We are looking at buying some speakers so we can play some music when we have people or are cleaning. Our condo set up is so the kitchen is open to the living room. IO have my new TV in that living room, but due to lack of space, no speakers.
These speakers are not meant for the TV, I have given up on finding a place for TV speakers for the current set-up.
What we care about is:
-Sound quality
-Ease of access (i.e. how hard is it to put music in and switch devices, can it only play IPhones or laptop devices as well, does it have a remote control)
-Looks – does it look sleek?
AudioEngine A2's will fit anywhere, including next to your TV, and will easily handle a condo with that kind of layout up to neighbour-complaining volume. Add an Airport Express to the setup, and you can Airplay from any machine that runs iTunes, or any iOS device.
Regardless of whether you look at an Airplay solution, I highly recommend investigating these speakers. They will seriously trounce anything else in their size and price category, such as Bose, Jambox, etc. They are small studio speakers, not bookshelf speakers. But the sound for the size, including bass response, is unbelievable.
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-Scott
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AudioEngine A2's will fit anywhere, including next to your TV, and will easily handle a condo with that kind of layout up to neighbour-complaining volume. Add an Airport Express to the setup, and you can Airplay from any machine that runs iTunes, or any iOS device.
Regardless of whether you look at an Airplay solution, I highly recommend investigating these speakers. They will seriously trounce anything else in their size and price category, such as Bose, Jambox, etc. They are small studio speakers, not bookshelf speakers. But the sound for the size, including bass response, is unbelievable.
Seconded. I've got a pair of these hooked up to an Apple TV in my upstairs bedroom and it's incredible how much high-quality sound these little things can toss out. Also, they're beautiful.
I have Sonos throughtout the house and I recommend it heartily, It has the ability to play songs on your iphone or android phone, play internet stations, play Sirius (with subscription), can be controlled by your phone and can be networked and expanded at a later date using more Sonos devices and zones. And everything is wireless!
I agree with red sky that a bluetooth speaker is the way to go. The Jambox may have a tough time filling an open area that includes a kitchen and living room, but the Big Jambox would do a better job of it: https://jawbone.com/speakers/bigjambox/overview. It's $300 shipped on Amazon.
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When looking at the all-in-one units like the Bose, Jambox, Sonos, etc, I think its important to consider the loss of sound stage you are going to get with a proper pair of speakers that have some separation between them.
If you're talking about filling a living room/kitchen space for entertaining/cleaning/generally moving around the room, you want to avoid a speaker setup that is going to exhibit beaming or high directionality.
__________________
-Scott
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Just a quick FYI about Sonos systems as well - they're less versatile, more limiting (in terms of media selection), and more expensive than an equivalent AirPlay setup.
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When looking at the all-in-one units like the Bose, Jambox, Sonos, etc, I think its important to consider the loss of sound stage you are going to get with a proper pair of speakers that have some separation between them.
If you're talking about filling a living room/kitchen space for entertaining/cleaning/generally moving around the room, you want to avoid a speaker setup that is going to exhibit beaming or high directionality.
Are you trying to say that a all-in-one is superior to a pair of speakers run off a powered amp...if you are...I would beg to differ. You will have far and away better sound from a pair of decent speakers then you'll get from some all-in-one unit.
I heard those home theatres in a box are great.....
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Herbal - sciltheroe is actually saying the opposite.
Regarding Mick's point about versatility I would respectfully disagree. Sonos is able to do everything my airplay enabled speaker was. It is a bit more expensive but I think it is worth it.
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Regarding Mick's point about versatility I would respectfully disagree. Sonos is able to do everything my airplay enabled speaker was. It is a bit more expensive but I think it is worth it.
Agreed, Sonos can do anything an Airplay speaker is able to do. And the fact that the setup is so straight forward, there isn't anything you can really do to screw it up. They have a new wireless subwoofer and its amazing! They are coming out with a wireless soundbar right away too. Sonos puts out a great product.
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Are you trying to say that a all-in-one is superior to a pair of speakers run off a powered amp...if you are...I would beg to differ. You will have far and away better sound from a pair of decent speakers then you'll get from some all-in-one unit.
I heard those home theatres in a box are great.....
That's what I meant, and I screwed it up - a pair of speakers is going to be better, every time, than those all in ones. Especially units like the Jambox that do silly things with phasing to make the sound stage appear larger than it really is.
