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Out of all the human body’s five senses, sound is probably the one sense that most of us take for granted, especially in our computer or MP3 player
audio components. Most of us are content using $20 speakers, but Audioengine USA has developed a high-end speaker system that is specifically
made to use with iPods, but they also included an additional audio input to connect them to your PC too! Let’s see how these speakers can crank out
the tunes and if they’ll make us rethink our next audio device purchase.
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Product: Audioengine 5 Speaker System
Date: Nov. 9, 2006
Sponsored by: Audioengine
Author: Steve “Stratus” Grever (E-mail: sgrever1 at hardware-review.net)
Price: $349 per pair @ Audioengine USA (* as of 10/31/06)
Product link: http://www.audioengineusa.com/products.htm
Part I: Introduction
Out of all the human body’s five senses, sound is probably the one sense that most of us take for granted, especially in our computer or MP3 player
audio components. Most of us are content using $20 speakers, but Audioengine USA has developed a high-end speaker system that is specifically
made to use with iPods, but they also included an additional audio input to connect them to your PC too! Let’s see how these speakers can crank out
the tunes and if they’ll make us rethink our next audio device purchase.
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Part II: Packaging and initial thoughts
The Audioengine 5 Speaker System was packaged in a very tightly-secured cardboard box that had both the speakers snugly tucked away between
two very thick pieces of Styrofoam. The small, but powerful speakers seemed to weigh quite a bit, and I confirmed this when I got my first handson look at the product.
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My initial thoughts on these speakers were extremely high, but there were some small improvements I thought could have been made to the final
product. The main features that will catch any user’s eye are the iPod charger port and built-in subwoofers for extreme bass. One feature that had
me a little giddy was the two audio inputs. This meant that I was able to connect these speakers to my iPod and my computer at the same time. I
can’t wait to see how these little powerhouses sound when I play Quake 4!
The speakers we received had a black matte finish and silk dome tweeters that I thought were highly constructed and designed. I’m no expert in
manufacturing speakers, but these are definitely not your typical stereo speakers from the 1980s. Another interesting features is the power outlet for
Airport Express. I believe Audioengine included this feature so it could appeal more to iPod and Apple-specific consumers. This doesn’t add much
functionality to the average user, but it will certainly be noticed by the loyal Apple community.
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Welcome to Hardware-Review.net! - Audioengine 5 Speaker System
11/09/2006 09:02 PM
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While these speakers are definitely unique and on the higher end of the speaker spectrum, I did have some immediate thoughts for improvement that
I’d like to share with our readers. First and foremost, I would have liked to see Audioengine develop a universal remote and control panel that can
function with any MP3 player you connect to it. I know this isn’t really what it was designed for, but having to go directly to the MP3 player to
change a song or raise the volume can be a bit annoying and tedious.
I would have also liked to see a universal stand to secure the MP3 player during use. This should definitely be a consideration in their next revision
because I can already see an expensive MP3 player dropping on the ground after the speakers are vibrating during use.
These two improvements should make for a more appealing product and also enhance a user’s experience with the Audioengine 5 speakers greatly.
Part III: Features and technical specifications
Here’s a complete rundown of the Audioengine 5 speakers’ features and technical specifications taken directly from the manufacturer’s website:
Audioengine 5 Features
iPod power charger port
2 audio inputs
Built-in power amplifier, no receiver/amp needed
Power outlet for Airport Express
Front panel volume control
Custom 5" Kevlar woofer for super low end
1" silk dome tweeter for smooth highs
Built-in subwoofer ports for awesome bass
Hand-built and tuned cabinets w/high-gloss furniture-grade finish
Magnetically shielded for placement near video monitors
3 year transferrable warranty
All cables included
Included Accessories
AC power cable
1/8" audio cable, 2 meters (~6.5ft)
(2) 1/8" audio cables, 20cm (~8")
1/8" to RCA "Y" cable
USB power extender cable, 1 meter (~3.28ft)
Speaker wire (16AWG), 3.75 meters (~12.3ft)
Drawstring cable bag
Drawstring speaker bags
(2) High-density foam isolation pads
Setup Guide
Compatible with and designed for:
iPod nano and iPod video
Other MP3 players/portable audio players
Airport Express
Apple Universal Dock
3rd-party base stations/remotes (by Griffin, Ten, etc.)
