Short answer: the Audioengine A2+. It ranks #7 of 11 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $279; the Fiio SP3 ranks #11 and costs $299.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Audioengine A2+ offers: Genuinely small footprint for real desktop use, with a wide input selection (RCA, 3.5mm, USB, Bluetooth) plus a rear volume knob and variable RCA output. Watch for: Raw anechoic response has an on-axis midrange dip the reviewer called “too much” at about 6dB peak-to-peak, and a persistent 2dB dip from 3-5kHz that desk placement doesn’t fix - possibly a crossover integration issue.
What the Fiio SP3 offers: Solid build quality that feels more substantial than the ribbed, 3D-printed-looking exterior would suggest. Watch for: Treble runs too hot and the mid-range is heavily scooped out on-axis, the supposedly ideal listening position.
Buy the Audioengine A2+. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Fiio SP3 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Fiio SP3. It ranks near the bottom of the 11 powered bookshelf speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Audioengine A2+ | Fiio SP3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $279.00 | $299.99 |
| Ranked | #7 of 11 in Small Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #11 of 11 in Small Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Inputs | RCA, 3.5mm, USB, Bluetooth 5.0 | AUX, RCA |
| Drivers | 0.75" silk dome tweeter, 2.75" fiber woofer | 3.5" carbon fiber midwoofer, 1" silk dome tweeter |
| Output Power | 15W RMS / 30W peak per channel | 40W total (30W midwoofer + 10W tweeter) |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 22kHz (+-2dB, Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | - |
| EQ | No (fixed volume knob only) | - |
| App | No | - |
| Dimensions | 6"H x 4"W x 5.25"D (152 x 102 x 133mm) | 6.4"H x 4.7"W x 5.2"D (163 x 120 x 132 mm) |
| Weight | 3.5 lbs / 1.6 kg (3.55 lb) left / 3.1 lbs / 1.4 kg (3.15 lb) right | 4.3 lbs / 1.95 kg each |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 59Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 53Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Audioengine HD3 vs Edifier M60
- Adam Audio D3v vs Edifier M60
- Edifier M60 vs IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor
- Audioengine A2+ vs Klipsch ProMedia Lumina
- Klipsch ProMedia Lumina vs Fiio SP3
The Two Speakers In Full
Audioengine A2+: $279.00 Amazon Audioengine
Pros: Genuinely small footprint for real desktop use, with a wide input selection (RCA, 3.5mm, USB, Bluetooth) plus a rear volume knob and variable RCA output. Sound is well-behaved in its intended use case - sitting on the desk below ear level, where the natural desk-boundary reinforcement fills in the midrange the way the design expects. No port chuffing or major excursion issues noted. Better native tonal balance than its closest same-size, same-price rival tested alongside it (which had a severe 70Hz resonant boom and overly hot treble); at this size and price, a solid, inoffensive pick for background/nearfield desktop use.
Cons: Raw anechoic response has an on-axis midrange dip the reviewer called “too much” at about 6dB peak-to-peak, and a persistent 2dB dip from 3-5kHz that desk placement doesn’t fix - possibly a crossover integration issue. Bass rolls off below about 100Hz with real authority, so don’t expect low-end weight. Compression/limiting kicks in hard above roughly 87dB at 1m, well before most full-size monitors, so these aren’t for anyone who wants to push real volume. Do not put these on stands at ear level - that exposes the raw nonlinear response and makes them sound notably worse; desktop placement below ear level is required to sound right. Kali Audio’s similarly-priced LP-UNF is meaningfully more linear and extends lower, at roughly twice the cabinet size.
Full Audioengine A2+ review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 6"H x 4"W x 5.25"D (152 x 102 x 133mm) |
| Drivers | 0.75" silk dome tweeter, 2.75" fiber woofer |
| EQ | No (fixed volume knob only) |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 22kHz (+-2dB, Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | RCA, 3.5mm, USB, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Output Power | 15W RMS / 30W peak per channel |
| Weight | 3.5 lbs / 1.6 kg (3.55 lb) left / 3.1 lbs / 1.4 kg (3.15 lb) right |
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Fiio SP3: $299.99 Amazon
Pros: Solid build quality that feels more substantial than the ribbed, 3D-printed-looking exterior would suggest. RGB lighting accent on the base. Genuinely good dynamic range and compression behavior at higher frequencies - the one area where the reviewer says the manufacturer’s marketing claims actually hold up. Compact footprint for a desktop setup, with a 7° riser built into the base to angle the drivers toward the listener.
Cons: Treble runs too hot and the mid-range is heavily scooped out on-axis, the supposedly ideal listening position. A severely mismatched enclosure-to-driver tuning creates a very high-Q bass resonance - a one-note bass “boom” rather than usable extension, with a steep 7dB rolloff between F3 (59Hz) and F10 (53Hz). Tilting the speaker to change listening angle doesn’t fix the tonal problems; because the crossover itself is poorly executed, off-axis listening just trades one set of problems (5-10dB dip at the crossover region) for another. The reviewer found no EQ or placement adjustment that made it sound acceptable, and specifically calls out the manufacturer’s marketing claims (driver size, dynamics, soundstage) as misleading relative to comparably-priced competitors like the Presonus Eris 3.5. No volume knob on the front panel. Recommended alternative: the Monoprice MM3.
Full Fiio SP3 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 59Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 6.4"H x 4.7"W x 5.2"D (163 x 120 x 132 mm) |
| Drivers | 3.5" carbon fiber midwoofer, 1" silk dome tweeter |
| Inputs | AUX, RCA |
| Output Power | 40W total (30W midwoofer + 10W tweeter) |
| Weight | 4.3 lbs / 1.95 kg each |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons