Aktimate Mini+ (vs Audioengine A5+)

[ShowponyStuart]

Hey guys, I'm currently in the process of upgrading my sound system for my computer and at the moment I have narrowed it down too either Aktimate Mini+ or Audioengine A5+. Happy to spend around $500 give or take a bit.

 

I am tending heavily towards the Aktimate Mini+ but have some concerns. From all reports, I understand the Aktimate speakers to be superior in terms of sound quality, but I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on this?

 

I will be using these pretty much only for music but an odd movie here and there may be thrown in. Depending on what im doing, what im listening to varies a lot. Dubstep/electronic stuff when I'm studying, classic rock/heavy metal when Im relaxing along with various other stuff like muse, queens of the stone age, the white stripes etc etc along with some other alternative music as well.

 

I will probably want to add a sub later on down the track (particularly for the dubstep), are there good subs that can be coupled with the Aktimate?

 

Also is there anyway I could mount the Aktimates on a wall, I know the AE5+ FAQ suggests several wall mounts that might be appropriate, could these work with the Aktimate as well?

 

So any advice? Ideally everyone will just reassure me that the Aktimates are worth it and will pretty much suit my purposes lol. (I just need that last little push to bite the bullet and buy the thing haha).

 

So....thoughts?

 

 

Extra Info:

I should point out that I have a Xonar Essence STX card in my comp too.

 

The room in reasonably small (3.5x5.4m and 2,4m ish high) half of which is a kitchen which is divided off my a waist high counter bench and has thin walls and big windows . Where I sit, my head is only 0.8m away from the wall and all that space is taken up by computer monitors so Im hoping to mount them on the wall and angle them down at me. (they will have to sit at least 0.3m above ear level due to the computer monitors etc if I wall mount.)

[Blake]

We share similar musical tastes (dubstep fan myself, listened to Untrue by Burial last night). I have not heard the Aktimate Mini+, but it appears that they have received a few good reviews. I quite enjoy my A5's but unfortunately that does not do you any good as I have no experience with the Aktimates. The A5's have received lots of reviews so I am sure you have done your homework and read all of those reviews as well.

 

The only reason I am chiming in, is that regardless of how any of the professional reviewers gush on about the bass performance of the Aktimates/A5's, that is just relative to their size. I can't image the Aktimates will go much, if any deeper than the A5's and I am not satisfied with the A5's bass performance when playing musical genres with deep bass. On music with less deep base, the A5's are outstanding. For example, Kaskade's "Strobelight Seduction" which has some great bass, but not super low bass, sounds quite good on the A5's.

 

If you are like me, you will quickly miss the very deepest notes with the Aktimates/A5's, and then you will start searching for a subwoofer. One alternative is to go with a setup that already includes the subwoofer (at least it may prove less expensive in the end). I do like the Focal XS 2.1 system, which includes a decent subwoofer to begin with. The price on the XS 2.1 system is about the same as the Aktimates/A5's. I am sure there are other alternatives, as well. The one "downside" to the XS is that is has a captive DAC, so no upgradeability on the DAC (so, it will not play high resolution music- but let's be honest, the selection of hi-res music of the variety that you and I enjoy, is abysmal- plus, at this level of quality, the hi-res is not going to make that much difference, so who cares).

 

Searching for a 2.1 system now, may be the more cost-effective option.

[Blake]

..also, not a fan of the downward firing wall mount you are proposing, but if it is your only option then "it is what it is". That mounting position will negatively impact sound quality to the point of taking away so much that it almost defeats the point of spending a bit more on the speakers. Just my opinion, others may disagree.

[ShowponyStuart]

Cheers for replying Blake.

Ive actually gone ahead and got the Aktimates already. Cant wait for them to turn up. Im looking to spend the last of my money (*tear rolls down cheek*) on a sub. Atm I am leaning towards a wharfedale diamond 9 SW-150 (400bucks) but am also considering the AS8 and krk 10s (500 odd each). Took me long enough to decide on the speakers, this is going to take ages lol.

 

Im pretty keen to get the system set up to see where my money has gone. I actually went out and bout a Griffin powermate because I rekon ill miss my wired analogue volume control knob so much from my logitech z4s. Only cost me an extra 30bucks and I figure I want this done right lol. (broke now though lol)

 

 

That mounting position will negatively impact sound quality to the point of taking away so much that it almost defeats the point of spending a bit more on the speakers. Just my opinion, others may disagree.

 

Yeah, im kinda going to have my hands tied on this one I think. You can see from the picture (hopefully it works) that there is no decent place to put it. Plus I believe the aktimates are rear firing, so I was under the impression that if I put a bit of sound insulation behind them on the wall, that would help counter some of the problem. There sorta looks like there is more room in the pic than there is but I cant really have them on the desk without them sitting behind a monitor, which I dont really want.

 

[Blake]

....gotcha. The pic helps to see what you are up against. The Aktimates sound like a great desktop speaker solution.

 

What if you put the Aktimates where your existing speakers are located? When you listen to your system now, how is the imaging (if the mix has the singer located between the speakers, does the singer's voice seem to emanate from between the speakers with your current speaker placement)?

[ShowponyStuart]

What if you put the Aktimates where your existing speakers are located?

 

While it is pretty good where it is in terms of sound, that picture is a bit deceptive. Those speakers are pretty small (for perspective, they are bout as high as a beer bottle and take up a slightly larger foot print) and they still get in the way of my screens when I put them is the right spots for listening. So I think I am going to struggle with that a bit.

 

I was thinking of picking up wall mounts for the Audioengine 5+ speakers and modifying it to fit the aktimates if unnecessary. And while in the process, lengthen the arms so it is sitting further away from the wall. So between sitting further off the wall and being angled down (effectively increasing the distance (think pythagoras theorem)) I should be okay. Add some sound insulation behind them on the wall and a bit of insulation in the wall mounts where the speakers sit and I should be sitting pretty yeah?

 

Lol, well thats the plan anyways.