Audioengine has developed a rather strong customer base over the past decade offering affordable passive, active, and wireless loudspeakers and subwoofers that work rather well in a variety of scenarios.
An Audioengine A2+ loudspeaker and S6 subwoofer combination has worked extremely well in my bedroom system for almost 16 months; the subwoofer adds some necessary punch whilst watching movies and the Bluetooth performance connected to my iPhone 12 and iPad has always been very stable and we are without complaint in regard to the sonic performance.
The pandemic created a sizable number of consumers who decided to work from home and there are a growing number of college students who desire a wireless solution for their dorms and apartments that can support gaming, music streaming, and vinyl playback. The new Audioengine HD5 are available now for $549 USD.
HD5
Audioengine finally updated their landing page for the HD5 and we can confirm that they are 11″H (28 cm) x 7.16″W (18.2 cm) x 7.79″D (19.8 cm)
So what makes these interesting or unique?
Rather than go with a smaller and more efficient Class D amplifier, the Audioengine HD5 feature a Class AB 120 watt (which is divided up between both the primary and secondary loudspeakers) power amplifier that is integrated into the primary loudspeaker.
The Audioengine HD5 feature a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter and 5-inch aramid fiber woofer.
Support for aptX HD is also long overdue.
Format Support?
The loudspeaker supports aptX HD, aptX LL, aptX, AAC, and SBC and Bluetooth 5.2.
The HD5 upsamples everything to 24-bit/48kHz PCM. There is no support for DSD or MQA.
The rear panel features a stereo pair of RCA inputs/outputs, 1 x Digital Optical input, and a single 3.5mm analog input.
There is no internal MM phono stage which feels like a strange omission at this point when one considers how many of their customers have likely purchased their first turntable as well.
Choose from premium finishes like satin black, real-wood walnut veneer, or hi-gloss white, all complemented by brushed metal hardware.
What’s in the box?
- 1 x HD5 Home Music System powered (left) speaker
- 1 x HD5 Home Music System passive (right) speaker
- 1 x Antenna
- 1 x Speaker wire (16AWG)
- 1 x AC power cord
- 1 x Mini-jack audio cable
- 1 x RCA audio cable
- 2 x Microfiber speaker bag
- 2 x Microfiber cable bag
- 1 x Remote control
- 1 x Setup guide
Comparison
| HD4 | HD5 | HD6 | |
| MSRP | $399 | $549 | $699 |
| Finishes | Black, Walnut | Black, Walnut, White | Black, Walnut, White |
| Built-in Power Amp | 120W peak total | 150W peak total | 150W peak total |
| Amplifier Type | Class AB | Class AB | Class AB |
| Supported Codecs | aptX HD, aptX, AAC, SBC | aptX HD, aptX, AAC, SBC | aptX HD, aptX, AAC, SBC |
| Built-in DAC | PCM 5102 | PCM 5102 | AKM AK4396 |
| USB Input | 24 bit (upsampled), up to 48 kHz | 24 bit (upsampled), up to 48 kHz | N/A |
| Bluetooth | aptX HD, aptX with very low latency, aptX, AAC, SBC | aptX HD, aptX with very low latency, aptX, AAC, SBC | aptX HD, aptX with very low latency, aptX, AAC, SBC |
| WiFi | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Drivers | 4″ aramid fiber woofers | 5″ aramid fiber woofers | 5.5″ aramid fiber woofers |
| 0.75″ silk dome tweeters | 0.75” silk dome tweeters | 1″ silk dome tweeters | |
| Inputs | 3.5mm analog | 3.5mm analog | 3.5mm analog |
| Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.0 | |
| RCA analog | RCA analog | RCA analog | |
| USB | – | – | |
| – | Optical | Optical | |
| Ideal Listening Space | Desktop | Desktop | Room |
| Bass Port | Front Ported | Rear Ported | Rear Ported |
| Additional Features | Built-in Power Amp | Built-in Power Amp | Built-in Power Amp |
| Built-in Dac | Built-in Dac | Built-in Dac | |
| Subwoofer Output | Subwoofer Output | Subwoofer Output | |
| Detachable Speaker Grill | Detachable Speaker Grill | Detachable Speaker Grill | |
| B-Fi Compatible | B-Fi Compatible | B-Fi Compatible | |
| Headphone Output | Headphone Output | – | |
| – | Remote Control | Remote Control | |
| Dimensions (HWD) each speaker | 9” x 5.5″ x 6.5″ (23 x 14 x 16.5 cm) | 11″ (28 cm) x 7.16″ (18.2 cm) x 7.79″ (19.8 cm) | 7.25″ x 11.75″ x 10″ (18.5 x 30 x 25 cm) |
| Weight | 16 lbs (7.3 kg) | 26.7 lbs | 33.5 lbs (15 kg) |
Price & Availability
The Audioengine HD5 are available now for $549/pair at Amazon and Audioengine’s website. We hope to get a review pair by the end of December.
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