[uraflit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by techniqu /img/forum/go_quote.gif decided to grab some A5's off provantage. they're going for 258 not including shipping which is a great deal. Looks like low availability though. PROVANTAGE: Availability of Audioengine 5 Speaker System - Black By Audioengine

o wow. that's a good price i assume! time to jump...? o the decisions!

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl /img/forum/go_quote.gif There is a slightly nasal, "cupped hands" sound to them, too. There is also a slight hollowness that gives it a bit of a "boxy" sound.

How are they placed? You have to get these speakers elevated or else there might be a lot of desk surface bounce which usually affects the mids.

 

[cheezies]

I posted my opinions of my new A2's here. It's near the bottom of the first page on the thread.

 

[Rumz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by techniqu /img/forum/go_quote.gif decided to grab some A5's off provantage. they're going for 258 not including shipping which is a great deal. Looks like low availability though. PROVANTAGE: Audioengine A5B Audioengine 5 Speaker System - Black

How much was shipping?

 

[techniqu]

shipping to me was 16$

 

[technobarbie]

I can't wait to get mine, which should be tomorrow. I ordered them directly from AudioEngine, and boy do they ship fast. I just put my order in yesterday.

 

[Hookem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by technobarbie /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can't wait to get mine, which should be tomorrow. I ordered them directly from AudioEngine, and boy do they ship fast. I just put my order in yesterday.

Yeah those guys customer service is just outstanding...I have called there and talked to the owners...They actually answer the phone.

Sent some A2's back on a Wednesday...Emailed them the Signature Confirmation number from USPS and on Friday they sent me an email telling me they were issuing the credit card refund...Monday morning it was back.

Easily the best customer service I have ever experienced with any online vendor...They are in Cali and they ship out of NC or SC...The West Coast ordering and East Coast shipping must be working for them.

Props to AudioEngine...From their product's, 30 day test drive and customer service...5 Star in my book !!!!!!!

 

[Rumz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hookem /img/forum/go_quote.gif I borrowed a Velodyne VX10 from a friend...They had them on sale at Fry's last week for 124.99...10" speaker with a 100RMS A/B watt amp...Should work for a lot less than the Audioengine sub...For big box store stuff Velodyne aint bad...The VX10 aint exactly their top tier stuff but it should work well paired with Audioengine's. I had a Yamaha YST10 or something like back in the day, paired with some Polk bookshelve speakers that I only paid like 120 bucks for that really pumped up the jam on one of my first home theather systems. Sony also makes and cheap sub that I have heard that would probably work well for around a buck twenty five. I will hook it up and give it a test run tomorrow...He had it paired with some M-Audio 40's if I remember correctly and it sounded good until he cranked it way up...But he is a trance guy and I really have a low tolerance for trance unless I am in the club...Listening to trance cranked up in his house with the lights turned off watching the computer sceens is not exactly my idea of a pleasurable listening enviorment.

I'm waiting to hear back on this

 

[technobarbie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hookem /img/forum/go_quote.gif They are in Cali and they ship out of NC or SC...The West Coast ordering and East Coast shipping must be working for them.

Yeah they shipped mine out of NC - I'm in Florida. I was surprised about the Saturday Fedex Delivery. Props to them.

 

[Hookem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumz /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm waiting to hear back on this

Okay here it is...Started with Ricki Lee Jones' Danny's All-Star Joint...WOW...Then put in Stanley Clarke's School Days...Moved to some Billy Colbham...Chick Corea...The Who...Wes Montgomery...Weather Report...Jimi Hendrix...Cream...Albert King...Freddie King...Vaughan Brother...Kenny Wayne Shepherd...Christina Aguilera...Sheryl Crow...Amy Winehouse...Annie Lennox.

All of this is 192kbs WMA's ripped from the CD's...Really did not have time to dig out all the CD's of stuff I wanted to listen to.

Soldiered on with the WMA's for some hip-hop stuff...2 Pac's All About You, How Do You Want It, California Love, 50's P.I.M.P., Snoops Gin and Juice.

At that point some stuff sounded awesome with others not sounding so good...Typical of all the stuff I have ripped into Windows Media Player 11. and the onboard sound using the Realtek ALC888 chip...Still trying to decide on either the Prodigy HD2 or a USB Dac...I do have a Audigy that I am going to reinstall later this evening...Sold all my other sound cards.

So I busted out my Samsung SACD player to listen to some MFSL disk...A friend who has a radio show here in Houston has all my SACD disk and all but a few of my MFSL disk.

As I have found the Audioengine A5's are exceptionally sensivtive what you are feeding them with...I listened to some Jeff Beck MFSL, Albert King, Steely Dan with just the A5's and they put a smile on my face.

