when audioengine sent us a wireless speaker system before the official release we couldn't
wait to test it out audioengines active speakers are known for delivering the sound quality of
professional studio monitors without the need for a separate stereo receiver to power them they make
premium speakers in a variety of compact sizes for a pretty wide range of ergonomic situations
this time audioengine sent us the new hd4 which is audioengine's latest all-in-one wireless
bookshelf speaker system and this one completes their award-winning series of compact active
powered speakers now with three models to choose there's probably one in this premium line of
compact speakers made for your ergonomic scenario we think this one offers the perfect upgrade path
for a desktop a turntable or even a smaller living room area where space is limited but
performance cannot be compromised we can't wait to tell you more about this and how it performs
on a tabletop and as a work from home setup as always if you want to read more about the hd4 or
any of the other speaker models in the hd series click that link in the description to be taken to
our full written review on audioadvice.com because along with this one you'll find hundreds of other
reviews comparisons buyer's guides and a lot more advice about all things audio so let's get started
here audioengine has crafted another flexible speaker system that works great on a computer desk
or tabletop but what really sets this one apart is the size and the price for less than 500 the new
hd4 sits perfectly in between the hd3 and the hd6 the hd4's enclosure stands nine inches tall five
and a half inches wide and six and a half inches deep this is substantially smaller than its bigger
brother the hd6 which stands eleven and three quarter inches tall and about seven inches wide
by ten inches deep and that one sells for almost 250 dollars more than the hd4 for comparison the
hd3 is the smallest in the series standing three inches shorter than the hd4 and four and a quarter
inches wide by five and a half inches deep this one sells for the under 400 price point but for
less than 500 i think the new hd4 will be a great compact solution for anyone who has restricted
space but still wants the better performance of a larger compact speaker our test unit arrived in a
natural walnut wood veneer cabinet i think it adds a touch of warmth to the style and decor of just
about any room on the front panel there's a volume control knob a push button switch to toggle the
bluetooth pairing mode on or off and a stereo mini plug for connecting a pair of headphones
the rest of the connections are on the rear panel on the rear there's a stereo mini plug input for
connecting laptops smartphones or portable music players a set of left and right rca inputs for
connecting a phono preamp and a turntable a micro usb input a bluetooth antenna and a power switch
there's also a set of rca audio outputs for connecting to a subwoofer similar to the hd3
and the hd6 the new hd4 also has audioengine's best-selling dac built inside it's the same one
in their d1 dac headphone amp which is a fantastic 24 bit dac amp if you want to take full advantage
of the high quality dac you'll need to provide your own usb cable with the correct connections
for your computer but then again this is a wireless bluetooth speaker system too so having
the flexibility to stream music from your computer or your phone is a really convenient way to listen
to music with near cd quality audioengine uses qualcomm's aptx bluetooth technology here
so music is more detailed with tighter bass and clearer mid-range compared to standard bluetooth
it also sports the latest and greatest bluetooth 5.0 spec which does extend the wireless operating
range up to 100 feet away so not only will your bluetooth devices work much farther away with this
you'll also be able to share your bluetooth connection with multiple bluetooth devices all
at the same time like the more expensive hd6 the hd4 here is also constructed with custom designed
components designed at the company's facility in austin texas the built-in analog power amps are
housed inside cabinets that are precisely tuned a black grille magnetically attaches to the front of
the speaker cabinet just above the brushed metal plate with the grille the hd4 looks really good
but i prefer them without it removing the grille provides a view of the woofer and the tweeter for
a professional studio monitor look the speaker consists of a four inch aramid fiber woofer
complemented with a three quarter inch silk dome tweeter with this being an active speaker system
there are a whole host of advantages when it comes to performance active speakers like these have
separate amplifiers for each speaker driver and these use an electronic crossover
rather than a passive crossover in a passive design the crossover is after the power amplifier
and inside the speaker with an active design it happens before the signal gets to the power amp
meaning there is zero loss in dynamics and efficiency the engineer designing the power amp
knows exactly what the speaker load will be so the amp will be perfectly mated to the speaker driver
this type of system results in a much more open dynamic and effortless sound when done properly
and that's exactly what you see here in the new hd4 you see most manufacturers use digital
amplifiers to keep their costs down but audioengine uses analog dual class a/b monolithic power
amps here and these are tuned just right for each speaker in the series analog amps will typically
have a warmer sound profile so your music will have a more tuneful sense of timing and better
rhythm and pacing overall and this is especially important when playing audio from digital sources
like your phone or a computer's usb output at audio advice we find that most people use bookshelf
and desktop speakers like these with computer setups however we're noticing an uptick in
people using audioengine bookshelf speakers with entry level turntables too so i tested the hd4
in a few different scenarios i stationed the hd4 first on a computer desk and tested them as a near
field setup with a direct usb connection with my laptop to get the best results on your work desk
though you want to form an equilateral triangle with the speakers equally spaced apart be sure to
play around with the angle of the speakers until the vocals sound like they're right in the middle
audioengine speakers generally do a great job of warming up the sound that's most likely because of
the analog amps inside but overall the rhythm and pacing of the sound coming out of the hd4
really worked nicely on my desk and inspired me to tap my feet along with the music as bookshelf
speakers go there's no argument these are designed to sound the best when listening up close however
the hd4 performed a lot better than i anticipated as a table top setup in a medium sized living room
i used a u-turn orbit plus turntable which is a great turntable for the money it has a phono
stage already built in so i used this to play back a vinyl pressing of warrior which was recorded in
1984 by the classic rock band scandal and when i cranked up the volume up to about 75% the room
was filled with great sound that made me want to start singing along with this mega anthem overall
the hd4 packs a warm musical punch in an open room setting that was very easy to get lost in
the hd4 was designed for anyone looking for a powered bookshelf speaker system with upgraded
analog amps and the convenience of usb and aptx hd it sits right in between the hd3
and hd6 in terms of size and its price point with a turntable or computer positioned in
between these i think you'll have a really professional looking studio monitor setup with
modern functionality that's ready to take on the digital world plus this lets you dip your
toes into the world of analog for less than 500 if the hd3 is a little too small for your needs and
the hd6 is either too large or more than you're looking to spin then strongly consider the hd4
at 449 for the pair everyone here at audio advice agrees that the hd4 powered bookshelf speakers
are that perfect balance adding a subwoofer to the hd4 here will present more bottom end weight
we recommend the audioengine s8 subwoofer because it's an excellent addition to this system
that will also add more immersion for bass heavy songs however if you have a larger room and budget
and you want deeper bass the hd6 is the best option for this and it will integrate with almost
any setup since you don't have to choose just one source at these price points audio engine speakers
are great for entertaining guests with a warm musical sound the studio quality stereo image of the
hd4 does shine the most as a near field monitor on your work desk but it's nice to know this
will fill up a medium-sized room with great sound too and for anyone who purchases these from our
website we sent out a great tips and tricks guide that's going to tell you exactly what to do how to
set these up so that you get the most out of your setup at home with bookshelf speakers like these
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and until then we'll see you next time