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Molekule air purifier review

Each year, millions of people suffer from allergies, and for some, the reaction is so severe that it has a major impact on their quality of life and daily activities. I suffer from allergies every year, and the severity varies from year to year. This year, my allergies have been quite “nasty”, despite the use of 2 large and relatively expensive HEPA filters/air purifiers. When I got the opportunity to test and review the Molekule air purifier, I was very eager to try a new solution. So, here we go!!

What is it?

The Molekule Air Purifier is a new technology air purification system and experience, that has a clean and sophisticated look to match any décor.

What’s in the box


1 x Molekule Air Purifier
1 x Power cable
1 x Instruction manual

Specifications

DIMENSIONS: 23 inches in Height x 8.25 inches in Diameter
FILTER COST: Filters are provided on a subscription basis for $129 per year.
POWER CONSUMPTION: 20-85 W (110/220V)
NOISE LEVEL: Normal mode: – 42dBa (Hushed Conversation)
Silent mode: 30dBa (Whispered Conversation)
Turbo Boost: 55dBa (Normal Conversation)
WEIGHT: 18 lbs. (8 kg)

WARRANTY: 1 Year Limited Warranty

Design and features

The Molekule comes with a detachable, grounded power cord that plugs in underneath the device, and by design does not allow it to be accidentally plugged out. You will also immediately notice the nice leather handle that is a great touch and makes it easy to move around.

When you first power on the MoleKule, it goes through an initial startup process. Once that process is completed, you have the choice to select the room size.

When you touch the screen to select the room size, it moves to the next screen that offers 3 choices of room sizes to select. The choice of 200-400sqft (square feet) was appropriate for me and was used for this test.

Once you select the desired room size, the next screen that appears gives you the option to confirm or to go back and choose a different room size.

Once the room size is confirmed, the Molekule goes through a calibration process.

Once the calibration process is completed, there is then an initial “auto” cleaning process that may or may not be dependent on the size of the room selected.

Once the initial “auto” cleaning process is done, the Molekule defaults to the “auto” mode.

When you touch the screen, you have the option of two additional operational modes which are the silent mode, or the boost mode which is the most powerful, and loudest mode.

Swiping from right to left provides additional options to turn the surrounding blue LED light (nightlight) on or off, to change the mode, or to turn the Molekule off.

Function and performance

On the Molekule website, the company makes the following 2 major claims:

  • “Molekule destroys pollutants instead of just trapping them on filters where they can multiply and be released back into the air you breathe”
  • “Molekule destroys even harmful microscopic pollutants like viruses and VOCs that are 1000x smaller than HEPA filters can trap”

“Molekule’s patented technology, Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (PECO), works at the molecular level to eliminate indoor air pollution”. It includes removable filters that can be regularly replaced via their subscription-based filter replacement program.

When I first tried this air purifier, I was immediately impressed. When I first turned it on, within an hour I began to notice a major difference in the severity of my ongoing allergies. I usually have allergy symptoms like itchy and watery eyes, stuffed up and runny nose, and sneezing. Not too long thereafter, I was no longer suffering from any allergy symptoms while in that room. After trying the unit for several days, I moved it from my room into my kids’ room. This year it seems that my son is suffering less from allergies, but my daughter is suffering severely. I placed the Molekule in their room for the night just before they went to bed, and both kids slept peacefully without waking up during the night for Albuterol treatments, which they have to take every 4 hours when their allergies are severe. What was more remarkable, was that shortly after moving to the kids’ room, my allergies became significant again. I decided to test this further, so I spent some time in the same room as the kids, and once again my symptoms disappeared.

The Molekule operates well and relatively quiet no matter what mode it is in, although the “boost” mode does give off a low fan-like sound.

There is also an app that is available for both Android and ios that should allow you to control the Molekule, and monitor its performance. However, up to the time that I completed this review, I was unable to gain a successful connection despite carefully following the instructions.

I do plan to write an update to this review when it is time to change the filters, and at that time I will document the process and comment on the continued consistency of its performance.

What I like

I really like the design and finish of the Molekule and the choice of operational modes. I also love the fact that it has been super effective in relieving my allergy symptoms, as well as for my children. The Touchscreen operation is great, and the built-in handle makes it easy to move it from room to room.

What can be improved

The main issue that I find that needs improvement is the app and the ability to connect to the Molekule. I have tried numerous times and was unsuccessful,  and I eventually gave up since it has no impact on the great performance of the device.


