Audioengine A5
Got these babies a couple of weeks back. Listened to them for quite some time now so I think that they have burned in quite a bit, if not fully. I am no audiophile and don't much much technical audio jargon, so I will keep it simple and straight and give a noobish sort of a review.
These are actively powered bookshelves, low end studio monitors so the sound is really neutral. From what I have heard they are as neutral as any speaker system within $1000.
Each bookshelf is rated at 45 watts RMS so 90 watts in total.
TEST SETUP
HARDWARE
Apple Ipod 30gb Video Didn't use for quite some time and the speakers weren't burned in at all that time. But they were loud and decent. Couldn't notice much difference from the Nokia 5800 XM except for the loudness and perhaps some tiny clarity/SQ difference.
Nokia 5800 XM Compared above.
MSI P55 GD65 Onboard Audio They just started to burn in I guess with this sound card and the sound card was probably a little better than the Ipod(although it is an old Ipod). The sound was deep. The speakers were good enough and I didn't feel the need to upgrade my sound card.
Asus Xonar DX This made a significant difference and I could hear background music I couldn't hear previously. It also became louder perhaps and with a little better quality. Worth the investment for me but not absolutely required in my opinion.
SOFTWARE
320Kbps These sound good, clear and deep with a lot of feel to them. Totally worth getting 320kbps or above IMO with these speakers.
128kbps The difference is noticeable but most of the times these are decent to hear as well. Investing in better music however does make a lot of sense if you want to justify the price of these speakers.
Youtube videos Most of them don't sound too good with a relatively low level of clarity. These speakers are sort of a waste for many of the videos. But some of the videos are acceptable and the speakers seem a good investment there.
I used Windows Media Player (Windows 7 Default) to play my sound files.
LOOKS 2.5/5
Black in color, completely black, well almost. They don't look too great. Not something you can boast to your GF
They are a little big, but compared to most bookshelves, they are probably just a little bigger. But yes, twice the size of the A2s.
INSTALLATION 3.5/5
Initially I couldn't figure out how to set up these speakers to my PC but within some time I managed, almost on my own despite being a complete noob. The guide helped. I would rate setting this speakers as relatively easy but a definitely tougher than regular computer speakers.
SOUND QUALITY 4.25/5
The sound quality is good. PERIOD. I wouldn't call them fantastic or unbelievable, even though I haven't heard anything better yet but I can still imagine that beating these speakers is not impossible. The price is sort of justified by the performance on this front.
Overall, I rate them better than Onkyo HT 5.1 S3200 which is probably rated at 680 watts, for listening to music that is.
BASS 3.75/5
The bass is decently tight and almost not overpowering at all. In fact, I find them a little too flat for my tastes. However, that is because I love thumping bass and these speakers don't have that. However, the depth in the music compensates. However, let me point out that the bass is good enough for you to feel that there is a separate sub woofer present and that makes the presence of an external sub woofer optional.
They have bass comparable to complete HT packages with discrete subwoofers however having a sub woofer should definitely help and with probably give you a dance to the beat sort of sensation. And, the bass isn't as tight as there is Sennheiser CX 500 however most people will probably not be disappointed as a good amount of bass is there all the same and it is not boomy or muddy at all. Also, I do feel slight sensations or vibrations on the floor or even lying on the bed located a few feet away although they are not very prominent.
Overall, I would say that although the bass isn't thumping, it is pretty good and something which probably no other active bookshelves would be able to produce, at least not within 30-35k or so.
CLARITY 3.25/5
This is something that is not too great with these speakers. Although they are better than Bose IEMs or Sony HTs or perhaps even Onkyo. There are quite a few songs where I just can't get the lyrics, even Hindi songs and it is easier to be able to make out the lyrics even on my Sennheiser CX 500. The difference is not exactly huge, but quite significant. I would still rate them above average.
DEPTH 4.5/5
This is something which makes these speakers shine. There is a lot of depth in the sound and it really makes the music come alive. It almost feels like you are in a cinema, they are just one notch lower than the cinema sound systems I feel minus the surround effects. The music is really deep and very enjoyable. Better than my Sennheiser CX 500.
REALISM 4.5/5
The feel of these speakers is great and it makes music very realistic. Initially, I sometimes used to feel as if the music was being recorded in my room.
LISTENING AREA 2.25/5 (2.25 Because of the near field experience)
However, being near field studio monitors they sound best only if placed correctly and very close to you and pointing directly at you. Even within the same room they sound just half as nice and if you go to a nearby room (even if your house is small) and even if they are loud, you will not be able to feel the speakers they way they are supposed to perform. This is a big downside.
