Audioengine 2+ Premium Powered Desktop Speakers Preview

Audioengine burst on the scene a number of years back and took the audio world by storm. They put out desktop speakers that had high-end sound for very reasonable prices. Obviously, they appealed to a certain segment of the audio community - those that spend a lot of time at a desk, are on a budget, and care about sound quality. Unsurprisingly, this is a fairly huge segment of the audio community. Their vaunted A2 speakers are getting an upgrade with a 25% price bump.

The new Audioengine A2+ speakers should feel familiar to those that have used Audioengine products in the past. They have an amp built into the left speaker with 30 watts (peak) power per channel. The speakers are small (6" by 4" by 5.25") and light (just over 3 pounds for the right speaker, add a half pound to the left for the amp). They have connections for 3.5mm, RCA, and USB which is about everything you'll need for your desktop. You connect the left and right speaker using standard speaker wire. The Audioengine A2+ speakers come in white and black.

The Audioengine A2+ speakers sport 3/4" silk-dome tweeters and 2.75" Kevlar woofers in a bass-reflex enclosure. The front slot port is located near the bottom of the speaker making placement easy while extending the bass response of the speaker. The enclosure is constructed out of 18mm (0.7") MDF. Audioengine says that while the A2+ speakers are designed for desktop/nearfield listening, they will fill a room. The A2+ speakers are rated down to 65Hz at ±2.0dB which is pretty impressive. We're betting a lot of people are going to be surprised at the bass response of these small speakers.

If you haven't recognized it already, one of the improvements Audioengine made over the A2 speakers is the inclusion of the USB connection. Their TI/Burr Brown PCM2704C DAC can accept up to 16bit/48KHz inputs (which we're guessing someone is going to complain about on the forums even though it is better than what you get on CDs). The A2+ is said to work natively with both Mac and PC computers out of the box without any need for additional drivers. 

Additional improvements include a variable audio output (RCA-style) for connecting a subwoofer or Audioengine's wireless adapter. They've improved the speaker connections, added 1/4" threaded inserts for wall mounts, and upgraded the power supply. All this adds up to a $50 premium over the previous A2 offering. It really doesn't matter, however, as Audioengine already lists the A2 as discontinued on their site. This means if you want the older, cheaper offering with fewer features, you better get it now from one of the many retailers that sell Audioengine products. The new Audioengine A2+ speakers will retail for $249.

Conclusion

If you wanted a direct connection from your computer to your Audioengine speakers, the A2+ have what you need. While they are still lacking a headphone output (maybe they are saving that for the A2++), the USB connection is now available. For those that wanted additional bass out of their A2 speakers, the A2+ now have a variable output for adding a sub. Basically it looks like Audioengine read all the reviews their products have gotten and took the biggest complaints and fixed them with the A2+. That just sounds like good business to us. While we don't expect the A2+ to sound much different than the A2, it really doesn't matter. Sound quality was never a complaint. If you are looking for "real" speakers for your desk and you're on a budget, the A2+ should definitely be on your list.

For more information, please contact www.audioengineusa.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.