It might have even been a better idea not to include an app. When I checked the app reviews in the ios app store, other users had submitted the same complaint.

Final thoughts

The Molekule Air Purifier is in my opinion, the best air purifier that I have ever tried. I have spent hundreds of dollars on air purifiers with Hepa filters, and on many other devices that turned out to be just gimmicks. While some of them helped my allergies, they ultimately failed to do so well enough that I felt satisfied. This air purifier has given me such relief when I am at home, that no one would even know that I suffer from chronic allergies. This has been the same result for my kids who have suffered from chronic allergies, and asthma as a result of the allergies. While the Molekule is much more expensive than any other air purifier that I have owned, it stands alone at the top of its class.

Price: $799
Where to buy: The Molekule Website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Molekule

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Molekule air purifier review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 8, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Rollors Yard Game review

Looking for a new game to spice up your outdoor parties? Rollors provides a new take on some classic lawn games, using wooden disks that you roll across the yard. It’s simple & friendly for all ages, and adds an element of chance that evens out the playing field. Let’s play! 

What is it?

It’s an outdoor yard game with wood pieces that combines elements of bocce, horseshoes and lawn bowling.

Hardware specs

  • ASTM toy safety tested and approved
  • Product Weight: 5 pounds
  • Product Dimensions(in inches)15.0 x 8.0 x 5.5

What’s in the box?

The Rollors game comes with 2 goals, 3 red rolling disks, 3 blue rolling disks, measuring chords and instructions. It’s all packed in a convenient travel bag.

Design and features

The Rollors game kit is pretty sweet. All the the pieces are made from lightweight wood that can be managed with big and small hands. Friendly graphics are printed on all the pieces. Here’s a close up of some parts. Don’t they look fun?

Gameplay is very similar to lawn bowling or horseshoes. You’ll set up the pylon-shaped goals about 25 feet apart. Each player gets three disks, which they take turns rolling at the goal on the opposite end of the playing field.

The objective is to roll your disks to a stop closest to the goal. After each player has rolled all three disks, the closest disk to the goal within a 5 foot radius scores points equal to the number face up on the disk. The fist player to 21 points wins the game.

Here’s where the element of chance comes into play: each disk is printed with a different number on each side ( 1-6, 2-5, and 3-4 respectively). That means that you could score the closest shot, but points will vary based on which side faces up.

Much like horseshoes, the rules also allow score multipliers. A “leaner” is worth double points, and a disk that scores and remains standing on its edge is worth the total points on both sides of the disk. If you have more than one disk that lands closest to the goal, you’ll get points for each. This means that scoring can add up pretty quickly if you have a good round.

The game also comes with a measuring string. Stick the post in the goal, and pull the measuring string tight. That’s your scoring radius. You can also pinch the line to measure rolls that are comparatively close. It’s a clever addition that will keep things honest if there’s some heavy competition happening.

We pulled out Rollers over the Memorial Day weekend, and it passed the Family Fun Test. Everyone enjoyed the simplicity of the game, which doesn’t require special skill to participate. It’s also quite a bit safer for younger players since the pieces are light and staying on the ground. The disks will also work on sand, dirt or similar rough surfaces without any extra setup, so you can pretty much take it anywhere. It’s a lot of fun.

The only negative that I noticed about the game is that the finishing on the pieces can pick up some nicks and scratches. We hit a rock in the lawn that left a mark on one of the disks. Not a big deal, but a stronger finish on the wood might reduce this issue.

What I like

  • Easy to learn for new players
  • Family friendly for kids and adults
  • Lightweight and portable
  • Certified fun by Bob’s Backyard Play Testers

What needs to be improved

  • The softer finishing on the pieces picks up nicks and scratches

Final thoughts

Rollers is a clever yard game that will satisfy both skilled and novice players. I really like the portability and ease of setup; you can take it just about anywhere. If you’re looking for an alternative to some of the current backyard games, you’ll be sure to keep the crowd entertained with this one.

Price: $49.95
Where to buy: But direct from Rollors or on Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Rollors. 

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Rollors Yard Game review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 8, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Allegro Sonic electric toothbrush review

Brushing your teeth twice a day can often seem like a chore.  I would often find myself ‘rushing through the job’ in an effort to just get it over with.  That inevitably lead to issues with my gums because I was not spending enough time brushing or just plain brushing the wrong way.  Since then I have been using an electronic toothbrush (Philips Sonicare) and have received some greatly improved results from my dental hygienist.   So I do have a love affair with my electronic toothbrush.  That being said, I am always looking to see if there is some way to improve on what I already have.  When I got the opportunity to review the Allegro Sonic Electric Toothbrush I jumped at it.  Let’s see if it is any better than my current toothbrush.