FEEL 3.5/5
Songs like Kuch Is Tarah don't really sound all that sweet or painful. I am not sure whether that is something to do with me or whether the speakers are at fault. But from what I have heard, the KRKs probably sound warmer. But then being neutral may probably be appreciated by many.
LOUDNESS 5/5
These speakers are really loud. Probably enough to fill an entire hall. I listen to music at about 40% of the volume and they are decently loud assuming that you sit right next to them or are in the same room at most (assuming the room to be 10x10 feet). I haven't tried above about 50-55% I think and I always listen to music at around 40% of the volume. There probably isn't a need to exceed 55-65% or so even during parties and even if you want to dance. Perhaps 70-80% at most. And since I haven't tried them that loud, I can't say whether they would crack or not but I don't think that they will. I think I once did try about 70% of the volume or so and the sounds were really nice as well and probably did make me feel as if some thumping bass was there.
While playing games I set the volume to 50% in Asus Xonar DX and keep it around 40% from the speakers, so that is close to 25% or so overall. And the games sound pretty decently loud and I rarely feel the need for more. Sometimes they sound a little too loud in fact.
MUSIC 4/5
The listening experience is really good and the only thing which I didn't like too much was the absence of a separate powerful sub woofer. But I repeat, the bass in these bookshelves is good enough to compete with HTs from brands like Onkyo or even Bose, complete HTiBs in fact. And yes, the clarity wasn't all that great either but better that probably other speakers in this range.
GAMES 4/5
I haven't played too many games but the few I played, the sounds are really realistic and enjoyable. I didn't feel the need of a separate sub woofer if you come to think of it. But yes, absence of surround speakers can easily be felt.
MOVIES 4/5
All I saw was My Name is Khan's trailer on youtube and I would call it BRILLIANT. The sounds are really deep and very clear. It feels like there is a cinema in my room, but a cheap one that is. The only reason I gave it a 4 and not 4.75 was the absence of the surround effects.
DANCE 3.25/5
Well, these aren't exactly the speakers that would make you dance to the beat due to the lack of thumping bass. But otherwise they are pretty good and you shouldn't mind dancing to them probably if the volume is on the higher side.
OVERALL 4.25/5
GREAT! That is what I would call these bookshelves. They do what they are supposed to do and end up doing it pretty well. They may not be perfect complete sound setups but for this price you can't expect thumping bass + surround effects + all what you are getting + more... Can you?
I could hear stuff I had not heard before and could really appreciate quite a bit of the music on these speakers. They have taken my sound experience to the next level and I prefer them to my Sennheiser CX 500s.
PROS
A lot of realism and good sound quality
Good bass for active bookshelves
Relatively good at being all-in-one every purpose complete sound setups
CONS
Looks
Price, to a small extent
COMPARISON
From what I have heard and read, if listening to quality music is your main aim minus the surround effects and rumbling, then these speakers can be compared as follows:
2.1
Better than any 2.1 computer setup I guess, even including bass probably except that in the bass department some of the better 2.1s should fare better.
5.1
Better than any HTiB till around 50k with receiver including entry level packages from Jamo, Denon etc and mid range systems from Onkyo, Bose etc. Obviously better than things like Logitech Z5500 or Altec Lansing MX 5021 by a huge margin.
2.0
According to Anish they are comparable to Wharfedale 9.1s + a Norge receiver but the Wharfedales would probably be better when it comes to bass, I guess. Although the cost is similar. But IMO the A5s could be better because it should be difficult for bookshelves which are about half the price to compete with them that too with an extremely entry level receiver.
However if you are willing to shell out over 15k on just passive bookshelves and another 10k+ or so on the receiver then you would probably get greater than or equal to sound quality overall, may be better perhaps.
Anything which costs as much as these bookshelves when coupled with even a low end receiver from the likes of Pioneer would give a decent edge to your listening experience, assuming that they are one of the best speakers amongst the passives in that range.
Also, they are probably a little better than the passive speakers from Audioengine, I read in a review.
EDIT
One more thing I would like to point out is that I can't discretely hear the background music ie. beats/bass whilst concentrating on the main music unlike the Senn CX 500. Also, in Suraj Hua Madham for instance it was more difficult to identify Sonu Nigam's voice on the speakers compared to my earphones. Nevertheless, I had a better overall experience on the speakers than on the earphones, though the speakers were connected to the Xonar DX and not to the crap Nokia 5800 XM DAC.
Please point me out if I am wrong anywhere and your opinions would be really appreciated. I know that this is a really noobish review but I have tried to be as helpful and neutral as possible.
