If you’re on the market for some new Bluetooth speakers to make your favourite sounds pop, then you might be at a loss for where to start looking. We road-tested the Airpulse A100’s, which are a powerful pair of bookshelf speakers that sit on the higher end of the market. But, are they worth their £659 price tag?
We put them through their paces over 2 weeks, testing a broad range of music and movies. Let’s dive into the finer details.
Looks
Designed by Phil Jones, a well-known bass player, sound engineer and speaker designer, the first thing you notice about these speakers is their striking looks. Finished with beautiful piano lacquer and available in pure white, Ferrari red and inky black, they’re certainly easy on the eye.
As well as a compact and rather fiddly remote, the speakers come with a cleaning cloth and a pair of gloves to help prevent scratches and marks. This is a great idea, although it’s worth adding that the A100’s aren’t as prone to fingerprints as their shiny exterior might suggest.
Thankfully, they provide just as much in the way of ear candy too. Consisting of a right active speaker and a left passive speaker connected by a sturdy cable, they’re also incredibly simple to set up. It took me all of five minutes to have them up and running.
Sound
When it came to testing the sound, we went straight for the jugular with the thumping Homework by Daft Punk, and the A100’s delivered. The 5-inch mid-woofers have a 40-watt output per speaker and throw out the bass perfectly without distortion, just so long as you use a quality source.
The A100’s support high-resolution playback and as such, have qualified for a prestigious Hi-Res Audio certification. I used Tidal via my iPhone, which is as close to CD quality as you’ll get from a phone and Da Funk has never sounded as good.
The oval-shaped vent on the back of the speaker is designed to minimise wind noise and did an excellent job during testing. A problem I have encountered at least once with almost every other Bluetooth speaker I’ve used is poor connectivity, yet the Bluetooth receiver didn’t falter once.
Moving to the classic psychedelic rock sound of Riders on the Storm by The Doors, the A100’s once again wowed, especially when it came to the thunder and lightning segment of the song. Movies too popped when it came to sound design, and it was a sheer delight to rewatch The Guest (2014) with its thumping electro soundtrack through these speakers.
Final verdict
Airpulse has gone all out with these bookshelf speakers, delivering phenomenal sound that hits all the right notes across the board. WIth flawless sound across all music and movie genres. The A100’s are well worth the investment if you have the money to blow. The only downside is the rather puny remote control, which has minimal features and can easily be lost.
An impressive product that’s guaranteed to have you trawling back through your favourite sounds, just so you can hear them in a new light. If it’s an immersive listening experience you’re seeking, look no further.
Pick up a pair of A100’s for £659 from Amazon.
Reviewed by Fletch