What is it?

The Allegro Sonic Toothbrush is exactly what it sounds like.  It is an electronic toothbrush a lot like the Philips Sonicare that I currently have.  It does have some added features that the Sonicare does not have.

Hardware Specs

  • Its charging cradle is part of the actual travel kit.  You simply add the clear plastic top and it is ready to pack in your suitcase.
  • Comes in white or black
  • The clear plastic top can act as a cup
  • The charging cradle includes a section that will both sanitize and dry your toothbrush head.
  • Wireless charging
  • IPX7 Waterproof
  • 3 cleaning modes – clean mode, sensitive mode, clean and white mode
  • Will give a short frequency vibration to indicate when you should switch to a different part of your mouth.  This ensures you spend the required amount of time in each area.

What’s in the box?

The above picture shows what comes inside the box.

  • Clear top cup cap for the charging/sanitizing station
  • The actual charging/sanitizing station
  • User manual
  • Thank you card
  • Electronic toothbrush with a silicone cap over the toothbrush mounting point
  • 1 brush head
  • USB charging cable

Design and features

The above picture shows the Allego on the left next to my Sonicare on the right.  You can see that the charging station and the actual toothbrush and brush head are slightly larger.  According to my dentist and contrary to popular opinion I do have a rather small mouth.  So the larger brush head on the Allegro made it seem a bit tougher for me to get it around the sides of my very back teeth.  The bristles on the Allegro brush head were also quite a bit softer than what I was used to.  I use the ‘diamond clean’ version on the Sonicare.  I checked and currently this brush head is the only one they offer at this time.  I think in the future if they were to offer different sizes and hardness levels that would be a great thing to have.   The actual toothbrush body is completely round.  This means when I put it down on the counter to get the toothpaste it had a tendency to want to roll away.  The Sonicare has a couple of notches that make it stay in place which is a feature that would be nice to have.

Of the three cleaning modes, the one that comes closes to the intensity of my Sonicare is the clean and white mode.  Part of that may be because the bristles are softer on the Allegro so the vibrations of the brush do not feel as intense as the Sonicare.  When I was done using it, my mouth felt as clean as  it would with the Sonicare but it is hard to tell.   I would tend to think because the vibrations were not as intense it would maybe not be cleaning as well.  I do know my hygienist said that when brushing with an electronic toothbrush you want to barely be holding it.  You just want the bristles to be hitting your teeth and gums and you should not be putting any real downward pressure.  Too much intense pressure can cause receding gums which is a whole other can of worms.  So maybe even though the vibrations were not as intense, I was still getting a good cleaning anyway.

The picture above is showing you the area where you would sanitize and dry the brush head.  The bottom part of the charger has a rubber cap on it.

You pull off the rubber cap and it exposes a slot where you place the brush head.

The brush head goes in as pictured above.  There is an automatic sensor that senses when the brush is in place and starts the UV light for sanitizing.  It will run for 15 minutes and the lights on the side turn slightly purple.   Once it is sanitized, it goes into a drying mode for another 15 minutes.

This picture shows the whole thing with the plastic cup on top.  I love that cap feature.  It will protect the toothbrush from the nasty germs floating around your bathroom.

What I like

I love that the entire charging station is the travel station.  My current toothbrush has a separate travel case that only closes when it wants to.  I also love that you can put that cup on top every time and protect your toothbrush from the environment.  I also love the sanitizing and drying feature.  I always hated having to pack up my toothbrush when it was wet to go travel.  Buying a pack of 3 brush heads was also economical at only $14.99 on Amazon.  I also love that it has the special vibration indicator to tell me when to move to a different section of my mouth when brushing.  That way I am sure I am spending the proper amount of time brushing.

What needs to be improved.

They definitely need to offer different types of brush heads.  Also adding a flat spot on the back of the toothbrush to keep it from rolling away would be a nice touch.  Finally, I really think they should include a plug adapter for the USB.  I don’t know many folks outside of my geek friends who would actually have a USB port in their bathroom.  Plugging it in on my computer just seemed rather funny.  I used the plug from one of my many other electronic devices and charged it that way.

Final thoughts

If you don’t already own an electronic toothbrush that you are happy with, I would recommend this one.  I am thinking that when the time comes to replace my existing one, some of the issues I mentioned earlier would be fixed and I would switch over to this toothbrush myself.