So I hooked up the Velodyne VX-10...To say it enhanced my listening experience would be a complete and total understatment...Night and Day difference...Was able to reach ear numbing volume levels without listener fatigue setting in...Still fighting with a little too hot high's and found myself playing sound man messing with the EQ.

So my advice is this...If you want a inexpensive subwoofer to pair with the Audioengine 5's to give you some serious low end, I highly recommend getting the Velodyne VX-10.

I talked to my buddy who bought my Yamaha YST10...He told me that he like the guy with the VX-10 has retired the Yammy from his system and it is sitting in a closet...Had to resort to bribery but he has agreed to bring it to me tomorrow so I can compare it to the Velodyne.

I wish I had a better understanding of the terms used to describe how stuff sounds...I looked at the thread describing terms used...100+...LOL...I just laughed...When I have a few off days I will try to educate myself on the proper use of describing how a setup sounds.

I do know what I like and dislike...Not much to dislike about the A5's paired with the Velodyne VX-10...WHEW !!!!! Now if I could just find that damn phone I hear ringing in my head.

 

[Rumz]

Thanks for the impressions

I have a bookshelf system that really needs new speakers. For what I was about to shell out for a decent pair of bookshelves (Some Axiom MT3i), I might be able to get some A5's and an inexpensive sub for just a little more. Hmmm....

 

[Hookem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the impressions I have a bookshelf system that really needs new speakers. For what I was about to shell out for a decent pair of bookshelves (Some Axiom MT3i), I might be able to get some A5's and an inexpensive sub for just a little more. Hmmm....

Yeah I am struggling with keeping the A5's or going with a USB/DAC T/Amp with passive bookshelf speakers. I have a older, but higher end pair of retired Polk Audio bookshelf speakers sitting in the closet.

I could not make it to Fry's this evening to buy my own VX-10...It was a one day sale @ 129.00...My friend is telling me he will give me a smoking deal on his VX-10 along with my other buddy who told me he would give me my old YST10 Yamaha.

There are just so many USB/DAC-T/Amps out there it is just mind boggling...But it would appear that I can get there without spending a bunch of money for a T/Amp, bookshelf speaker, powered sub setup.

Either guy will let me keep the subs as long as I want...So I will probably go ahead with something...Really want to stay under 150 bones for the USB/DAC-T/Amp.

Guess it is time to start seriously looking.

 

[Rumz]

So would you just get the USB / DAC / T-amp and bust out the old Polk Audio's for the passive bookshelves?

Right now I'm thinking I just want to get a powered subwoofer to go with my bookshelf system-- the low end is where it's lacking most. Then perhaps later replace the bookshelf speakers it came with. (I'm using a Sharp SD-NX10). Mids are good but the highs could use some help.

What inputs does the Velodyne have on the back? It doesn't have any outputs, does it? (I wouldn't expect much for an inexpensive amp, but I'm just curious).

 

[Hookem]

It has speaker wire clips so you can go L/R speaker out from a reciever to the sub and then speaker wire clips out to the speakers...Connecting it that way enables a cross over to keep anything 80 or below from reaching the speakers.

I have it connected RCA out from the Audioengines into the sub.

I have a monster cable mini to RCA around here somewhere and will probably go center/sub output from the sound card into the RCA inputs on the VX-10 as soon as I can find it.

Dont know if or how it will change the sound...But it is worth a try.

 

[falang]

Just picked up a pair of AudioEngine A2s the other day. I'm running them via: laptop usb/xbox 360>modified Great March Dac>A2s

I live in a tiny Hong Kong apartment with little room for a full-on 2.0 speaker set-up. My laptop is connected to my lcd tv via hdmi and is thus the foundation of my home entertainment set-up. I sit about 4 feet away from the tv and speakers.

Initial Impressions for Music:

Wow, these puppies are juiced. I fear my neighbors are going to revolt (consider it payback for them blasting their tvs with their doors inexplicably wide open). So, there is plenty of loudness for a small to medium sized room.

I listen to a variety of music: rock, electronic, folk, etc., and my initial impressions are good across the board. Bass isn't too shy or muddy; there is no distortion - playback seems effortless and silky; full, not hollow like most conventional 2.0 computer speakers. They're not as detailed as my UM2s or AT-A900s, but I don't feel like I'm missing out too much by skipping the headphones and just chilling on the couch listening to the A2s.

Thus, those of you looking for a mini 2.0 system for tiny rooms, or those searching for near-field computer speakers, need look no further than the A2s, especially at the $200 or less price range.

I have not spent enough time with movies or my xbox yet to comment on how the A2s match up yet, but I imagine these will be perfect for my listening environment. Cheers.