Audioengine HD3 Review

Today, I’m reviewing the Audioengine HD3, a desktop speaker set suitable for computer owners who mainly want speakers to listen to music. I have been using the Audioengine HD3 for several months since I bought the speakers for my own use.

My speakers are connected to the first generation of the iFi Zen DAC reviewed here, which is connected to my Windows PC. I also use the speakers from my Samsung Android phone to listen to music via Bluetooth.

This review is based on my experience of using these speakers.

Audioengine HD3 Sound quality

I was somewhat surprised by the quality of these speakers. They create a well-balanced soundscape with really good quality mids and highs, as you would expect from small desktop speakers. The Audioengine HD3 is weaker with the low end. After saying that, the bass is really good, given the speaker’s size.

You only really notice the limitation when listening to a base-heavy track such as the White Stripes Seven Nation Army, which I compared with my Sony WH5000-XM5 headphones, which have a lower frequency response range.

But to get the most out of these speakers if you plan on using them on an office desk are the plastic feet that make the speakers point upwards at an angle to drive the sound towards your ears. I ordered the feet within a couple of days, and boy, I’m glad I did.

Audioengine HD 3 Features

The Audioengine HD3 are a set of powered speakers with a built-in amplifier. The speaker also has a built-in DAC to convert audio received via USB 3 or Bluetooth.

You can also connect your speakers to other audio devices, such as a DAC or a record player, via the RCA ports in fact, the speaker has two ports, one input and another output, allowing you to connect a subwoofer to the speakers, which I haven’t tested.

Audioengine HD3 specification

Specification Description	Specification Details
Amplifier type	Class AB
Power Output	60 W peak power title (15 W RMS/30 W peak per channel)
Drivers	2.75” Aramid fibre woofers, 0.75” silk dome tweeters
Bluetooth input bit depth	24 bits (padded)
Bluetooth receiver type	Bluetooth 5.0
Supported Bluetooth Codecs	aptX HD, apt X, AAC, SBC
Connector type	Micro USB
USB device class	USB 1.1 or above
Input bit depth	24 bit (padded)
Input sample rate	44.1/48 kHz

The full specification can be found in the Audioengine HD3 specification box.

Last updated 21/09/2024