No, in no present or parallel dimension do these speakers SUCK at all. In terms of their Bluetooth performance in general, they're great, and 99.9% of all listeners would find their performance outstanding. Looking at the ultimate in stereo reproduction, Bluetooth -- in general -- is still a little half-baked for top-tier stereo playback. AudioEngine now sells a version of these speakers that is completely passive -- so you could choose your own amplification, it that floats your boat. When I say that I could live with these speakers and never look back -- I'm not lying, they're that good!! The HD-6 is an absolutely perfectionist product that performs remarkably within the restraints of the available technology. It doesn't get much better than that. I'd definitely take a listen before making my decision.

Do they sound amazing on Bluetooth?

Thank you so much for your inspired review of the HD6. Your observations confirmed my prejudice about Bluetooth and saved me from recanting my position taken 2 years ago that BT should be avoided unless you're trying to amputate a piece of listening pleasure. (Stop Shattering My Music post on iHi-Fi.com)

I'm as enthusiastic as ever about Audioengine and still hanging with their products for greater-than-expected musical results. Looking forward to a pair of HD6's of my own and still listening mostly to A5+N (Bamboo) through the D2 DAC and an iFi Micro Tube Buffer. Been recommending a dual rig with aptX Bluetooth and also a D1 or D2 for the music you simply have to hear at it's best -- through the analog input.

I also appreciate gaining a new new (to me) guitar artist to listen to -- Eric Johnson. Jeez, he does everything so well.

Keep up the great, deep digging that reveals all about new, game-changing pieces of audio gear.

Joseph Riden
Principal Designer, iHi-Fi.com

Radio Shack (if you can find one, might have to go the online route) makes a really inexpensive analog switcher that works really well for less than $20. I'd consider going that route. I'd probably try and avoid your PC's sound card.

Tom

My D1 currently hooks up to my headphone amp (Schiit Valhalla 2), and there's no more RCA plugs in the back. Would I want to connect the optical through to the speakers, then? How would I switch back and forth between speakers and headphones if I did that?

My PC soundcard is probably rather mediocre, it was very cheap, but it does have an optical output. Would that still not be great even though it enables the built in DAC?

Thanks for the help.

If your computer has a really good sounding built-in sound card, then you could easily use a program (like JRiver Media Center) that offers digital volume control to supply a signal to the HD6's. If you own a D1 DAC, then a better choice would be to get the music signal from your computer's USB output into the D1. Then use the analog RCA connections on the back of the D1 to connect to the HD6 and control the volume with the D1's own volume control. The HD6 has a built-in DAC (which is essentially a D-1 inside the left speaker case), but it's only accessible via the optical input.

I also connected personal portables, a CD player and a turntable to the analog inputs (if your table has a built-in phono preamp, all is good -- if not, you'll need a separate phono preamp), and found that the built-in volume control on the HD6 was more than sufficient to provide good sound.

My main issue with the Bluetooth sound is that it's just not quite as transparent as the sound from anything connected to the analog inputs. In my experience, Bluetooth is great with many effective uses, but, to quote my review, "not quite ready for audiophile primetime" with high-end gear. It was really a happy accident that I connected the HD6's to my preamp -- it lifted my impression of the sonic capabilities of the HD6's from really good to exceptional.

The HD6's come with a number of different cables that should get you going out-of-the-box, but they do not come with an optical digital cable. Hope this was helpful!

Tom

You mention the pre-amp. Would I need to buy one of these to get the full value out of these speakers? I'm not sure if I have anything equivalent - a PC sound card, a headphone amp, a D1 DAC... Would any of these work? Also, did the speakers come with the requisite cables out of the box or would I have to buy cables separately to be able to listen to them on day 1?

Exactly! With a wired connection, these speakers have superb bass extension, power handling and impressive dynamics with a really believable soundstage that belies their very small size. They totally impress on every level and provide a serious taste of the high-end for not so serious cash. Very highly recommended, and don't let naysayers like the guy above who most likely hasn't even heard them dissuade anyone from at least hearing them and making their own decision.

Tom

I get your point that wired sounded way better than wireless.

Dude, have you heard these speakers? Don't be so quick to judge -- they sound pretty damned amazing, and cast an incredibly believable soundstage. Very musical too.

Or was the comment aimed at the AudioQuest cable -- tell me you don't have all kind of freakin' cables lying around all over the place!

Tom

Come on man. If this is a joke I love it. if you really meant this, then I just feel sorry for you...