Audioengine A2+ VS A5+

[DennyBoy]

Hey everyone! I'm looking to upgrade my listening experience with a set of new speakers. I decided to choose between the Audioengine A2+ and the A5+, The reason I am interested in these is because they have a built in Power Amplifier which is great because I do not own one, or plan to get one because of these speakers! If you guys have any other recommendations for Power Bookshelf Speakers, met me know.

 

From your experience, are the A5+ worth the extra cash? Or are the A2+ speakers good enough? 

 

Thanks so much for your help!

[johnt]

Hey everyone! I'm looking to upgrade my listening experience with a set of new speakers. I decided to choose between the Audioengine A2+ and the A5+, The reason I am interested in these is because they have a built in Power Amplifier which is great because I do not own one, or plan to get one because of these speakers! If you guys have any other recommendations for Power Bookshelf Speakers, met me know.

From your experience, are the A5+ worth the extra cash? Or are the A2+ speakers good enough?

Thanks so much for your help!

It depends on how you look at the situation. Do you plan to add a subwoofer? If yes, Then I recommend the A2+. If not, then the A5+ is probably worth the extra money. But I would use the extra amount for a subwoofer instead.

A nice sealed subwoofer from Power Sound Audio will blend very well with the A2+. They are my go to company for subs. Worth every penny.

[DennyBoy]

It depends on how you look at the situation. Do you plan to add a subwoofer? If yes, Then I recommend the A2+. If not, then the A5+ is probably worth the extra money. But I would use the extra amount for a subwoofer instead.

A nice sealed subwoofer from Power Sound Audio will blend very well with the A2+. They are my go to company for subs. Worth every penny.

Thanks for the reply! I do play on adding a sub woofer later on. Do you think the extra 250$, which is the price difference in the retailer i'm going to get them at, is worth it? I'm fairly new to audio stuff, so bare with me!

[johnt]

Thanks for the reply! I do play on adding a sub woofer later on. Do you think the extra 250$, which is the price difference in the retailer i'm going to get them at, is worth it? I'm fairly new to audio stuff, so bare with me!

 

Nope. I wouldn't pay extra $250 for A5+ especially if you plan to add a subwoofer. The online website only lists the difference at $150... so I would discuss with your retailer. The biggest negative to the A2+ is that the volume knob is in the back. But I suspect you will just learn where it is and will eventually adjust the volume using muscle memory.

 

The more important thing, however, is that I would never purchase powered or active speakers. You're putting all your eggs in one basket. They are a fantastic alternative if you're super tight on space. Otherwise, they are throwaway if any one component fails. Electronic components fail much more frequently than metal coils. Basically, speakers can last between 20 to 50 or more years. But the amplifier will never make it that long. Not these modern ones anyway.

 

I recommend starting a new post. Explain you are considering active speakers, and ask for recommendations for Digital-to-analog converters with built in amplifiers (DAC+AMP units), and passive speakers. See what options are available to you on both sides.

[Guest]

Is this for nearfield (i.e. speakers right on your desk in front of you)? Because in that case I would get the A5+ (or JBL LSR305 which are slightly cheaper and better) and not get a sub at all.

[MayflowerElectronics]

I'd get the A2's and save the rest of a good sub, if you don't, get the A5+'s.

[johnt]

Is this for nearfield (i.e. speakers right on your desk in front of you)? Because in that case I would get the A5+ (or JBL LSR305 which are slightly cheaper and better) and not get a sub at all.

I agree the JBL is a better option because of its price, the Audioengines are very high quality speakers. I'm not sure if that much quality is warranted from a speaker, but sometimes aesthetics and badge are meaningful.

But I cannot agree about the lack of subwoofer. Near field or not. Sub. Sub. Sub. Sub. Sub. There is no replacement for a 12, 15, or 18 inch monster growling and grunting near you. I think a sealed sub would go a long way with Audioengines.

[KaminKevCrew]

I agree the JBL is a better option because of its price, the Audioengines are very high quality speakers. I'm not sure if that much quality is warranted from a speaker, but sometimes aesthetics and badge are meaningful.

But I cannot agree about the lack of subwoofer. Near field or not. Sub. Sub. Sub. Sub. Sub. There is no replacement for a 12, 15, or 18 inch monster growling and grunting near you. I think a sealed sub would go a long way with Audioengines.

I think it mostly depends on room size. For instance, when I had mine, I was in a very large room, where I would be doing things all around, not just in front of my computer. So the A5+ made a lot of sense, since they were able to really pump out the tunes. (They get immensely loud, if you're into that. I could hear them clear on the other side of a 3,000 square foot house, and one floor up! I'm surprised my neighbors never complained...) Both the A5+ and the A2+ could really use a sub, if you listen to anything with deep bass, and sub bass, as they can't really reach that low. 

 

I personally like the JBL best, but I would still add a sub (although, I would probably get the more expensive Yamaha or KEF options (Sorry, but I really like white)... but those are significantly more expensive...)

[Guest]

I agree the JBL is a better option because of its price, the Audioengines are very high quality speakers. I'm not sure if that much quality is warranted from a speaker, but sometimes aesthetics and badge are meaningful.

But I cannot agree about the lack of subwoofer. Near field or not. Sub. Sub. Sub. Sub. Sub. There is no replacement for a 12, 15, or 18 inch monster growling and grunting near you. I think a sealed sub would go a long way with Audioengines.

 

Sub'd probably sound like ass what with 20+ dB room nulls.

[Majestic]

Tried adding a sub to A5+'s. That was a very short experiment.

 

Tbh, I rarely need a sub with the A5+ speakers. Only like some EDM or Hip-Hop with low-tuned basslines manage to escape the A5+ speakers. But overall... i'd rarely use it and just put on one of my headphones instead.

 

EDIT:

I do have to add the A5+ speakers are extremely sensitive to placement. Used to get some pretty severe 60-ish hz resonance in my old room because they were too close to the wall and near a corner (possibly also due to the size of the room (4x5M). Moving them a few inch sometimes makes a world of difference.

[johnt]

Sub'd probably sound like ass what with 20+ dB room nulls.

 

So much hatred for subs. I'm almost afraid to post pictures of mine... I might be crucified at this rate.

[Guest]

So much hatred for subs. I'm almost afraid to post pictures of mine... I might be crucified at this rate.

 

Hatred for rooms, not subs. Post away.

[johnt]

Hatred for rooms, not subs. Post away.

 

I'm just messing around

 

I hear what you're saying. It took me a while to find a really nice sub that sounded great in my room. I ended up having to look into really expensive subwoofers... like $700+. Not surprisingly they mixed much better with my home theater surround sound setup that I have connected to my computer. I've been meaning to post a picture for bragging rights.