Audioengine OPEN BOX HD3 - Black - Pair - A Grade
Audioengine OPEN BOX HD3 - Black - Pair - A Grade
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Keep the Box
We suggest you keep the shipping box or boxes for at least 30 days. It is actually a great idea to keep boxes for audio products for the life of the product. Having the box and all packing will increase the trade-in value should you decide to move up and they are handy to have should you ever need to send the unit in for repair.
How To Receive a Motor Freight Order
The trucking company will contact you to schedule a convenient time to deliver the order. Please note that you must be present for delivery.
Visually inspect the box to make sure you see no signs of damage. If you notice any damage at all, take some pictures with your phone and make a note of them on the delivery receipt the driver will ask you to sign. If it is obvious that the product is damaged, please refuse the order and contact us immediately at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com.
Open your box as soon as possible and inspect the product for damage and contact us if you find anything wrong.
FedEx Freight Service Comparison
| Feature / Service | Scheduled Curbside Delivery | White Glove Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled delivery appointment | ✔ | ✔ |
| Delivery location | Ground level only (garage, front door, loading dock) | Room of choice, any floor |
| Delivery team | 1 person | 2 people |
| Placement inside home/business | ✘ | ✔ |
| Upstairs / downstairs delivery | ✘ | ✔ |
| Unpacking | ✘ | ✔ (upon request) |
| Packaging removal | ✘ | ✔ (upon request) |
| Assembly / installation | ✘ | ✘ |
| Old item removal | ✘ | ✘ |
At Audio Advice, we pride ourselves on customer satisfaction. We'll bend over backward to make sure you're 100% satisfied and we won't accept anything less. We offer 30-day hassle-free returns and personalized service from real, live people.
If an item doesn't meet your expectations, you may return or exchange it in its original condition and packaging within 30 days for a full refund, minus shipping fees. Items shipped back in like new condition through standard shipping carriers will incur a minimum $15 return shipping fee. If the items were initially shipped through free scheduled delivery via motor freight (commonly referred to as LTL), returning them will result in return shipping fees starting at $150. These items include but are not limited to, oversized items such as TVs, certain subwoofers, floorstanding speakers, furniture, and most items weighing over 75 pounds. Return fees will also apply for exchanges. We want to treat your system as if it is our own and want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase.
Please see the instructions below. We only accept returns for any product purchased directly from our website. If merchandise is not returned in its original condition or is missing packaging, manuals, accessories or other parts, or the resale value of the product has been impaired, a partial refund will be given and calculated on a case-by-case basis.
Non-Returnable Items
The following items cannot be returned or cancelled:
- Special/Custom Order Items
- Gift Cards
- In-ear headphones cannot be returned once the packaging has been opened due to personal hygiene reasons. Please contact our customer care team if you'd like help choosing.
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Turntables With a Broken Stylus: All turntables ship out with the stylus intact. If you return a turntable or phono cartridge with a broken or missing stylus you will be subject to a return fee. Please be careful when setting up your turntable and contact us with any questions.
Is It Easy To Return An Item?
Yes, simply give us a call at 888.899.8776 or you can email our support team at support@audioadvice.com. Many times our team of experts can help figure out why the product might not be working like you expected and get things fixed over the phone, so don’t be surprised if we ask a few questions, we love troubleshooting!
If our tech help can not make you happy, we will email over a return shipping label with a Return Number.
Hopefully, you saved all of the original item’s box and packaging inserts. You will want to pack back up your return or exchange in the same way it came out of the original box. Once you have everything packaged correctly, tape the box on the top and bottom to assure it stays together. If Audio Advice shipped the item to you inside a second box, it's a good idea to use that same extra box to help prevent damage on its way back to us. To avoid it accidentally coming back to you, use a magic marker to cross out the old shipping label or just tear it off.
The return shipping label we send you will have our address on it, just make sure you take the box to the right shipper (UPS, FEDEX, or USPS) as per the label.
If you are close to one of our stores, please let us know if it is more convenient for you to return it to us directly. You will still need to get a return number by contacting us and shipping and/or restocking charges may apply.
When Will I See My Refund?
It usually takes around 7-14 days for the refund to show up on the payment method you used. We do inspect all returns for damage and accuracy of the item inside the box before issuing a refund. Some items may be subject to shipping and restocking fees.
Can I Exchange My Purchase For Something Different?
