Short answer: the Airpulse A100 for better sound quality, the Presonus Eris E5 for the lower price. The Airpulse A100 ranks #17 of 64 powered bookshelf speakers at $999.99. The Presonus Eris E5 ranks #39 at $109.99, $890 cheaper.
What the Presonus Eris E5 offers: Rated 3.8 in the SpeakerRanking database. Watch for: More HiFi sounding than the HS5 and not quite as detailed, although with deeper bass and a more fun listen.
What the Airpulse A100 offers: Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter (inherited from Airpulse’s flagship 7001 monitor, designed by Phil Jones) paired with a 5” hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer - a distinctive, low-mass driver combination rarely seen below $1,000. Directivity spread is the widest and most controlled of this batch (directivity_spdi_stddev 4.26). A full input set for a desktop system: RCA, USB, optical, coaxial, and Bluetooth, plus a dedicated subwoofer output and an included IR remote. Watch for: On-axis deviation (aad_on_axis 0.498) trails the pricier options in this group, and there’s no app-based EQ or DSP - bass/treble trim is limited to physical rear-panel knobs not reachable from the remote. The compact 5” woofer caps sub-bass extension at 63.0Hz (-3dB) / 53.2Hz (-10dB), the second-shallowest in this batch, effectively expecting an external subwoofer for full-range use. No Wi-Fi streaming (AirPlay/Chromecast) - Bluetooth only.
Buy the Presonus Eris E5 if the price matters more than sound quality. Buy the Airpulse A100 if sound quality matters more than the price.
Specifications Side By Side
| Presonus Eris E5 | Airpulse A100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $109.99 | $999.99 |
| Ranked | #39 of 64 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #17 of 64 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Dimensions | 10.2"H x 7"W x 7.7"D (259.1 x 177.8 x 195.6 mm) | 6.3" x 11.1" x 10" (160 x 283 x 255 mm) (6.3 x 11.1 x 10.0 in) each |
| Frequency Response | 53Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 52Hz - 40kHz |
| Inputs | TRS, XLR, RCA | RCA (aux), USB, optical, coaxial, Bluetooth aptX |
| Weight | 10.1 lbs / 4.6 kg each | 24.3 lbs / 11 kg (24.2 lb) each |
| Drivers | 5" (127mm) woofer | Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter, 5" hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer |
| App | No | None (physical bass/treble knobs, IR remote) |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes (SBC, aptX) |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) | Yes, rear-panel bass/treble trim knobs |
| Output Power | 80w Per Speaker | 100W total (40W+40W woofer, 10W+10W tweeter) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 53.2Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 63.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
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Prices on this page were last checked August 25, 2026 at 6:19 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Presonus Eris E5: $109.99 Amazon eBay
Cons: More HiFi sounding than the HS5 and not quite as detailed, although with deeper bass and a more fun listen.
Full Presonus Eris E5 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth | No |
| Dimensions | 10.2"H x 7"W x 7.7"D (259.1 x 177.8 x 195.6 mm) |
| Drivers | 5" (127mm) woofer |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) |
| Frequency Response | 53Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | TRS, XLR, RCA |
| Output Power | 80w Per Speaker |
| Weight | 10.1 lbs / 4.6 kg each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- DSAUDIO.review: Adam Audio T5V vs Presonus Eris E5 5 Track Comparison More from DSAUDIOreview →
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- DSAUDIO.review: M-Audio BX5 D3 vs Presonus Eris E5 5 Track Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: PreSonus Eris E5 XT vs PreSonus Eris E5 (new vs old) Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- DSAUDIO.review: JBL 305P MKII vs PreSonus Eris E5 6-Track Comparison
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- DSAUDIO.review: KRK Rokit 5 G4 RP5G4 vs Presonus Eris E5 Sound & Frequency Response Comparison
- Reddit Search for Presonus Eris E5 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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Airpulse A100: $999.99 Amazon B&H Photo eBay
Pros: Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter (inherited from Airpulse’s flagship 7001 monitor, designed by Phil Jones) paired with a 5” hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer - a distinctive, low-mass driver combination rarely seen below $1,000. Directivity spread is the widest and most controlled of this batch (directivity_spdi_stddev 4.26). A full input set for a desktop system: RCA, USB, optical, coaxial, and Bluetooth, plus a dedicated subwoofer output and an included IR remote.
Cons: On-axis deviation (aad_on_axis 0.498) trails the pricier options in this group, and there’s no app-based EQ or DSP - bass/treble trim is limited to physical rear-panel knobs not reachable from the remote. The compact 5” woofer caps sub-bass extension at 63.0Hz (-3dB) / 53.2Hz (-10dB), the second-shallowest in this batch, effectively expecting an external subwoofer for full-range use. No Wi-Fi streaming (AirPlay/Chromecast) - Bluetooth only.
Full Airpulse A100 review and specifications →
| App | None (physical bass/treble knobs, IR remote) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53.2Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 63.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (SBC, aptX) |
| Dimensions | 6.3" x 11.1" x 10" (160 x 283 x 255 mm) (6.3 x 11.1 x 10.0 in) each |
| Drivers | Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter, 5" hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer |
| EQ | Yes, rear-panel bass/treble trim knobs |
| Frequency Response | 52Hz - 40kHz |
| Inputs | RCA (aux), USB, optical, coaxial, Bluetooth aptX |
| Output Power | 100W total (40W+40W woofer, 10W+10W tweeter) |
| Weight | 24.3 lbs / 11 kg (24.2 lb) each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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