* September 2012 *
Previously I owned a Logitech 2:1 set up that packed some powerful bass, but after 6 years it was time for something new. I did lots of research on small 2:0 and 2:1 speaker setups that had good audio quality and it was Lunatique's review of them that persuaded me to purchase the A2s. I also didn't have much room, so they had to be small.
From the second I lifted up their postage box I knew I would be in love with their build quality. The box they came in must have weighed a good 15 pounds. I ran home from the mailbox and unboxed them. When I got the box opened all the cables were wrapped in their own velvet pouches (a really neat feature). The A2s were also in their own velvet bags; obviously for travel, but I do not plan on moving them much, if at all. Each speaker came in at just under 4 pounds. They stand about 6 inches tall and have a width of about 4 inches. They are about 5 inches long. So, these speakers are SMALL. But their build quality far surpasses any desktop speakers I have owned, extremely satisfied.
I was a little worried about the silk tweeters and Kevlar woofers, both being exposed without any type of covering. But they seem to be well designed and shouldn't be a problem ... unless you have kids in your house. I remember when I was younger I liked to stick my finger in the holes on the speakers :O
I am no audiophile, but these speakers sound great. I listen to rock, pop, metal, and a little country and everything sounds wonderful. That being said, I find the bass to be a little muddled at times, perhaps it is just me. Listening to Linkin Park and electronic music such as Basshunter, I noticed the bass is too heavy. I realize Lunatique pointed this out in his review, but I thought I could cope with it, seeing as I enjoy a good amount of bass in my music. But, when I got the A2s on my desk and hooked up my Mac and such, the bass was kind of annoying me. So I used the EQ built into iTunes to adjust the bass a bit.
As an average consumer, that loves his music, these little guys are great. The price was in my range and the size was what I had in mind. I hope their sound quality grows with age.
* October 2012 *
The fact that the volume nob is on the back of the left speaker annoys me. Because I use these with my laptop, and I take my laptop with me everywhere, unplugging the A2s without turning them off leads to some feedback. To turn them off it requires reaching around the back of the left speaker and turning the volume knob to the off position. Just a little annoyance I have with them.* September 2013 *
I have been noticing some weird sounds coming from my right speaker. I am not sure if it is interference from something else in my room or if there is something wrong or if a cord is loose. I have always used the supplied 3.5 mm cable that came with the speakers but I decided to swap it for a right and left component cable to 3.5 mm. The sound sort of disappeared but was still noticeable. It sounds like static and sometimes it grows in volume and sometimes it disappears. Now I turn off the speakers all the time when they are not in use because the noise is annoying me. Contacted customer service but just received an email back about troubleshooting steps (I did not find that very helpful, it wasn't even a personal email addressing my specific problem). I use these speakers with my iMac now so they always stay plugged in.* November 2013 *
I have boxed up the speakers now and they are either going in the trash or just sitting down in the basement. When I was listening to music yesterday the woofer in the right speaker started to rumble, like something was loose inside of it. When you blast the music it disappears but in lower volumes it is annoyingly clear. I decided to open up the speakers and see if something was loose or vibrating against the woofer. I was surprised when I opened up the back of the speaker because it was so clean inside and well put together. They insulated the inside of the speaker which I am assuming should stop stuff from vibrating around. I removed it and found that all the wires and connections were soldered neatly in place and had been glued down. No sign of any wires causing the sound, or anything else. I put the speaker back together and played some music and heard the sound again. Only in the right speaker. At this point I am assuming the right woofer is busted. I contacted support again.Today I received an email from support that is identical to the initial email I received from them in September, a bunch of different troubleshooting steps which have nothing to do with my problem. I didn't bother emailing them back. I put the speakers in their box and put them in the basement. It looks like I need new speakers, and they won't be AudioEngine brand.