Audioengine's HD4 bookshelf speakers look great and sound even better.
Setup is quick; I had my Jimmy Buffett playlist blasting in exactly four minutes and 17 seconds. That included opening the box, taking the speakers out of nice cloth bags, locating the power cord for the speakers and plugging it in, and installing speaker cable to my stereo system.
You can also connect Bluetooth antennas (included) to stream audio from your phone or other devices. A variety of choices are available to connect music from your smartphone or receiver. Included are cables for 3.5-millimeter stereo mini-jack, micro-USB and RCA.
With the volume cranked up, "Margaritaville" played with zero distortion. Note that the speakers are not waterproof or weatherproof, but I tested them on my outdoor movie night. The speakers were a hit. I just had to add an extension cord for power. (There's no internal battery, so the main speaker must be positioned near an AC outlet.)
Each speaker is 9 by 5.5 by 6.5 inches; the walnut finish is genuine wood veneer. The cabinets are built with thick, high-resin MDF walls with extensive internal bracing and sound-damping material to reduce unwanted sound reflections inside the cabinet. Inside is a 4-inch aramid fiber woofer and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter. (audioengineusa.com, $449)
