Audioengine W3 is a valuable upgrade thanks
to its mobility and compatibility, suitable for audiophiles.
First introduced in May 2012, the hi-end
product, Audioengine W3 Premium Wireless Adapter, can be seen as an upgrade of model
Audioengine W2 which was only compatible with Apple devices. Unlike model W2, Audioengine
W3 not only supports Apple products but also other devices: laptops, TV, DVD/CD
player, game consoles and even preamps.
Audioengine
W3 is divided into 2 components: Sender and Receiver.
Basically, Audioengine W3 is just a 16-bit
USB DAC whose task is to transfer sound signal from source right to speakers
via no wire. Beside ability of transmitting 16 bit/48KHz sound through USB
connector, Audioengine W3 supports analog signal from audio source device
owning 3.5mm jack.
Audioengine W3 consists of 2 main
components: Sender and Receiver. They bear the same appearance and come in a compact
design which looks like a USB flash drive with 100 x 30 x 10mm size and 20g
weight.
Audioengine
W3 also supports wireless connection on 2.4GHz frequency band.
Each component is equipped with one USB
connector and one 3.5mm port. Users can join the Sender with either computer
via USB connector or other audio source through 3.5mm jack port. Meanwhile, the
Receiver can be connected to devices such as speakers, separate sub-woofers or preamps.
However, users must notice that both Receiver
and Sender are operated by 5V DC power supplied through USB connector.
Therefore, in case of wanting to connect Audioengine W3 with other audio
sources aside from computer, you have to use an inbox 5V DC adaptor for the
Sender. Besides, if you want to connect the Receiver with a PC speaker that
doesn’t have USB connector for 5V DC power, you have to invest in an additional
adaptor in order to supply power for the device because Audioengine only
provides one adaptor.
In
addition of digital signal, Audioengine W3’s Sender supports 3.5mm jack for
analog signal.
Audioengine W3 uses wireless connectivity on
2.4GHz band and 30m range. According to the manufacturer, transmitted signal is
not compressed to provide users with the best quality. Moreover, Audioengine W3
comes with a real-time streaming transmission technology designed for only music
and based on FEC, SEC and PEC standards which optimize the control of data and
error during transferring process. Furthermore, Audioengine W3 features intelligent
frequency selection which automatically scans throughout 2.4GHz band to pick
out the best frequency so as to reduce noise in a lightning response time (less
than 20ms).
The
package includes Sender, Receiver, 5V DC adaptor, two 3.5mm jacks, 3.5mm/RCA
cable and user manual.
To test this product, we did connect the Sender
to PC (running on Windows 7) through USB connector and join the Receiver with Audioengine
A5+ speakers by 3.5m jack. We also took advantage of these 2.0 speakers’ USB
connectors to supply power for the Receiver. During setup, we didn’t encounter
any difficulty.
The two components of Audioengine W3 were well
configured by default, so they required no adjustment. However, on either the
Receiver or the Sender, there was a pair button for users to join both components
if necessary. Furthermore, with Plug n Play feature of Audioengine W3, users
would be ensured to use this device on many operating platforms for computer.
The
Sender’s USB connector only functions supplying power.
With 5m distance plus no obstacle as well
as 10m distance with concrete wall’s separation in an environment which
contained 8 Wi-Fi transmitters, Audioangine didn’t show limited manifestations such
as unstable signal or latency between audio source and speakers. To judge the
quality of Audioengine W3, we used 16 bit/44KHz sounds and Foobar2000 player
(version 1.0.3).
For some popular albums including Johannes
Linstead - Cafe Tropical 2006, Songbird CD1 – Kenny G, All My Loving – Jheena
Lodwick, Feelings Vol.2 – Jheena Lodwick and Gun 'N' roses greatest
hit 2004, sound quality was much enhanced and more shining. Detail of all music
frequencies became clear when mid-range and turned smoother. We were really
impressed by the extremely silent space that Audioengine W3 had created after
each track. These moments only appear in hi-end DACs.
Each
component can be connected by an adaptor to receive 5V DC power via USB
connector.
Though, Audioengine W3 delivered less remarkable
sound quality than Audioengine D2.On the other hand, it would be appreciated
that output sound from Audioengine W3 was still sophisticated with good range,
especially in track Avemaria of album Audiophile Reference 1 or enormous orchestras
like Duo For Violin & Cello, Op.7 - Allegro Serioso, Non Troppo and
track The Carmen Ballet - IX Torero of album McIntosh Audiophile Test
Reference.
When we connected Audioengine W3 with PC
through analog input (3.5mm jack) for integrated sound card, the Sender
functioned as an adaptor transferring signal via wireless connection to the
Receiver. It was clear that this setting’s audio quality totally depended on broadcast
source. Consequently, once users have either an amplifier or an AV receiver and
wanted to simplify the complex of cables, the above setting can be applied.
As a whole, Audioengine W3, an USB DAC, has
good sound quality, wireless and compact components, and compatibility for various
audio sources. RRP is $220.
Features
Input: USB
Output: 3.5mm and RCA
Sign-to-noise ratio: 92dB
Total harmonic distortion: <0.1%
Frequency response: 100Hz – 10 KHz
Wireless range: 30m
Frequency band: 2.4GHz
Size: 100x30x10mm
Overview
Good
Fine audio quality with high detail via USB
connection
Supporting up to 3 Receivers of the same
brand
User-friendly and compact design
Bad
Only one 5V DC adaptor enclosed in the
package
