@@yaranaikaa yep! Still happy with them and still wish they'd been cheaper Eta: I'd already had them for at least 5-10 years when I made the original comment.
I know this is 6 years old, but I have a set (with a few other great speakers) that I prefer close to my computer and room listening. Thy have never let me down, honestly one of the best investments I have made!
The low volume quality of these is astounding as well. I can be across the room, with the speakers pointed at the wall, on (i imagine 5%) low volume, and hear someone whispering in a movie.
I have a set of these hooked up to my PC and am really happy with the sound. For reference, my main audio system is a 2.1 setup consisting of B&W PM1 bookshelves and a Velodyne Optimum 10 sub. My main setup is far better, but considering the $2800/pr cost of the PM1s + the cost of the sub, I feel comfortable saying that at $400.00/pr, the A5+ is a solid value, and gets the user well into the ballpark of I good "high-end" pair of speakers.
Worth noting that when companies say "these aren't studio monitors" that usually just means they've artificially tweaked the frequency response to make them sound better in everyday environments.
I recently purchased these speakers, and found the bass (in particular, although all ranges sounded significantly better) to be far superior to my previous speakers, the Dayton B652 (old model, better quality and sound). I was wondering how much a subwoofer would improve the overall listening experience. I find the bass to be phenomenal already, but feel as though a subwoofer would take it to the next level. How noticeable would the difference be? Would it blow my mind, or just be slightly more pleasing to listen to?
I have been using these speakers for my desktop for 14 months now. By far they are the best quality merchandise i have purchased. Pair them with a renown sound card and you have yourself a personal if not better amphitheater.
SUDIPTO BOSE These are not "built to perfection" by any means. *The best speakers and amplifiers were made in the late 1970's as those were real Hi-Fi*. Things you can find on store shelves today are complete and utter crap. Back in the days, times were different. All manufacturers of equipment didn't have such big names as they have now. Companies were fighting for name/popularity. In the 70's, technical standards were also at a very high level. Engineers had more to say back then - that's why all parameters were described as they really were. Around early 80's, corporations found out that there is no more that can be done about quality in mass production - everything was already achieved. So, what to do next? There is need to make people buy something new! We need to earn money! More and more! They decided to "do less, talk more": 1). Cut costs of production, make the product as cheap as possible (cheap plastic and garbage components). 2). Instead of simply making a good product, they decided to concentrate more on promotion (promotion and packaging). 3). Slow process of making worse and worse equipment started. Economics is the most important thing for companies now. Instead of making something really good, they are cutting costs of production, and giving jobs to people for marketing/promotion. It's obvious that normal people aren't experienced in such things. If companies say that something is better because it was produced using "new technology", normal person has no choice, but accept this lie.
wow,that was an essay i loved reading and largely agreed.but you know,third world consumers never had the access to good tech merchandise as they have today through web commerce in their own currency.true,todays mass market products dont have the solid build they had in 70-80s.still some products stand out.for example,above one has a build quality you dont get in developing nations.this one is a us manufactured product and is a dream product for semiaudiophiles.it vanished fast from the list of amazon indias store and is now out of stock. despite agreeing that best product engineering is past us,those part of the world who missed the party now want to taste a part of the cake.
SUDIPTO BOSE McIntosh is probably the most respected if not the very best. They already achieved the highest quality in the 60's-70's. Some technical facts about vintage audio systems (the best): 1). Real power: If an old amplifier has written "20 Watts of power per channel", it's real 20 Watts. In modern times, manufacturers are saying what they want, without any technical confirmation. For example, if some "home cinema" amplifier has 5x100W, you can be sure that real power is ~10W/channel, and when you're using only 2 front speakers, it will give max ~25W/channel. It's the most popular way of deceiving people by companies. 2). Simple construction: Instead of using a hundreds of "magic technologies" which will bring you a better experience than a band playing live, old stuff is built to carry audio material that is recorded without any changes - this is the real goal of Hi-Fi. All those functions that are making sound better are simple lies. 3). Solid and durable: Old equipment is built using ten times better parts that are now produced. It was designed to serve for a life time. New stuff is designed to break right after warranty passes, which forces you to buy another one, because repairing is impossible or very expensive. Perfect business idea - isn't it? :D Overall: We are living in not-so-good times. You need to have eyes around your head. As I'm always saying: Stay skeptic and demanding. Don't believe before you check.
cant agree more.and that is the way i have been,insatiable,nitpicker and value for bucks seeker.70s are behind us.we have got to accept what is being offered.bose speakers are great but stretches the wallet beyond the means of average consumer on the street.
I'm sitting on the fence right now. The A2+ is more compact, has an integrated DAC (nice, no need for a dedicated sound card) but has the volume knob on the back and a little lacking in the bass department due to the smaller size. The A5+ is VERY large compared to other PC speakers, but a lot louder with meatier bass, has no DAC but has the volume knob on the front. So what to do? Guess I'll wait and see if they'll release their P4's in an active A4+ version, the happy medium with an integrated DAC and volume on the front. Anyone feel like waiting here on the fence with me?
