I am not impressed. The bass, especially what there is of it at low to mid volumes sounds breathy and hollow. Mid's and high's are very crisp, but I would (so far) never compare these to anything "audiophile quality". I'm coming from an older pair of Monsoon flat panels with a separate sub. They might not have had some of the depth and presence of these A2's, but the overall sound was much better.

I have been listening to a variety of music from NIN's latest to old Simon and Garfunkel, and bitrates from full lossless to 128. Doesn't seem to affect the sound qualities I've described.

Surprisingly it seems the louder I play the A2'a the better they sound. That can be a good thing when I want to entertain, but since 95% percent of their use is me sitting at my desk it doesn't help much. This leads me to wonder if they need a burn-in period, though I cannot find anything on the Audioengine website to indicate such.

As it stands I am really on the fence as to whether or not I will keep them. For half the price it would be a cinch, but at $200 plus the article above, I was expecting much more.

[mait]

Burn in is essential. I have used the audioengines for 2 months now.As with all audiophile speakers you must burn in for several weeks before they open up. I have owned several speakers (totems,B&W,maggies). They will improve as the weeks go by. Mine are much better now. I would purchase again.

[Dev_]

Can somebody recommend an online retailer for me to check out? I'm interested in a pair of these but everywhere seems to be selling them for $300+.

[BigStarryEyes]

onecall has em.

[douglord]

Steve (hope you read the comments and respond)

Can we expect a full review of the AudioEngine lineup at somepoint?

Here's what I'm wondering. You seem to love the M-Audio AV40s (luke warm on the 20s) and you seem to love the AudioEngine 2s. But which do you like better?

Also you like the AV40s and poo-poo'ed the AV20s, which makes me wonder how you would feel about the AE2s if you tried the AE 5s. I'd love to see those compared to the AV40s and maybe you could throw in some other high-end active powered speakers (like M-Audio's BX8a Deluxe).

I'm looking for a high-end pair of active powered speakers to put in my living room with a Squeezebox Duet. Too bad Paradigm stopped making Active 40s. Any reccommendations? My e-mail is [e-mail].

can't answer if audioengines are better than M-Audio, but I can tell you my Audioengine 2's are fantastic. Better than any computer speaker I've owned. And better, more clear bass than my previous speakers that had an accompanying subwoofer. The clarity, power and sound separation are unbelievable for such inexpensive speakers. Crisp high ends. Love them.