LCD/plasma TVs
Laptops
Videogame players
DVD/Portable DVD players
Satellite and digital radio receivers
PDAs and mobile phones
All other products with 1/8" mini-jack or RCA outputs
Audioengine 5 General Specifications:
Type: 2.0 bookshelf-style, powered speaker system
Power output: 45W RMS/ 70W peak per channel (AES)
Inputs: 2 X 1/8" stereo mini-jack
Outputs: USB Type A (power charging only)
Main voltages: 115/230V 50/60Hz manually switchable
Size (each): 10.0”(H) x 7.0” (W) x 7.75” (D)
Weight: 6.4Kg/14lbs (left), 4Kg/9lbs (right)
Shipping weight: 12.6Kg/27.75lbs per pair
Shipping box dimensions:11.5” (W) x 14.5” (H) x 21.75” (L)
Amplifier type: Dual Class AB monolithic
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Welcome to Hardware-Review.net! - Audioengine 5 Speaker System
11/09/2006 09:02 PM
Signal-to-noise: >95dB (typical A-weighted)
THD: <0.05% at all power settings
Crosstalk: <50db
Frequency response: 50Hz-22kHz +/-1.5dB
Input impedance: 10K ohms unbalanced
Protection: Output current limiting, thermal over-temperature, power on/off transient protection, replaceable external main fuse
Materials and Construction:
*
*
*
*
1" thick MDF cabinet
5" Kevlar woofers with advanced voice coils
20mm silk dome tweeters with neodymium magnets
Torroidal power transformers
Included Accessories:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
AC power cable
1/8" audio cable, 2 meters (~6.5ft)
(2) 1/8" audio cables, 20cm (~8")
1/8" to RCA "Y" cable
USB power extender cable, 1 meter (~3.28ft)
Speaker wire (16AWG), 3.75 meters (~12.3ft)
Drawstring cable bag
(2) High-density foam protectors/sonic isolation pads
Setup Guide
Audioengine 5 Technical Information:
Custom Built
Audioengine designs and manufactures our own tweeters, woofers, and many other critical components. In other words, these are not "box built"
speakers with off-the-shelf parts but entirely custom-designed to our specifications. What we do not fabricate directly in our factory we have custommade to our designs (parts such as toroidal transformers, magnets, and wiring harnesses, for example). The cabinets, drivers, bass port designs,
amplifiers, and crossovers are all painstakingly tuned together for each Audioengine model. This, in turn, makes for a much more efficient system that
requires much less power than AV stereo receivers and passive speakers.
Based on Studio Monitor Designs
Studio monitor speakers are used by producers and engineers in recording and production studios. They are designed with a theoretical flat frequency
response which allows the engineer to create a final mix in such a way that the recorded music will sound good on most other speakers. Although
Audioengine speakers are not designed to be up-close "nearfield" studio monitors, we do carry over much of the same higher-end technology,
components, and design philosophy for Audioengine speakers.
Drivers
Audioengine uses audiophile quality, ferro fluid cooled, silk dome tweeters with Neodymium magnets. Silk tweeters hold up well under high power and
the edge-driven design gives very smooth response. The woofers are Kevlar woven glass aramid composite with rubber surrounds. Kevlar is obviously
very strong, which means that the woofer retains its shape when being driven at high levels. The speaker materials and construction are robust
enough to stand up to some serious thrashing, so speaker grills aren’t needed. In other words, we did our homework on the speaker drivers and they
will sound and look great after many years of use.
Cabinets
To minimize unwanted resonances and distortion, Audioengine cabinets have 1” thick high-resin MDF walls with extensive internal bracing. Heavy
internal sound-damping material is used to reduce unwanted sound reflections inside the cabinet. All cabinet edges are rounded which look great and
reduce high-frequency diffraction effects on the front baffles. Each cabinet contains tuned, rear-firing ports. Both speakers are tuned and tested
together and sold in pairs.
Power Amplifier
The amplifiers in Audioengine speakers are very conservatively rated. All components are tuned together for each model, which provides a much
more efficient system requiring less power than passive speakers and separate amplifiers. Circuit boards for the power and preamp sections are
vertically mounted for maximum mechanical shock protection (a good thing).
Transformers
Power transformers are a large contributor to the overall audio performance, especially in the low end. Again, no off-the-shelf parts here.
Audioengine uses gapless core toroidal transformers which have a tighter radiated magnetic field, directly translating to lower noise. They are lighter
than standard, lower-cost "EI" transformers and also generate less heat. In other words, toroidal transformers do make a difference.
Shielding
Both drivers are directly video shielded and allow the user to place the speakers within a few inches of a video monitor. This shielding also offers
protection for hard-drive digital music players.