Price: $59.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Allegro. Please visit their site for more info.

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Allegro Sonic electric toothbrush review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 7, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower review

I’ve been a homeowner since 1989, but I have never used a weed eater to trim around trees or the edges of sidewalks. How can this be you ask? I’ve always had problems starting pull string style equipment because I have crummy shoulders and not enough upper body strength. So Jeanne has done the weed eating around our home. But she doesn’t like having to keep track of which gas can has the 2-cycle oil mixed in and sometimes she has trouble getting the weed eater started too. So, I was excited to try the WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower when it was offered because it runs on a battery which means no gas cans or special gas and oil mixtures are needed and no pull string to start it. I’ve always wondered how well battery powered outdoor tools work and now I know because I’ve been using this one for the past few weeks. Yes me! I’ve actually started weed eating and trimming for the first time in my life. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower is a 20-volt battery powered weed eater that can also be used as an edger and a mini mower because it has two removable wheels.

What’s in the box?

  • WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower
  • 3 spools of line
  • 2 20V batteries
  • Battery charger
  • Manual

Design and features

The WORX arrives about 95% assembled. It has a black plastic shaft that features a rear handle with a pistol style grip that has a power button that you have to hold down as you grip the handle to power on the trimmer. Once it’s running, you can let go of the power button, but you have to continue to grip the handle to keep it running. There’s also an adjustable auxiliary handle that folds down as shown above.

The auxiliary handle can pivot around 180 degrees so you can customize how you hold it.

To adjust the position, you have to press in on the orange locking knob on the side.

The trimmer has a telescoping shaft that lengthens by twisting the orange locking collar to extend the shaft.

Here we can see the WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer’s shaft is fully extended. Extending and retracting the shaft isn’t difficult, so it is easy to adjust the length for your height and posture and it makes the trimmer easier to store if you have a small garage or shed where you store your yard work gear.

The business end of the WORX trimmer has several features. First of all, there’s the spool holder. That’s the circular orange part pointing down in the image above. You can see the red line sticking out of the feeder hole in the trimmer’s head.

The spool holder has an orange plastic cap that holds the spool in place. It makes switching out spools really easy compared to a few trimmers that I’ve worked with in the past. The WORX trimmer comes with 3 spools of DNA2 DoubleHelix cutting line (10ft of line in each spool) and when you buy the WORX trimmer you can sign up to receive free spools for life where you get 6 spools and only have to pay shipping costs ($8.62/package of 6).


There’s an extra on-b0ard spool holder on the trimmer’s handle so you won’t have to head back to the garage or shed if you run out of line in the middle of a trimming session.

Back to the trimmer head…


The angle of the trimmer head can rotate in 6 positions so that it can go from trimming to mowing, to edging. You’ll also notice the metal wires. That’s the flower guard.

You can extend or retract the flower guard to help prevent you from trimming foliage that you don’t want to trim.

You might be trying to figure out how this weed eater can transform from a trimmer to an edger and a mower. The secret is the edger/trimmer support wheels that are included.

The wheels snap into the trimmer head. There are two places where the wheels can be attached. One location is the side of the trimmer head shown above. In this location, the WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer can be used as an edger.

All you have to do is attach the safety guard…

Then you can roll the edger down the sidewalk.

Or, you can attach the wheels to the underside of the safety guard.

You can then roll the trimmer around like a tiny mower. I found the mower setup to feel a bit awkward. Granted, I am not a trimmer guru as we already established at the start of this review… But for me, using the WORX as a trimmer or edger felt the easiest for me.

Before we can start trimming, we have to put gas in the trimmer… charge the batteries! The WORX trimmer comes with two 20V batteries and a charger. The charger can only accommodate one battery at a time and it takes 5hrs to charge each battery. It should go without saying that as soon as you get one battery charged that you should go ahead and charge the other one next. It is nice that the batteries seem to retain their charge for quite a while. I charged both batteries about 3 weeks ago and have only used one battery so far and the other one is still showing that it still has a full charge.

How do I know how much charge the battery has? There’s a tester built right into the end of the battery. You can see it in the image above. It’s that rectangular red button to the right of three dots along the bottom front edge of the battery. When you press the button, the lights will light up in green to show the capacity. The first light is low, the second light is 50%, and the third light means it the battery has a full charge.


The battery snaps into the bottom of the handle and is easy to detach when you need to switch it out for a fresh one.

