Acoustic Research AW-871 Main / Wireless Stereo Speaker

Pros: Nicely adequate, once operational.
Cons: Fiddle and fuss; total unreliability.

In concept, good. The look, fair In design, poor. In quality, abysmal. The concept: speakers-on-the-go... porch; patio; yard; pool. The look: Ugly! Ugly, ugly, ugly! When will these techies haul their ideational butts out of ...

Pros: -very good sound quality -attractive appearance -thoughtful one button control -well written manual
Cons: -may have to adjust the position of the speakers if signal is weak.

If you want speakers in a location where it is inconvenient to run wires, this product may be for you. I selected these speakers because of the good reviews I found. However, I suggest buying any wireless speakers from a store where satisfaction is ...

Pros: The sound is acceptable, not great, but the convenience is wonderful.
Cons: The on/off switch can wear out after a relatively short period of time.

I bought 2 sets of Acoustic Research AW-871 Wireless Stereo speakers (4 total) for our home on an island in BC, Canada. Because the island is rather remote we stream news and music on the computer and then redirect the sound to the speakers. When ...

Pros: Good performance, good sound for this sort of system.
Cons: Locating the transmitter for best performance takes some trial and error.

I am using AW871 speakers as an adjunct to a high-profile surround system that works off my networked PCs. We wanted wireless speakers we could carry around a large yard or use in places like outside the sauna/whirlpool, on the patios on both terraces, or wherever we happen to spend time in a large, rambling yard. That's pretty much what the AW871 speakers are meant to do and for that they're performance is excellent. They're trouble-free, simple to use. Had to play around a little to find the best location for the transmitter to get good reception wherever we want to place the speakers.

Plan to bring a set to Russia for Xmas for my Russian college kiddo who's also a certified computer tech.

Pros: Power choices, separate units, stereo/mono choices, frequency range, volume controls
Cons: Wireless ain't perfect, on/off unpredictable

All of the problems cited for these speakers will be encountered with other speakers. Here, you still get some marginal benefits - AC *and* battery; two speakers instead of one cylinder; stereo *or* mono, so you have flexibility in distributing them; separate volume (and on/off) on each; and wider range than most competitors.

Yes, you'll get screaching and/pops if there's interference @ 900mhz, probably from a cordless phone (2.4 is better for those anyway). And you may need to play with placement of the transmitter. But all in all, we're pretty happy.

The one downside, I've saved for last: We haven't had trouble getting these units to turn on, but have had trouble getting them to stay off. You indeed need to push and *hold* the button, but even then, they tend to turn on again minutes or hours later. I thus advise turning the volume all the way down for any speakers you believe are turned off, or you may hear them again.

Pros: The transmitter works great with my replacement speakers
Cons: Useless speakers - Waste of money

I bought a pair of these brand new 1 year ago. They worked fine at first, but as time went by, one developed a static-like buzzing in the bass and I eventually had to stop using it because it ruined the sound. Within a month or two the other developed the same sound and now both speakers are completely useless. I'm stunned that in this day and age a product can be so poorly made that they go bad in less than a year. I'd read negative reviews beforehand and just figured people didn't know what they were doing. Now I know...BUY THESE AT YOUR PERIL. I have replaced them with other wireless speakers that work fine.

Pros: Extremely easy setup, minimal adjustments to knob settings
Cons: None

I was looking for these Advent speakers that were highly recommended in a New York Times article. Setup was extremely easy. Just AC cords for each of the speakers, and a connection cord (to connect to the stereo or TV, etc.)and AC cord for the transmitter. Upon connecting everything and playing a CD in the stereo, I didn't even have to make any adjustments to the knobs. Sound came through both of the speakers right away. I am amazed at the ease of setup and very happy so far with the speakers. The sound coming from them is great - unlike other wireless speakers which I've heard sound like radio.

I tried bringing one of the speakers to my deck and closed the glass door to see if the sound would go through, and it did. Truly amazing.

If anyone does have to make any adjustments, it would only be to change the frequency (1, 2, or 3) or the volume control on the speakers.

Pros: Balanced Audio-Nice appearance
Cons: No tone control on speaker itself

I purchased these units to allow for some sound on my second floor. It took some placement to 'catch' the signal but once locked they performed flawlessly. They do have an on/off switch on the front which doubles as a pushbutton search for the 'home' frequency. Having no tone control isn't a problem. If you like less bass you simply raise them up to bookshelf height. There is plenty of range at both ends of the audio spectrum. Rechargable batteries can be used but are too pricey to consider. If I needed to I could load them with alkaline C's for a portable setup...otherwise I simply leave them plugged in. Leave them turned on for the best results. This will avoid the need to re-tune. I agree with a previous review. If location is critical within a foot or so-buy them from an outlet that allows for refunds.

Pros: Good concept, very convenient.
Cons: Unreliable.

I have had MANY problems with these speakers. The sound is acceptable for a 2-way speaker of this size, if the speaker actually turns on that is. On more than two occasions, these speakers have refused to turn on at all, failed to establish a signal from the transmitter, both of which apparently result from interfering signals. Whatever. They are unreliable. The company that manufactured mine has gone bankrupt, and has been acquired by another company, which is honoring the warranty. DO NOT PURCHASE THESE SPEAKERS!