In this review, we will be comparing Ri71 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 Ri71 and Audioengine A5+ Wireless first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fluance Ri71 | 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 | 1.1" AMT | 0.75" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Glass fibre | 5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-30k Hz | 50-22k Hz |
|---|
| Power range | up to 120 watts | — |
|---|
| Max depth / sample rate | 24-bit / 192 kHz | 24-bit / 44.1 kHz |
|---|
| Bluetooth | Built-in 5.0 | Built-in 4.0 |
|---|
| Weight | 6.40kg / 14.1lbs | 4.40kg / 9.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12-3/16" x 7-5/16" x 7-13/16"
310.0 x 185.0 x 199.0mm | 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 Ri71 and A5+ Wireless are 2-way speakers.
Fluance Ri71Audioengine 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 Ri71 |
Audioengine A5+ Wireless |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
0.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Ri71 features a 1.1" Air Motion Transformer AMT Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Glass fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz. On the other hand, the A5+ Wireless features a 0.75" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Ri71 has a frequency range of 46-30k Hz whereas A5+ Wireless has a frequency range of 50-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the Ri71 can go slightly deeper then 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
Ri71 has a front firing port whereas A5+ Wireless has a rear firing ports. Fluance Ri71's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Audioengine A5+ Wireless with its rear-firing port.
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 Ri71's and Audioengine A5+ Wireless's external dimensions. Fluance Ri71 has external dimensions of 310.0 x 185.0 x 199.0mm (12-3/16 x 7-5/16 x 7-13/16inch) 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 2.4mm narrower and 33.8mm shorter than Fluance Ri71 but it is also 48.6mm 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.
Audioengine A5+ Wireless needs about 23% more floor or shelf area. Audioengine A5+ Wireless is 49mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Fluance Ri71 is 34mm 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 Ri71 is approximately 368.2cm2 / 57.1inch2 and base area of the Audioengine A5+ Wireless is approximately 452.1cm2 / 70.1inch2. The Ri71 requires 19% less surface area than the A5+ Wireless which gives it a small advantage 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 Ri71 weighs 6.40kg / 14.1lbs and the Audioengine A5+ Wireless weighs 4.40kg / 9.7lbs. This makes the Ri71 45% heavier than the A5+ Wireless.
Here is a comparison of how Ri71 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+ 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 |
5.25 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
46 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Base Surface Area |
368cm2
vs
452cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 HDMI Input |
ARC
vs
No
|
Connect HDMI sources directly |
 Height |
276mm
vs
310mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
499USD
vs
500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 3.5mm Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connection via 3.5mm AUX input |
 RCA Connection |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connection via RCA input |
| General |
Fluance Ri71 |
Audioengine A5+ Wireless |
| Brand |
Fluance |
Audioengine |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
| Frequency Response |
46-30k Hz |
50-22k Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
120-watt RMS |
100-watt RMS |
| Max Bit Depth |
24-bit |
24-bit |
| Max Sample Rate |
192 kHz |
44.1 kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Glass fibre |
Kevlar |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
0.75" |
| Tweeter Type |
AMT |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2700Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
310.0mm (12.2") |
276.2mm (10.9") |
| Width |
185.0mm (7.3") |
182.6mm (7.2") |
| Depth |
199.0mm (7.8") |
247.6mm (9.7") |
| Weight |
6.40kg (14.1lbs) |
4.40kg (9.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black, Bamboo, White |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
No |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Aux Inputs |
RCA |
3.5mm, RCA |
| USB Port |
n/a |
No |
| Phone Input |
No |
No |
| Subwoofer Output |
Wired |
Wired |
| Digital Input |
No |
No |
| HDMI Input |
ARC |
No |
| Headphone Jack |
n/a |
No |
| Ethernet Port |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
2 Years |
3 Years |
A generation apart: Fluance Ri71 is the newer design, against a 2019 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Fluance Ri71 digs deeper - 46Hz against 50Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Built-in power | evenly matched | Similar onboard amplification (120W vs 100W RMS). |
| Connections | A | Fluance Ri71 adds HDMI. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Fluance Ri71: a sub output; Audioengine A5+ Wireless: a sub output. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($500 vs $499 a pair). |
A Fluance Ri71 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 Ri71 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.