The Audioengine A2+ Wireless is the best desktop computer speaker for anyone who cares about sound quality, delivering audiophile clarity, hand-built wood cabinets and a built-in DAC in a desk-friendly size. Crisp mids, detailed highs and an accurate stereo image make music and movies sound genuinely refined, and flexible USB, RCA, aux and aptX-HD Bluetooth inputs cover any source. The trade-offs are a premium price and the lack of a subwoofer, but for a quality-first desk setup it's a leading pick.
Full review
Kevlar woofers and silk tweeters, tuned flat
Tom's Guide found the A2+ sounds bigger than its compact footprint suggests, and TechRadar described a balanced, detailed presentation from speakers that look and sound remarkably good for their size. The 2.75-inch Kevlar woofers and 0.75-inch silk tweeters aim at accuracy rather than excitement: crisp mids, clean highs and a stereo image that actually places instruments. It rewards good recordings and exposes bad ones, which is the opposite of what the bass-forward 2.1 sets in this category do.
65Hz is where the low end stops
Rated response runs 65Hz to 22kHz, and that lower figure is the honest limit of a sealed 2.75-inch driver. Bass is tight and articulate but shallow, there is no rumble, and no amount of placement fixes it, which is why Audioengine sells the S8 subwoofer separately. Volume is the other ceiling: these do not get as loud as some cheaper powered speakers, which is rarely a problem at desk distance and very much one across a large room.
Straight-firing drivers want to be raised
The drivers fire straight ahead rather than angled up, so if the cabinets sit several inches below ear level the treble passes over you and the imaging collapses. Angled stands in the $20 to $30 range fix it completely, but budget for them rather than discovering the problem after the speakers arrive. The exposed drivers also have no grilles, which is worth a thought in a house with cats or small children.
Built-in DAC, RCA and aptX-HD on one pair
Connectivity is the practical strength: a 24-bit DAC over USB, RCA for a turntable or console, a 3.5mm aux input and Bluetooth with aptX-HD. WCCFTech summed the appeal up as audiophile sound with wireless arriving on the PC. The left cabinet holds the amplifier and every input and drives the passive right cabinet over speaker wire, with no app and nothing to calibrate. A front volume knob and a headphone output finish it off.
Hand-built cabinets and a 3-year warranty
The MDF cabinets are hand-built and feel it, which is where a chunk of the money goes alongside the DAC and amplifier. Tom's Guide judged the price reasonable given performance it placed close to the Kanto Ora at $349. Against the subwoofer-equipped sets here the A2+ loses on bass per dollar and wins on everything to do with fidelity, and the 3-year warranty is longer than most desktop speakers carry.
Strengths
- +Audiophile-grade clarity with crisp mids, detailed highs and an accurate soundstage
- +Hand-built wood cabinets that sound and look far better than typical plastic desktop speakers
- +Built-in 24-bit DAC plus Bluetooth aptX-HD for hi-res wireless playback
- +Flexible inputs: USB, RCA and 3.5mm aux for any source
- +Compact footprint that fits tight desks and a 3-year warranty
Watch-outs
- −No included subwoofer, so deep bass needs the optional add-on
- −Doesn't get as loud as some cheaper powered speakers
- −Straight-firing drivers need to be aimed or raised toward ear level
- −Premium price for a desktop pair without a sub
How it compares
The Audioengine A2+ Wireless is the audiophile choice of this group, prioritizing sonic refinement and build quality over the bass-and-volume focus of the 2.1 systems here. Unlike the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1, Logitech Z407 and Creative Pebble X Plus, it ships without a subwoofer, so it trades low-end slam for cleaner mids and highs, and like the Edifier R1280T it uses real powered stereo cabinets rather than satellites-plus-sub.
Rating sources
“Audioengine's A2+ speakers sound bigger than their compact footprint might suggest and produce great audio that really impressed in testing.”
“Wireless desktop speakers that sound and look remarkably good for their size, with a balanced, detailed presentation.”
“Audiophile sound with wireless comes to the PC – the A2+ delivers clean, detailed audio with the convenience of aptX-HD Bluetooth.”
Our 3.9 score is the average of these published ratings. More about methodology.