Sometimes those big speakers just don’t fit in the room or you might have bought a small subwoofer and later found out you’d love a bigger one. If you would like to make an exchange within 30 days of receiving your item, just give us a call at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com and we will help work out the details. Additional shipping charges and return costs may apply.
How Do I Cancel An Order?
If the item has already shipped out or is a special order item, it is not possible to cancel the order. Please contact us at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com to start the return process.
What If I Find Shipping Damage?
We need to know right away about any shipping damage. Please contact us at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com within 48 hours of your delivery so we can get the ball rolling on making things right. It’s very helpful to take some pictures and email them to us if possible.
Can I Refuse A Shipment?
You can, but unless the item is damaged, shipping and restocking fees will be deducted from your refund. If your item arrives damaged and you are lucky enough to be there, snap some quick pics and refuse the order. Then contact us so we can get a replacement on the way.
What Happens If My Order Is Defective?
This is actually pretty rare, most consumer electronics work fine out of the box 99.9% of the time. We’d like for you to contact us first by calling 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com so we can help get to the bottom of things. If your item is indeed defective during the first 30 days, we can usually exchange it for a new, replacement unit.
What About Service After 30 Days?
Audio Advice has a great relationship with all of our brands and can help you with warranty service by the brand after our 30-day guarantee period. Even after the warranty expires, we can arrange for service by the brand on products purchased from Audio Advice. Just call 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com.
How Do You Determine A Restocking Fee?
You may not believe it, but sometimes we receive items back that were put in the box with zero packaging and are completely destroyed or are missing many of the pieces that came with the item. We also track serial numbers and will get back different serial numbers. We’ve even seen different items than what we shipped out be returned. However, it’s very important to package your return properly so that nothing goes missing or gets damaged in shipping, which will result in a restocking fee or even no refund at all. If a product is opened and the market value of the product is reduced, then a restocking fee may be applied to the cost of restocking and the reduced market value of the product. The bottom line is if you treat us fairly, we will do the same.
Audio Advice strives to provide industry-leading support and service while also maintaining the lowest prices available on products for our customers. We work hard with our vendors to bring our customers the best products at each price point. As a part of that process, we work with our vendors to provide the lowest pricing in our stores and on our website.
Our prices should always be the same as any other authorized dealer, including big-box retailers and major online retailers.
If you believe that you have found a lower advertised price from a legitimate authorized seller, call us and let us know so we can make sure we can correct any inadvertent error on our side. As a matter of policy, we update our prices automatically if a vendor changes its authorized pricing policies, so we generally have the best prices all the time. Increasingly, there are knock-off copies of products online, usually sold by non-authorized dealers.
Please be sure that the item meets the following conditions:
- The item is brand new, in stock, and available for purchase
- The item has the identical model number, color, etc as the item on our site.
- The seller is an authorized dealer
As always, our goal is to provide a terrific customer experience, including industry low prices. We appreciate your support.
Overview
All items are tested for functionality and have all required cables in the box unless otherwise noted.
Learn more about our Open Box Guarantee >
Company & Product Overview
Audioengine is one of the most popular names in audio right now, having built a reputation over the last 11 years for building fantastic speakers that provide an incredible value. Their founders have a great pedigree, having spent time at some of the best names in the audio and consumer electronics industry, including Apple, Alesis, Gibson Guitar, and Harman/Kardon. Audioengine has developed a line of products that are incredibly easy to set up while delivering performance that rivals speakers costing 2-3 times the price.
In 2016, they released a flagship product, the HD6, which represented a bit of a departure from their focus on desktop computer speakers. The HD6 is a true full-range speaker and is best appreciated on speaker stands or bookshelves where you can sit further away than the typical 2-3 ft we all sit from our computer speakers. The HD6 is beautifully finished tons of options for connectivity built in.
The HD3, which we will be reviewing today, takes many of the great features of the HD6 and shrinks it down into a compact pair of speakers that are perfect for desktop listening.
Design & Build Quality
Like the HD6, the HD3 comes in a choice of three beautiful finishes, walnut, cherry, or black. The model we tested was in walnut and was really beautiful. They all come with a black grill that attaches magnetically to the front. The grill doesn’t cover the speaker from top to bottom, leaving a little room for a brushed metal plate across the front. The left speaker has a volume/off control knob, headphone input, and Bluetooth pairing button. The HD3 has a slot loaded front firing port, which means you can place them just about anywhere.
