Bookshelf Speakers — Audio Pro A28

The A28 is a pair of active wireless stereo speakers from the Swedish company Audio Pro, designed to serve both as a streaming music system and as a TV sound solution. The left speaker holds the electronics and inputs, and the pair was priced at around EUR 600, with black and white finishes on offer.

Key specs that matter

Each speaker has its own Class D amplifier channel, giving 2 x 75 W in total. The two-way bass reflex layout pairs a 4.5 inch coated paper woofer with a 1 inch soft dome tweeter, divided by a passive crossover at 2,800 Hz. Frequency range is 47 Hz to 24 kHz within 6 dB. Each cabinet measures 15.0 x 23.8 x 20.0 cm, and the pair weighs 6.43 kg, of which 3.46 kg is the active unit.

Engineering and use context

Wireless connection runs over dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac on 2.4 and 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 4.2, and streaming quality reaches 24 bit and 96 kHz. The A28 supports AirPlay 2 and Google Cast, plus Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect, while the Audio Pro app handles multiroom grouping with other speakers from the brand. On the back panel of the left speaker there is an analogue RCA input, an optical TOSLINK input, an HDMI input with ARC for the TV and a USB port used for service. The HDMI ARC link lets the TV remote change the volume, and a handheld remote is also supplied for input selection and volume. The right speaker is fed from the left one through a supplied speaker cable, so only the main unit carries the connections and the mains lead. The mains supply accepts 100 to 240 V at 50 or 60 Hz, and consumption is 1.85 W in networked standby and 5.2 W when on. Cabinets are MDF in a satin finish with magnetic fabric fronts, and they can be mounted on a wall. A switch selects between full-range operation and a satellite mode for use with a subwoofer. Supported file formats include MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC and Apple Lossless, and the optical input takes PCM only.

Pairing

With amplification and streaming built in, the A28 just needs something to play from, such as a TV, a phone, a CD player or a turntable fitted with a separate phono preamp. In a room of around 20 m2 the pair can stand on a sideboard either side of the TV, and its RCA sub output lets the owner add a powered subwoofer for more low bass.

Alternatives

Audio Pro's A28 W is the updated bookshelf version of this model, with a new app and a walnut finish option.