The Audioengine A5+ is the latest iteration of the well-regarded A5 active speakers, providing better overall sonic performance to its users and still comes with a modest price tag. When it comes to setting up a desktop sound system, the Audioengine A5+ will always be one of the top speaker choices and certainly sounds better than your average multi-media speakers. You can use your onboard sound card but why not go for a matching DAC where it can really bring out the best sound quality in your A5+ speakers.
There are so many DACs on the market and to find the right D/A converter for the job, we will first need to learn more about the Audioengine A5+ powered speakers. By learning more about their sonic characteristics and performance, we can then select the DAC which will match really well with these desktop speakers. We will be planning to list out the best DACs that you can go for and partner them with your Audioengine A5+ speakers.
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Sonic Characteristics and Strengths of Audioengine A5+
We always like the elegant design of their predecessor and were very pleased with the A5+ speakers’ minor aesthetic touch-ups without any major changes to the overall look. The Audioengine A5+ will sit well on almost any desktop and with the three finishes to choose from, this will further help the speakers to fit in seamlessly with most listening room decors. At the front of the speaker, you will find a 0.75″ silk dome tweeter and right below it will be a 5″ aramid fiber woofer. The A5+ has a rear-firing bass slot located at the back of the speaker cabinet and you might want to give some distance between them and the rear walls.
As a pair of active speakers, the Audioengine A5+ has a built-in amplifier located inside the left speaker. It is a Class AB amplifier type that has a rated power output of 50 Watts RMS and 75 Watts Peak per channel. For such a compact size speaker, the frequency response is pretty impressive which is at 50Hz-22kHz (+/-1.5dB). The volume control is located at the front of the left speaker. There is also a remote control included with these speakers which allow us to adjust the volume from afar and we find this really convenient. You will need to connect the left speaker of the Audioengine A5+ to a power source in order for them to work.
More Details at Amazon – Audioengine A5+ 150W Powered Bookshelf Stereo Speakers
They are capable of delivering a detailed music presentation with clear sound quality and even the subtle details can be heard audibly. The clean sound reproduction has a good weight to it as well, thanks to the bass performance which is tight and the deep bass reproduction is quite prominent. The overall bass performance is agile and will blend in nicely with the higher registers, making the Audioengine A5+ a well-balanced speaker. If you want deeper bass reproduction, you can always connect them to an active subwoofer and it should improve the bass performance quite significantly.
The musicality of the Audioengine A5+ exceeded our expectation, compared to the warmer sounding A5, the newer A5+ sounds more neutral and slightly leaner as well. The soundstage is open and airy which makes it quite easy to be immersed in the music. There is a bit of enthusiasm and energy in their performance, giving us an engaging music delivery with satisfying dynamics. The midrange reproduction is clear sounding and the highs are bright but never sound harsh when pushed. The vocal reproduction is natural and has a nice balanced timbre. Audioengine A5+ can go really loud and will be amazing as traditional stereo speakers for a small listening room.
At this price point, we have really nothing to complain about and the sound quality you are getting is worth every penny spent. It has a large-scale sound that belies the size of the speakers. You are getting plenty of value from the Audioengine A5+ as you will also be getting the expertly tuned Class AB amplifier that comes built-in with these active speakers. These are talented speakers and will work well with almost all types of music genres. They will be excellent speakers for home theater and gaming use too. We have gathered enough data and we can now start sharing with you the list of the best DACs which you can go for and match it with the Audioengine A5+ speakers.
