In this review, we will be comparing Ai61 and A5+ Wireless, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from Fluance and 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 Fluance Ai61 and Audioengine A5+ Wireless first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fluance Ai61 | Audioengine A5+ Wireless |
|---|
| Brand | Fluance
Canada · founded 1999 | Audioengine
United States · founded 2005 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Built-in amplifier | 120-watt RMS | 100-watt RMS |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft Dome | 0.75" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Woven, Glass Fiber Composite | 5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-20k Hz | 50-22k Hz |
|---|
| Power range | up to 120 watts | — |
|---|
| Max depth / sample rate | 16-bit / 48 kHz | 24-bit / 44.1 kHz |
|---|
| Bluetooth | Built-in 5.0 | Built-in 4.0 |
|---|
| Weight | 5.96kg / 13.1lbs | 4.40kg / 9.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 13.1" x 7.8" x 9.2"
33.3 x 19.8 x 23.4 cm | 10.875" x 7.1875" x 9.75"
276.2 x 182.6 x 247.6mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Ai61 and A5+ Wireless are 2-way speakers.
Fluance Ai61Audioengine 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 |
Fluance Ai61 |
Audioengine A5+ Wireless |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
0.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Ai61 features a 1" Silk Neodymium Ferrofluid Cooled Soft Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Woven, Glass Fiber Composite Woofer. On the other hand, the A5+ Wireless features a 0.75" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Ai61 has a frequency range of 32-20k Hz whereas A5+ Wireless has a frequency range of 50-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the Ai61 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the A5+ Wireless's min frequency of 50Hz.
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 Ai61 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 Fluance Ai61's and Audioengine A5+ Wireless's external dimensions. Fluance Ai61 has external dimensions of 33.3 x 19.8 x 23.4 cm (13.1 x 7.8 x 9.2 inches) whereas Audioengine A5+ Wireless has external dimensions of 276.2 x 182.6 x 247.6mm (10.875 x 7.1875 x 9.75inch).
Audioengine A5+ Wireless is 15.4mm narrower and 56.8mm shorter than Fluance Ai61 but it is also 13.6mm deeper.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Near-identical footprints. Fluance Ai61 is 57mm taller.
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 Fluance Ai61 is approximately 463.0cm2 / 71.8inch2 and base area of the Audioengine A5+ Wireless is approximately 452.1cm2 / 70.1inch2. The Ai61 requires 2% more surface area than the A5+ Wireless which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 Fluance Ai61 weighs 5.96kg / 13.1lbs and the Audioengine A5+ Wireless weighs 4.40kg / 9.7lbs. This makes the Ai61 35% heavier than the A5+ Wireless.
Here is a comparison of how Ai61 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 Fluance Ai61?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Ai61:
- Ai61 Powered Bookshelf Speakers (pair)
- Remote Control
- 1x CR2032 Battery
- 6ft Power Cable
- 8ft 18 Gauge Speaker Wire
- Quick Start Guide
- Fluance Catalog
- Lifetime Customer Support
- 2 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty
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
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
299USD
vs
499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 USB Port |
USB-C
vs
No
|
USB port adds flexibility |
 Digital Input |
Optical
vs
No
|
Connect digital inputs directly |
 High Frequency Response |
22k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
276mm
vs
333mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
452cm2
vs
463cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 3.5mm Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connection via 3.5mm AUX input |
 RCA Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connection via RCA input |
| General |
Fluance Ai61 |
Audioengine A5+ Wireless |
| Brand |
Fluance |
Audioengine |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
| Frequency Response |
32-20k Hz |
50-22k Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
120-watt RMS |
100-watt RMS |
| Max Bit Depth |
16-bit |
24-bit |
| Max Sample Rate |
48 kHz |
44.1 kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Woven, Glass Fiber Composite |
Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
0.75" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
333.0mm (13.1") |
276.2mm (10.9") |
| Width |
198.0mm (7.8") |
182.6mm (7.2") |
| Depth |
234.0mm (9.2") |
247.6mm (9.7") |
| Weight |
5.96kg (13.1lbs) |
4.40kg (9.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF wood |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
Black Ash,Lucky Bamboo,White Walnut, Natural Walnut |
Black, Bamboo, White |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Aux Inputs |
RCA |
3.5mm, RCA |
| USB Port |
USB-C |
No |
| Phone Input |
No |
No |
| Subwoofer Output |
Wired |
Wired |
| Digital Input |
Optical |
No |
| HDMI Input |
No |
No |
| Headphone Jack |
No |
No |
| Ethernet Port |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
3 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Audioengine A5+ Wireless costs roughly 1.7x what Fluance Ai61 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Fluance Ai61 digs deeper - 32Hz against 50Hz. |
| Built-in power | evenly matched | Similar onboard amplification (120W vs 100W RMS). |
| Connections | A | Fluance Ai61 adds digital inputs. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Fluance Ai61: a sub output; Audioengine A5+ Wireless: a sub output. Audioengine A5+ Wireless sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Fluance Ai61 is cheaper - $299 against $499, about 40% less; arguably a different class. |
A Fluance Ai61 B Audioengine A5+ Wireless
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?
Fluance Ai61 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Audioengine A5+ Wireless if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $200 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.