In this review, we will be comparing A5+N and A5+ Wireless, two Powered Bookshelf speakers by Audioengine. Being Powered speakers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Audioengine A5+N and Audioengine A5+ Wireless first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Audioengine A5+N | Audioengine A5+ Wireless |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Built-in amplifier | 50-watt RMS (75-watt peak) | 100-watt RMS |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.75" Soft-Dome | 0.75" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Kevlar | 5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-22k Hz | 50-22k Hz |
|---|
| Max depth / sample rate | — | 24-bit / 44.1 kHz |
|---|
| Bluetooth | No | Built-in 4.0 |
|---|
| Weight | 4.40kg / 9.7lbs | 4.40kg / 9.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 10.875" x 7.1888" x 9.75"
276.2 x 182.6 x 247.6mm | 10.875" x 7.1875" x 9.75"
276.2 x 182.6 x 247.6mm |
|---|
A5+N and A5+ Wireless are members of Audioengine's A series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Audioengine A Series
History
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
Both A5+N and A5+ Wireless are 2-way speakers.
Audioengine A5+NAudioengine A5+ Wireless
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Audioengine A5+N |
Audioengine A5+ Wireless |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
0.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
A5+N features a 0.75" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Kevlar Woofer. On the other hand, the A5+ Wireless features a 0.75" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
A5+N and A5+ Wireless has exactly the same frequency range of 50-22k Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both A5+N and A5+ Wireless have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Audioengine A5+N's and Audioengine A5+ Wireless's external dimensions. Audioengine A5+N has external dimensions of 276.2 x 182.6 x 247.6mm (10.875 x 7.1888 x 9.75inch) whereas Audioengine A5+ Wireless has external dimensions of 276.2 x 182.6 x 247.6mm (10.875 x 7.1875 x 9.75inch).
In this case, we can see that Audioengine A5+N and Audioengine A5+ Wireless have the exact same height, width and thickness.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Audioengine A5+N is approximately 452.1cm2 / 70.1inch2 and base area of the Audioengine A5+ Wireless is approximately 452.1cm2 / 70.1inch2.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Audioengine A5+N weighs 4.40kg / 9.7lbs and the Audioengine A5+ Wireless weighs 4.40kg / 9.7lbs.
Here is a comparison of how A5+N and A5+ Wireless's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Audioengine A5+N?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of A5+N:
- Powered left speaker
- Passive right speaker
- 6-feet AC power cord
- Remote control (with installed CR2025 battery)
- 12.5-feet Length of 16 gauge speaker wire
- 6.5-feet Stereo mini-jack cable (3.5mm mini-jack on both ends)
- 6-feet Stereo RCA cable
- Cloth drawstring cable bag
- 2 Cloth drawstring speaker bags
- Setup guide
- Audioengine product brochure
What's in the Box of Audioengine A5+ Wireless?
Here are the items that come with the A5+ Wireless:
- Powered left speaker
- Passive right speaker
- 6-feet AC power cord
- Remote control (with installed CR2025 battery)
- Antenna
- 12.5-feet Length of 16 gauge speaker wire
- 6.5-feet Stereo minijack cable
- 6-feet Stereo RCA cable
- Cloth drawstring cable bag
- 2 Cloth drawstring speaker bags
- Setup guide
- Audioengine product brochure
 Price per pair* |
469USD
vs
499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 USB Port |
Charge only
vs
No
|
USB port adds flexibility |
| General |
Audioengine A5+N |
Audioengine A5+ Wireless |
| Brand |
Audioengine |
Audioengine |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
| Frequency Response |
50-22k Hz |
50-22k Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
50-watt RMS |
100-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
75-watt RMS |
n/a |
| Max Bit Depth |
n/a |
24-bit |
| Max Sample Rate |
n/a |
44.1 kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Kevlar |
Kevlar |
| Tweeter Size |
0.75" |
0.75" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
276.2mm (10.9") |
276.2mm (10.9") |
| Width |
182.6mm (7.2") |
182.6mm (7.2") |
| Depth |
247.6mm (9.7") |
247.6mm (9.7") |
| Weight |
4.40kg (9.7lbs) |
4.40kg (9.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Black, Bamboo, White |
Black, Bamboo, White |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Aux Inputs |
3.5mm, RCA |
3.5mm, RCA |
| USB Port |
Charge only |
No |
| Phone Input |
No |
No |
| Subwoofer Output |
Wired |
Wired |
| Digital Input |
No |
No |
| HDMI Input |
No |
No |
| Headphone Jack |
No |
No |
| Ethernet Port |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
3 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
3 Years |
3 Years |
Siblings in Audioengine's A series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
evenly matched |
Much the same reach (50Hz vs 50Hz). |
| Built-in power |
B |
Audioengine A5+ Wireless has the bigger amplifier (100W vs 50W RMS). |
| Connections |
B |
Audioengine A5+ Wireless adds Bluetooth. |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Audioengine A5+N: a sub output; Audioengine A5+ Wireless: a sub output. |
| Price |
evenly matched |
Much the same money ($469 vs $499 a pair). |
A Audioengine A5+N
B Audioengine A5+ Wireless
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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+ Wireless has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does.
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.