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Our impressions at the audio store were nothing short of amazing when we first heard the Audioengine A2's. At least for $200, nothing's come close to the precision and power that these little guys can deliver.

We threw on a combination of indie, progressive rock, hip-hop, and jazz to check out the entire range of fidelity of the A2's. Turning it up did not cause any distortion, even at higher than comfortable listening levels. Blasting Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage' sounded just right and we even had an associate come by to sing along with us and Mike D. On the low side, it's not bad at all. Some may argue that you don't get that polished "soundscape behind the speaker" and ground-shaking bass dedicated subwoofers can pull off without breaking a sweat, but we're not talking big dogs here - these guys are a mere 6 inches high and 4 inches wide. For something so small to deliver such excellent mid-ranges and high notes are unheard of in the sub-$300 category.

Being powered speakers, there is no need for an extra amplifier or preamp for that matter. The built-ins take care of it all. They've also got all the connections you need to plug it directly into your PC or Mac, making the A2's one of the easiest sound upgrades you can buy for your computer.

They're available in black or white and can be had for $200 shipped on Amazon. Comes with 3-year warranty.