Audioengine today introduced its first table-top wireless speaker called the B2 Bluetooth Speaker for $300. The B2 brings the signature sound of the Audioengine 2+ Powered Desktop Speakers to the wireless world in a convenient all-in-one stereo speaker system. The Audioengine B2 has a built-in 24-bit DAC, extended wireless range, and the aptX Bluetooth audio decoder for improved audio fidelity.
The B2 wirelessly plays music from any Bluetooth-enabled device. The speaker uses audiophile-quality, ferro fluid cooled, silk dome tweeters with neodymium magnets. Silk tweeters hold up well under high power and the edge-driven design gives very smooth response. The custom woofers are Kevlar woven glass aramid composite with rubber surrounds. Kevlar is obviously very strong, which means that the woofer retains its shape when being driven at high levels.
Audioengine designs and manufactures their own tweeters, woofers, and many other critical components. In other words, these are not “box built” speakers with off-the-shelf parts but entirely designed to our specifications. The speaker cabinets, drivers, bass port designs, amplifiers, and crossovers are all painstakingly tuned together for each Audioengine model. This, in turn, makes for a much more efficient system that requires much less power than traditional AV stereo receivers and passive speakers.
To minimize unwanted resonances and distortion, Audioengine cabinets have thick high-resin MDF walls with extensive internal bracing. Heavy internal sound-damping material is also used to reduce unwanted sound reflections inside the cabinet. The B2 cabinet is a unique design in that it has dual sub-enclosures to prevent cross-interference, while each side contains its own tuned, front-port bass slot.
The class A/B amplifiers in Audioengine speaker systems are very conservatively-rated analog designs. Each subsystem is tuned together for all models, providing a much more efficient system requiring less power than passive speakers and separate amplifiers. An auto-standby idle mode is also included to conserve power when you’re not playing music. Both drivers are magnetically-shielded which allows protection for CRT displays and hard-drive music players.
Finally, the B2 utilizes the TI PCM5102A DAC, widely know for its low noise and high fidelity. Due to the PCM5102A’s high signal-to-noise specs, the fact that digital signal is converted (upsampled) to 24-bits and the added benefit of triple redundancy power source conversion and filtering, the B2 presents impressive low noise and low distortion characteristics with a noticeable improvement over other Bluetooth speakers.
Pricing and Availability
The Audioengine B2 Bluetooth Speaker is available now $299 in Black Ash, Zebra Wood, or Walnut finishes.
Specifications:
Amplifier type: Dual class AB monolithic
Power output: 60W peak total (15W RMS, 30W peak per channel), AES
Drivers:
3/4″ silk dome tweeters with neodymium magnets
2.75″ Kevlar woofers with advanced voice coils
Inputs: Bluetooth, 3.5mm stereo mini-jack analog
Analog input impedance: 10K ohms unbalanced
Frequency response: 65Hz-22kHz (±2.0dB)
SNR: >95db (typical A-weighted)
THD+N: <0.05% at all power settings
Crosstalk: -50dB
Power filtering: 3-stage redundant regulation
Input voltages: 100-240V, 50/60Hz auto-switching
Protection: Output current limiting, thermal over-temperature, power on/off transient protection
Bluetooth receiver type: Bluetooth 4.0 audio with aptX codec
Supported Bluetooth profiles: aptX, A2DP, and AVRCP
Wireless operation range: up to 100ft (30m) typical
D/A converter: TI PCM5102A
Input bit depth: 24-bit (upsampled)
Input data rate: Determined by Bluetooth
Wireless latency: ~30 milliseconds (ms)
Materials and Construction: 18mm thick MDF cabinets with real wood veneer
Product dimensions: 4.25”(H) x 12.25”(W) x 5.50”(D)
Shipping weight: 10lbs (4.6kg)
