A little advice please! (Audioengine A5+)

KidKomet

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Morning guys!

Recently I've been considering scrapping my PC's 5.1 speakers. Whilst great for games and movies, I just don't use the 5.1 that much as I have a Q acoustics/Onkyo setup in my living room. I use my PC for listening to music more than anything so I was considering a nice pair of desktop speakers for about £300 and the Audioengine A5+ caught my attention. I have a medium sized room but my PC is in the corner so I think I'll need to bring it out a little so they're not too close to the wall. Does anyone have any experience with these speakers? I have a Creative soundblaster Zx so I'm not sure I'll need a DAC (Though I have set aside about £100 for one if necessary). Also, will I require stands at all? Unfortunately I don't drive so going somewhere for a demo could be out of the question, however a friend has the standard A5's and I thoroughly enjoyed their sound (No DAC, straight from his onboard sound on his PC). Any help is greatly appreciated!
 

davedotco

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KidKomet said:
Morning guys! Recently I've been considering scrapping my PC's 5.1 speakers. Whilst great for games and movies, I just don't use the 5.1 that much as I have a Q acoustics/Onkyo setup in my living room. I use my PC for listening to music more than anything so I was considering a nice pair of desktop speakers for about £300 and the Audioengine A5+ caught my attention. I have a medium sized room but my PC is in the corner so I think I'll need to bring it out a little so they're not too close to the wall. Does anyone have any experience with these speakers? I have a Creative soundblaster Zx so I'm not sure I'll need a DAC (Though I have set aside about £100 for one if necessary). Also, will I require stands at all? Unfortunately I don't drive so going somewhere for a demo could be out of the question, however a friend has the standard A5's and I thoroughly enjoyed their sound (No DAC, straight from his onboard sound on his PC). Any help is greatly appreciated!

I looked at the A5 (not the plus) a year or so back when making my own choice. The A5 has a very pleasant sound, by that I mean it is nicely 'voiced' to sound full bodied and easy on the ear, a sound that many seem to enjoy. If you liked your friends speakers, the 5+ is very similar.

For my own taste, I found them to be a bit soft and wooly, even on stands and their ability to fill even a normal sized room and stay in control was extremely limited. That said many find them quite engaging.

With that budget I would try and stretch to a pair of Adam A3x, they are a bit over budget though you can sometimes pick up a pair 'returned' ie opened and tried but barely used, for around £350. Performance on a tatally different level in my view.

adam_a3x.jpg
 

KidKomet

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Thanks for the help Dave! I'll do some research on those Adam's, I think I need to pester someone in to driving me somewhere for some auditions. Do you think I'd need stands/a DAC for the Adam's?
 

davedotco

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KidKomet said:
Thanks for the help Dave! I'll do some research on those Adam's, I think I need to pester someone in to driving me somewhere for some auditions. Do you think I'd need stands/a DAC for the Adam's?

The Adams have tiny 4 inch bass drivers and lots of contol, you might, just, get away without stands, it will depend on what you are placing them on, if you can fit them in that would be preferable, but if you are tight for space and close to a wall anyway it might not matter. Other slightly cheaper options would be the Yamaha HS5 and the Presonus E5, both under £300

Bear in mind these are studio monitors, you will need to get to a music/pro-audio shop, someone like this maybe....

http://www.dv247.com/
 

KidKomet

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I'll be placing them on a wooden desk. What I worry about is the right speaker in the corner will have a plaster wall behind it and bare brickwork to it's right. I may need to re-arrange my room a little. I have been reading about the Adam's and almost everyone has mentioned a lack of bass. Whilst I'm not a bass junkie, I still enjoy a good punch when it's required. The comments on their clarity and detail are really attracting me though. That same friend uses Presonus software and swears by it, hopefully their hardware matches that opinion!
 

davedotco

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KidKomet said:
I'll be placing them on a wooden desk. What I worry about is the right speaker in the corner will have a plaster wall behind it and bare brickwork to it's right. I may need to re-arrange my room a little. I have been reading about the Adam's and almost everyone has mentioned a lack of bass. Whilst I'm not a bass junkie, I still enjoy a good punch when it's required. The comments on their clarity and detail are really attracting me though. That same friend uses Presonus software and swears by it, hopefully their hardware matches that opinion!

I find that odd, unless the comments are from hi-fi enthusiasts. These are small speakers and really deep bass is largely absent but they are well balanced in my view. What they are not is loose and boomy with the mid bass boost that is so common in budget hi-fi speakers.

I find any hint of looseness or boom has me reaching for the off switch, so the tight but punchy nature of the Adams is right up my street though other opinions are available.

If you want something that sounds like a 'normal' budget system of small Denon or Marantz amp with a pair of Wharfedales or similar then the Adams are not for you, which is why, if you can, try and hear some options.
 

KidKomet

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I'm always for a more flat/neutral tone so I hope what I've been reading is just as you suspect. The M-Audio BX8's have also caught my attenion. I think I just need to get myself down to a store to audition.
 

davedotco

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KidKomet said:
I'm always for a more flat/neutral tone so I hope what I've been reading is just as you suspect. The M-Audio BX8's have also caught my attenion. I think I just need to get myself down to a store to audition.

The M Audio speakers are comfortably a class or two below the Adams but they are bigger and have the big 8 inch bass units, an Adam of similar size will be around £700-800pr. The BX8 have a big but relatively unrefined sound that some will like, probably a liability on a desktop though.

Talking of which, if the speakers are to be placed on a desktop you will get some bass reinforcement so a tight bass is even more important in my view.

If you are going to place them on the desktop then these are a good idea.....

http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/product/5680/audioengine-ds1-desktop-wedge-stands-for-a2-speakers-pair-
 

KidKomet

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Yeah I thought they might be. I'm itching to audition the Adam's and the PreSonus now. Funny you should mention those wedges, I was just looking at them. In the long run, I guess whatever I buy is going to be head and shoulders above my Logitech 5.1 in terms of music reproduction.
 

davedotco

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KidKomet said:
Yeah I thought they might be. I'm itching to audition the Adam's and the PreSonus now. Funny you should mention those wedges, I was just looking at them. In the long run, I guess whatever I buy is going to be head and shoulders above my Logitech 5.1 in terms of music reproduction.

The Presonus Eris 5 is a bit bigger than the A3x and nicely balanced, there is a slight 100hz bump in the response but it remains tight and controlled. An advantage is that the E5 has contols to adjust the bass level and roll off, very useful if the speakers are less than idealy placed.

Very tidy looking.....

2137369-a.jpg
 

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