I want to preface this by stating that this review does not come from the account this product was purchased under, rather a family member who shares the account.
BACKGROUND/CONTEXT:
I owned these speakers for a total of ~8 months. I had my first pair from July 2021 till about November 2021, which then ended up being replaced with a new pair that I owned till February. The reason these were in my possession for such a short period of time was because both speakers suffered the same fate of blowing out. These speakers also blew out at relatively low volumes on my computer (around 50% volume on Windows, and about 50% on whichever streaming application I was utilizing). Initially, I believed that my first pair had been faulty, so I ordered a replacement; however, the same exact issue occurred on my second pair, so I knew that these speakers were simply problematic for me.
TL;DR: I had these speakers blow out on me twice, which is why I currently do not own them.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS (Build quality and sound profile):
Note: These were around $260 at the time of purchasing. These are not my current opinions.
These speakers were an upgrade from the Creative Sound BlasterX Kratos S5 2.1 Gaming Speaker, which was a muddied and lack-luster 2.1 system. At the time, however, they were average sounding to me. I wanted to upgrade to something of the same size profile that had a clearer and fuller profile. I gravitated toward the A2+, as I believed in the misconception that these were phenomenal sounding high fidelity speakers (They do not claim to be this, but certain reviews of this product facilitated that idea). I had also seen them on a multitude of setups and thought they fit aesthetic of my own. Upon opening these speakers, I was surprised by the overall weight of these, as they were relatively small. The heftiness only contributed to feeling of "premium-ness". I give props to AE for their absolutely exceptional packaging and inclusion of accessories. The setup was unique to me, as I had never used speaker wire prior to getting these. After having connected them to my computer, I was blown away by the sound. I had never owned "premium" audio equipment, so my only frame of reference was sub-par gaming speakers. These speakers felt warm, rich, and just overall clean. I even got to rehash the subwoofer from the old 2.1 system before upgrading to a Klipsch 400W 12" subwoofer (which was very much overkill for 3" desktop speakers). One thing that I initially really appreciated about the speakers were their very defined mid-range. Even as someone who was significantly less knowledgeable in audio reproduction, I was still able to appreciate the sound these speakers put out. I will not go too in depth about bass, as I had only used these speakers without a subwoofer for about a couple hours total, just know that it is fairly average for casual music listening but sub-par if you decide to utilize it for film/bass-dependent music.
CURRENT PERSPECTIVE:
Disregarding the fact that these had blown out on me, I currently believe these speakers are not worth the absurdly high price. Although I still believe the mid-range is warm and quite rich, both the low-end and high-end struggle to reproduce sounds nicely. This leaves you with a speaker that lacks clarity on two very crucial frequency ranges. Even after the addition of a subwoofer, the lack of EQ options on the speaker do not allow you to setup an appropriate crossfade, which in turn create bass frequencies that cancel. These speakers still look phenomenal though, and packaging is premium enough to justify a higher price tag, but not $260. For reference, as soon as I refunded my A2+, I went ahead and purchased a pair of KRK RP5 G4 Studio Monitors for the exact same price (These monitors are also fairly controversial, but I personally really enjoy their soundstage and less colored sound).
WRAPPING THINGS UP (Pros and Cons):
Pros:
- Spectacular packaging
- Additional cables that allow for multiple ways to connect to a source
- Rich mid-range for small profile
- Premium build quality (hefty with a clean finish)
- Smaller setups will benefit from the size
- Volume does get relatively loud
Cons:
- Highs are lacking clarity
- Bass is quite average from 90hz to 200hz, anything below that is quite awful without a subwoofer
- The speakers do not do a great job at stereo imaging
- Speakers are impossible to EQ without a 3rd party software
- The price is absurd for over glorified desktop speakers
- Subtle details in music get lost, making these speakers terrible for mixing/mastering (This is not what these speakers are intended for, but it is something to keep in mind)
- Personally, these blew out on me twice at pretty normal listening volumes.
A few notes:
- I do not believe these speakers are horrible, I just think the price you pay for them is not justified.
- I had a quite negative experience with them because they blew out twice, I've never seen that happen to anyone else.
- If you really want something in a small package with a multitude of connection options and a sound that's fine for almost all music genres, I'd probably recommend these if you can get them for cheaper.
- If you are looking for accurate sound, stop looking at high fidelity monitors and take a look at studio monitors. They tend to be in same price range (or a tad higher) but are much more sonically accurate.
Additional Details
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Make it a bundle
We found 2 bundles with this item:
Audioengine A2+ Plus Wireless Speaker Bluetooth | Desktop Monitor Speakers | Home Music System aptX Bluetooth, 60W Powered Bookshelf Stereo Speakers | AUX Audio, USB, RCA Inputs,16-bit DAC (Red)
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Audioengine A2+ Plus Powered Bluetooth Speakers and DS1 Desktop Speaker Stands Bundle (Red)$298.00This bundle contains 2 items -
Audioengine A2+ Plus Powered Bluetooth Speakers and DS1M Metal Desktop Speaker Stands Bundle (Red)$308.00This bundle contains 2 items
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Product Description
Versatile playback
The A2+ premium powered speakers provide high-fidelity stereo sound that connects to your music in seconds from any app or device. They feature wired or wireless connections, including USB audio from your computer, Bluetooth, or analog from any other source.
Premium wireless sound
The A2+ features Bluetooth aptX bringing you premium, hi-fidelity sound and impressive wireless range. Easily stream your favorite music, podcasts and more from any Bluetooth-enabled device and experience crystal clear, true stereo sound
Small and mighty
Designed to sound much larger than they are, the A2+ is the perfect upgrade where surfaces are minimal but performance can’t be compromised. The go-to speakers for desktops and small spaces, A2+ brings the emotion and detail you’d expect from a larger system,with the convenience of a compact system.
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Customer reviews
I own a pair of these speakers for my record player and loved them so when it came time to get a second pair for my studio I knew what I wanted. I’m thrilled there’s a Bluetooth option. It makes all the difference in a studio setting.My only complaint is that the wires are black. I half expected a white product to come with white wires but oh well. I’m working on cable management soon and will try to come up with something to hide them and cover the exposed parts with a white tape of some kind.
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2022
Size: Bluetooth - WirelessColor: BlackVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2021
Size: Bluetooth - WirelessColor: BlackVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Rolle
gutes Produkt, als PC-Allrounder nicht für jeden etwas
Reviewed in Germany on August 4, 2019Mr. Michael Gover
Decent value for the price - makes a difference where you place them
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2018Size: WiredColor: RedVerified Purchase
Amazon Kunde
Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis passt nicht
Reviewed in Germany on October 22, 2020Size: Bluetooth - WirelessColor: WhiteVerified Purchase
Paul Vallance
Serious quality control issues from factory!!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2022Size: Bluetooth - WirelessColor: BlackVerified Purchase
GerryQ
I was hoping to be impressed - and I am.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2018