Let’s trim some grass!

It’s time to watch my very first weed eating video! Seriously, this video is the first time I’ve used a string trimmer, so be kind to me please. 🙂

https://youtu.be/Y8DdYCyvRCU

There were several things that surprised me about the WORX trimmer. First of all, I was surprised by how well the trimmer was able to cut thick grass. It even wacked through thicker stalks of mutant weeds and baby tree shoots that you get when you live in a rural wooded area like I do. I’ve also been surprised by how strong the line is because I’ve not needed to press the button on top of the handle to feed new line. And last but not least, I’ve been happy so far with battery life. Actually, I’m still on the first battery after weed eating several days for 15-20 minute sessions.


Cleanup is pretty easy too. I just sprayed everything with a hose and the WORX trimmer was pretty much good as new.

What I like

  • No messy gas and oil to mix
  • Simple to start
  • Easy to replace line spools
  • Converts from a trimmer to an edger and a mini-mower

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing

Final thoughts

As my first battery-powered trimmer, the WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower has impressed me with how easy it is to use, battery life, and versatility. Now that I’ve used a battery powered trimmer, I’d like to replace our gas blower with a battery powered blower and do they make battery powered rototillers too? 😉

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: WORX and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by WORX.

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WORX 20V GT Revolution Trimmer/Edger/Mini-Mower review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 6, 2018 at 1:01 pm.

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Audioengine A5+ Wireless speaker review

I’m fortunate to have been able to review each version of Audioengine’s A5 speaker series. The original was (and still is) a powerhouse of a speaker that sounds much better than its cost. Heck, all of Audioengine’s speakers fall into that category. Later, their A5+ speaker improved on a good thing—a larger, more efficient heat sink, a remote control and better audio inputs, just to name a few. However, it’s a rapidly evolving audio world and Audioengine’s latest response to fans of the A5 is the new A5+ Wireless speaker.

What is it?

The A5+ Wireless speakers are a large(ish) pair of bookshelf speakers that work as well—if not better—as computer speakers.  I’ve used the various A5 speakers hardwired to my iMac, connected via USB to my iPod (and later, iPhone) and even wirelessly using Audioengine’s own W3 audio adaptors (a not inexpensive add on). Now with the huge advancements made to to Bluetooth, Audioengine is offering all that is good with the A5+ in a newer Bluetooth wireless version.

Specs

The A5+ Wireless speakers are identical to the A5+ speakers in size, weight and specs. Two notable changes are that the 3/4″ silk tweeters are now centered above the 5″ Kevlar woofers—the original 5+ tweeters were off-centered. Also, a powered USB port at the rear of the A5+ speaker has been replaced with a Bluetooth pairing button on the wireless version. 

For those interested in such things, here are some specs:

  • Power Output: 150W peak power total
  • 3.5mm stereo mini-jack
  • 115/240V, 50/60Hz manually switchable
  • Amplifier Type: Dual Class AB monolithic 
  • Drivers: 5″ Kevlar woofers, 3/4″ silk dome tweeters
  • SNR: >95dB (typical A-weighted)
  • THD+N: <0.05% at all power settings
  • Crosstalk: -50dB
  • Frequency response: 50Hz-22kHz ±1.5dB
  • Input impedance: 10K ohms unbalanced
  • Protection: Output current limiting, thermal over-temperature, power on/off transient protection, replaceable external main fuse
  • Power Consumption:
    Idle: 10W
    Mute: 6W
    Sleep: 4W
  • Bluetooth specs:
    Internal D/A converter: AKM AK4396
    Input bit depth: 24-bits upsampled
    Bluetooth: 4.0 audio
    Supported codecs: aptX, AAC, SBC
    Wireless operation range: Up to 100ft
  • Dimensions:
    Left speaker: 10.75″H x 7″W x 9″D
    Right – 10.75″H x 7″W x 7.75″D
    Weight (LEFT): 15.4 lbs
    Weight (RIGHT): 9.6 lbs
  • Colors:
    Satin Black
    Hi-Gloss White
    Solid Carbonized Bamboo

Design and features

First, let’s get this out of the way: The addition of Bluetooth adds $100 to the price of the wired A5+ speakers. You might think a hundred bucks is a lot for a Bluetooth option, but there’s more to it than that. Because of Bluetooth, the A5+ wireless has a built in 24-bit upsampling digital audio convertor (DAC)—which isn’t cheap. Without this DAC, the A5+ Wireless speaker would just be a—well, a regular A5+ speaker! Let me explain the path that audio takes from your source (smartphone for example) to the A5+ Wireless: Smartphone converts music to a Bluetooth codex—sends Bluetooth signal to speaker DAC—DAC receives Bluetooth signal and converts digital signal to analog—analog signal is sent to speakers and then you hear your music. This is overly simplified, but you get the idea. The A5+ Wireless speaker is doing quite a bit of work that the regular A5+ speakers can’t do.

