The A2 Desktop Speakers from Audioengine offer crisp and clear stereo audio output. The speakers, designed with audiophiles in mind, deliver an impressive 15W RMS output per channel. They feature high-quality materials, including Kevlar woofers and silk dome tweeters. These speakers are a great option for anyone looking to add high quality audio output to their computer.
| System | |
|---|---|
| Power Rating | 60W Peak (15W RMS / 30W Peak per channel), AES |
| Components | Stereo Speakers |
| Frequency Response | 65 Hz to 22 kHz ±2.0 dB |
| Maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL) | > 95 dB |
| Crossover | < 50 dB |
| Shielded | Magnetically Shielded |
| Controls | Power, Volume |
| Ideal Application | Multimedia |
| High Frequency Driver | |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 0.79" (0.2 cm) |
| Power Output | 15W RMS per channel |
| Nominal Sensitivity | < 0.05% THD |
| Nominal Impedance | 10,000 ohms unbalanced |
| Low Frequency Driver | |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 2.75" (7 cm) |
| Power Output | 15W RMS per channel |
| Nominal Sensitivity | < 0.05% THD |
| Nominal Impedance | 10,000 ohms unbalanced |
| Input/Output Connectors | |
|---|---|
| Phono (1/4") | None |
| RCA | 1x RCA Stereo |
| Mini | 1x 1/8" (3.5 mm) Stereo Input |
| Other | None |
| Pass Through | None |
| Headphone Jack | None |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Standards Specification | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Enclosure Material | Wood |
| Electrical Requirements |
AC: 100-240 VAC Consumption: 60W |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 4 x 6 x 5.25" (10.2 x 15.2 x 13.3 cm) each |
| Weight |
Left: 3.55 lb (1.6 kg) Right: 3.15 lb (1.4 kg) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
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Most Liked Positive Review
Small size, Big sound, Great value.
I use those powered speakers with a 27" iMac. They install easily using the cables provided. I replaced a larger set of powered speakers from M-Audio with the new A2 powered speakers from Audioe...Read complete review
I use those powered speakers with a 27" iMac. They install easily using the cables provided. I replaced a larger set of powered speakers from M-Audio with the new A2 powered speakers from Audioengine. Space is always a premium on your desk. Having external hard drives, cable modem, Airport Extreme, keyboard and mouse leaves less room for speakers. You don't have to sacrifice the quality of sound when you down size your speakers. Incredibly small, able to articulate nuances in music and provide a wide sound stage makes the A2 speakers an easy choice for critical listening. Whether you are reviewing a podcast you just recorded or enjoying a new piece of music you just created, the speakers perform quite well. Excellent imaging too. You can tell when you realize the music is not coming from the speakers but from a centered wide sound stage between them. Most speakers play loud but few speakers image well. It means the sound engineers did a very good job of selecting the drivers, crossover and enclosure. It also means the folks that assemble and build the speakers did a great job as well. Set the volume level on the knob in the back and forget about it. Your computer's volume adjustment will do the rest. Highly recommended.
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Most Liked Negative Review
good speakers - design not as friendly
I am a video editor and needed some better speakers that have a small footprint. I feel the sound of these speakers, especially for the price, is relatively true sound. I will know ...Read complete review
I am a video editor and needed some better speakers that have a small footprint. I feel the sound of these speakers, especially for the price, is relatively true sound. I will know for sure in a couple weeks after doing a lot of level setting and then testing it with a sound engineer's system.
My complaints are not with the sound, but with the design. I dislike it very much because the volume button is in the back of the speaker - making it very difficult to get to. Of course controlling the sound by the keyboard is a way to get around that, but I prefer the ability to control volume with more minute adjustments than the keyboard allows.
My other complaint is that there is no head phone jack on the speakers. And the jack on the front of my computer doesn't override the speakers. This is a really big hassle. There is probably a way around this perhaps with a duo mini plug jack - but haven't figured it out yet.
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Reviewed by 23 customers
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
Great for mood music on location (so long as the mood is more Miles Davis than Motorhead), or any application where you need good sound in close quarters with minimal size, weight and power consumption.
These speakers are capable of more-coherent sound and more-natural voicing and detail than the more-bulky but comparably-priced Klipsch ProMedia 2.1, for example, although the Klipsch play louder, have greater extension at both frequency extremes, and greater flexibility in placement. The A2s can sound boomy if you put them directly on a floor or a table, or anemic if you try to get them to fill too large a room at too high a volume. They sound gorgeous when placed on stands and pointed straight at you, with nothing but a few feet of clear air between them and you.
