Siblings in Audioengine's A series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Audioengine A5+N digs deeper - 50Hz against 65Hz. |
| Built-in power | A | Audioengine A5+N has the bigger amplifier (50W vs 30W RMS). |
| Connections | B | Audioengine A1-MR adds Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and streaming. |
| Size | depends | Audioengine A1-MR is easier to place; Audioengine A5+N is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Audioengine A5+N: a sub output; Audioengine A1-MR: a sub output. |
| Price | B | Audioengine A1-MR is cheaper - $229 against $469, about 51% less; arguably a different class. |
A Audioengine A5+N B Audioengine A1-MR
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Audioengine A5+N is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 105% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Audioengine A1-MR looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Audioengine A5+N appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 65Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Audioengine A1-MR much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Audioengine A5+N has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Audioengine A1-MR is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.