We're well aware there are plenty of people who do all of their home music listening via a PC or MP3 player – we have a few such people in our office. So it was no surprise that we were so enamoured with the original Audioengine A5 active speakers, which delivered instant, good quality hi-fi for MP3 addicts. Allow us to introduce the smaller siblings then – the A2s.
Measuring around a third of the size of the A5s, the A2 speakers stand less than 10in tall, yet aim to produce a sound worthy of a serious collection of digital music, and in so doing offer a genuine alternative to a separates system.
The A2s use the same tweeters as their impressive older brother, but are partnered here with newly-designed Kevlar woofers. Gold-plated speaker connectors and a smartly finished cabinet give the impression of a premium product, belying the price tag. There also available in black or white too, so you can match them to your iPod or PC.
All the amplification is housed inside the left speaker, which also sources the mains power, and then communicates to the right speaker in turn. Together they deliver 30 watts per channel of power.
Audio inputs come in the form of two phono connections and a 3.5mm minijack input, allowing connection to your computer or simply to a portable music player. There's a volume control on the rear of the speaker, other than which there's very little sign of set-up to think about.
The A2 speakers come packaged with mains and speaker cables, as well as a minijack cable, and will set you back £110. Look out for a review soon.