If you place them carefully, their sound is as good as it gets at this size and price.
Pros
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
Wish I could claim to be a real audiophile, but these sound good to me. Clean, with solid bass. Amazing for such a small package.
Pros
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
The Audioengine A2 speakers cannot be beat. Hook them up to your computer or ipod and be prepared to be blown away. Very articulate speakers. Great imaging!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I use those powered speakers with a 27" iMac. They install easily using the cables provided. I replaced a larger set of powered speakers from M-Audio with the new A2 powered speakers from Audioengine. Space is always a premium on your desk. Having external hard drives, cable modem, Airport Extreme, keyboard and mouse leaves less room for speakers. You don't have to sacrifice the quality of sound when you down size your speakers. Incredibly small, able to articulate nuances in music and provide a wide sound stage makes the A2 speakers an easy choice for critical listening. Whether you are reviewing a podcast you just recorded or enjoying a new piece of music you just created, the speakers perform quite well. Excellent imaging too. You can tell when you realize the music is not coming from the speakers but from a centered wide sound stage between them. Most speakers play loud but few speakers image well. It means the sound engineers did a very good job of selecting the drivers, crossover and enclosure. It also means the folks that assemble and build the speakers did a great job as well. Set the volume level on the knob in the back and forget about it. Your computer's volume adjustment will do the rest. Highly recommended.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
The best powered speakers out there. Love that they are connected by regular speaker wire which you can replace with a longer length. Volume on the back is a minor inconvenience. GREAT sound. Love that they look like bookshelf speakers and not computer speakers.
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
This is my best desktop speakers ever. Amazing sound quality even without a subwoofer. A little big, but hey, don't need a sub. With equalizer and it keeps me hostage for hours.
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I use these speakers for music at my personal training studio. I hook it up to a netbook and it sounds great. I'm a big music junky and it's great to a get sound without any "fake" bass. Great price too!
They rock, full recommendation.
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I love these speakers, but I give them three stars because they're not a complete speaker system as sold. Unless you've grown accustomed to listening to music through your laptop, then the A2's are simply missing a woofer. Yes, they do deliver amazing bass for their size, but that's like saying an ant can move amazing loads relative to its size; at the end of the day, the ant is just moving wheat grains, and the A2's, despite their parlor trick of blasting paper across your desk through the bass port, still can't deliver real bass. If your budget is $200 and bass is important to you, then look elsewhere. However, these speakers are so musical that I decided to break my budget and spring for Audioengine's S8 subwoofer, too. If you're a bit of an audiophile and can afford a subwoofer to pair with these, you'll be well-pleased. Don't say you weren't warned!
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I was looking for a good, small set of speakers without a sub. I need to regularly tear down and reset my laptop in different rooms around the office... and provide decent audio. With all the drawstring bags in the photos I thought these would be perfect for my application. These SOUND great - but they are designed to be set up and left alone. Just like the pictures show, the woofer and tweeters are exposed - no cover. I crunched them twice just getting them out of the gear bags - yikes! Also, the generic speaker cable shown is the only way to connect the two speakers. (I guess you could get banana plugs - not included). So, set up will take more time (sigh) and much more care not to crush a cone. Could use more volume as well. Might not be loud enough in some of our conference rooms.
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
Using for my office PC, easy to set up, very good connectors, etc for the price. Very nice packaging (cloth covers for speakers & cloth bags for wires).
Sound crummy out of e box, but let them break in for 3 weeks. This is a sign of good tweeters!
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
These make pretty great baby bookshelf speakers or computer speakers in non-critical listening settings, they produce an impressive volume and bass for their size, indeed they've been tweaked a bit bass-heavy to the point of boominess. Not an issue for most uses, but seems like an odd decision at their price point. They look very nice, though I find having the volume control on the back is a bit of a pain.
A word of warning if you intend to use these with an iPod or other portable device, they hum quite noticeably when not connected to an audio source.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I am a video editor and needed some better speakers that have a small footprint. I feel the sound of these speakers, especially for the price, is relatively true sound. I will know for sure in a couple weeks after doing a lot of level setting and then testing it with a sound engineer's system.
My complaints are not with the sound, but with the design. I dislike it very much because the volume button is in the back of the speaker - making it very difficult to get to. Of course controlling the sound by the keyboard is a way to get around that, but I prefer the ability to control volume with more minute adjustments than the keyboard allows.
