New Products

New England’s Andover Audio, maker of the innovative Spinbase Turntable Speaker System, today announced a powered bookshelf-speaker system that is easy to setup and designed to accommodate a variety of hi-fi setups.

Slated to ship in July, the new SpeakEasy 4 is a self-contained stereo that supports Bluetooth streaming and provides everything you need to play music from other sources. The system is priced at $399 and comprises a pair of two-way bookshelf speakers, one of which houses 150 watts of power and provides a selection of digital and analog inputs, including a built-in phono preamp/input for connecting a turntable.

Each speaker mates a 4-inch high-excursion woofer with a ¾-inch silk-dome tweeter in a vented cabinet 9.5 inches tall and is rated to play down to 55 Hz (±3 dB). In what Andover calls a “dual- direct drive” arrangement that avoids a passive crossover, each driver is powered by its own dedicated amplifier, with each woofer getting 50 watts and each tweeter 25 watts for a system total of 150 watts. The arrangement is said to “ensure the smoothest possible transition for detailed, distortion-free sound at any volume level.”

In addition to providing stereo RCA phono inputs for turntables equipped with a moving-magnet cartridge, the system also provides a set of Aux(iliary) RCA jacks for connecting a CD player or any line-level analog source and a set of pre-out jacks for connecting a powered subwoofer or an additional set of powered speakers.

Digital connections include an optical input that accepts high-resolution signals up to 24 bits/96k Hz, an ARC-enabled HDMI input for use with a compatible TV, and a USB port for playing music files on a flash drive or supplying power to a phone or other device, including Andover’s Songbird Music Streamer.

A simple IR (infrared) remote with buttons for playback, volume/mute, and selecting a source is provided for system control or you can use the dial on the main speaker to adjust volume, select sources, and turn the system on or off. An LED Night Mode automatically dims the speaker’s lighting seconds after volume is set or another adjustment is made and the system wakes up from Standby mode the moment an audio signal is present at one of its inputs.

“We enjoyed great success with our unique SpinBase series of one-box powered speakers for vinyl fans,” said Bob Hazelwood, Andover’s director of engineering and product development. “We feel it is important also to offer a more conventional powered speaker option that will not only seamlessly integrate with existing Andover components like the Songbird Streamer and SpinDeck 2 turntable, but also accommodate digital and analog sources via a well-performing, affordable tabletop speaker for anyone looking to significantly enhance these sources’ sound quality. The result is the SpeakEasy 4 — effortless setup and operation with detailed sound for a wide range of home-entertainment needs. As the name implies, we’ve made something that is easy to connect and use with whatever source you have.”

Andover offers a 60-day home trial and free shipping/returns. For more information, visit andoveraudio.com.