Audioengine A2-HD (HD3) Premium Computer Speakers for Desktop PC - 60W for Gaming Movies Music

Here to give a public shoutout to the Audioengine team for the quality of these speakers and the outstanding value they provide. I've owned a pair of HD6 speakers and a sub for about 10 years and if I had to choose between that combo or my Klipsch Forte IVs for regular use, I'd pick the HD6s all day. The integrated Bluetooth and ease of set-up make them a no-brainer purchase for someone who wants the ability to create some beautiful (and loud) noise without needing a Phd in audio or thousands of dollars.So when I found myself in the middle of a move and wanting some speakers to pair with my computer while I wait for my stuff, I turned to Audioengine. The HD3s showed up next day, were excellently packaged and set-up in 2 mins. They put out a great sound for my office and would work well in a dorm room or small apartment. Just an excellent product for the price point.Kudos to the entire Audioengine crew. Always a good feeling when you know your money is well spent.

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

I just received these today. My first impression? I don't like them. I LOVE THEM. Each speaker is heavy and just radiates self-evident, solid, sturdy, well-made quality. I'm playing my favorite album to break in the speakers, an album I know inside and out, and the clean, powerful, neutral sound of the speakers is bringing out nuance I hadn't heard in years with my old set up. I went with the white exterior and think they look fantastic as well. These speakers are superb and worth every penny. I'll update the review if need be. If not, then assume I continue to be incredibly pleased with them.

These are pretty solid little desk speakers. I use them for mostly YouTube and music. Im no audiophile but I think the sound quality is good for the money. The color of the pair I got is more on the reddish side of blue. Not like the picture, but I wasn’t mad about it. I have had other higher end shelf speakers and I am pleased with these.