Digital Trends

 

Setting up the A5 speakers to play music wirelessly is pretty simple, though it can be a little daunting if your tech-confidence is not very high. Granted, the most complex part of this wireless setup has nothing to do with the speakers - its iTunes. As for the A5's, just plug in the Airport Express base station to the back of the left A5 speaker using the built in A/C outlet. The power indicator on the Airport Express turns on. Run the included 10-inch audio cable from the audio port in the Airport Express to the "Audio In" port on the back of the left A5 speaker. That's it. Hardware is set up. 

 

Install any necessary software from the Airport Express if not already done. Set up the Airport Express to work on your wireless network by following the tips provided by Apple's Support docs, like this one. Once set up, from within iTunes select to play music though the Airport Express or "Multiple Speakers" - through your hard-wired speakers connected to your computer AND through the A5's wirelessly in a remote location. If you select multiple speakers, there will be a short delay in playing music while the Airport Express and iTunes synchronize the audio output to play without audio overlap. 

 

 
The Apple AirPort Express Plugged into the AC Connector

 

 

Using the A5 speakers with an iPod (or any other digital audio player) is easy. With or without an iPod dock, plug the included male-male audio cable into the iPod and the A5 speaker. There's even an audio jack on the top of the A5 speaker, making two audio input jacks total. With the iPod properly connected to the A5, turn it on and start listening. You may need to adjust the audio levels and EQ settings on the iPod - sometimes the sound levels can be a bit surprising. 

 

 
An Apple iPod using the Line-in Connector

 

 

The A5 speakers will work with any other audio source, so long as it uses an audio cable with a 1/8" plug - or as long as there's a 1/8" adapter available. As I mentioned before, I used the A5 speaker with my electric blues guitar. I plugged the 1/4" audio cable into my guitar and attached a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter for the other end of the guitar cable. I plugged the 1/8" end into the rear audio-in jack on the A5. The guitar was amp'd - instantly. No hum, no static; just good clean sound. Loud too, according to my wife and neighbor.

 

The A5 speakers can also be hooked up to record players (kids - find out what record players are by going to Wikipedia), televisions with RCA out, cable boxes, etc. One could probably go so far as to hook up the A5's to an 8-track system, XBOX/Playstation or even a PDA. Again, any audio source that can be converted to 1/8" audio cable. 

 

 

The A5 speaker system is magnetically shielded, which means they can be placed near CRT and LCD monitors alike with no hum or whine, and no negative effect to the monitor. This is particularly good for audio and video experts who want to use the A5 speakers in A/V production. 

 

The left speaker also offers a USB port, which means you can plug in your iPod's USB charging cable to keep your iPod charged while connected to the A5's. Another added bonus.

 

 

The woofers in the Audioengine 5 speakers are made of Kevlar, which has a much greater strength-to-weight ratio than steel. The speaker cabinets are 1" thick MDF underneath the sexy white exterior. Like I said, they're solid.

 

 
The Audioengine 5 Kevlar 5-inch Woofer

 

 

Audio quality is a very subjective matter, much like musical styles - what sounds amazing to one person may sound crummy to another. This subjective nature is why some people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on sound systems, and why some people fall in love with their $349 systems. It's all a matter of what you hear and how it affects you physically and emotionally. Audioengine is so confident in the sound quality of their A5 speakers that they offer a 30-day money back satisfaction guarantee and a 3-year transferable warranty. Some people find that sort of self-confidence annoying. I find it refreshing.

 

 

Although the Audioengine 5 speakers sound awesome, they are not ultra-top-of-the-line speakers like the "X-1 Grand SLAMM Series II" speakers which can be found for about $75,000 per pair. Let's be real! The A5's are very high quality, amazing bang-for-the-buck speakers intended for computer, MP3 player, and home theater use. They far surpass other high-end speakers in the same price market.