My other complaint is that there is no head phone jack on the speakers. And the jack on the front of my computer doesn't override the speakers. This is a really big hassle. There is probably a way around this perhaps with a duo mini plug jack - but haven't figured it out yet.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I loved the sound of these the minute I hooked them up to my audiotrak prodigy hd2 sound card. I liked them so much I bought a pair of their big brothers, audioengine 5's for my spare room, but decided I wasn't using them enough, and decided to get rid of one of the two sets. After trying the 5's on my computer I ended up preferring the 2's. There is something fantastic about getting such great sound from such small speakers. I have them set up on the speaker stands from audioengine, and they work great.
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I listened some floor, bookshelves speakers and speaker systems ($90-$399) connected to A/V receiver Yamaha. Their sound seemed not expressive and noisy in comparison with Audioengine 2. Audioengine 2 is the great product for [$]
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I purchased these speakers from B&H about three weeks ago for use with my new 27" iMac. As a video editor and producer, mastering great audio is essential to my clients.After researching various speaker systems available, I became intrigued by this system as I was producing a commercial spot in LA. I simply couldn't believe my ears. They sounded like a system costing as much as $700-$800 dollars. Much to my surprise, the price through B&H was an astounding [$] per pair.The AudioEngine 2 speakers are absolutely, hands down the best small studio monitors I have ever used. The sound imaging, tight bass and overall performance is simply phenomenal. The high ends are incredible and the imaging is spectacular.I highly recommend these speakers to anyone who edits video, or someone who enjoys listening to true high-fidelity at an uncommon price.I am now a fan of AudioEngine for life.
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
When I listen to these on my 2009 iMac at ~sane volumes, and the sound quality far more comparable to my nice Onkyo Receiver than to my previous Logitech setup. As of ~March 2010, they're so much better than anything else I've found for <~$200, that I'd probably settle for the worst built-in computer speakers if I didn't have the money to spend on these.
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I had never heard of Audioengine before, but the reviews that I read about these speakers were fantastic so I decided to give them a shot. I'm so glad I did! I use these speakers with my sony walkman mp3 player, and the sound quality is awesome.
After a proper break-in period, the speakers really put out some sound. The highs and mids are stong and clear. The lows are not overpowering like a lot of 2.1 systems. There is a great balance between the highs/mids/lows with these speakers.
The Build quality is wonderful. These speakers are solid and somewhat heavy. If your looking for portability, these probably wouldn't be good for that. But for mp3/computer/tv/movies there really perform well.
I am incredibly happy with these speakers and will definitely recommend these speakers to others.
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I bought these speakers to replace the older Cambridge 4.1 surround-sound on my computer. Although the reviews everywhere were outstanding, I was still skeptical.
These speakers are phenomenal for the price! They blow my old speakers away (all 4 of them with the sub). The crispness, richness and latitude of sound is incredible. Not quite satisfied with my "testing", I bought the Studiophile AV40 monitors to compare and then listened to the same songs, movies and games on both.
My wife sat and listened after I did and we both unanimously agreed that the A2's were clearly the best, no question about it. The bass is rich and clean, the mids and highs are crisp and defined, and the detail in the sound is outstanding.
They will require a bit of tweaking to taste with your pc's equalizer (the bass was a bit too much for me, and I turned the treble up slightly).
The only inconvenient drawback is the volume control is on the rear of the left speaker.
Bottom line: you cannot find better speakers for the price!
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I purchased the A2's to connect to my computer & all I can say is wow. I read reviews and go to Websites like the AVS Forum to chat with some "audiophiles & friends & to see what their thoughts were on the Audio Engines Speakers. Several of them allready owned either the A5's Or the A2's and they all recomended them to me. When I got them home & hooked them up & Listened to some music I was impressed. Hearing is Believing Right. These are Quality Hand Built Speaker's by a company who you can tell enjoy what they do. Just taking them out of the box & seeing the way they are packed told me alot. If you are looking for a really Good sounding speakers at a reasonable price then I would Recomend them for sure & besides you have 30 day's to try them out & 2 let your ears be the judge. How can you go wrong.
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Comments about Audioengine A2 Desktop Speakers (Black):
I chose these speakers after reading several positive reviews and am extremely pleased with their quality. The sound from these small boxes is surprisingly powerful, rich and true. I look forward to using them as portable i-pod speakers on vacation and for outdoor parties. I appreciate the small cable included for ipod connection and the three travel bags - two for speakers and one for cables. Very thoughtful.
These speakers cannot be beaten for the price.
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