My favorite part of the Color of the Year suite is the S6 Powered Subwoofer. At 10 inches by 8.7 inches, the compact, front-firing form factor lets you snuggle it into various spaces that wouldn’t work for a larger, bottom-firing subwoofer. This is a class D sub with a frequency response down to 33 Hz and an adjustable crossover down to 40 Hz that helps your system sound complete, lifting the bass and rounding out the listening experience.
Color Connection
The ease of setup is one of the major draws for the Audioengine suite. Plug in the A2+ speakers, link them together using the provided stereo cables, and turn them on. You can connect the speakers via Bluetooth, or plug in other components via the stereo inputs. It’s as basic as home hi-fi gets.
Photograph: Jordan Michelman
Linking the Crosley C6 turntable using Bluetooth is similarly seamless. The A2+s have an intuitive Bluetooth pairing mode that starts up when you turn on the speakers, indicated by a flashing Pair button on the back. From there, turn on the turntable, make sure it’s in the “line” position (by using the turntable’s built-in preamp), and the C6 instantly searches for the A2+s. Once the two units connect, the flashing button on the back of the speakers will turn blue, as will the Bluetooth indicator on the turntable.
Connecting the subwoofer was likewise a cinch: Connect an RCA cable to the back of the A2+s in the RCA output, then run that to the audio input on the back of the S6 subwoofer. Once you connect, you’ll want to tweak the sound and presence of the subwoofer, and once you’re happy with the dial-in, the subwoofers will go up and down in volume, in lockstep with the A2+ speakers.
Each Audioengine product also came with a QR code that launched a step-by-step setup process, which I found especially helpful for dialing in the sound for the woofer. (The Audioengine YouTube channel is also a wealth of information.)
In Living Color
After several colorful, music-filled months of testing the Audioengine kit, I found the system to be versatile, though not without its limitations or opportunities for upgrades and tweaks. Right out of the box, the speakers, subwoofer, and turntable looked fantastic and sounded pretty nice. The A2+ speakers were shockingly nuanced and detailed, considering their small size, with Primus and Frank Zappa records showcasing slashing guitars and Paul Chambers and Bill Evans jazz albums providing a sophisticated soundstage. These speakers also worked great for home gaming and laptop use. The subwoofer did wonders when connected to the A2+ for elevating the home-theater experience. The growling lion and car-chasing monkeys in 1995’s Jumanji were vivid and lifelike.