AudioengineA2-HD (HD3) Premium Computer Speakers for Desktop PC - 60W for Gaming Movies Music

I started a full-time remote gig and wanted to upgrade my sound system since I no longer have to encase my ears in headphones if I want to listen to music while I work. I had a Sonos move that I love so tried that but because of the height, had to put it off to the side. Suboptimal.Decided to try the Sonos Soundbar but alas, don't have an extra HDMI port in my dock or MacBook. Airplay was finicky at best to the point of going back to the Sonos.Read about the A2+s on various review websites and they were highly regarded. I liked the fact that I could connect either via the headphone jack or via Bluetooth. I decided to go for this version since it has the volume knob on the front and well, shallow as it sounds, I like the wood finish.I was concerned about the size as I don't have enough room to side of my dual 32-inch monitors. But I decided to lay them on their sides and they are perfect size that way -- not too wide so my monitors aren't obstructed. They aren't too deep so still plenty of room in front of them for my keyboard and trackpad. And height -- plenty compact (much more so than the relatively small Sonos Soundbar).Setup was a piece of cake ... as was Bluetooth pairing. At first, I wasn't blown away with the bass -- particularly compared to what you can get with other bluetooth speakers like Sonos and JBLs etc. But that was using Pandora as a source. When I started playing using the Apple Music app and the built in equalizer to bump up the bass, they really came alive. But what gets me is the sound stage is just mind-blowing for the size of these speakers. Even though the edges are 8-12 inches from the edges of my monitors, it feels like the entire 5-foot span of my desk is covered.I love classical music to alternative rock and some (by my standards) edgy Guns N Roses etc and everything has sounded great. If you love classical music (my predominant genre), you will REALLY appreciate the details from the mids and highs.If your primary listening source is Pandora where you can't optimize the treble and bass to your taste, you might be disappointed. However, if you go with Apple Music (and would assume Window's media player which has the same ability to adjust the sound parameters), you should really find these up to you listening standards... as long as those listening standards don't necessarily include hip hop and Rap which is designed to make your whole body feel the vibrations.As I said, I currently have these lying flat on their sides. I did order the 15-degree risers that are recommended for these speakers and waiting for those to be delivered any minute now and suspect that will make these sound even better.I wanted good pure sound but didn't want something that was going to take up what little remaining real estate I have on my desk. These definitely fit my needs. I'm in a relatively small room and I am sitting RIGHT in front of them so not sure if these would be as satisfying if I was using as room speakers.Are these worth the extra money compared to the A2+? I don't know. Supposedly they have an upgraded DAC and Headphone amplifier. Plus the nifty little volume knob on the front. If you are on a budget, then the A2+ might be just fine for your needs.[LCAR]

I read that new speakers take a few months to break in so I waited until I owned these for a while before writing this review. I’ve had these for almost a year.Executive summary:I upgraded to these AudioEngine A2+ speakers from the $20 speakers I’d been using since I got my desktop PC. These are so much better. These sound as good or better than any speakers I’ve ever owned, even ones that are much more expensive. They are worth every penny. I have zero regrets and would recommend them to anybody. I am not an audio expert and I have not done exhaustive comparisons between these and a lot of other kinds of speakers.Details:My $20 speakers were OK but after 6 months of pandemic working-at-home I was definitely ready for a sound improvement. I read a bunch of reviews of different computer speakers. There were a lot of speakers around the $100-150 price point, but I decided to splurge on these at over $250 because the reviews were good and I figured that you get what you pay for. I have no idea whether these are better than any of the ones I didn’t buy.My first take upon unboxing was that these folks care about what they’re selling. The packaging was extremely well done. Each speaker came in its own individual cloth bag, and the rest of the box was very well put together. Obviously this has nothing to do with the sound quality, but when people pay so much attention to what’s on the outside, chances are pretty good that they care a lot about the insides too.The physical size of these is perfect for my limited desktop. I had considered getting the larger A5 instead and after seeing these, I’m glad I didn’t, they would have been much too bulky for my particular setup. The wiring setup is very easy. All inputs plug in to the left speaker and the right speaker is just a slave that connects to the right via speaker wire. The left speaker also contains all of the electronics like the Bluetooth, USB DAC, and amplifier. So it tends to run a bit warmer than the right speaker but not overly hot. They give you every cable you’ll need for all the different inputs.I turned them on and started listening. My music source is Amazon Music HD. They immediately sounded fantastic, but after making this investment I decided to do a bit of research and figure out how to optimize them for the best listening.First I got equalizer software for my PC. I use the APO equalizer, with the Peace GUI. This is an amazing piece of software for the price ($0), and it lets you customize just about every aspect of your sound. Everybody has different preferences, and ears with different ages, and varying sensitivities at different frequencies, and Peace/APO lets you tweak the equalization so you can get it sounding just right for you. It’s a huge improvement over the flat response that a computer gives you by default, and far more capable than the equalizer that came with my sound card.Next I tilted the speakers upwards so that they point directly at my head from where they’re sitting on my desk. This made a huge difference in the mid-to-high frequencies. I ended up buying the AudioEngine DS1 speaker stands. They’re custom fitted to the A2+ speakers and even though their angle is not adjustable, it’s perfect for my specific layout. This brings up the point that a PC sound system is usually used by just one person, so you can position the speakers so that your head is in the perfect “sweet spot” of the sound field. Of course that is possible with any PC speakers.These speakers have a bunch of different inputs, all of which can operate simultaneously. From my desktop PC I connect them to the on-board sound card via the provided 3.5mm cable. From my laptop I connect via a dedicated USB DAC that I bought because otherwise my laptop just wasn’t able to produce anything like the great sound I was getting from my desktop. I knew before I bought them that they had multiple inputs but that turned out to be an unexpectedly nice feature because I can switch seamlessly between audio from both computers, and even hear sound effects from both systems at the same time when I need to. I am only using the analog inputs. I did not try the built-in Bluetooth. I did try the built-in USB DAC, and I was unable to get it to sound as good as either of my other sources.Overall the sound from these is superb - the highs are crystal clear with zero tinniness and I can’t think about any aspect of the sound that I’m unhappy with. One comment I see in a lot of the A2 reviews is that people think the bass is lacking. It’s true that these don’t thump you out of your seat like a dedicated subwoofer would, or even speakers with bigger drivers. But the bass they deliver is super clear. I can hear every nuance of a jazz bassline, and low drum beats with no problem at all. I personally have no issue with the bass on these, but if that ever changes they also have RCA outputs that can be used to drive a dedicated subwoofer if I feel like adding one some day.

These speakers are perfect for our medium sized condo. We’re older and do not have ears that can discern a lot of the parameters an audiophile would measure and write about, so if you need such details I’m not your guy. We are simply music lovers who listen to a large variety of genres and needed easy to use speakers that sound good and don’t take up a lot of space. These speakers fit the bill.Importantly the bluetooth connectivity is easy and excellent. These were a replacement for a very good, internationally branded speaker that sounds great but simply hated to connect.In contrast, these speakers connect immediately and consistently. They feel solid and sturdy. Easy setup. My wife and I like.