Audioengine A5+ Specifications
- Speaker Type: 2-Way (Rear-firing bass slot)
- Drive Units: 0.75″ Silk Dome Tweeter, 5″ (125mm) Aramid Fiber Woofer
- Frequency Response: 50Hz-22kHz (+/-1.5dB)
- Power Output: 50 Watts RMS per channel, 75 Watts Peak per channel
- Outputs: RCA Line Out
- Dimensions (H x W x D):
- Left: 10.8″ (270mm) x 7″ (180mm) x 9″ (230mm)
- Right: 10.8″ (270mm) x 7″ (180mm) x 7.8″ (200mm)
- Weight: Left 7kg (15.4lbs), Right 4.4kg (9.6lbs)
Best DACs to match with Audioengine A5+
The Topping E30 is one of the best DACs to match with the Audioengine A5+ speakers. This is a very highly rated and well-received D/A converter that supports DSD512 high-res audio files and PCM32bit/768kHz sampling rate. Furthermore, it is modestly priced and provides exceptional sonic performance for the money. The sonic characteristics of the E30 are quite similar to the Audioengine A5+ and it has an energetic music performance that will complement the active speakers really well. The clean music delivery of Topping E30 and its snappy attack makes it a suitable DAC partner for the A5+.
More Details at Amazon – TOPPING E30 DAC Hi-Res AK4493 32Bit/768kHz (Black)
The Schiit Audio Modi 3+ is one of the best DACs for listeners who have a tight budget and does not want to compromise the sound quality. The Modi 3+ is affordably priced and can easily fit most listeners’ budgets. It is a well-balanced performer and has a detailed music delivery which will work well together with the Audioengine A5+ speakers. The Schiit Audio Modi 3+ bass delivery is solid and gives us a fuller sound quality. Its midrange reproduction is terrific too, producing clear and natural-sounding vocals/instruments. For a DAC at this price point, the Schiit Audio Modi 3+ sure packs plenty of performance.
More Details at Amazon – Schiit Modi 3+ Delta-Sigma DAC (Black)
The Audioengine D1 is probably the best DAC to match with the Audioengine A5+ active speakers. D1 is made by the same company as the A5+ speakers so we can be assured they will work well together and have similar sound signatures. Audioengine D1 is a DAC that uses AKM4396 and can process 24-bit/192kHz. It also has a headphone amplifier which you can use to drive your headphones and have some private music listening sessions. The Audioengine D1 is compact in size and makes it easier to find a place for the DAC on any desktop. It is certainly worth the effort to check it out.
More Details at Amazon – Audioengine D1 24-Bit DAC
FiiO K5 Pro is certainly one of the best DACs to pair with your Audioengine A5+ speakers. It is a DAC that can support up to 32-bit/768kHz resolution and decodes native DSD audio files. The K5 Pro also comes with a powerful headphone output but more importantly, it is the sonic characteristics of the DAC which will fit nicely with the Audioengine A5+ speaker. It has a clean sound quality with punchy bass performance and a warmish lower register. The FiiO K5 Pro imaging and staging are amazing for the price as well. It will be an improvement over onboard sound cards.
More Details at Amazon – FiiO K5 Pro AK4493EQ | 768K/32Bit Deskstop DAC
The Topping D50 will be an exemplary DAC choice for your Audioengine A5+ especially for listeners who want more neutrality. It provides higher clarity and a more detailed music presentation rich with information. Overall bass performance is slightly tighter and with exceptional control. The overall sound reproduction can be quite analytical and fortunately, never sounded clinical at least for us. Due to the leaner sonic characteristic, the music delivery can be a tad faster with slightly more gripe as well. We will suggest hearing them out first as it may get a bit too neutral-sounding for some listeners.
More Details at Amazon – Topping D50 HiFi Audio Decoding USB DAC
JDS Atom DAC+ is an amazing entry-level D/A converter and provides excellent sonic performance for the money. It is a DAC that is capable of supporting up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and has a very modest price tag. This is definitely an ideal DAC choice for your Audioengine A5+ active speakers. The Schiit Audio Modius will be a fine DAC to go with the A5+ and has the accolades to prove its worth. Modius is one of the best entry-level DACs at its price range and the neutral overall sound reproduction will work nicely with the active speakers. The overall bass performance has bite and the size of the soundstage is good.
To Sum It Up
These are some of the best D/A converters on the market and will be worthy of your time to audition them along with your Audioengine A5+ active speakers. Shortlist a few DACs from the list and hear them out, see which one you like to listen to the most. It is best to audition them with your favorite music and songs as it will be easier for you to tell the difference in sound quality. Feel free to use the listed DACs as references when comparing with other D/A converters which are not on the list.
