Audioengine A2+ Review: Everything Above 65 Hz
Powered desk speakers that have outlasted a decade of rivals — and one spec that decides whether they suit your music.
Desk speakers are an odd category. Most people either spend nothing and accept whatever their monitor does, or spend a lot on a pair of studio monitors that need a separate amplifier and a cable run. The A2+ has sat in the gap between those for years by being genuinely good and genuinely small — and the number that decides whether it suits you is right there on the spec sheet.
This is a research-based buying guide, not a hands-on test. Read our review standards.
The short answer
Buy them if you want real stereo on a desk without an amplifier, a subwoofer or a cable run. They are powered, they take a USB or analogue feed directly, and they fit where studio monitors will not.
The number to check is 65 Hz. That is where the bass stops. If you want the bottom octave, these are not it, and no amount of EQ will invent it.
The specification
| Specification | Audioengine A2+ |
|---|---|
| Type | Powered (active) — amplifier built into the left speaker |
| Power output | 60 W peak total; 15 W RMS per channel |
| Woofer | 2.75in Kevlar |
| Tweeter | ¾in silk dome |
| Frequency response | 65 Hz – 22 kHz |
| Built-in DAC | TI/Burr-Brown PCM2704C |
| Inputs | USB, RCA and 3.5 mm |
| Wireless version | Adds Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, USB-C, 24-bit |
| Subwoofer output | Yes, via RCA variable out |
Why 65 Hz is the honest headline
A 2.75-inch woofer moves a certain volume of air and no more. Physics sets the floor, not engineering.
For context: a kick drum’s body sits around 60–80 Hz, and the lowest note on a bass guitar is about 41 Hz. So the A2+ gives you the punch of a kick and most of a bass line, and simply does not render the sub-bass underneath it.
Any small speaker claiming deep bass from a driver this size is exaggerating. Publishing 65 Hz rather than an optimistic number is a point in Audioengine’s favour, not against it.
Powered, and why that matters more than the drivers
These are active speakers: the amplifier lives inside the left cabinet, matched to the drivers it is driving. You plug a source into the speakers and that is the system.
Passive studio monitors at a similar price need an amplifier, speaker cable, and a decision about matching. On a desk, where you want two boxes and one cable, active is the only sensible architecture — and it is the main reason the A2+ keeps getting recommended over technically comparable passive pairs.
The built-in DAC
Connected over USB, the A2+ bypasses your computer’s audio output entirely and uses its own Burr-Brown converter. On a laptop with noisy onboard audio — hiss, or a faint whine that tracks your mouse — this is a real improvement rather than an audiophile talking point. On a machine with clean output, the difference is small.
Placement is doing half the work
This is the part most buyers skip and then blame the speakers for.
The A2+ has a conventional rectangular cabinet, so sitting flat on a desk the tweeter points at your chest. High frequencies are directional in a way bass is not, which means off-axis you lose detail and air — and then conclude the speakers sound dull.
Two things worth knowing before you order
The drivers are exposed. There are no grilles. They look good and they are completely unprotected — which is worth a thought if you have small children or a cat that walks on desks.
There are two versions. The original A2+ takes USB, RCA and 3.5 mm. The Next Gen wireless model adds Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, moves to USB-C, and handles 24-bit audio. If you will ever play from a phone, get the wireless one; retrofitting Bluetooth to the wired version means another box on the desk.
Strengths and compromises
What they do well
- Genuine stereo imaging from a small footprint
- Active design — no separate amplifier needed
- Built-in DAC bypasses noisy laptop audio
- Kevlar woofer and silk tweeter keep detail clean
- Subwoofer output when you want more low end
- Analogue and digital inputs on the same unit
- Built to last — this design has been on sale for years
What to think about first
- 65 Hz floor means no sub-bass
- Exposed drivers with no grilles
- Rectangular cabinets need tilting or stands
- 15 W RMS per channel is desk volume, not room volume
- Wired version has no Bluetooth
- Costs several times a basic USB speaker
Who should buy them
Good fit
- You work at a desk and want music to sound like music
- Your desk has no room for studio monitors
- You listen to acoustic, vocal or guitar-led material
- Your laptop’s headphone output hisses
Look elsewhere
- Bass is what you are buying — add a sub or look at 2.1
- You want to fill a room, not a desk
- You mostly listen on headphones anyway
- Budget is the deciding factor
What we could not assess
We have not measured frequency response, distortion at volume, or imaging in a treated room. The figures above are Audioengine’s published specifications. The placement guidance is standard acoustics rather than a product-specific finding — it applies to any small two-way speaker on a desk.
Frequently asked questions
Do the A2+ need a subwoofer?
Not for speech, acoustic music or most rock. For electronic music, hip-hop or films, yes — response stops at 65 Hz, so the sub-bass is simply not there. The variable RCA output exists for exactly this.
Is 15 W per channel enough?
For a desk, comfortably. You sit under a metre away, and near-field listening needs far less power than filling a room. If you want party volume across an open-plan space, this is the wrong product.
Does the built-in DAC actually make a difference?
It depends on what you are replacing. On a laptop with audible hiss or interference on its headphone output, the improvement is obvious. On a machine with clean onboard audio, it is marginal.
Wired A2+ or the wireless Next Gen?
Get the wireless version if you will ever play from a phone or tablet. It also moves to USB-C and 24-bit audio. If every source is a computer you can cable to, the wired version does the same job.
Do I need stands?
Not strictly, but angling them up so the tweeters point at your ears makes a clear difference. Stands, wedges, or even a book under the front edge all work. Tweeters firing at your chest is the most common reason desk speakers disappoint.
Can I use them with a turntable?
Only through a phono preamp. The RCA inputs are line level; a turntable without a built-in preamp outputs a much smaller signal and will sound thin and quiet.
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50x — the headphone equivalent of this purchase
- Sony WH-1000XM6 — when the room is not quiet
- Rode NT-USB Mini — the input side of a desk audio setup
- CalDigit TS4 — separate audio in and out on the dock
- BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 — the rest of the desk
Sources. Driver sizes, power ratings, frequency response, DAC and input specifications are from Audioengine’s published specification for the A2+. We have not tested this ourselves and do not claim to have.
Cross-shopping? See Audioengine A2+ vs Edifier R1280DB — the size trade-off decides it.
Or start cheaper? See Audioengine A2+ vs Creative Pebble V3.
Or headphones instead? See Audioengine A2+ vs ATH-M50x.