Generic editorial illustration; these are not photographs or exact renderings of Audioengine speakers.
Audioengine A2+ Next Gen is a compact powered-speaker option for a desk where music matters alongside work. When comparing offers, the first task is identifying the generation. A2, A2+, A2+ Wireless and A2+ Next Gen are related names with a product history, not a guarantee of the same connections in every box.
This guide uses Audioengine's own documentation. We have not auditioned the speakers or compared them with earlier versions.
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Table of Contents
What identifies the Next Gen version?
Audioengine's A2 product-history article describes the progression from analogue A2 speakers through USB-equipped A2+ and Bluetooth-equipped A2+ Wireless. For Next Gen, it identifies USB-C connectivity, Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX-HD and 24-bit processing among the updates.
Use those details to clarify a listing, but request the exact product identification when the title or photographs are mixed. A cable adapter included by a seller does not transform an older speaker generation into the newer model.
If you are buying used, ask for a clear rear-panel photograph and the original model information. Compare the old offer against its own specification and condition, rather than applying current Next Gen features to it.
Start with the computer connection you will use
The Next Gen specification page lists USB audio, Bluetooth and analogue inputs, with a variable RCA line output. That gives you several possible desk arrangements.
For a computer that stays on the desk, consider whether USB is the simplest everyday connection. For a phone used occasionally for music, confirm the Bluetooth pairing and source-switching routine during a trial.
Do not make the codec name a substitute for checking the source device. Verify which Bluetooth format your actual device supports if that feature is part of the purchase decision. The speaker's capability alone does not establish the complete playback path.
Bluetooth does not remove every cable
Even when the music source is wireless, plan the speakers' power and inter-speaker connections according to the setup instructions. Include those leads when deciding where each unit will sit.
Check the distance between the intended left and right positions. Allow room behind the powered speaker for its sockets and controls rather than measuring only the visible front of the cabinet.
On a sit-stand desk, decide which cables move with the desktop and which reach fixed equipment. Our home-office cable guide can help organise that route after you have tested it.
Place the pair around your working position
Mark out the two speaker footprints beside the monitor before ordering. Check whether one would be pushed behind a screen, blocked by a desk shelf or placed much farther from you than the other.
Compare a direct-on-desk position with suitable stands if you are considering them, using the manufacturer's placement guidance. Include the stands in the space and cost calculation. Do not assume a small cabinet automatically produces the right listening position on every desk.
For a desk crowded by a large monitor, our speaker buying guide offers alternative arrangements to consider before you commit to a pair of separate speakers.
How should you evaluate the sound?
Use familiar speech and music at the level you normally choose while working. Listen from the chair and screen position you actually use, not only while standing close to one speaker.
Pay attention to whether the balance suits long listening sessions and whether quiet dialogue is clear enough for your needs. Product specifications cannot establish your preference for bass balance or the effect of the particular room.
If adding a subwoofer is a possible future step, confirm its connection and controls before buying it. The presence of a line output does not answer every question about the complete system or establish that you need an extra box immediately.
Compare the complete UK offer
Check the exact generation, finish, included power supply and suitable UK mains connection, plus the seller's support and returns terms. Overseas manufacturer prices are not a UK delivered-price comparison.
You can search Amazon UK for Audioengine A2+ Next Gen. Treat a listing that only says “A2+” as needing clarification if the Next Gen connections are essential to you.
Research checked on 9 September 2026. No listening score or comparison benchmark is claimed.