Rear mounted volume control serves as a gain adjuster to set and forget. I'd rather it at the back as I control volume with keyboard. ..or the external dac for that matter
Ok so I really like your videos, they're informative and Linus your enthusiasm for what you do is infectious, but I'm really glad this was your last review of speakers. ONLY because I'm not in the market for them. :)
I actually wish more reviews of desktop speakers that are actually 'just' studio monitors with consumer features slapped in, like BT and built in DAC. Things like Adam Artist 3/5, Presonus Ceres, Genelec G series, etc.
Size of enclosure = bass. Is it any surprise that the biggest ones you tested sounded the best? Size doesn't necessarily equal good sound but it makes a lot easier.
I bought the audioengine A5+ well before I discovered your channel and I was so worried you'd have heard better speakers and they weren't as good as I thought they were. I also bought their D1 DAC and the subwoofer. Unfortunetly my computer sits in a very odd place in my living room where it's surrounded by walls on three sides so I don't really get to enjoy the best possible sound from these speakers, but do they ever sound great when listening to HD audio.
What were they thinking about when they placed the volume knob in the rear? Simple, they were thinking in terms of aesthetics, not practicality. Many people reject products merely on their appearance although it has high performance ratings.
How are they compared to the mm1, listen and the companion 50? I plan on buying either of these but i am looking for nice decent detailed bass with vocal and instrumental clarity. The bass doesnt have to shake the walls but it should sound quality bass and should be hearable and shouldnt overstep the sound
Hi Linus, I have a very directed question. Have you ever tried the Audioengine HD3 speaker? They come with an inbuilt PCM 5102 DAC. Would you recommend using an Audioengine D1 (AKM 4396) DAC with this? Would there be any difference? and could you explain the difference between the PCM and AKM D/A convertors? Thanks in advance :)
I use a Altec Lansing woofer from a $100 2.1 config paired with some stunning SONY APM square driver bookshelf speakers from the 80's, detail wise its incredible.
I have Edifier S530D, would it be much of an upgrade to the A5+? I don't understand why the speakers don't have optical connection? When I watch a Bluray movie I always use digital and for games/music analogue..
I am looking for speakers to be used primarily in playing music in a small room/apartment. I was told soundbars are good but I see those being used mainly with TVs. Some said tower are good but that seems super pricey and more like a permanent music solution that cannot be moved around as easily (sort of like for a home theatre. I want something semi-portable, high quality sound for music, and under 200-250. What am i looking for? Computer speakers? "bookshelf" speakers? advice appreciated.
+Faiz Saulat id recomend a lepai 2020a+ along with some bookshelf speakers. the amp is like 26 bucks on amazon and if you want brand new speakers get a pair of Dayton Audio b652 speakers. they are 37 dollars and sound good. so the total cost is about 63 bucks. the lepai amp is tiny and super easy to move around and the bookshelf speakers are easy enough to move around too. you will get a decent fq responce (probably around 70hz which is pretty good for speakers). i have had my lepai amp for a long time and it works great. if you want to check my actual abilites at understanding sound i have videos posted of my audio (both car and home audio but mostly car). i dont want this to seem like spam though so its just a if you want to make sure im not an idiot.
+Faiz Saulat don't get a soundbar, especially if you're going to be using it for music. Go here, he knows what he's talking about: www.reddit.com/r/zeos
So i was wondering. I have a pair of corsair sp2500 speakers. The things i use them fore is usually movies and playing loud music sometimes while having a party. So my question is would these be a huge enough improvement from them to justify the price. Also which of the two gets the loudest before the audio quality goes to shit. For me the sp2500s audio quality rely dips when they go past the middle of the green with pc audio at 100%. My sp2500s are like 3 years old now though there is nothing wrong with them.
Hi, great video.. got one question. is it worth to buy these over super m audio bx5-d2? I think it's twice the money.. but if it's worth it i would definitely be willing to spend twice as much. Thanks for answer.
Linus I have the Corsair 2500 2.1 set-up ... How do you think the A5+ stack up against the Corsair SP2500 2.1 setup which you really seemed to like at the time as well ???
Sound Blaster X7 with Canton GLE 420, about the same price, but with bluetooth and stuff, upgradeable and very good sound across the board, nothing is missing, nothing really dominant.
These are excellent speakers. Their biggest problem though is that they are priced very close to reference monitors like Emotiva Airmotiv 5s for example. You could also pick up some ADAM F5's for about $150 more than these. Either pair will annihilate Audioengine 5+'s in every conceivable way.
You can also pick up JBL LSR305, anything from the Edifer 2000 line and many other brands for well below the A5+ asking price. The A5+ is simply an overpriced speaker and not a good value.
I have purchased and tested both the Audioengine 5+ and similar Kanto product. The AE's have a much wider range of sound, but the Kantos are noticeably more articulate. Doesn't really matter much because the Kanto's died after a few hours. Their customer service was awesome and offered to replace the speakers at their cost re: shipping. Sadly, I lost confidence in the product after reading that many other customers had problems with the power supply failing. Audioengine FTW!
Just got these 2 days ago and I love them. I didn't believe the hype, but man when I plugged these bad boys in I was impressed. Im not using an external dac though, instead im just using my xonar essence stx. Still sounds great with it vs the audio coming out of my phone (naturally)
In my experience my a5+s had issues with running over long periods of time loud. Lots of distortion and the amplifier would get really hot. If you plan on using this at low to medium volumes its fine just dont try pushing them loud like at a house party or something. The newer revision might be different though.