USB Power
[email protected] USB power supply powers the latest generation iPods and most other USB "bus-powered" devices. The USB port is for charging only, not for
data transfer or music syncing.
Recommended Speaker Setup
It is true that proper speaker placement has a huge impact on sound quality. There are many different theories, but all rooms and tastes are
different so it's impossible to specify a "correct" placement. We do suggest you experiment with a few different locations to see what works for you.
As a general rule of thumb for the best soundstage balance, the speakers should be equi-distant from side walls and a different distance from rear
walls. For the best bass response on Audioengine 5, we recommend that you keep a minimum distance of 6-12" between the rear of the speakers
and the rear wall.
Part IV: Performance testing
To evaluate the Audioengine 5’s MP3 and PC sound quality, we took a 2GB iPod Nano and a Transcend 2GB T.Sonic 610 MP3 player and loaded both
of them with different types of music to see how the sound quality would be. The types of music we played included rock, hip hop, jazz, classical,
alternative, and rap. Each of these different genres emphasize different bass and treble variations, so I thought it would be a good test to see what
sound quality consumers can expect from the Audioengine 5 Speaker System.
After we finish the MP3 player portion of the testing phase, we are going to connect the speaker system to our Core 2 Duo gaming rig and see how
well these speakers pump out the sound through some Quake 4!
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Welcome to Hardware-Review.net! - Audioengine 5 Speaker System
11/09/2006 09:02 PM
MP3 player testing
During more than three weeks of MP3 testing, the Audioengine 5s pumped out clear and undistorted sound throughout both phases of testing. I was
throughly impressed with the wide range of sound we heard all the way from the bass to the treble tones. Each genre of music gave us a different
look at this speaker system and I think it really showed how versatile it is. We cranked up these speakers to a little more than halfway on the volume
control, but after that the sound was too loud for our ears. But, the quality of the sound never waivered, and I couldn't believe that these little
speakers could pump out better sound than many typical 5.1 speakers systems we've used in the past.
PC sound quality and gaming testing
For the final portion of our testing phase, we plugged the Audioengine 5 speakers into our Creative X-Fi Extreme Music sound card on our new Core
2 Duo gaming rig. The X-Fi cards are well known for the quality of sound they can provide so it should compliment this speaker system very well.
During our evaluation, we enabled all the advanced audio features in Quake 4, Battlefield 2, and Call of Duty 2, and played these games for about 10
combined hours over a three-week period.
Overall, the speakers performed very well. Initially, we noticed that there was a lot of bass and not much treble, but that was easily corrected in the
Creative X-Fi Control Panel. After a bit of tweaking, we were able to get a perfect blend of bass and treble, which made our gaming experiences ten
times more enjoyable. Most of the time, I game with headphones, but having a speaker system really opened my eyes to all the sounds I wasn't
hearing in the background of the games. I could hear footsteps in the distance a lot clearer as well as where gun fights and battles were occuring.
Every gamer knows how much sound can help you get more frags, and these speakers came through for me in spades. Each game brought a
different sound environment and challenged the Audioengine 5 speakers greatly. But, just as it did in the MP3 tests, it shined through a variety of
different sound variations and environments.
Part V: Pros and cons, availability
Pros
- Crystal clear sound quality during gaming and MP3 playing
- High-end construction and material
Cons
- Universal remote control and MP3 player cradle would made this speaker system perfect
Availability
The Audioengine 5 Speaker System is available many resellers worldwide. The best price we found was at AudioengineUSA.com for $349 per pair.
Part VI: Final thoughts, conclusion
I’d like to thank Audioengine USA for providing this speaker system for our evaluation today. These speakers are easily the most compact, highpowered pieces of audio equipment I've ever used with my IPod or PC. I would have liked to see a universal remote control bundled with this
system, but overall the performance and sound quality outshined all of my quarks about this product. The price tag is a bit high, but hardcore audio
and gaming enthusiasts will jam out with joy after using these speakers.
Here’s the Audioengine 5's scores and overall review score:
Packaging and advertising
Construction and design
Overall performance
Extras
Value
Final Score
10/10
10/10
10/10
8/10
8/10
48/50
Hardware-Review.net gives the Audioengine 5 Speaker System a 48/50 overall score, my coveted Editor's Choice Award, and HardwareReview.net’s Seal of Approval!
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11/09/2006 09:02 PM
Posted on Wednesday, November 08 @ Mountain Standard Time by hardware1
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