Aurender S5W Wireless Speakers Review: Freedom Without Limits

You can see all sorts of wireless speakers on the shelves and in the windows of large stores or Hi-Fi salons now – from cheap Bluetooth models to complete solutions of the “all in one” type! The Aurender company has offered its version of this type of speaker system. Naturally, with its content transfer technology – easier to use than Bluetooth, and without compression with loss of information. At the same time, a local network and Wi-Fi are not required. In addition, a clever solution to the power supply problem is providing up to 50 hours of music playback. Aurender S5W Wireless Speakers

South Korean company Aurender works in the high-end market, where digital audio components acquire the features of a personal computer, which is “sharpened” for high-quality playback of files with music recordings. Or vice versa: when PCs specialize in playing audio files and are dressed in appropriate Hi-Fi cases. It is also worth noting that this direction has recently gained popularity, and Aurender is not the only company offering options for this convergence.

At the moment, its range includes many devices designed for playing and storing digital music content, and recently the first acoustics appeared – Aurender S5W. It is not surprising that it turned out to be different from other speakers, even wireless ones.

A clever solution

Perhaps the main difference between the S5W and traditional speakers is that they can do without power cables, and for quite a long time – up to 50 hours in working mode. They are powered by a battery, for which there is a large compartment on the back. And the trick is that this is a Bosch battery for power tools – for example, for a cordless screwdriver or drill. Together with the charger, it can be bought in any country. However, the speakers can also be powered from the mains via the adapter that comes with the S5W.

Wireless audio streaming is performed using a small USB dongle that looks like a regular flash drive. It should be inserted into the USB port of a laptop or any other device that supports similar digital stream transmission. No operations are required to connect to the speakers – switching will occur automatically a short time after they are turned on. The broadcast is in CD quality with a resolution of 16 bits/44.1 kHz, and if the original audio file has a higher resolution, then, obviously, the sampling parameters are reduced. The range is up to 30 meters.

Heavy Construction

The Aurender S5W are compact but unexpectedly heavy bookshelf speakers, which is not surprising since each of them has two 50W power amplifier units operating in pulse mode, as well as other necessary electronic elements. They drive a pair of emitters: an inch tweeter made by Scanspeak and an 11-cm midrange/low-frequency driver from SEAS. The latter is loaded onto a phase inverter with a port leading to the rear panel.

The speaker housings are made of aluminum and create a feeling of reliability and durability. Three finishes are offered: black, red, and blue. The power button is located at the back, under it there are two more – High + and Bass + – pressing which leads to an increase in the HF and LF levels, respectively. The side panels are ribbed, which should help dissipate heat. However, there is no particular heating during operation.

Playback and playback control are performed from the device to which the USB transmitter is connected. If it is one of the suitable Aurender components – for example, the N10 network music server/player, which was used for testing – then the most convenient application is the Aurender Conductor App (for iOS). It also performs the function of adjusting the sound volume. A small remote control is included in the package, allowing you to change it when working with other sources.

Freedom and the Near Zone

The main advantage of the Aurender S5W is the freedom to choose a location. The speakers can be placed anywhere – on a shelf or a table – but taking into account the rear-facing bass reflex port, that is, not close to the wall. However, like any other bookshelf speakers, they will show themselves best when installed on stands. Aurender S5W Wireless Speakers

The S5Ws are capable of playing quite loudly, filling a large room with music, but their best sound will be in the near zone – that is when the listener is sitting one and a half to two meters away from them, and his head should be at the level of their acoustic axes. It is in this case that the tonal balance will be perfectly calibrated, the detail will be the highest, and the music scene will acquire the required organization and clarity.

In the large showroom environment where the listening took place, pressing the High+ and Bass+ buttons had a positive effect on the sound. The former adds detail, clarity, and liveliness without any signs of excessive brightness; the latter makes the stage larger, and the bass more textured and deeper. These properties complement each other organically when used simultaneously.

Decent sound quality

Small-band compositions are presented beautifully. Gwyneth Herbert’s Ten Lives is a joy to listen to. The singer’s presence is superbly focused, her voice full, expressive, and articulate. The few instruments have plenty of space on the spacious stage; the bass line is particularly impressive – well-developed, deep, and weighty, which is not what you’d expect from such small speakers. Aurender S5W Wireless Speakers

Beethoven’s piano sonatas performed by Igor Chetuev sound quite authentic and emotional. The speakers manage to convincingly convey both the quiet tenderness of “Moonlight” and the stormy passion of “Appassionata”. The dynamics are swift, precise, and large-scale, the microdynamics also do not cause any complaints. But still, with such demanding musical material, one can feel some schematicness of the overtones of the piano notes, inherent in class D amplification.

Dave Brubeck’s “Time Out” demonstrates the S5W’s rhythmic abilities – the capricious and changeable tempo is delivered very precisely and clearly. The saxophone voice, although poor in timbre, still sounds smooth and expressive; the percussion is recognizable and varied, and the famous drum solo pleases with the sharpness of the front of each blow.

If you are positioned at the optimal listening point, even such complex material as Mozart’s Requiem, performed by the orchestra and choir under the direction of T. Currentzis, will be perceived without any special allowances for the compactness of the bookshelf speakers. The large and spacious stage they create easily accommodates the orchestra, choir, and soloists, taking their designated places and not interfering with each other. The sound is powerful, emotional, and informative – high enough to appreciate the expressive interpretation of this work by the fashionable Russian conductor.

A big sound with excellent dynamics is also obtained when playing compositions of the Muse group. As with other similar genres, if rhythm and drive are important at the moment, then it is not necessary to stick to the optimal listening zone, but if you want to examine everything in detail, and appreciate the vocals and numerous acoustic effects, then it is worth sitting closer, and also being indulgent to the dimensions of the Aurender S5W and not expecting from them what they are physically incapable of. Aurender S5W Wireless Speakers

Conclusion

Aurender has come up with a clever way to free active speakers with powerful amplifiers inside from being tied to a wall outlet. True, this will require an additional amount of money to buy a couple of batteries.

A USB audio transmitter is even easier to use than the ubiquitous Bluetooth, although it promises higher sound quality. However, Wi-Fi-based technologies provide wireless transmission of even Hi-Res audio with sampling up to 24 bit/192 kHz, and it is difficult to imagine a modern house or apartment without a local network.

At the same time, the S5W demonstrates excellent sound, considering its dimensions, looks great and at the same time has all the signs of portability, if you are not burdened by their 10 kg weight. Together with a tablet or smartphone as a source, they will become an ideal system for a trip to the country with an outdoor party. Or, considering the price, it would be more reasonable to use them in the most stylish designer apartments, where hanging wires are unacceptable interior elements.

Specification

Advantages: truly wireless (with batteries, and each of them is active); high sound quality; easy to connect and use; nice and durable cases.

Price: 220,000 rubles

Passport details

Built-in amplifier power: 2×50 W

Power supply: DC 24V/2A adapter or Bosch 18V/6Ah battery

HF speaker: 2.5 cm

Midrange/bass speaker: 11 cm

Acoustic design: bass reflex

Band crossover frequency: 2 kHz

Frequency range: 50 Hz – 22 kHz

Dimensions: 22×15.6×18.5 cm

Weight: 5.2 kg