Connecting and pairing the A5+ wireless speakers is straightforward. The left speaker contains all the important stuff. Simply connect the left speaker to either a receiver or computer and then wire the right speaker to the left and music happens. However, now you don’t even need anything more than a smartphone to enjoy what the A5+ can do. Just press the pairing button on the rear of the left speaker and pair with your smartphone. Pairing only takes a few seconds. 

So how does Bluetooth compare to hard wiring? There are no surprises here. Bluetooth connection is rock solid. I have not had any dropouts (admittedly, the speakers are no more than 12 inches from the source). Even though audio quality is slightly lower when compared to wired, I could only discern any differences by turning Bluetooth on and off. But seriously, only weird testers like me will do that kind of thing. Otherwise, the only other noticeable difference was volume. Bluetooth needed to be turned up to match the same loudness as wired. Keep in mind that this is true of many wireless speakers, not just these. Trust me, you won’t have any sound quality complaints using Bluetooth.

Along with the pairing button on the left speaker’s rear panel are the power switch, a mini plug input and RCA inputs and outputs. The RCA outputs allow a subwoofer to be connected if desired. A screw-in external Bluetooth antenna is included.

The front of the left speaker has a Bluetooth pairing indicator light as well as a volume knob. The A5+ wireless speakers include a remote that’s identical to the remote included with the more expensive Audioengine HD6 speakers. This remote handles the basics: Volume, mute and sleep. I’ve don’t see the advantage of a sleep button over the simple mute. The two buttons seem a bit redundant. I would have preferred an on/off button instead. 

The A5+ wireless speakers are powered by a built-in 150 watt (75 watt per channel) class A/B amplifier. Because of the amp, a turntable can be directly attached to the speakers without the need of a receiver.

The back of the left speaker has a large and heavy metal heatsink to dissipate the heat generated by the amp. Each speaker box is made of softly round-edged 1/2″ thick MDR board that’s either lacquered white gloss, black matte or real (extra cost) bamboo. There are no protective speaker grills, so the exposed and delicate silk tweeters should be kept out of reach from little poking fingers. 

The A5+ Wireless speakers don’t noticeably add to or detract from any audio frequency. Thanks to some wide bass ports, they can go deep, but even so, they might disappoint some bass heads. The A5+ Wireless speakers can handle plenty of bass—they just don’t add to it unnecessarily making music more bass heavy than it already is. In fact, on some of my 60s classic rock recordings (the debut Jimi Hendrix Experience album, for instance), I wish the A5+ Wireless speakers actually added more bass because some of those albums could certainly use a boost. However, I blame the recordings and not the speaker. Likewise, the speakers are not overly bright sounding or overly mid-centric on vocals. Their frequency balance is pretty darn good!

The A5+ Wireless speakers are also up to the task of reproducing excessive bass found in many modern albums—especially at max volume. Bryan Ferry’s “Kiss & Tell” from “Bête Noire” has plenty of bass kick. When called on, the 5″ Kevlar woofers are capable of some serious bottom.

Since bass on the speakers themselves is more than adequate, I was curious what would happen if I connected a floor subwoofer to the mix. While I was impressed with the enhanced and revealing lower frequencies previously unheard (or felt), it was obvious that it’s not absolutely necessary to add a sub right away. It can always be added later if warranted. 

What I like

The audio is balanced, yet offers a decent bass kick when required. Setup couldn’t be easier—Bluetooth pairing was successful on the first try and has remained flawless since. The subdued and elegant design looks good on any desktop or in any living room setting. 

What needs to be improved

The remote should have an on/off button. 

Final Thoughts

The A5+ Wireless speakers have always been a bargain when you consider how good they perform. The added convenience of Bluetooth only sweetens the deal—even at a $100 premium. You can find better sounding and better made speakers, but not at this price.

Price: $499 US ($569 for bamboo)
Where to buy: Audioengine and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Audioengine. Visit www.audioengine.com for more information.

The post Audioengine A5+ Wireless speaker review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

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Audioengine A5+ Wireless speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 6, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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