The Audioengine P4 is a cheap speaker.
Correction, it's an audiophile speaker that sells for $249 a pair. But that hasn't stopped it from getting raves from audiophiles who live with speakers that sell for a whole lot more.
I use Audioengine A2 self-powered speakers ($199 a pair) with my computer, so I thought I had a handle on what to expect from the P4.
The review P4 speaker sported a real, solid bamboo cabinet, wow!
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)I did not; it's a whole new ball game. First, the P4 is a "passive" speaker, so you need to hook it up to an amplifier or receiver. The A2 is an "active" self-powered design that can be connected to a computer or MP3 player via a headphone jack.
I started listening to the P4 with my computer, with the speakers hooked up to an old Jolida hybrid tube/solid-state amplifier. The A2 is a sweet sounding little speaker, but the P4 was dramatically clearer, cleaner, and more vibrant. The P4 blows the A2 away--it's not even close.
At 9 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide by 6.5 inches deep, the P4 looks like a larger A2 (the A2 is 6 inches high by 4 inches wide by 5.25 inches deep). The P4 comes in satin-finished black or gloss white paint for $249 a pair, or in bamboo for $325 a pair. The wood isn't merely a veneer over medium-density fiberboard; no, the P4's cabinet is made out of solid bamboo, it's gorgeous!
Audioengine offers a nifty tabletop stand, the DS1 ($29 a pair), that cants the speaker back at an angle to project sounds up. The rubbery stands also isolate the speaker and prevent it from transmitting bass into your desk. Want to wall mount it? No problem, use the threaded inserts on the speaker's rear-end.
The P4's three-quarter inch silk dome tweeter and 4-inch Kevlar woofer appear to be of very high quality. Both drivers are made by Audioengine.
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(Credit:
iHome)
iHome has introduced the first combination of an iPod dock and computer speaker we've seen. The iH69 and iH70 will let you charge, play, and sync your iPod to either your Mac or PC without the need for additional cables or docks.
Both models are compatible with any docking iPod and also provide a headphone jack for private listening. The iH69 is available in black, while the step-up model iH70 comes in silver. Also with the iH70, you'll get a higher wattage as well as a fully functional remote.
Priced in the same range as other high-end computer speakers, the iH69 will cost $100 and the iH70 will cost you $130. You can preorder them now at iHome.com.
(Credit:
Sony)
Pity the desktop music lover. While loudspeakers for full stereo systems get more outrageous by the day, the PC is often humored with novelty items of dubious aural or aesthetic value.
Sony seems to be trying to address those issues at least on the European market with its SRSZX1, which it describes as a "unique high-end 2.0 speaker" for PCs that matches the performance of larger systems. The compact unit yields 40 watts of sound and includes noise-reduction technology while making something of a fashion statement at the same time, encased in "aluminum extrusion molding."
If that's not enough, Sony touts something called "Turbo Shift" technology that "changes low frequency bass range previously inaudible by human ears to a range that can be heard for increased bass." So now you and your dog can enjoy music together as never before. We have no idea what any of this means, but it's got to be better than other desktop alternatives.
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