Got these babies a couple of weeks back. Listened to them for quite some time now so I think that they have burned in quite a bit, if not fully. I am no audiophile and don't much much technical audio jargon, so I will keep it simple and straight and give a noobish sort of a review.
These are actively powered bookshelves, low end studio monitors so the sound is really neutral. From what I have heard they are as neutral as any speaker system within $1000.
Each bookshelf is rated at 45 watts RMS so 90 watts in total.
TEST SETUP
HARDWARE
Apple Ipod 30gb Video Didn't use for quite some time and the speakers weren't burned in at all that time. But they were loud and decent. Couldn't notice much difference from the Nokia 5800 XM except for the loudness and perhaps some tiny clarity/SQ difference.
Nokia 5800 XM Compared above.
MSI P55 GD65 Onboard Audio They just started to burn in I guess with this sound card and the sound card was probably a little better than the Ipod(although it is an old Ipod). The sound was deep. The speakers were good enough and I didn't feel the need to upgrade my sound card.
Asus Xonar DX This made a significant difference and I could hear background music I couldn't hear previously. It also became louder perhaps and with a little better quality. Worth the investment for me but not absolutely required in my opinion.
SOFTWARE
320Kbps These sound good, clear and deep with a lot of feel to them. Totally worth getting 320kbps or above IMO with these speakers.
128kbps The difference is noticeable but most of the times these are decent to hear as well. Investing in better music however does make a lot of sense if you want to justify the price of these speakers.
Youtube videos Most of them don't sound too good with a relatively low level of clarity. These speakers are sort of a waste for many of the videos. But some of the videos are acceptable and the speakers seem a good investment there.
I used Windows Media Player (Windows 7 Default) to play my sound files.
LOOKS 2.5/5
Black in color, completely black, well almost. They don't look too great. Not something you can boast to your GF
They are a little big, but compared to most bookshelves, they are probably just a little bigger. But yes, twice the size of the A2s.
INSTALLATION 3.5/5
Initially I couldn't figure out how to set up these speakers to my PC but within some time I managed, almost on my own despite being a complete noob. The guide helped. I would rate setting this speakers as relatively easy but a definitely tougher than regular computer speakers.
SOUND QUALITY 4.25/5
The sound quality is good. PERIOD. I wouldn't call them fantastic or unbelievable, even though I haven't heard anything better yet but I can still imagine that beating these speakers is not impossible. The price is sort of justified by the performance on this front.
Overall, I rate them better than Onkyo HT 5.1 S3200 which is probably rated at 680 watts, for listening to music that is.
BASS 3.75/5
The bass is decently tight and almost not overpowering at all. In fact, I find them a little too flat for my tastes. However, that is because I love thumping bass and these speakers don't have that. However, the depth in the music compensates. However, let me point out that the bass is good enough for you to feel that there is a separate sub woofer present and that makes the presence of an external sub woofer optional.
They have bass comparable to complete HT packages with discrete subwoofers however having a sub woofer should definitely help and with probably give you a dance to the beat sort of sensation. And, the bass isn't as tight as there is Sennheiser CX 500 however most people will probably not be disappointed as a good amount of bass is there all the same and it is not boomy or muddy at all. Also, I do feel slight sensations or vibrations on the floor or even lying on the bed located a few feet away although they are not very prominent.
Overall, I would say that although the bass isn't thumping, it is pretty good and something which probably no other active bookshelves would be able to produce, at least not within 30-35k or so.
CLARITY 3.25/5
This is something that is not too great with these speakers. Although they are better than Bose IEMs or Sony HTs or perhaps even Onkyo. There are quite a few songs where I just can't get the lyrics, even Hindi songs and it is easier to be able to make out the lyrics even on my Sennheiser CX 500. The difference is not exactly huge, but quite significant. I would still rate them above average.
DEPTH 4.5/5
This is something which makes these speakers shine. There is a lot of depth in the sound and it really makes the music come alive. It almost feels like you are in a cinema, they are just one notch lower than the cinema sound systems I feel minus the surround effects. The music is really deep and very enjoyable. Better than my Sennheiser CX 500.
REALISM 4.5/5
The feel of these speakers is great and it makes music very realistic. Initially, I sometimes used to feel as if the music was being recorded in my room.
LISTENING AREA 2.25/5 (2.25 Because of the near field experience)
However, being near field studio monitors they sound best only if placed correctly and very close to you and pointing directly at you. Even within the same room they sound just half as nice and if you go to a nearby room (even if your house is small) and even if they are loud, you will not be able to feel the speakers they way they are supposed to perform. This is a big downside.