With the ASUS Maximus VI Formula board now being/has Discontinued, what can we expect from the next generation board the VII Formula, and is there a worthy competitor as of now.
I was debating between this and the passive Polk RtiA1. both were the same price. Decided on the Polk based on previous experience with Audioengine. on the day i went to look at the Polks, there was on sale and discounted to $229. So it was a no brainer.
I want new computer speakers. I can't decide between the Audioengine A5+ and the A2+. If it were for room listening then I would choose the A5+ but I'll be sitting with the speaker on the desk in front of me, so I am not sure which will be better for such near-field listening. Presently I have the Edifier E25HD Luna speakers. These look good and are quite loud and bassy, but I don't love the sound. It's too muddy. I want speakers with better clarity.
These look great and I am sure sound great. The big enclosure makes for improved stability, noise reduction and audio resonance. Is the back sealed or ported? These look good but I prefer 3-way speakers.
Do people still buy laptop cooling pads? Pretty much all laptop makers, do environmental test on their laptops, e.g., companies like dell will essentially run their laptops in oven like enclosures to simulate different ambient temperatures. Unless you are placing a laptop on a bed and want a platform to place it on top of (in which case, any hard flat object of the proper size will due), there is no need for an active cooling pad. If you find yourself needing one, then it means that you were too lazy to regularly clean the laptop heatsink (which clogs with dust faster than those found in desktop PC's due to the higher fin density), and instead are paying a ton of money for an external temporary band-aid fix to allow you to use the laptop a bit longer before the heatsink becomes completely clogged, and you have to take it apart to clean it, when a quick and cheap vacuuming out the air intake for the heatsink every month or 2 would have prevented all of this)
From my experience, the cooling solution on hp laptops (especially their thin ones) that arn't haswell based run REALLY hot. Its not going to shutdown but its near the temperature that may start degrading the chip (its like 5C from tjunction)
iamterence77 You must be using an old one, the ENVY line has cool sense now, the plastic feels like cold metal with this turned on. My mom's 15z-j000 runs cool quite a bit. As for the OP's comment, they can be beneficial, but but not necessary anymore.
OfficialCompraa A properly designed and tested laptop is designed to handle a full workload at the full working temperature. Many companies that make laptops will perform thermal testing, consisting of placing the laptop in a temperature controlled chamber, and simulating very hot and very cold environments. While in those environments, the laptops are subject to full CPU, GPU, Memory, and hard drive workloads 24/7 for multiple weeks. That is part of the internal QA done at many major laptop manufactures. The testing does not really take into account a heatsink with an entire cats worth of fur stuffed in it. Most consumer laptops are tested at 120F or hotter at full load If a laptop is unable to maintain proper temperatures within normal environmental temperatures, then it means that you either have a defective unit, or the thermal compound has degraded, or some other part of the heatsink and fan is not functioning properly. (e.g., a gap forming in between the duct for the blower style fan, and the heatsink)
These are worth the price, period! Bluetooth, really?? 90% of the time they are next door to the amp or output! I have GoldenEar and Swans and will probably always have these.
Linus what is a better choice, a high end Audio Card or a Audioengine D.A.C? I would also like to know what would be the next step up from the Audioengine A5+.
Hey Linus you should review the Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 speakers, I have them personally and they sound absolutely amazing, especially for the price. They have been rated by multiple places as the best desktop speakers, but I would like to see what you think about them.
Brett Stevenson the Klipsch stuff uses a horn tweeter as well, I think they would be somewhat comparable. Likely not better, of course opinion effects that a lot, but I think their price to quality ratio would be a hell of a lot higher.
Really. The video is still unlisted and was posted 14 minutes ago on the forum, and yet there's already a dislike. Come on people, it's just not right. (and yes, I am aware that Linus doesn't care very much about whether it's a like or a dislike but still...)
Remco Smit Considering that there was only 1 like, I think they only disliked it to troll. Also, there was no constructive criticism in the comments, so even if it was genuine negativity, it was not useful, constructive negativity.
Caleb Ryan their ok for music and game but terrible for music in my opion. I Use to use a lot of mid level sennheiser headphones , the audioengine a2 are better then those for a all around, but I plan on getting the a5+ hopefully, becuase a2 lack in some areas but still better then t he klipsh 2.1 and its boomy ass sub,, in all honesty Id be embarrased to use promedia's for music and have neighbors hear it
i didn't listen to those ever, but from a studio monitor point of view they are relatively expensive. if you don't want to mix music and don't need super linear monitors i'd recommend the M-Audio BX5. they cost significantly less that the a5's and have no shortcuts in sound. if you want bass then you need a subwoofer anyway because a 5 inch driver is just not able to create bass frequencys that are bigger than 5 inches (logically). highly recommend them! PS: you only need to put speakers away from walls if you don't want to have a bass build-up. if you want bass and don't mix music, it doesn't really matter as long as you don't obstruct the bass opening. just keep them in a triangle (see: studio monitor placement, very important!)
