Gizmodo: audioengine

Audioengine AW1 Lets You Stream Music With Little Fuss

Haroon Malik — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:03:50 EDT

Audioengine has released a software independent, wireless music streaming solution, called the AW1. The AW1 set contains a receiver module and transmitter; the receiver connects via USB, RCA or line-out and the transmitter connects to your PC via USB. The audio sent is then picked up by the connected audio source, with a reported 100-foot range.

Interestingly, the transmission method is unique to Audioengine, which uses their own AvenraAudio technology. We're not too sure how that sounds, but it supposed to churn out CD-quality output with no dropouts or static. At $149, it may be worth the investment if the sound reproduction is as good as they claim. [Audio Junkies]

Gizmodo Theme Song Winner

Travis Hudson — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 13:45:27 EST

Congrats to Tekmo and K.O. who won the pair of Audioengine A5 speakers in our Theme Song contest. It was a tight race and their song edged another song by seven votes. Hit the jump to hear the winning tune.

Thanks again to everyone who submitted entries and to Audioengine for sponsoring this contest.

Hey, you! Go Vote for a Theme Song!

Travis Hudson — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 16:15:36 EST

Our Theme Song Contest finished up last week and after narrowing down the entries to the top nine or so we leave it to you, the readers, to vote for a winner and potentially a theme song that will appear in our original content videos.

So, follow the link below to listen and vote (if you haven't already). Thanks to Audioengine for sponsoring this contest and to everyone who submitted entries.

Gizmodo Theme Song Contest: Vote for the Winner

Travis Hudson — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 13:56:14 EST

The Gizmodo Theme Song Contest finished up last week. I compiled nine of the better entries and now leave it to you, the readers, the vote for the winner. The winner will receive of pair of Audioengine A5 speakers valued at $350. Big thanks to Audioengine for sponsoring this contest. Now, hit the jump to listen to all of the entries and vote for the winner. Voting ends on Wednesday.

Gizmodo Theme Song Contest—2 Days Left!

Travis Hudson — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 18:35:35 EST

Our theme song contest is still going strong. Don't know what I'm talking about, it's okay. Hit the link after the jump to find out all of the details and hear a sample of a song from Josh S. and JahFurry. Contest ends Friday. Thanks to Audioengine for sponsoring this contest.

Gizmodo Theme Song Contest

Gizmodo Theme Song Contest: Day 4

Travis Hudson — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:45:11 EST

This is a quick reminder that our Gizmodo Theme Song contest is still going on. Follow the link to find out what you need to do to win, and what prize we are giving away. Thanks to Kevin for his entry below—nothing wrong with some good old fashion softcore porn background music.

Thanks to Audioengine for sponsoring this contest.

Gizmodo Theme Song Contest Reminder

Travis Hudson — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:06:18 EST

Only one day into our Gizmodo Theme Song Contest and we are already have quite a few entries. To clarify it again, make sure your theme song is no longer than 30 seconds in length. We've received quite a few songs that consist of mostly techno loops with a robot voice saying "Gizmodo" in the background—not really theme song material. Below is an example of one of the more impressive theme songs we have received.

Thanks to "Big Phony" for submitting this little song. Follow the linkage below to get all of the details about the Gizmodo Theme Song Contest including what we are giving away to the winner. Thanks to Audioengine for sponsoring this contest.

Gizmodo Theme Song Contest

Travis Hudson — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 15:14:32 EST

Gizmodo readers are a melodic and creative bunch, and of course, you all love the Giz. The best way to show off this deep affection and talent is to enter the Gizmodo theme song contest.

The prize? We're giving away a pair of the Audioengine A5 book-shelf speakers. These are the same excellent speakers that I reviewed , and they happen to be valued at $350.

Here's how to win em: write and produce a Gizmodo theme song. Put that thing together, make sure it is no longer than 30 seconds, save it in an MP3 format and shoot it over to contests@gizmodo.com with Gizmodo Theme Song in the subject line. The contest ends next Friday, November 10. If the winning entry is good enough, we may even feature it as background music in some unboxing video in the future.

All of the standard Gawker Contest Rules apply. Big thanks goes out to Audioengine for sponsoring this contest.

Audioengine A5 Reviewed (Verdict: Diamond in the Rough)

Travis Hudson — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:19:21 EST

At first glance I was skeptical about the Audioengine A5 bookshelf-style speaker system. But once I received my unit and opened up the box I knew something was a bit different. First and foremost, the individual components were wrapped is cloth bags in the box rather than not wrapped at all or in traditional plastic zip bags. They have to be something special to be wrapped in cloth!

Jump for the full review of the speakers, and to find out how you can get a pair of these bad boys for yourself (for free).

Sound
The A5 speakers sound better than most speakers this size. It gives out rich, vibrant sound and good bass. There is even an option for an external subwoofer to be added to these already exceptional-sounding speakers with a sub-out connection

Each speaker has a five-inch Kevlar woofer and 20mm tweeter. The left speaker houses amplifiers for both speakers and the power supply, making it a bit heavier. The amplifier delivers 45 watts per channel with a frequency response of 60Hz to 22KHz. The beefy power supply also allows the optional auxiliary power input on the backside—Airport Express, anyone?

The line-in allows any kind of audio device to be plugged into the A5's, although it is apparent, especially with the included USB port, that these were designed with the iPod user in mind. The bit rate of the MP3 being played will determine the audio quality that is outputted. The higher the bit rate, the better the quality, but regardless the sound coming from the A5's are exceptional compared to other similar style speakers in the same price range. The Apple Hi-Fi doesn't have shit on these bookshelf speakers.

Design
As I mentioned previously, right out of the box I knew these speakers were something special. I guess I have just had to tear through way too many plastic bags during my time at Giz and I can really appreciate a company putting enough care and thought into cloth wrapping their speakers for shipment.

The speakers do not have grills covering the speakers, but they do not need them. In my opinion the speakers look better when you can actually see the audio components that output the sound.

The A5's are a tad heavy, but that is due to the integrated amp and power supply. I don't intend on taking these with me jogging, anyway.

I paired my A5's up with the Belkin Tunecommand AV for the iPod for a nice bookshelf speaker system for my office. A dock is not required for these to function with the iPod, it just makes it look prettier.

Bottom Line
The engineers at Audioengine has put a lot of work into making the A5's some of the best book-shelf style speakers out there. They are available for $350, which may sound like a lot for bookshelf speakers, but the A5's provide an exceptional sound capable of pleasing the ears of any audiophile. – Travis Hudson

Product Page [Audioengine]

Oh, and about getting a pair of these for free. This is just a hint if you made it to the bottom of the review, but we will be giving away a pair of these starting tomorrow, stay tuned for details.