FEEL 3.5/5
Songs like Kuch Is Tarah don't really sound all that sweet or painful. I am not sure whether that is something to do with me or whether the speakers are at fault. But from what I have heard, the KRKs probably sound warmer. But then being neutral may probably be appreciated by many.
LOUDNESS 5/5
These speakers are really loud. Probably enough to fill an entire hall. I listen to music at about 40% of the volume and they are decently loud assuming that you sit right next to them or are in the same room at most (assuming the room to be 10x10 feet). I haven't tried above about 50-55% I think and I always listen to music at around 40% of the volume. There probably isn't a need to exceed 55-65% or so even during parties and even if you want to dance. Perhaps 70-80% at most. And since I haven't tried them that loud, I can't say whether they would crack or not but I don't think that they will. I think I once did try about 70% of the volume or so and the sounds were really nice as well and probably did make me feel as if some thumping bass was there.
While playing games I set the volume to 50% in Asus Xonar DX and keep it around 40% from the speakers, so that is close to 25% or so overall. And the games sound pretty decently loud and I rarely feel the need for more. Sometimes they sound a little too loud in fact.
MUSIC 4/5
The listening experience is really good and the only thing which I didn't like too much was the absence of a separate powerful sub woofer. But I repeat, the bass in these bookshelves is good enough to compete with HTs from brands like Onkyo or even Bose, complete HTiBs in fact. And yes, the clarity wasn't all that great either but better that probably other speakers in this range.
GAMES 4/5
I haven't played too many games but the few I played, the sounds are really realistic and enjoyable. I didn't feel the need of a separate sub woofer if you come to think of it. But yes, absence of surround speakers can easily be felt.
MOVIES 4/5
All I saw was My Name is Khan's trailer on youtube and I would call it BRILLIANT. The sounds are really deep and very clear. It feels like there is a cinema in my room, but a cheap one that is. The only reason I gave it a 4 and not 4.75 was the absence of the surround effects.
DANCE 3.25/5
Well, these aren't exactly the speakers that would make you dance to the beat due to the lack of thumping bass. But otherwise they are pretty good and you shouldn't mind dancing to them probably if the volume is on the higher side.
OVERALL 4.25/5
GREAT! That is what I would call these bookshelves. They do what they are supposed to do and end up doing it pretty well. They may not be perfect complete sound setups but for this price you can't expect thumping bass + surround effects + all what you are getting + more... Can you?
I could hear stuff I had not heard before and could really appreciate quite a bit of the music on these speakers. They have taken my sound experience to the next level and I prefer them to my Sennheiser CX 500s.
PROS
A lot of realism and good sound quality
Good bass for active bookshelves
Relatively good at being all-in-one every purpose complete sound setups
CONS
Looks
Price, to a small extent
COMPARISON
From what I have heard and read, if listening to quality music is your main aim minus the surround effects and rumbling, then these speakers can be compared as follows:
2.1
Better than any 2.1 computer setup I guess, even including bass probably except that in the bass department some of the better 2.1s should fare better.
5.1
Better than any HTiB till around 50k with receiver including entry level packages from Jamo, Denon etc and mid range systems from Onkyo, Bose etc. Obviously better than things like Logitech Z5500 or Altec Lansing MX 5021 by a huge margin.
2.0
According to Anish they are comparable to Wharfedale 9.1s + a Norge receiver but the Wharfedales would probably be better when it comes to bass, I guess. Although the cost is similar. But IMO the A5s could be better because it should be difficult for bookshelves which are about half the price to compete with them that too with an extremely entry level receiver.
However if you are willing to shell out over 15k on just passive bookshelves and another 10k+ or so on the receiver then you would probably get greater than or equal to sound quality overall, may be better perhaps.
Anything which costs as much as these bookshelves when coupled with even a low end receiver from the likes of Pioneer would give a decent edge to your listening experience, assuming that they are one of the best speakers amongst the passives in that range.
Also, they are probably a little better than the passive speakers from Audioengine, I read in a review.
EDIT
One more thing I would like to point out is that I can't discretely hear the background music ie. beats/bass whilst concentrating on the main music unlike the Senn CX 500. Also, in Suraj Hua Madham for instance it was more difficult to identify Sonu Nigam's voice on the speakers compared to my earphones. Nevertheless, I had a better overall experience on the speakers than on the earphones, though the speakers were connected to the Xonar DX and not to the crap Nokia 5800 XM DAC.
Please point me out if I am wrong anywhere and your opinions would be really appreciated. I know that this is a really noobish review but I have tried to be as helpful and neutral as possible.