Linus can you please, please review the Digital Designs PM-151/M-151? And maybe their DXB-03 headphones? Your audio reviews are great and it seems hard to find good reviews of DD products
Though these consumer focused speakers are nice, it can be said that you can get better value from actual studio monitors if you like a neutral sound signature. The current value king I'd say would be the jbl lsr305 at $160 ea, but there are plenty others.
i have a quetion i have a bose cpmpanion 2 series 2 and watned to know if there are subs which can connect to the white ted output looking plugs, thanks
PLEASE ANSWER THIS: I have enough room for these, but they would not be 6 inches away from the back of the wall. Should that stop me from getting them? As my desk is in a corner, half of the speaker would get a 6 inch gap from the wall, but the other half that is closed in on the wall would not. Please answer!!!!
Personally prefer yamaha HS7's around same price range but 6.5inch woofer for more power. You could also go with pair of krk rokit6 g3 but i prefer the sound of the yamaha's tho. Would be fun if you'd review studio monitors around the $300-500. Since i'm planning on grabbing yamaha HS7's in 2month's or so. So still open for some other options aswel.
Good review. I have been wanting to see a good quality studio type monitors that dont have all the useless stuff. Just want them to play music well and last a long time. Hopefully these well do the trick.
I think you should try some proper studio monitors in the same price range. You can pick up some krk rpg2s or mackie mr series for the same price and I would imagine they probably sound better than these. I've never heard the audioengine's but I've had the 6" and 8" krks and they sound brilliant. I've currently got some m audio bx5s which are ok but I really notice the lack of low end on the 5" driver compared to the 6" and 8" on the krks. also with the krks they have a front facing bass port so you can get away with putting them close to the wall
These are the A5+ but the Speaker system... They have 2 versions... The Speaker System ($399) and the Wireless Speaker System ($499) which includes the Bluetooth.
+deepsquat600 yeah.. Sucky wording, what I meant was when it shows the laptop sitting on the table with the speakers next to it, that shot was being taken by Brandon during the tour of their office
I would really appreciate another series of this reviews...
Whoever does the editing for these videos, I love you. Those comments man.
I run a set of A5s and have never had any cause to regret my decision. Highly recommended.
Do you use them with a subwoofer, or are they good enough on their own?
GeneralMufinMan usually you don't need a subwoofer for speaker that size and quality.
GeneralMufinMan I run without a sub, they're pretty awesome on their own. I've never been an enormous fan of subs though so YMMV.
are you still using the same A5s now?
@@yaranaikaa yep! Still happy with them and still wish they'd been cheaper
Eta: I'd already had them for at least 5-10 years when I made the original comment.
I know this is 6 years old, but I have a set (with a few other great speakers) that I prefer close to my computer and room listening. Thy have never let me down, honestly one of the best investments I have made!
The low volume quality of these is astounding as well. I can be across the room, with the speakers pointed at the wall, on (i imagine 5%) low volume, and hear someone whispering in a movie.
I have a set of these hooked up to my PC and am really happy with the sound. For reference, my main audio system is a 2.1 setup consisting of B&W PM1 bookshelves and a Velodyne Optimum 10 sub. My main setup is far better, but considering the $2800/pr cost of the PM1s + the cost of the sub, I feel comfortable saying that at $400.00/pr, the A5+ is a solid value, and gets the user well into the ballpark of I good "high-end" pair of speakers.
These have kept up amazingly
My volume knob is broken. Got like 5 years of solid use though.
Thanks for the thorough, fair and expedient review. Adding these to next years xmas wish list now thanks.
just the review i was looking for on the channel i love
5:24 "too expensive to bother buying it just for a review" oh how times have changed
you do some of the best reviews man
never boring haha
Worth noting that when companies say "these aren't studio monitors" that usually just means they've artificially tweaked the frequency response to make them sound better in everyday environments.
I knew I couldn't be the only one who enjoyed those speakers.
Look where he is!!! I feel a build coming!!
I recently purchased these speakers, and found the bass (in particular, although all ranges sounded significantly better) to be far superior to my previous speakers, the Dayton B652 (old model, better quality and sound). I was wondering how much a subwoofer would improve the overall listening experience. I find the bass to be phenomenal already, but feel as though a subwoofer would take it to the next level. How noticeable would the difference be? Would it blow my mind, or just be slightly more pleasing to listen to?
I have been using these speakers for my desktop for 14 months now. By far they are the best quality merchandise i have purchased. Pair them with a renown sound card and you have yourself a personal if not better amphitheater.
the classiest,raw powered,built to perfection.the best multimedia speakers among a huge lineup.
SUDIPTO BOSE These are not "built to perfection" by any means. *The best speakers and amplifiers were made in the late 1970's as those were real Hi-Fi*. Things you can find on store shelves today are complete and utter crap.
Back in the days, times were different. All manufacturers of equipment didn't have such big names as they have now. Companies were fighting for name/popularity. In the 70's, technical standards were also at a very high level. Engineers had more to say back then - that's why all parameters were described as they really were.
Around early 80's, corporations found out that there is no more that can be done about quality in mass production - everything was already achieved. So, what to do next? There is need to make people buy something new! We need to earn money! More and more! They decided to "do less, talk more":
1). Cut costs of production, make the product as cheap as possible (cheap plastic and garbage components).
2). Instead of simply making a good product, they decided to concentrate more on promotion (promotion and packaging).
3). Slow process of making worse and worse equipment started.
