Relying on sound from your built-in computer speakers can be a big letdown. Although the sound tends to be loud and audible, it lacks the punchy and bass effect to make the sound richer and crispy-clear.
The need to have external desktop speakers for your computer is one way to ensure you get the perfect gaming and music listening experience. Otherwise, the sound quality you get will be an utmost disappointment.
This article will give you all the info you need before choosing between Audioengine A5+ vs HD3 home music systems. While HD3 are compact bookshelf speakers designed to work well in small to medium-sized rooms, A5+ are larger and deliver excellent sound quality for massive outdoor events.
Audioengine HD3 vs A5+ Speakers| General Comparison
Let’s have a general overview of these speakers to see how they compare.
| Product Title | Audioengine HD3 | Audioengine A5+ |
| Dimensions | 4.25 x 9.125 x 7.25 inches | 7.1888 x 10.875 x 9.75 inches |
| RMS | 30 watts per channel | 50 watts per channel |
| Peak: | 60 watts per channel | 75 watts per channel |
| Frequency response | 65 Hz – 22 kHz | 50 Hz – 22 kHz |
| Woofer size | 2.75 inches | 5 inches |
| Bluetooth | Yes | No |
| USB | Yes | No |
There’s only one way to come up with a winner between Audioengine HD3 vs A5+ speakers- comparing and contrasting the two. So, let’s get right into it.
Audioengine HD3 Review
The ability of Audioengine HD3 speakers to fit into compact spaces makes them a perfect pick for your home entertainment needs, regardless of your room’s size. The sound quality isn’t compromised by size or weight, making this speaker even a better and premium pick for every audiophile.
Besides fitting in compact spaces and lightweight, what else does the Audioengine HD3 offer?
Sleek Design
Firstly, the HD3 offers three cabinet finishes of walnut, Hi-Gloss White, and satin black, thus providing varied options to match your home décor. The HD3 computer speakers feature a 20mm wire dome tweeter that offers a surging and retro feeling.
The dome tweeter uses neodymium magnets which provide a robust magnetic density compared to the traditional ferrite magnets. In return, you get better and improved sound control.
The HD3 also features a 2.7-inch Bass unit made of Kevlar composite material. The material is well-known for being light and sturdy, preventing the woofer from deforming at extreme volumes.
Lastly, the speaker has a magnetic grille on the front panel. One gives the speaker a more concise and clean outlook and protects the diaphragm against external damage without diffracting the sound.
Input and Output Connections
The Audioengine HD3 wireless speaker features numerous connection options that give it a rich interface.
Firstly, the HD3 supports wireless connectivity via Bluetooth receiver aptX HD technology, providing a better than CD music listening experience. With careful antenna tuning, you can stream music via Bluetooth to devices beyond the recommended range of 30-inch.
The micro-USB input option allows you to playback music from your Windows or Mac computer. You don’t need to be a computer geek to connect your computer to this speaker. Just connect any of the free USB ports on your computer to the HD3 speakers and enjoy your music.
Sound Performance
If you want a better-sounding speaker that doesn’t compromise on better looks, you should consider giving the Audioengine HD3 a try. Its frequency response of 65 Hz – 22 kHz provides a wide range to perfectly handle lows, mids, and highs from your input. Thanks to the careful matching of the woofer and dome tweeter, the sound field of the Audioengine HD3 is comprehensive and precise.
Lastly, a 3.5mm headphone jack allows you to connect headphones and create your small musical world. The inbuilt OPA2134-based operational headphone amplifier minimizes noise to give you an even better listening experience.
What We Like About Audioengine HD3
- 24-bit upsampling DAC present
- Sleek design and build
- 3.5mm headphone jack present
- Powerful audio files decoding
- Supports Bluetooth aptx technology
- High-quality sound for medium-sized rooms.
What We Don’t Like About Audioengine HD3
- Lacks Wi-Fi support
- Quite a costly speaker
- Unsuitable for massive room sizes.
Audioengine A5+ Review
The Audioengine A5+ comes with numerous features that give it a slight edge over its predecessor (A5). For excellent sound quality and performance in outdoor events or large rooms, the A5+ is a perfect place to start. The A5+ is highly powered (75 watts per channel) to give your music clarity.
Is the Audioengine A5+ worth it? Let’s find out.
Sleek Design
The A5+ provides satin black, hi-gloss white, or solid carbonized bamboo cabinet finishes, offering varied options to match your home décor.
The Kevlar material makes the diaphragm more flexible and durable. As a result, you can play your music without any reverb as the sound is widespread over the speaker cone.
There’s a one-inch MDF cabinet material with internal bracing. The internal bracing minimizes unwanted reflections in the A5+ speakers. In addition, the edges are round-shaped to reduce the effects of high-frequency diffraction of the front panel.
The A5+ drivers are video-shielded. Therefore you can place the speakers close to your CRT monitor without worrying about video signal interference. Also, there’s a high-density foam isolation pad on the bottom of these dual speakers for flexible placement of the speakers.
Lastly, the A5+ speakers feature a rear-port design on each speaker. This design helps minimize air turbulence to give you clear and deep lows for low-frequency responses of 50 Hz.
Sound Quality
The neodymium magnet featured in the 20mm silk dome tweeter gives the speaker system better density and overtone when playing the high-frequency part of the music.
Additionally, the unique design of the dome tweeter’s groove, which resembles an acoustic horn, gives the tweeter a better horizontal spread of high-frequencies.
The A5+ speakers feature gapless toroidal transformers that help to minimize noise to give your sound an excellent sense of hierarchy and clarity. Although the lows may not be the best compared to other bookshelf speakers in the market, the performance of mids and high-frequency sounds is exceptional.
Input and Output Connections.
The Audioengine A5+ classic speakers lack a Bluetooth receiver and USB audio input but provide alternative input and output connection options. The USB input serves as a charging port rather than a medium for sending audio files to the speaker.
All the connections ports in the A5+ are gold-plated to improve their anti-interference, thus preventing signal distortion and attenuation. On the upper-left side of the left speaker, you can plug a speaker cable into the 3.5mm stereo mini-jack or RCA interfaces for input and output.
The control button of the A5+ features a power interface, a power switch, and a voltage adjustment switch that effectively converts electrical power from the source. Once you flip to the back of the passive speaker, you’ll notice an extended bass port and a pair of binding posts. The extended bass port allows the speaker to release bass energy in the mids and lows.
What We Like About A5+ speakers
- Video-shielded
- Straightforward setup
- Perfect for large-sized rooms and outdoor events
- Remote control present
- Gapless toroidal transformers present
- Gold-plated connections
What We Don’t Like About A5+ speakers
- Bluetooth and micro USB input absent.
- Bulky and space-consuming
AudioEngine HD3 vs A5+ Review: Let’s Settle the Battle
Audioengine created these speakers following their trademark of releasing top-performing audio systems. However, it all comes down to why you need any of the speakers.
Audioengine HD3 is highly recommended if you need small speakers to fit into compact spaces in your small office but still give your computer speakers an upgrading feeling. Also, the left speaker provides a rich interface for input and output. The Bluetooth connectivity and USB input allow you to use every bit of the latest technology when using the HD3 speakers.
The Audioengine A5+ wins when sound quality and performance are the top priority. The high power rating allows the speaker to perform exceptionally well without experiencing any decline in sound quality.
Unfortunately, the Audioengine A5+ classic speakers lack Bluetooth connectivity and micro USB input. However, you can solve that by buying the Audioengine A5+ wireless speakers.
Feel free to share your experiences with any of the speakers.
