Over the last few weeks I've been dropping subtle hints about an upcoming magazine column I'd be writing. Today is the launch of my new column in Tone Audio Magazine called The Computer Audiophile. I'll be writing regular columns for Tone Audio about music servers, computer based playback, software, high quality downloads etc... Without further ado here is a snippet from my first product review for Tone Audio.

There's nothing like coming home to find a new pair of speakers waiting at your front door. That is unless the temperature is 11 degrees below zero and the speakers have been sitting there for a couple hours! But once unthawed, I was able to get down to listening to these little jewels.

One third the size of the Audio Engine 5’s the model 2’s are definitely made for being right on your computer desk and fit exceptionally well on both sies of your your laptop (this is how they were displayed at the Rocky Mountain Audiofest when introduced) ... Weighing in at only 3.55 pounds each, they feature an internal 15-watt amplifier. It’s interesting to note that these speakers do not feature a Class-D or T amplifier; it is a real Class AB solid-state amplifier! Cost is $199 per pair...

... Connecting to the AE 2’s via the standard RCA inputs may be a little more familiar to the audiophiles in the audience and offers some additional customization. If your soundcard has RCA outputs this is a no-brainer. Unable to resist the audiophile urge to tweak, I grabbed my pair of Kimber Select (KS1011) RCA cables and connected the AE 2’s to my Benchmark DAC1 USB, which allowed me to use the volume control on the DAC1 instead of the one behind the speaker. Much more convenient!

To read the rest of the article go to the Tone Audio website and download your free copy of the magazine today.