Audioengine P4 Passive Bookshelf Speakers | Home Stereo High-Performing 2-Way Desktop Speakers (Black) for Music Gaming Movies Studios Dorms Bedrooms Offices

So I picked up these little Audioengine P4, in bamboo...here's my impressions... First, a quick description of the music system I'm using these in as a point of reference -- power is coming from a Peachtree Audio Decco2, running lossless files from a new iMac -- speakers are these P4s in a small, office based computer set-up. Speakers are placed a couple inches off each end of the the imac. I stumbled upon these little bookshlef speakers from Amazon reviews...most reviewers sung them such high praise, I decided to take a chance on them, seeing that I had 30 days from Amazon to return them if I was disappointed -- prior to discovering them, I was strongly considering gettig some B & W 685s or something to that extent. First, the build quality as others have noted, is exceptionally nice -- perfectly finsihed, these speakers are not light weight junk plastic, but housed in solid bamboo which feel and look to be handsome, quality product. The silk tweeter and 4" kevlar woofer are well engineered -- no imperfections or defects to comment on. The rear cable inputs are also done well with also no imperfections or faulty pieces. Ultimately, you can have a speaker that appears fantastic on the outside, but when you hear the music, the romance suddenly stops -- not so with these; they sound as beautiful as they look -- truely impressive! I have a pair of floorstanding B&W CMs, and with the exception of obviously producing larger, more bassier sound, these little guys with the combo I described earlier do just as well, if not in some aspects better. They have a tremendous soundstage for being so small, and can easily fill a smaller room full of music. As with other good speakers, these tend to disappear and you find yourself engulfed in sweet sound without a specific reference point of where the speaker is placed or where the music is coming from -- a sign of a quality speaker -- your awareness is overtaken by the fullness of sound these produce. They speakers maintain their clarity at all but the highest of volumes. If anything, the space in which I've placed them is a bit tight, and they would probably benefit from being spaced further apart to expand the soundstage. The mids these produce are very nice and lush...singers' voices sound fantastic and up front, and highs are high, but not shrill or harsh. Instrument separation & placement are also all fantasic -- on good recordings with multiple layers of instruments, these can reproduce a stunning amount of clarity, precision & detail. Again, I was very impressed -- maybe it's the amp their coupled with (the Decco2 which is just super as well), but altogether, I don't think you'll find a better passive speaker for right around 3 bills...if you do, please let me know! If B & W would place their logo on these, these could go for as much as their CM line bookshelf speakers which run close to $1k. Highly recommend!!! In my opinion, easily one of the best sounding bookshelfs (in this size) in this price range, and can easily compete with more expensive speakers which cost 3 to 4 times as much. Give them a shot -- your ears will thank you!

Before buying these speakers I wasn't sure what I was getting. Audioengine made some lofty claims about their build quality and after trying out the A5 active speakers I was a bit dubious. They really did win me over though, and here's why: Sound: By far the most important thing when you're dropping $250 for a set of speakers. If you want studio-monitor neutrality, these aren't for you. Having said that, I never heard any noticeable shift in volume depending on the fequency. Especially compared to KEF (which have dips in response prominent enough it sounds like you suddenly turned down the volume) they were solid. Comparing them to NHT Superzero 2.0's, they didn't embarass themselves in regards to neutrality. More importantly, these things rocked! They can be pushed to high enough volume to fill a moderately sized room without distortion. They are extremely musical, and it was hard to tear myself away from the sofa listening to (especially rock) music... finally a speaker designed with music in mind. Bass extension was very surprising. They are listed as barely dipping into the upper 50 hz range. Paired with the N22 and taking into account their front ports though, I firmly believe they play lower than their specs indicate. One caveat being I definitely think this boost in the lower end, which was nice and tight rather than boomy, is the result of engineering the N22 and the A4's to compliment each other. A subwoofer is not absolutely mandatory (though a good idea). The only area I thought they fell short compared to other great speakers in their price range was detail. These aren't just loudspeakers but I could not hear the subtle sounds that some other models brought out in my lossless files+dac music set-up. Build: The only thing I have to say is watch the tweeters.. and even they seem about as durable as a speaker's most delicate part can get. The kevlar woofers? You could go so far as to push on them with a finger, and they feel VERY scratch resistant. The cabinents are well made and I don't imagine them showing wear & tear easily. Combined with the included dampening pads they are very non-resonant and sturdy. The gold inputs are icing on the cake... its virtually impossible to find that kind of quality signifier below $400. They are also MUCH smaller than I thought. Although they perform like real bookshelf speakers, their size is more comparable to some satellite speakers than any full fledged bookshelf speaker. Definitely something that'll blend in easily wherever you put them, and helps with imaging. I heavily recommend these speakers if you don't have some elaborate set-up to bring out the tiny details in music (or if you are more concerned with rocking out than quietly picking out notes). They're also quite portable... very easy to travel with in a small bag if you want to bring good sound with you on a vacation.

The Audioengine P4 is well built and has the potential to be an excellent desktop speaker. However, it has a very high frequency response spike at 125 Hz that cannot be compensated with simple equalization. Parametric equalization with a digital signal processor is required to flatten the response. Without equalization or a subwoofer I would rate the P4 a 3. With equalization and a subwoofer it performs as a 5 for its size. My configuration uses the P4s with a Audioengine S8 subwoofer that are equalized using REW calibration software and a MiniDSP Flex audio processor/preamp and amplified by a Schiit Gjallarhorn F 15W speaker amp. I use my PC as the source and connect it via a Toslink fiber optic cable. It now sounds great, but at a cost. Others may want to pursue other satellite/subwoofer combinations.

