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 the top pick.
Full review
Sound Quality
The A2+ Wireless is built around sound quality first, and reviewers consistently reward it for that. Tom's Guide found that "Audioengine's A2+ speakers sound bigger than their compact footprint might suggest and produce great audio that really impressed in testing," while TechRadar praised speakers that "sound and look remarkably good for their size" with a "balanced, detailed presentation." The Kevlar woofers and silk tweeters deliver crisp mids and clean, detailed highs with an accurate stereo image.
This is a neutral, refined tuning rather than the bass-boosted, fun signature of the 2.1 systems in this guide. It rewards good recordings and reveals detail in music that plastic desktop speakers smear over. The trade-off is bass extension – without a subwoofer the low end is tight and articulate but not deep, which is why Audioengine sells the optional S8 sub for listeners who want more rumble.
Real-World Performance
In daily use the A2+ Wireless behaves like a proper hi-fi miniaturized for a desk. Tom's Guide found the speakers "sound bigger than their compact footprint might suggest," and that's the experience: voices in podcasts and video calls are natural, music has real stereo width, and movie dialogue stays clear. The aptX-HD Bluetooth means you can wander over from a phone without a meaningful quality drop, then switch back to USB for the cleanest signal.
The flip side, as Tom's Hardware measured, is that it "didn't get as loud as some speakers that cost quite a bit less." For nearfield desk listening that ceiling is rarely a problem, but if you routinely fill a larger room or want to feel bass in your chest, the A2+ alone won't do it. Within its intended use – a person sitting a few feet away – it's consistently excellent, and the clean amplification means it stays composed and detailed right up to the volumes a desk actually calls for.
Build Quality and Design
Where most desktop speakers are plastic, the A2+ uses hand-built MDF wood cabinets that feel substantial and resonate cleanly, contributing to both the look and the sound. The glossy or matte finishes (black, white and limited colors) look at home on a nice desk, and the compact footprint genuinely fits tight setups in a way bookshelf speakers can't.
There is one ergonomic caveat that Tom's Hardware flagged in its testing: "because the speakers fire in a straight line, your ears may miss the sweet spot if they're sitting several inches below your ears." The fix is cheap – $20-$30 angled stands aim the drivers at your ears – but it's worth budgeting for. The exposed drivers also aren't ideal in homes with curious pets or small children.
Connectivity and Setup
Connectivity is a strength. The A2+ Wireless includes a built-in 24-bit DAC and accepts USB, RCA and 3.5mm analog inputs plus Bluetooth with aptX-HD for hi-res wireless streaming. WCCFTech's reviewer summed up the appeal: "audiophile sound with wireless comes to the PC." That means you can run it from a computer over USB, a turntable or console over RCA, and a phone over Bluetooth without swapping cables.
Setup is plug-and-play – there's no app or calibration to fuss with. The left speaker houses the amplifier and all the inputs, connecting to the passive right speaker via the included speaker wire. A front volume knob and a 3.5mm headphone-style output round out the simple, no-nonsense controls.
What Reviewers Loved
Reviewers across Tom's Guide, TechRadar, WCCFTech and others repeatedly highlight the same things: genuinely good sound from a small box, premium wood-cabinet build, and the convenience of high-quality Bluetooth alongside wired inputs. Tom's Guide noted that at its typical price "the price feels pretty reasonable" given performance that "comes close to the Kanto Ora" costing more.
The A2+ has become something of a default recommendation for a quality desktop setup precisely because it does the fundamentals so well and adds modern wireless without compromising the sound. The 3-year warranty also signals Audioengine's confidence and adds peace of mind at this price point.
Where It Falls Short
The two main limitations are bass and volume. With no subwoofer in the box, deep low-end is missing unless you add the optional S8, and Tom's Hardware noted that in its testing "the Audioengine A2+ didn't get as loud as some speakers that cost quite a bit less." For a small desk at normal listening levels that's rarely an issue, but bass-heads and anyone wanting to fill a larger room will feel the limits.
The straight-firing driver placement means you'll likely want angled stands for the best imaging, an extra cost and consideration. And the premium price for a sub-less stereo pair is hard to justify if your priority is maximum bass-per-dollar rather than fidelity – in that case the 2.1 systems below make more sense.
How It Compares to Alternatives
The A2+ Wireless sits apart from the rest of this guide as the fidelity-first option. The Klipsch ProMedia 2.1, Logitech Z407 and Creative Pebble X Plus all include subwoofers and chase bass and value, while the A2+ chases clean, accurate sound from powered stereo cabinets. Its closest sibling here is the Edifier R1280T, another powered bookshelf pair, but the Audioengine offers higher build quality, a better DAC and aptX-HD Bluetooth where the Edifier is more basic.
Against pricier bookshelf-and-amp setups it's a compact, all-in-one alternative, and against cheaper plastic desktop speakers it's a clear step up in sound and materials. For the buyer who wants the best-sounding compact desktop speakers and is willing to pay for them, nothing else here matches it.
Value at This Price
At around $269 the A2+ Wireless is the most expensive pick in this guide, and whether it's good value depends on what you prioritize. If bass and volume per dollar are the goal, the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 and Logitech Z407 are cheaper and hit harder. But if sound quality, build and flexibility are what matter, the Audioengine justifies the premium – Tom's Guide judged that its price "feels pretty reasonable" given performance that "comes close to the Kanto Ora" at $349.
You're also paying for things that last: hand-built wood cabinets, a built-in DAC, aptX-HD Bluetooth and a 3-year warranty. For a buyer who wants one refined desktop system they won't feel the need to replace, the A2+ Wireless is a sound long-term investment rather than a budget stopgap, which is exactly why it tops this list despite the price.
Who It's Best For
The A2+ Wireless is for the listener who treats their desk as a small hi-fi: someone who values clean mids, detailed highs and accurate stereo imaging for music and movies, and who appreciates real wood cabinets and flexible inputs. If you stream from a phone, plug in a computer over USB and occasionally connect a turntable, it handles all of it gracefully.
It's the wrong pick if your priority is thumping bass for games or movies, or maximum volume for a large room – the subwoofer-equipped Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 or Logitech Z407 are better and cheaper for that. But for a quality-first desktop, the A2+ Wireless is the standout, and the optional S8 subwoofer is there if you later decide you want more low end. It also suits anyone consolidating gear: with USB, RCA, aux and Bluetooth aptX-HD on one compact pair, it can serve as the single audio hub for a computer, a turntable and a phone all at once.
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.
Who this is for
At a glance: Desk listeners who prioritize clean, accurate sound and build quality for music and movies and don't need a separate subwoofer.
Why you’d buy the Audioengine A2+ Wireless
- 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.
Why you’d skip it
- 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.
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 4.6 score is the average of these published ratings. More about methodology.
