{"id":6772,"date":"2016-09-28T10:53:10","date_gmt":"2016-09-27T21:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/?p=6772"},"modified":"2016-12-16T09:44:52","modified_gmt":"2016-12-15T20:44:52","slug":"audioengine-hd6-powered-speakers-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/audioengine-hd6-powered-speakers-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Audioengine HD6 Powered Speakers Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Audioengine_HD6_10\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that I\u2019m a fan of Audioengine. Their products\u2014from the small A2+ to the larger A5+ speakers\u2014 are solidly built, affordable without being cheap, and sound terrific. What\u2019s not to like? When I reviewed the A5+ speakers, I talked about how massive they were in both weight and sound. I used to think they were great speakers\u2014I still do, but now not as much. The venerable A5+ speakers have been upstaged in a major way by Audioengine\u2019s new HD6 powered speakers.<\/p>\n

\"Audioengine_HD6_1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Audioengine has taken two steps forward and one step back with the new HD6. That step back is a good thing\u2014let me explain. While Audioengine makes great speakers, the design has always been more functional than pretty. I\u2019ve always liked their appearance, but I can see where some may find the speakers a bit too utilitarian looking\u2014because they are. The A2+ and especially the larger A5+ speaker\u2019s design simply will not fit into the decor of some living rooms. Audioengine took a step back and gave the HD6 a classic appearance, similar to the look of speakers from the 70s or 80s.<\/p>\n

The HD6 speakers come in three finishes: Satin black (paint), cherry wood veneer or walnut wood veneer. I have the walnut, because it looks the best to my eyes\u2014it\u2019s strictly a matter of preference. For the first time, Audioengine has provided front grills for a speaker. This may help convince that skeptical spouse or partner that a new set of speakers can now blend with the furnishings without shouting, \u201cLook at me, I\u2019m a speaker!\u201d The HD6 speakers have a subtle beauty\u2014so unlike the A5+. The grill\u2019s use magnetic attachments, so if you prefer a more traditional no grill look, they can be easily removed and stored away.<\/p>\n

\"Audioengine_HD6_3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At the bottom of both the left and right speaker is a tasteful Audioengine logo etched into an aluminum accent bar. The left speaker has a volume\/sleep knob and a power light that slowly fades in and out when the speakers are in sleep mode.<\/p>\n

\"Audioengine_HD6_2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

However, don\u2019t let their looks fool you. All you have to do is turn the left speaker around to see that the HD6 speakers are actually monsters dressed to kill. There\u2019s some cool features included. The most obvious is that the HD6 speakers are self-powered, which simply means that they don\u2019t require a separate amp to drive them, because it\u2019s built-in. And it ain\u2019t no wimpy amp, either.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 150 watts (75w per left\/right channel) of \u201cLet\u2019s damage our hearing\u201d power, which can generate quite a bit of heat. To solve this, Audioengine included a large heat-sink to help keep the speaker\u2019s amp cool. Note that the A5+ speakers have the same power rating\u2014150 watts, but for reasons I can\u2019t figure out; the HD6 sounds more powerful.<\/p>\n

I asked Audioengine why and they said that it\u2019s because that the \u201cHD6 uses larger\u2014and more efficient\u2014drivers. The new cabinet design of the HD6 is optimized to take advantage of these new tweeters and woofers so the HD6 is using the available power in a slightly different way.\u201d Well, whatever they did; it works. Listening to music turned up loud is just plain fun.<\/p>\n

Compared to the A5+ speakers, the HD6 drivers are larger, but not that much larger. It\u2019s 5 in. vs 5.5 in. woofers and 3\/4 in. vs 1 in. silk dome tweeters. There\u2019s also a thin bass port slot at the rear of both speaker cabinets which allows the woofer to have the air it needs to move more freely.<\/p>\n

\"Audioengine_HD6_13\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Audioengine_HD6_8\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Also at the rear of the left speaker are: an AUX port, RCA audio input and output ports, speaker connectors (for the right speaker), power switch and an optical audio input (TOSLINK). This optical input is cool, because if your device (computer, TV, DVD player, etc.) has an optical out port, then the music\/audio can have a more direct digital path right to the HD6 speaker.<\/p>\n

The headphone port on newer iMacs (like mine) also doubles as an optical out port\u2014not many people know this. I purchased an optical (mini plug to TOSLINK plug) cord and the results are way better than using the iMac port as a standard headphone port. The reason for this is that the HD6 speakers have a built-in digital audio converter (DAC) bypassing the cheaper, inferior DAC of my iMac. Audio is cleaner and has more presence using this method. Note: The benefit of using the HD6\u2019s DAC depends on the quality of the source DAC.<\/p>\n

\"Audioengine_HD6_12\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s another cool factor I haven\u2019t mentioned yet\u2014Bluetooth. The HD6 speakers utilize the same Bluetooth technology Audioengine uses on their B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver. Once the HD6 is paired with any smartphone, that smartphone will become a powerhouse music player. Bluetooth 4.0 is used, plus aptX Bluetooth for non-Apple smartphones.<\/p>\n

