In this review, we will be comparing HD5 and HD4, 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 HD5 and Audioengine HD4 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Audioengine HD5 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 100-watt RMS( 150-watt Peak) Integrated Amplifier
- 0.75" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 5" Aramid Woofer
- 55-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 24-bit Max Depth / 192 kHz Max Sample Rate
- Built-in 5.0 Bluetooth
- Weight:5.70kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 283.0" x 7.1875" x 10.4375"( 283.0 x 183.0 x 266.0mm )
Audioengine HD4 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 60-watt RMS( 120-watt Peak) Integrated Amplifier
- 0.75" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 4" Aramid Woofer
- 60-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 24-bit Max Depth / 48 kHz Max Sample Rate
- Built-in 5.0 Bluetooth
- Weight:2.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 231.8" x 5.4375" x 8.875"( 231.8 x 138.1 x 225.4mm )
HD5 and HD4 are members of Audioengine's HD series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Audioengine HD5 and Audioengine HD4 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both HD5 and HD4 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Audioengine HD5 |
Audioengine HD4 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
0.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 4-inch
|
HD5 features a 0.75" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Aramid Woofer . On the other hand, the HD4 features a 0.75" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4" Aramid Woofer .
Frequency Response
HD5 has a frequency range of 55-22k Hz whereas HD4 has a frequency range of 60-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 55Hz, the HD5 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the HD4's min frequency of 60Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
HD5 has a rear firing port whereas HD4 has a front firing ports. Audioengine HD4's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Audioengine HD5 with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 HD5's and Audioengine HD4's external dimensions. Audioengine HD5 has external dimensions of 283.0 x 183.0 x 266.0mm ( 11.125inch x 7.1875inch x 10.4375inch ) whereas Audioengine HD4 has external dimensions of 231.8 x 138.1 x 225.4mm ( 9.125 x 5.4375 x 8.875inch) .
Audioengine HD5 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 44.9mm wider, 51.2mm taller and 40.6mm deeper than Audioengine HD4.
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 HD5 is approximately 486.8cm2 / 75.5inch2 and base area of the Audioengine HD4 is approximately 311.3cm2 / 48.3inch2. The HD5 requires 56% more surface area than the HD4 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.