__________________
-Scott
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We are looking at buying some speakers so we can play some music when we have people or are cleaning. Our condo set up is so the kitchen is open to the living room. IO have my new TV in that living room, but due to lack of space, no speakers.
These speakers are not meant for the TV, I have given up on finding a place for TV speakers for the current set-up.
What we care about is:
-Sound quality
-Ease of access (i.e. how hard is it to put music in and switch devices, can it only play IPhones or laptop devices as well, does it have a remote control)
-Looks – does it look sleek?
Thank you!
Kavy
-Placing it in a bowl amplifies the volume
-Very easy to access
-I think it looks sleak/sexy
That's what I meant, and I screwed it up - a pair of speakers is going to be better, every time, than those all in ones. Especially units like the Jambox that do silly things with phasing to make the sound stage appear larger than it really is.
I don't think you looked at his criteria. Your tech advice is always good and I have taken your advice on more than one occasion, but you may have missed the mark a bit on this one, IMO. He already said he's given up on putting speakers by his TV for lack of space and he lives in a condo, which means his neighbours will likely have an issue with the deep, big sound amplified full-size speakers can provide.
His needs are one of the reasons why Big Jamboxes and BOSE Bluetooth speakers exist. They are quick and easy to use, don't take up any space, and provide a nice sound without shaking the walls.
I have a large ONKYO amplifier, killer Polk Audio speakers and subs in my basement, but that doesn't mean there isn't a place for the Big Jambox in my bedroom (that shares a wall with my daughter's room - I like listening to music at night but I'd hardly want my Polks thumping through the floor and walls polluting her room). Last night I was listening to this song on my Big Jambox and I kept rewinding it because the noise was tripping me out as it sounded like it was coming from all around me . I understand your point of view that it's a "silly" gimmick, but as an owner of one I can assure you the effect is real and it does lead to an enjoyable listening experience.
I also have a BOSE in my kitchen, which is really nice for just flicking on and having good quality ambient music - with the option of getting enjoyably loud, but that doesn't take up more than one square foot on my counter. If I brought my ONKYO and full-size speakers/sub upstairs I'd have to rearrange and dedicate my living room to them.
A side benefit to these small speakers is their portability. Since buying my BOSE a few years ago, it's been on every holiday and weekend away with me. It can really make a trip having good tunes playing. Imagine a party or a bar with no music.
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Agreed, Sonos can do anything an Airplay speaker is able to do.
That's true, as long as you aren't interested in streaming audio from iTunes Match, Google Music, YouTube, Plex, etc. And if you're ok with never allowing a guest to stream music from their own device. And if you're good with always using Sonos hardware for playback. And you never want the option of streaming video wirelessly with your setup.
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I don't think you looked at his criteria. Your tech advice is always good and I have taken your advice on more than one occasion, but you may have missed the mark a bit on this one, IMO. He already said he's given up on putting speakers by his TV for lack of space and he lives in a condo, which means his neighbours will likely have an issue with the deep, big sound amplified full-size speakers can provide.
His needs are one of the reasons why Big Jamboxes and BOSE Bluetooth speakers exist. They are quick and easy to use, don't take up any space, and provide a nice sound without shaking the walls.
I don't think you understand how small the A2's are though. We're not talking a big pair of bookshelf monitors - they are terrifically small and could be worked into pretty much any living arrangement. What makes them so great is the richness of sound you get out of speakers their size - they really are without compare.
I read requirements carefully. Top of his list was audio quality, followed by looks and ease of use. The A2's are the kind of quality and output you want for an open design floorspace the size of a condo.
Here's the size for reference:
Believe me or not, but others with AudioEngine speakers will glowingly attest, the A2's at that size are _plenty_ of speaker, with wide, deep frequency response for a single floor. The A5's (the A2's bigger cousins, which I agree are too large for this use case) are loud enough to keep up with my guitar amp and shake the basement. The output and fidelity of these speakers is really impressive, and price wise they are super competitive with those Bose and Sonos and Jambox type units. The only downsides are portability (since they aren't all in one), and no bluetooth or other wireless delivery built in (but that's easily addressed using a device of your choice like an AppleTV or Airport Express, or similar type streaming units - I'm sure Sonos would have something similar too)
__________________
-Scott
Last edited by sclitheroe; 04-26-2013 at 09:36 AM.
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Haha, I didn't realize they were that small at all. I should have known better given your thoughtful posting history. Sorry dude, those are indeed very small.
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Kitchen/Living Room Speakers