While waiting for my optical cord to arrive, I used the Bluetooth option from my iMac. Granted, Bluetooth sounds better now than it ever has, but hands down, hardwiring (especially via optical) is the way to go. Unless you need to use Bluetooth for convenience, I strongly suggest hardwiring. It\u2019s will always be better.<\/p>\n

Setting up the HD6 speakers was quick and painless, with easy Bluetooth pairing. I\u2019ve seldom have issues with Audioengine\u2019s tech, and the HD6 is no exception. Audioengine recommends 50-60 hours of break-in time to let the HD6 speakers reach their peak performance, but seriously, they will sound great the first time they\u2019re turned on.<\/p>\n

\"Audioengine_HD6_11\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The HD6 speakers come with all the accessories necessary to get started\u2014except an optical cable, which is not that expensive to purchase. As with all of their previous speakers, each HD6 speaker is packed in a nice drawstring bag. Speaking of accessories, Audioengine has also provided a remote. You may be thinking, \u201cBig deal\u2014other wireless speakers have remotes.\u201d Not like this one, they don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

While most remotes feel like an afterthought, this one is made from a block of machined aluminum and is a solid as a brick. Why can\u2019t everyone do this? The remote\u2019s functions are basic with just four buttons\u2014Sleep Mode, Volume up\/down and Mute. There is no Play\/Pause\/Skip function.<\/p>\n

\"Audioengine_HD6_4\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Audioengine_HD6_5\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Audioengine_HD6_9\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As cool looking and well-built as the HD6 speakers are, it\u2019s the sound that matters and it\u2019s the sound that delivers. I really like Audioengine\u2019s A5+ speakers. They\u2019re affordable (for quality speakers), powerful and pack a punch that\u2019s hard to resist. Audioengine has promoted all that goodness of the A5+ to another level. As I said before, while the A5+ has the same power rating as the HD6, the HD6 uses its power more efficiently, resulting in a bass that kicks harder and deeper, while still letting the higher frequencies sparkle even brighter.\u00a0 Audioengine makes a subwoofer that will work seamlessly with the HD6 speakers\u2014but seriously, the bass is already tight and low enough to make me question if a sub is even necessary. It\u2019s that good out of the box.<\/p>\n

Listening to various genres of music bear that out. Steely Dan are one of the best audiophile rock choices because in the studio, they were meticulous to a fault. Their albums sparkle with a clarity and punch few artists have accomplished. Where many rock artists\u2019 studio work is sloppy, Steely Dan is a group whose music benefits from higher resolution recordings. \u201cBodhisattva\u201d begins with a drum kick that is sharp and succinct.<\/p>\n

The instrumentals in this song are clearly delineated, yet mesh perfectly. The bass guitar is earthy sounding, yet the individual strings being plucked stand out. The HD6 speakers are able to exhibit this with effortless ease, especially when played LOUD. The same is true in the song, \u201cRikki Don\u2019t Lose That Number,\u201d where the bass is center stage.<\/p>\n

When Bill Graham\u2019s introduction of Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company was announced at the beginning of their \u201cCheap Thrills\u201d album recorded live in 1968 at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, you can sense the electricity of an event in the making. And what an event it turned out to be. \u201cCombination of the Two\u201d and the hit \u201cPiece of My Heart\u201d weren\u2019t superbly recorded, but the HD6 speakers capture all the grit, grime and glory of that seminal recording. Another one to play loud.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s \u201cSilent Shout\u201d by The Knife\u2014my new go-to bass tester song (thanks to a recent review I read about different speaker). If a speaker can survive this bottom-end onslaught, they have to be pretty good. The HD6 speakers survived it and then some. They reproduced the bass without any distortion, plus were able to exhibit the lead singer\u2019s throaty growl as well while higher frequency synth notes played over it. This was a test where the HD6 excelled.<\/p>\n

\"Audioengine_HD6_6\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Once again, Audioengine has made a pair of speakers that should thrill the buyer and continually amaze with killer audio. Maxell (an audio tape manufacturer) did an ad in the 80s to show off their ability to record everything accurately. That ad showed a guy in a chair sitting in front of a pair of speakers that were literally blowing his hair and scarf back by the sheer power of the audio. That\u2019s how it feels sitting in front of Audioengine\u2019s HD6 powered speakers.<\/p>\n

Product Information<\/strong><\/p>\n

Price:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 $1489.00 NZD<\/p>\n

Manufacturer:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Audioengine<\/p>\n

Pros:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fantastic sound<\/p>\n

Needs no subwoofer<\/p>\n

Well built<\/p>\n

Bluetooth<\/p>\n

Built-in amp and DAC<\/p>\n

Optical input<\/p>\n

Efficient use of power<\/p>\n

Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Expensive (but worth it)<\/p>\n

Read more at:<\/strong> http:\/\/the-gadgeteer.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Where to buy Audioengine: <\/strong>http:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no secret that I\u2019m a fan of Audioengine. Their products\u2014from the small A2+ to the larger A5+ speakers\u2014 are solidly built, affordable without being cheap, and sound terrific. What\u2019s not to like? When I reviewed the A5+ speakers, I talked about how massive they were in both weight and sound. I used to think […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6772"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6772"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6772\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6963,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6772\/revisions\/6963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abtec.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}