Don't subject yourself to feeble audio from your PC or Mac. Go BIG with the compact Audioengine 2, instead!
"I have never been more impressed with or more stunned by a component I've reviewed for Stereophile than I was with the Audioengine 2," raves Robert J. Reina in the December 2007 issue of Stereophile. "The level of sound quality produced by this uncolored, detailed, articulate, and dynamic speaker, in all situations, was beyond reproach, and its ratio of value to cost borders on the criminal.
"The Music was Clean and Clear"
Audioengine has managed to duplicate the signature sound of its critically acclaimed Audioengine 5s in an incredibly compact package. The new Audioengine 2 is perfectly suited for your desktop or any other space in your home or office. It makes a great introduction to high-quality audio and the perfect upgrade for your computer or iPod.
"New to the Audioengine line is the tiny 2, which offered a sound surprisingly similar to that of its bigger brother," reports Stephen Mejias in his May 14, 2007 write-up of the Stereophile Home Entertainment Show 2007 for the Stereophile blog. "The music was clean and clear, and conveyed an emotion that belied the speaker's size."
"You're in for a Treat"
"Let me make it clear: these speakers are totally satisfying for listening to all types of music," reports David Nemzer in The Audiophile Voice, volume 12, issue 5. "After you stop saying 'they're sooo small' and surrender to listening to music and the mood these speakers put you in, you're in for a treat."
The Audioengine 2 is about one-third the size of the flagship Audioengine 5 system and is an excellent computer audio upgrade or small room speaker. Audioengine used the same custom tweeters as the Audioengine 5, matched them with newly designed compact Kevlar woofers and then added high-performance amplifiers with gold-plated speaker connectors. All this great engineering is wrapped in wood cabinets with a hand-polished finish to create a premium quality desktop multimedia speaker system that puts those plastic computer speakers to shame!
"Little Grenades" with Bass
To say that the bass on Audioengine 2 is substantial for their size may be an understatement, but you should be the judge. The bass comes from some very clever acoustic and electrical design and without using any DSP or fake bass boost circuits. Wood remains a preferred speaker enclosure material for its stiffness at higher volume levels and the sealed cabinet focuses just the right amount of low end from the tuned front port slots.
"The (A2) bass response caused me to look around for the proverbial phantom sub. These little grenades deserve a closer look," reports EnjoyTheMusic.com.
Versatile and Efficient
The A2 was designed for your desktop but is also perfect for smaller rooms. Well-suited for all types of music, movies, and videogames, the A2 sounds great with or without a subwoofer. Using a similar design as the Audioengine 5, the A2 power amplifiers are built inside the left speaker, providing a very efficient system. An auto-sleep standby circuit was also included to conserve power.
Easy Connections
Audioengine includes 1/8 mini jack and RCA inputs so connecting A2 is easy. No software installs, plug-ins, or sound card upgrades. Just connect the audio output (or headphone jack) from your computer, iPod, Airport Express, Sonos system, PSP, or any other audio device into the A2 rear panel input. All cables that you may need are included.
The Audioengine 2 sets a new level of audio and aesthetic quality for Powered Multimedia Speakers and further closes the gap between computer speakers and home audio. Even if you're not an audiophile, you will still hear a difference!
"I can't think of a single reason why every reader of this magazine should not go out right now and buy a pair of Audioengine 2s," concludes Robert J. Reina in Stereophile.
