Features
Audioengine HD3 Powered Speakers: The Audioengine's HD3's
speaker cabinets, drivers, innovative bass port design, amplifier, and passive
crossover network are critically tuned together, providing a more efficient
system requiring less power than passive speakers & external amplifiers. The HD3
is not a "box-built" system with off-the-shelf parts, but includes
custom-designed components constructed to Audioengine's specifications for high
quality, high performance sound.
Two-Way Driver Design: The Audioengine HD3 employs a two-way driver
design. Each speaker is outfitted with a 0.75" silk dome tweeter and a 2.75"
kevlar cone woofer for a wide stereo soundstage.
- Silk Dome Tweeter: The HD3 uses an audiophile-quality, ferrofluid-cooled
silk dome tweeter with a neodymium magnet. Silk tweeters hold up well under
high power and the edge-driven design gives very smooth response.
- Kevlar-Woven Woofer: The woofer used is a Kevlar woven glass
aramid composite with rubber surround. Kevlar is obviously very strong,
which means the woofer retains its shape when being driven at high levels.
Built-In Amplifier: The amplifier in the Audioengine HD3 is located in
the left speaker and are a conservatively-rated class A/B analog monoblock
design. This is a more traditional speaker/amplifier configuration which
provides excellent quality audio and greater flexibility. All circuit boards for
the power and preamp sections are vertically mounted for maximum mechanical
shock protection. The built-in power amplifier saves space & eliminates the need
to connect Audioengine HD3 to a stereo receiver or external power amp.
Note: The
included 6.5' speaker wire connects from the left speaker's binding-post terminals to
the right
speaker's binding post terminals to power the right speaker.
Hand-Built Cabinets: The Audioengine HD3's speaker cabinets are
hand-built with furniture-grade finishes. The HD3 cabinets are available in
several handsome finishes, including walnut and cherry veneers as well as satin
black and white paint; offering a wide choice for complementing room furnishings. Also
included are detachable grills that add further aesthetic advantages as they are
firmly held in place with hidden neodymium magnets for a clean look.
Front-Slot Port: One of the reasons the Audioengine HD3 has such great
bass response for a compact speaker is its slot-ported cabinet. Each cabinet
features a rear-firing slot-port that has been specifically tuned for accurate
bass down to 65Hz. The result is low end with minimal audible air turbulence, so
you can use the Audioengine HD3 speakers with or without a separate subwoofer.
24-bit Upsampling DAC: The HD3's built-in Bluetooth receiver and USB
input both utilize the AKM AK4396A DAC, widely known for its low-noise and
high-fidelity. The AK4396A is used as an upsampling DAC and will pad all bit
depths to 24-bits, achieving a higher signal-to-noise ratio and lower noise
floor. Due to the high signal-to-noise specs of the AK4396A, the fact that
digital signal is upsampled to 24-bits, as well as the added benefit of onboard
triple redundancy power source conversion and filtering, the HD3 Bluetooth
implementation presents impressive low noise and low distortion characteristics
with a noticeable improvement over many other Bluetooth devices.
Bluetooth Music Streaming The Audioengine HD3 incorporates
built-in Bluetooth (version 4.0) for wireless music streaming of stored music
and music apps on your Bluetooth-enabled Apple iPod/iPhone/iPad, Android
smartphone/tablet, Windows PC/Phone, Mac computer/laptop, and more to the
powered speaker system. You will continue to control your music and view
song/artist information from your Bluetooth-enabled device.
- SBC, AAC, & aptX Codecs: The HD3 powered speakers
feature aptX coding (for Android) which is an advanced Bluetooth audio codec
with "CD-quality" like sound. And even if your phone or tablet doesn't have
aptX, the HD3 Bluetooth solution is backwards-compatible with SBC and AAC
(for iPhone) codecs, so you can wirelessly stream music from any
Bluetooth-enabled device and still enjoy all your music.
- 100' Wireless Range: Most Bluetooth products have very
limited range (only up to 30'), typically within just one room. But with
careful signal management circuitry and antenna tuning, the HD3 offers a
superior solution that has up to 3x the range (up to 100') of standard
Bluetooth for multiroom use, with no degradation in audio quality.
Note: Due to the differences in Bluetooth technology, some
Bluetooth enabled devices may be incompatible, function improperly, or may
not support all features when used with the Audioengine HD3.
microUSB Input: The Audioengine HD3 is fitted with a microUSB input
that can be used to playback music files from your Windows PC or Mac computer
(no separate USB driver necessary). Simply use the included microUSB-to-USB
cable to connect the HD3 to a free USB port on your computer. The microUSB input bypasses your computer's built-in low-quality
DAC and utilizes the HD'3 24-bit upsampling DAC
for a high-end listening experience. The Audioengine HD3's microUSB port
supports music files up to 24-bit/44.1kHz or 48kHz.
Audiophile-Quality Headphone Amp: The Audioengine HD3 features an
audiophile-quality, dedicated headphone amplifier with front-panel headphone
output. The HD3's high-performance headphone amplifier is based on the OPA2134
low-noise opamp. This amp is able to provide low-impedance, high-fidelity audio
and a 2-volt output which easily drives a wide range of headphones
Dual Aux Inputs: The HD3 is equipped with two analog Aux
inputs. There is a stereo minijack (3.5mm) input and a stereo RCA input for
connecting analog audio devices.
Variable Audio Output: The Audioengine HD3 includes a
variable stereo preamp audio output so you can connect a powered subwoofer (such
as the
Audioengine S8; sold separately), other Audioengine powered speakers, or an
Audioengine wireless adapter (772W3;
sold separately) to daisy-chaining music to other systems around the house. This
output is variable (adjustable) so the volume level can be controlled from the
HD3.
Front-Panel Rotary Knob: The HD3's front-panel rotary knob allows you
to turn the speaker system on or off, as well as adjust the volume level up or
down.
Power Requirements: The Audioengine HD3's left speaker plugs into an
AC power outlet using the included AC power adapter and AC power cord.
Break-in Period: The speaker will sound great out of the box
& will get better over time. No need to do anything else, but listen to them. Do
give them at least 30-50 hours of break-in time before doing any critical
listening.