Economics is the most important thing for companies now. Instead of making something really good, they are cutting costs of production, and giving jobs to people for marketing/promotion. It's obvious that normal people aren't experienced in such things. If companies say that something is better because it was produced using "new technology", normal person has no choice, but accept this lie.
wow,that was an essay i loved reading and largely agreed.but you know,third world consumers never had the access to good tech merchandise as they have today through web commerce in their own currency.true,todays mass market products dont have the solid build they had in 70-80s.still some products stand out.for example,above one has a build quality you dont get in developing nations.this one is a us manufactured product and is a dream product for semiaudiophiles.it vanished fast from the list of amazon indias store and is now out of stock.
despite agreeing that best product engineering is past us,those part of the world who missed the party now want to taste a part of the cake.
SUDIPTO BOSE McIntosh is probably the most respected if not the very best. They already achieved the highest quality in the 60's-70's.
Some technical facts about vintage audio systems (the best):
1). Real power:
If an old amplifier has written "20 Watts of power per channel", it's real 20 Watts. In modern times, manufacturers are saying what they want, without any technical confirmation. For example, if some "home cinema" amplifier has 5x100W, you can be sure that real power is ~10W/channel, and when you're using only 2 front speakers, it will give max ~25W/channel. It's the most popular way of deceiving people by companies.
2). Simple construction:
Instead of using a hundreds of "magic technologies" which will bring you a better experience than a band playing live, old stuff is built to carry audio material that is recorded without any changes - this is the real goal of Hi-Fi. All those functions that are making sound better are simple lies.
3). Solid and durable:
Old equipment is built using ten times better parts that are now produced. It was designed to serve for a life time. New stuff is designed to break right after warranty passes, which forces you to buy another one, because repairing is impossible or very expensive. Perfect business idea - isn't it? :D
Overall: We are living in not-so-good times. You need to have eyes around your head. As I'm always saying: Stay skeptic and demanding. Don't believe before you check.
cant agree more.and that is the way i have been,insatiable,nitpicker and value for bucks seeker.70s are behind us.we have got to accept what is being offered.bose speakers are great but stretches the wallet beyond the means of average consumer on the street.
SUDIPTO BOSE We should accept that there's very nice vintage units being sold today. But the choice is theirs.
I was thinking about getting these speakers so I looked up a review. As soon as I saw that Linus reviewed these I instantly changed my mind.
so you bought them or not
I'm sitting on the fence right now. The A2+ is more compact, has an integrated DAC (nice, no need for a dedicated sound card) but has the volume knob on the back and a little lacking in the bass department due to the smaller size. The A5+ is VERY large compared to other PC speakers, but a lot louder with meatier bass, has no DAC but has the volume knob on the front. So what to do? Guess I'll wait and see if they'll release their P4's in an active A4+ version, the happy medium with an integrated DAC and volume on the front. Anyone feel like waiting here on the fence with me?
ive been using two HD3 speakers on my desk with an audioengine sub-woofer on the floor and the sound is quite good
Would these work well for a small home theater setup in my living room?
Rear mounted volume control serves as a gain adjuster to set and forget. I'd rather it at the back as I control volume with keyboard. ..or the external dac for that matter
Just bought a set for my friend for his birthday. Holy crap they're huge!
Will you be my friend?
Ok so I really like your videos, they're informative and Linus your enthusiasm for what you do is infectious, but I'm really glad this was your last review of speakers. ONLY because I'm not in the market for them. :)
I actually wish more reviews of desktop speakers that are actually 'just' studio monitors with consumer features slapped in, like BT and built in DAC. Things like Adam Artist 3/5, Presonus Ceres, Genelec G series, etc.
like the hair Linus it looks so much better than when it's messy
Size of enclosure = bass. Is it any surprise that the biggest ones you tested sounded the best? Size doesn't necessarily equal good sound but it makes a lot easier.
I bought the audioengine A5+ well before I discovered your channel and I was so worried you'd have heard better speakers and they weren't as good as I thought they were. I also bought their D1 DAC and the subwoofer. Unfortunetly my computer sits in a very odd place in my living room where it's surrounded by walls on three sides so I don't really get to enjoy the best possible sound from these speakers, but do they ever sound great when listening to HD audio.
What were they thinking about when they placed the volume knob in the rear? Simple, they were thinking in terms of aesthetics, not practicality. Many people reject products merely on their appearance although it has high performance ratings.
How are they compared to the mm1, listen and the companion 50? I plan on buying either of these but i am looking for nice decent detailed bass with vocal and instrumental clarity. The bass doesnt have to shake the walls but it should sound quality bass and should be hearable and shouldnt overstep the sound
Hi Linus,
I have a very directed question. Have you ever tried the Audioengine HD3 speaker? They come with an inbuilt PCM 5102 DAC. Would you recommend using an Audioengine D1 (AKM 4396) DAC with this? Would there be any difference? and could you explain the difference between the PCM and AKM D/A convertors?
Thanks in advance :)
ive been using two HD3 speakers on my desk with an audioengine sub-woofer on the floor. i use a dragonfly dac and the sound is quite good
I really like the speaker reviews Linus!
Can you connect them to a little turntable?
Honestly don't know why people want them smaller? the bigger the better in sound terms always!
Because many of us live in small apartments and don't have the space for a larger desk or stands to accommodate large speakers.
I live in a small apartment have them, you'll be fine.
drgnfrc13 📠
when you're a gamer you MAKE the space
for one of the most important things in your life you oughta make some sacrifices :D
I use a Altec Lansing woofer from a $100 2.1 config paired with some stunning SONY APM square driver bookshelf speakers from the 80's, detail wise its incredible.