These continue to be a really great near field monitor for me. Very smooth, musical, and non-fatiguing top end. Feels like a fairly flat response with a tad of high end roll off. I've paired with small 8" sub for computer play back and it is fun to just enjoy listening for the sake of listening. Dumb? Maybe. Enjoyable? Yes! I've always loved a good silk dome tweeter. They can be crisp and musical without rasp or fatigue from aluminum domes. I love both types but I could probably listen to these P4s all day. They are so articulate without being tiring. I listened to Super Tramp, Pink Floyd, and Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies (dating myself) and I felt reenergized to listen to these familiar tunes. I might like these as much as my Paradigm Mini Monitors and old Boston Acoustics A60s. Those speakers hit a little lower but have similar detail and control. Love the bamboo wood cabinets. They are finished very well and look great. Really liking these. Update 9/22 Still finding the Tweeter detail so nice. If you prefer soft dome tweeters, this speaker is top notch. I find I'm enjoying relistening to some old favorites. This is the detailed late 80s sound that I love. Added a small sub to mine and they blended very well to sound like a high end stereo pair.

Really love these speakers. If you want good sound at a reasonable price, these are excellent. If you want more details, read below. I'll start with my anecdotal experience, then have technical stuff at the end. First and foremost, I love music. I've been looking for a good sounding audio solution for a while. I listen to computerized files on Klipsich S4 headphones, but this wasn't possible with my vinyl collection, which is growing. My cheapo speakers-and-turntable combo did have the noticeable warmth of vinyl, but it didn't bring out the clarity or details. I bought these speakers, as well as an automatic Audio-Technica turntable, and the difference was noticeable instantly. Because I am a nerd, with probably too much time on my hands, I installed the turntable first with a set of very nice Logitech computer speakers that I had lying around. The improvement of sound quality from the old turntable was noticeable, but not revelatory. However, once I installed these guys, the real power of the sound came through. I used the White Album as a test, because it's a dense album with a lot of layers, and I am intimately familiar with each of the songs. These speakers brought out details that I had only ever heard on my nice headphones, and the immediacy and punch of the sound cut right through. The only downside is that, because this is an old record, the surface noise was a lot clearer too. These are very neutral speakers, so they bring out the details all along the audible range (including surface noise on my records that I didn't hear on the other turntable, or even on this one with the Logitech speakers). These are PASSIVE speakers, so make sure that you have and amplifier to connect them to. All they have on them are standard speakerwire connectors (in gold, no less). In fact, these don't even come with cables (however, the N22 Amp that Audioengine intends for use with these does come with the wire, standard 16-guage speaker wire). It's not difficult to set them up, but you do want to be careful to attach them with the polarity straight (positive to positive, negative to negative). Once you have the amp, the whole thing can be set up in a matter of minutes.

Bought the P4's ( Bamboo finish ) Set everything up and let them break in a bit. Just some notes. They do sound pretty good, but for the price, there are much better options for sound quality. Zero Bass, and you NEED a sub for these to even out. You won't be blown away by the sound, but they do look very nice, and have a very nice finish and solid build. Highs are nice and clean, but if you use them without a sub, you will be wanting to buy a sub unit very soon. They won't fill a big room full of sound, but will make a great set up for a smaller room, office, or computer use. If you buy these, realize you're paying a bit of a premium for the nice looks, expect these to sound like $250 speakers that they really are ( the cheaper finished p4's ), and not the $350 that you're paying for the bamboo finish. ONLY buy these if you absolutely want the bamboo ones, otherwise, just buy the black/white P4's or some other speakers in the price range of the bamboo P4's ( or better yet, the b/w P4's and a sub )

I bought these speakers to replace a pair of JBL bookshelf speakers that I own. Nothing really wrong with the JBL's, just old and I wanted to update. Looked on Amazon to see what is out there these days. I had read reviews of Audioengine on CNET, and they were quite good, in fact the guys at CNET seemed to rave about them. Those reviews were for the A4, I believe. The Audioengine P4, which I have, is the unamplified brother of the A4. Well, I bought them, never seen in person and never auditioned. My main reason for this was not the CNET review of the A4, but first, they were bookshelf speakers, they met my price range, and my wife (who is not into this stuff like me) insisted that one, they look 'pretty', and two, they match our living room furniture. So I was a little nervous here. I'm very glad I did. These speakers are flat out excellent. The lows are deep and well - defined (no fuzz), and the highs are sharp and clear. I'm driving them with a Lepai 2020 A until I get my Advent 300 out of the shop. And they are beautiful speakers, they really did a nice job with the cabinets. Should you buy these speakers, I strongly urge you to spend the extra money and buy the ones I bought, with the bamboo veneer. They look so nice you just want to touch them. In summary, if you're looking for a fine pair of bookshelf speakers, buy these speakers. Don't worry about them being shipped, they arrived on time at my place double boxed and in excellent condition. Just unpack them, hook them up, sit back and enjoy! Thank you for taking the time to read this review, hope this helps.

These speakers failed after 3 or 4 uses. They look great and I had high hopes. They are now sitting in the box in my closest un- returnable and un-useable. What a shame.