Expert's Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
To my ears the Audioengine 5s provide solid sound from the devices it was designed for–computers, portable music players, and AV media centers. If, based on sound quality alone, I had to choose between the iPod Hi-Fi and these speakers, I’d opt for the Audioengine 5s for their more-balanced sound and their ability to be separated. Although I’d prefer to see the kind of dock connector found on the iPod Hi-Fi, I can get by with one of the docks I own. And, short of building an AirPort Express directly into the speakers, I couldn’t be more pleased that Audioengine’s engineers figured the existence of streaming music devices into their design. All in all, the Audioengine 5 is a very worthy set of powered speakers that will serve you well in a bedroom, office, living room, or, with iTunes’ AirPlay streaming feature, all three.
(See our full review at the URL below.)–Christopher Breen