Linus, what is the base assault action sequence from captain america and why did u use it as a test to check the audio quality of the speakers? 0.o
I approve this review :) Listened to the review through he A5 at home.
I have Edifier S530D, would it be much of an upgrade to the A5+? I don't understand why the speakers don't have optical connection? When I watch a Bluray movie I always use digital and for games/music analogue..
Thanks for this great review Linus, I will def. be picking up a pair of these bad boys soon!
I am looking for speakers to be used primarily in playing music in a small room/apartment. I was told soundbars are good but I see those being used mainly with TVs. Some said tower are good but that seems super pricey and more like a permanent music solution that cannot be moved around as easily (sort of like for a home theatre. I want something semi-portable, high quality sound for music, and under 200-250. What am i looking for? Computer speakers? "bookshelf" speakers? advice appreciated.
+Faiz Saulat id recomend a lepai 2020a+ along with some bookshelf speakers. the amp is like 26 bucks on amazon and if you want brand new speakers get a pair of Dayton Audio b652 speakers. they are 37 dollars and sound good. so the total cost is about 63 bucks. the lepai amp is tiny and super easy to move around and the bookshelf speakers are easy enough to move around too. you will get a decent fq responce (probably around 70hz which is pretty good for speakers). i have had my lepai amp for a long time and it works great.
if you want to check my actual abilites at understanding sound i have videos posted of my audio (both car and home audio but mostly car). i dont want this to seem like spam though so its just a if you want to make sure im not an idiot.
Lol I dont think youre an idiot. Thanks a lot for the detailed response. I will look around and test those out and keep your advice in mind.
Thanks a lot man, Ill consider all that info.
+Faiz Saulat don't get a soundbar, especially if you're going to be using it for music. Go here, he knows what he's talking about: www.reddit.com/r/zeos
Thanks, I was waiting for this one!
So i was wondering.
I have a pair of corsair sp2500 speakers.
The things i use them fore is usually movies and playing loud music sometimes while having a party.
So my question is would these be a huge enough improvement from them to justify the price.
Also which of the two gets the loudest before the audio quality goes to shit.
For me the sp2500s audio quality rely dips when they go past the middle of the green with pc audio at 100%.
My sp2500s are like 3 years old now though there is nothing wrong with them.
Can you control the volume from PC? such as the volume keys on keyboard. Or do you have to use the remote or volume knob on the speak?
Hi, great video.. got one question. is it worth to buy these over super m audio bx5-d2? I think it's twice the money.. but if it's worth it i would definitely be willing to spend twice as much. Thanks for answer.
Linus I have the Corsair 2500 2.1 set-up ... How do you think the A5+ stack up against the Corsair SP2500 2.1 setup which you really seemed to like at the time as well ???
Sound Blaster X7 with Canton GLE 420, about the same price, but with bluetooth and stuff, upgradeable and very good sound across the board, nothing is missing, nothing really dominant.
These are excellent speakers. Their biggest problem though is that they are priced very close to reference monitors like Emotiva Airmotiv 5s for example. You could also pick up some ADAM F5's for about $150 more than these. Either pair will annihilate Audioengine 5+'s in every conceivable way.
You can also pick up JBL LSR305, anything from the Edifer 2000 line and many other brands for well below the A5+ asking price. The A5+ is simply an overpriced speaker and not a good value.
Any need to run a DAC if you go optical out from motherboard to speakers? I would think it may not matter.
I have purchased and tested both the Audioengine 5+ and similar Kanto product. The AE's have a much wider range of sound, but the Kantos are noticeably more articulate. Doesn't really matter much because the Kanto's died after a few hours. Their customer service was awesome and offered to replace the speakers at their cost re: shipping. Sadly, I lost confidence in the product after reading that many other customers had problems with the power supply failing. Audioengine FTW!
Just got these 2 days ago and I love them. I didn't believe the hype, but man when I plugged these bad boys in I was impressed. Im not using an external dac though, instead im just using my xonar essence stx. Still sounds great with it vs the audio coming out of my phone (naturally)
Aren't you better off with buying a pair of krk rp5's with a nice soundcard? I had the krk rp5's and I loved them so much :)
In my experience my a5+s had issues with running over long periods of time loud. Lots of distortion and the amplifier would get really hot. If you plan on using this at low to medium volumes its fine just dont try pushing them loud like at a house party or something. The newer revision might be different though.
The counter guy at the shop was able to make them distort immediately when he demo'd them for me. Not good.
@@jedics1 i sold mine years ago, you can pick up a decent set of studio monitors for the same money with far better amplification
Do you have any reccomendations? They are for my mums smart tv and she will only accept white :( @@TheWretchedWorld
can you review the harman kardon soundsticks III or do they meet your standards?
just wanted to get an expert oppinion
With the ASUS Maximus VI Formula board now being/has Discontinued, what can we expect from the next generation board the VII Formula, and is there a worthy competitor as of now.
I still use a pair of Sony SS-H10 speakers that are 20 years old. They are perfect!
can you guys make a review on Kanto Yumi or YU5? You guys should've put one of this instead of. 2 AudioGenie.
