We've been a little tardy in reviewing Audioengine's PC speakers, but we're glad we finally got our hands on both the 2 series ($199) reviewed here and the step-up Audioengine 5 series (about $325 online) because they really are quite impressive.
The key thing to note about both sets of speakers is that they are bookshelf-style speakers masquerading as PC or "multimedia" speakers (as these things are apt to be labeled). But unlike classic bookshelf speakers, these Audioengine models are powered (via a standard AC plug); there's no need for a separate receiver or amplifier, so you can use them with any audio source. The smaller 2 series is more stylish-looking (and looks less like a monitor speaker) and comes in both black and white, as do the 5s.
The Audioengine 2 speakers measure 6 inches high by 4 inches wide by 5.25 inches deep. They each have a 2.75-inch Kevlar woofer and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter. Because the left speaker houses the amplifier (15 watts per channel), it's heavier than the right speaker. What's kind of interesting is that they're ported on the front--there's a slit at the bottom, below the driver--and when you're listening to movies, music, or games, you can feel plenty of air moving through that slit.
It's worth noting that both the 2 and 5 series Audioengine speakers come nicely packaged, with cloth covers over the speakers and cables. The two speakers connect to each other with "real" speaker wire (included) and you also get an input cable that allows you to connect your PC to the 3.5mm aux input on the back of the left speaker. The use of standard cables means that--unlike some speakers with proprietary connections and cables--you can invest in custom-length cables that are as long or short as you'd like. The left speaker also has a set of red/white RCA inputs to connect other devices, such as a game system, iPod or iPhone, or even a TV.
