“The speakers are loud, clean, and reasonably well-balanced. If you want to rock, these speakers are up to the task. At the same time, the sound they offer is impressive. While I find the iPod Hi-Fi’s sound too mid-heavy, the Audioengine 5s are more balanced to my ears. The bass is pronounced without the thump, the low-to-mid range is a touch heavier than I like but the application of a little iTunes/iPod EQ clears that up (the speakers include no tone controls of their own), and there’s enough high end to lend a nice sheen to my classical and jazz recordings. And, of course, because you can separate the speakers, you can create the kind of soundstage that the iPod Hi-Fi can only dream of. Compare them instead to powered speakers priced under $500 that are intended for the portable music market and you’ll feel the way I do—nothing can touch them.” —— macworld.com