Audioengine P4 Bookshelf Speaker (Playback 45)

Sonic Sophistication in a Small-Footprint Package

June 8th, 2011 -- by Chris Martens
Source: Playback

BOTTOM LINE:

The Audioengine P4 is a well-priced, well-made, and thoroughly lovable little desktop speakers that offers compelling and very well balanced strengths--clarity, tonal purity, very good imaging and soundstaging, and a surprisingly full-bodied presentation. What is more, the few points of compromis that any small speaker will inevitably entail have been, in the P4's case, very artfully managed. The P4 also offers extremely good value for money.

If your budget can handle the extra expense, do consider the P4 version with solid carbonized bamboo enclosures (the bamboo cabinets look great and are said to be extremely rigid, as well).

SPECS & PRICING

Audioengine P4 Premium Passive Bookshelf Speaker
Type: 2-way, front-ported bass reflex bookshelf speaker
Driver Complement: one ¾-inch silk dome tweeter, one 4-inch Kevlar mid-bass driver
Frequency Response: 58Hz -22 kHz
Sensitivity: 88 dB
Impedance: 4 Ohms
Dimensions (H x W x D): 9” x 5.5” x 6.5”
Weight: 14 lbs./pair
Warranty: 3 years, parts and labor
Price: $249 - $325/pair, depending on finish

AUDIOENGINE
(877) 853-4447
www.audioengineusa.com

Comments

libertasdon -- Sun, 06/12/2011 - 14:33

The review narrative highlights an impressive soundstage with the speakers a distance of 2 feet from the reviewer's desk chair. But the evaluation at the end of the review gives the speakers a good mark only "at a distance." In this case, what is meant by "at a distance" and how does the reviewer mean to use this comment to qualify his grading?

Chris Martens -- Wed, 06/29/2011 - 11:33

e_clough,

A good catch on your part.

Early on, the P4s seemed to me to image much better at a distance than they did at arms length, and I prepared the rating chart portion of the review at that time.

However, I gave the P4s an extra long period of additional break-in over a weekend, and discovered that after that stretch of extra run-in time, the up-close image improved to a point where it was as good as the at-a-distance imaging had always been. I therefore should have deleted the parenthetical "(at a distance)" comment before publishing the review.

The key, please note, is to give the P4s plenty of run-in time before critical listening; they do loosen up and smooth out over time.

Best, Chris Martens

Chris Martens
Editor, Avguide.com/Playback/The Perfect Vision

branon@humanoid.net -- Thu, 10/27/2011 - 13:40

Thanks for the useful review.
Compared to A5, i was wondering if this offers any sound quality benefits. As a controlled experiment- are there any sonic benefits from pairing a N22 and P4 as opposed to getting an A5. I know the former combination offers more flexibility while the latter simplifies matters, but i was hoping to find out about sound quality per se.