Size wise they are just slightly larger than the famous Audioengine A2+, standing 7 ¼” tall compared to the 6” of the A2+ with the width (4 1/8”) and depth (5 ¾”) very similar to the A2+.
The HD3 is a two-way powered speaker system with 2.75” Kevlar woofer and ¾” silk dome tweeters. The HD3 uses a cast basket which provides more rigidity than the stamped basket featured in the A2+. The amp for the HD3 is built in, so all you need is a source to get music playing. As you’ll see, there are no shortages of possibilities there!
Connectivity is an area where the HD3 really shines. They come with a heavy gauge 2-meter speaker cable used to connect the left powered speaker to the right. The cable used is a big step up from that included with the A2+. It’s much larger gauge and comes pre-terminated with gold plated banana plugs. This makes hookup a snap and eliminates any chance of stray wires touching at the speaker terminals. Should you wish to use your own cable, the connections accept either banana plugs or bare wire and are far more solid than you normally find on speakers in this price range.
The back panel of the left speaker has several connection options. There is a left/right set of RCA audio inputs, a mini plug audio input (with a nice gold plated audio cable included), a micro USB input for connection from a computer (basic cable included), and a Bluetooth antenna. You’ll also find a set of audio outputs should you wish to connect a sub, and a new feature for Audioengine, a bass reducing toggle switch. Finally, there is the locking connection for the external power supply.
Pairing for Bluetooth works great and the HD3 will even remember 6 different Bluetooth connections.
Performance
Audioengine recommends about 40-50 hours of break in time, so while they were playing we tested out the Bluetooth range. This is no “you have to stay in the room” Bluetooth connection. Using an iPhone we were able to stay connected up to about 50 feet away, even through multiple walls -- very impressive!
We really like the design theory of a powered speaker. If the designer is choosing to build a powered speaker because they care about the sound (not to cut costs), the outcome can be fantastic. They know all of the electrical characteristics the amp will need to contend with since the only thing it will ever be connected to are the drivers that are built into that particular speaker. This lets them design the amp to perfectly match the speakers. It saves money and if done right, results in great sound. As with many Audioengine speakers, the HD3 is self-powered. We were surprised to see how well the built in amp could push them. It easily filled up a reasonably sized room with sound, though we preferred the sound up close. Though they certainly will work as a bookshelf speaker, it seems
they were designed to really excel where they will likely be most used -- as a great set of desktop speakers.
Our experience with Audioengine means we are starting to get to a point where we can predict how an Audioengine speaker will sound. They tend not to over-emphasize any frequencies. Everything is smooth and flat in the range they cover. This means you can sit at your desk and listen to them for hours on end without the fatigue you sometimes get from lower quality speakers.
The bass switch is a really interesting feature. It cuts off the deep bass if you are going to use a subwoofer with them. This has the advantage of removing the deep bass demands from the woofer, which actually opens up the midrange. It’s really easy to hear, if you switch bass cut on, during some complex music with vocals you’ll notice the vocals to be clearer. Couple these with an Audioengine sub (or your own) and you have a great full-range system.
If you are going to use them on a wooden desk, we do highly recommend the $29 DS1 stands as an add-on. Anytime you put a speaker on a big, flat, resonant surface, the sound can become colored by the resonances. The DS1 stands eliminate this and also aims the drivers up towards your ears for a better listening experience.
The HD3 apparently has the same DAC (digital audio converter) built in as their great D1 DAC. This is one of our favorite DAC’s for the money and it was not surprising that we got our best sound while using the USB output from our computer, which then had the built in DAC turning the digital stream into music. Ripped CD’s sounded great too, as did Tidal in HiFi (CD quality) streaming mode.
Overall Recommendation
If you like listening to music at your desk, we highly recommend the HD3. All you need are the speakers (and we recommend the stands). For private listening, the headphone amp will also drive even the highest demand headphones on the market.
They could also work well in a small room as a primary speaker coupled with your smartphone for Bluetooth streaming or even a phono stage with an entry-level turntable.
When you couple the better DAC, better woofer basket, and slightly larger cabinet, these are definitely a substantial improvement over the A2+ for just another $150. Add in the fact that you get Bluetooth and a headphone amp and it’s a no brainer to upgrade to these over the A2+ if it’s within your budget.