I was debating between this and the passive Polk RtiA1. both were the same price. Decided on the Polk based on previous experience with Audioengine. on the day i went to look at the Polks, there was on sale and discounted to $229. So it was a no brainer.
I want new computer speakers. I can't decide between the Audioengine A5+ and the A2+. If it were for room listening then I would choose the A5+ but I'll be sitting with the speaker on the desk in front of me, so I am not sure which will be better for such near-field listening.
Presently I have the Edifier E25HD Luna speakers. These look good and are quite loud and bassy, but I don't love the sound. It's too muddy. I want speakers with better clarity.
These look great and I am sure sound great. The big enclosure makes for improved stability, noise reduction and audio resonance. Is the back sealed or ported?
These look good but I prefer 3-way speakers.
A passive box of mine started to output much lower sound. Does anyone know how to help me? I'm in Brazil and AudioEngine says it can't help me
Can you please do a review of the Kanto YU5 speakers please!
No he can[t, he can't even properly review the Audioengine A5+
Nice review and I'm loving the hair Linus :D
What is that mat that Linus has and where can I get it
I would consider these bookshelf speakers. They are big enough and have the features.
Do people still buy laptop cooling pads?
Pretty much all laptop makers, do environmental test on their laptops, e.g., companies like dell will essentially run their laptops in oven like enclosures to simulate different ambient temperatures. Unless you are placing a laptop on a bed and want a platform to place it on top of (in which case, any hard flat object of the proper size will due), there is no need for an active cooling pad. If you find yourself needing one, then it means that you were too lazy to regularly clean the laptop heatsink (which clogs with dust faster than those found in desktop PC's due to the higher fin density), and instead are paying a ton of money for an external temporary band-aid fix to allow you to use the laptop a bit longer before the heatsink becomes completely clogged, and you have to take it apart to clean it, when a quick and cheap vacuuming out the air intake for the heatsink every month or 2 would have prevented all of this)
From my experience, the cooling solution on hp laptops (especially their thin ones) that arn't haswell based run REALLY hot. Its not going to shutdown but its near the temperature that may start degrading the chip (its like 5C from tjunction)
iamterence77 You must be using an old one, the ENVY line has cool sense now, the plastic feels like cold metal with this turned on. My mom's 15z-j000 runs cool quite a bit.
As for the OP's comment, they can be beneficial, but but not necessary anymore.
I use a laptop cooling pad and dismantle my entire laptop once a month, so what are you trying to say?
OfficialCompraa
A properly designed and tested laptop is designed to handle a full workload at the full working temperature. Many companies that make laptops will perform thermal testing, consisting of placing the laptop in a temperature controlled chamber, and simulating very hot and very cold environments. While in those environments, the laptops are subject to full CPU, GPU, Memory, and hard drive workloads 24/7 for multiple weeks. That is part of the internal QA done at many major laptop manufactures. The testing does not really take into account a heatsink with an entire cats worth of fur stuffed in it. Most consumer laptops are tested at 120F or hotter at full load
If a laptop is unable to maintain proper temperatures within normal environmental temperatures, then it means that you either have a defective unit, or the thermal compound has degraded, or some other part of the heatsink and fan is not functioning properly. (e.g., a gap forming in between the duct for the blower style fan, and the heatsink)
Razor2048
I get around 85 Celsius max on my gpu under full load playing bf4
These are worth the price, period! Bluetooth, really?? 90% of the time they are next door to the amp or output! I have GoldenEar and Swans and will probably always have these.
Linus what is a better choice, a high end Audio Card or a Audioengine D.A.C?
I would also like to know what would be the next step up from the Audioengine A5+.
Hey Linus you should review the Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 speakers, I have them personally and they sound absolutely amazing, especially for the price. They have been rated by multiple places as the best desktop speakers, but I would like to see what you think about them.
too bad they don't still make the 4.1's, you don't know what you're missing.
l337pwnage i didn't even know they made those lol. I plan to get their new KG-300 headset at some point though which will be awesome.
Ethan Word Not even close to the A5s
Brett Stevenson I didn't necessarily say they were. Have you heard them though?
Brett Stevenson the Klipsch stuff uses a horn tweeter as well, I think they would be somewhat comparable. Likely not better, of course opinion effects that a lot, but I think their price to quality ratio would be a hell of a lot higher.
Really. The video is still unlisted and was posted 14 minutes ago on the forum, and yet there's already a dislike. Come on people, it's just not right. (and yes, I am aware that Linus doesn't care very much about whether it's a like or a dislike but still...)
I literally couldn't care less if someone dislikes the video. I can take the negative feedback with the positive. It drives me to improve.
LinusTechTips . Great job Linus by taking the negative feedback and improving your videos from them. You can see the change :D
People have different opinions, therefore you'll see dislikes even though you may not agree with that.
Remco Smit
Considering that there was only 1 like, I think they only disliked it to troll. Also, there was no constructive criticism in the comments, so even if it was genuine negativity, it was not useful, constructive negativity.
There are people that dislike every video or like every video. People who like every video are no better than people who dislike every video.
I have the Corsair SP2500, obviously this includes a subwoofer, but how do the Audioengine A5+ rate against these?
I miss when linus made reviews like this.
Great review :) what pad is that they are resting on?
How about the review of Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speakers? LinusTechTips
Caleb Ryan their ok for music and game but terrible for music in my opion. I Use to use a lot of mid level sennheiser headphones , the audioengine a2 are better then those for a all around, but I plan on getting the a5+ hopefully, becuase a2 lack in some areas but still better then t he klipsh 2.1 and its boomy ass sub,, in all honesty Id be embarrased to use promedia's for music and have neighbors hear it
Hello guys i just got the a5+ changing from Edifier Luna Eclipse. I don't listen to any dramatic sound difference. What could it possibly be?
Hey Linus!
Great review as always!
Would like to know if there are plans to do the review of Kingston HyperX Cloud headset.
Cheers.
i didn't listen to those ever, but from a studio monitor point of view they are relatively expensive. if you don't want to mix music and don't need super linear monitors i'd recommend the M-Audio BX5. they cost significantly less that the a5's and have no shortcuts in sound. if you want bass then you need a subwoofer anyway because a 5 inch driver is just not able to create bass frequencys that are bigger than 5 inches (logically). highly recommend them!
PS: you only need to put speakers away from walls if you don't want to have a bass build-up. if you want bass and don't mix music, it doesn't really matter as long as you don't obstruct the bass opening. just keep them in a triangle (see: studio monitor placement, very important!)
Hey bud can you hook these speakers up into a technica at pl120 record player?
If the Technica has a built in preamp, yeah, through the RCAs on the back of the left speaker.
Bought the Mionix Sargas 900 and it arived today LOVE IT. also it shows me how short you are if this is your leg length
I have the room for these, but they wouldn't be 6 inches away from the wall, maybe 4 or so. Should that stop me from buying them?
Linus can you please, please review the Digital Designs PM-151/M-151? And maybe their DXB-03 headphones? Your audio reviews are great and it seems hard to find good reviews of DD products
Are these still at the top of the food chain for PC sound?
Though these consumer focused speakers are nice, it can be said that you can get better value from actual studio monitors if you like a neutral sound signature. The current value king I'd say would be the jbl lsr305 at $160 ea, but there are plenty others.
i have a quetion i have a bose cpmpanion 2 series 2 and watned to know if there are subs which can connect to the white ted output looking plugs, thanks
PLEASE ANSWER THIS: I have enough room for these, but they would not be 6 inches away from the back of the wall. Should that stop me from getting them? As my desk is in a corner, half of the speaker would get a 6 inch gap from the wall, but the other half that is closed in on the wall would not. Please answer!!!!
Bought these and hooked a XTZ 99 w10.16 subwoofer for 500 Dollars, sounds pretty damn good.
These or the paradigm shift a2's? Do the shifts increased price justify the price?
Love your videos man. Keep it up! :D
Personally prefer yamaha HS7's around same price range but 6.5inch woofer for more power. You could also go with pair of krk rokit6 g3 but i prefer the sound of the yamaha's tho. Would be fun if you'd review studio monitors around the $300-500. Since i'm planning on grabbing yamaha HS7's in 2month's or so. So still open for some other options aswel.
Would you recommend the Audioengine A5+ over the logitech z906 5.1 speakers for gaming?
Good review. I have been wanting to see a good quality studio type monitors that dont have all the useless stuff. Just want them to play music well and last a long time. Hopefully these well do the trick.
I think you should try some proper studio monitors in the same price range. You can pick up some krk rpg2s or mackie mr series for the same price and I would imagine they probably sound better than these. I've never heard the audioengine's but I've had the 6" and 8" krks and they sound brilliant. I've currently got some m audio bx5s which are ok but I really notice the lack of low end on the 5" driver compared to the 6" and 8" on the krks. also with the krks they have a front facing bass port so you can get away with putting them close to the wall
Hair's looking slick Linus ;)
Nice looking hair, I prefer this look over the others you had over the years.
Linus will you do one of these series but with gaming grade head phonea
im pretty sure these are just the A5 not the A5 plus. because A5 plus does have Bluetooth and you can tell by the tweeter is centered not to the side.
These are the A5+ but the Speaker system... They have 2 versions... The Speaker System ($399) and the Wireless Speaker System ($499) which includes the Bluetooth.
The B-Roll of the laptop with the speakers was being filmed (or about to be) by Brandon in the LMF Headquarters tour video... Thing
+Teamaite //wow ..your comment made Zero sense to the whole internet ...drink much??
+deepsquat600 yeah.. Sucky wording, what I meant was when it shows the laptop sitting on the table with the speakers next to it, that shot was being taken by Brandon during the tour of their office
ok now get it
+deepsquat600 lol
+Teamaite The only reason I searched for this video is because I saw the one you are referring to and I wanted to see what he thought of my speakers.
Still using and loving these
what exactly is a DAC ?
linus can you unbox and review the KRK Rockit speaker
So where's the run down of all the 5 speakers you reviewed?
Great review
Can you please do top 5 headphones?
It's either this setup or Yamaha HS8s
Ha, old comment though I had this same decision to make, though I had chosen the a5+'s because I got them for $250!!
AUD that is
KRK Rokit 5's? I think they might be cheaper.
and sound better =D
***** Thanks Mac, I wasn't aware of the LSRs, surprisingly affordable.
***** What sub and interface would you recommend?
Yes, my brother owns Rokits and they are awesome.
@DCD LSR 305 cost way less than these audioengine ones, and you confirm they are better?