Audio Pro A10 MkII W light gray

Audio Pro A10 MkII W, the compact multiroom speaker

Set on a countertop, bedside table or corner of a desk, it soon blends into the background. It can also move off the furniture and onto a wall or ceiling. This Audio Pro wireless speaker retains the cabinet and drivers of the A10 MkII and moves to the W generation: a new app, a more comprehensive equalizer and more music services. It keeps AirPlay, Google Cast and the brand’s multiroom system.

A small fabric-covered cylinder that’s easy to place

The A10 MkII W measures 140 mm in diameter and 193 mm in height, and weighs 1.4 kg. Its rounded shape and fabric covering come in black, dark gray and light gray, three neutral shades that blend into most interiors. The touch-sensitive top panel brings together power, source selection with an indicator light, Bluetooth pairing, play and pause, volume, and preset buttons. A radio station or playlist saved in the app can be restarted with a press of one of these buttons, with the phone put away.

The rear houses the mini-jack input, power socket and an M6 threaded insert for the optional WB-201 wall mount. Ceiling installation also requires a separately sold mount. The speaker has no battery and remains an indoor device that must be plugged into a power outlet. It needs about 10 cm of clearance all around, and more when placed in an alcove or enclosed shelf.

Two drivers and two passive radiators to give the bass more body

The bass and midrange are handled by a 7.6 cm driver with a treated paper cone. Its longer-than-average excursion lets it move a respectable volume of air despite its small diameter. Two 11 cm passive radiators accompany it. These are diaphragms without magnets or voice coils, moved by the pressure of the air enclosed in the cabinet. They extend the bass much like a port would, without the chuffing noise a narrow duct can produce at high volume.

The treble is handled by a 3 cm BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) driver. Its flat diaphragm moves as a single unit at the lower end of its range, then vibrates in controlled bending modes as the frequency rises. It covers a wider frequency range than a conventional dome tweeter and disperses sound over a wider angle. The crossover can therefore be set as low as 750 Hz, much lower than on most two-way speakers. Voices and much of the instrumentation pass through this single driver, keeping the midrange consistent as you move around the room.

Each driver has its own amplifier: 15 W for the treble, 37 W for the bass and midrange. The frequency response extends from 55 Hz to 20 kHz. The speaker has weight for its size, but the deepest bass is beyond its reach, and a single cabinet cannot reproduce a stereo soundstage. It fits well in a bedroom, kitchen or office. The app’s equalizer adjusts the balance to suit its position, for example when the bass becomes exaggerated against a wall.

A refreshed app for the W generation

The speaker is controlled through the Audio Pro W app on iOS and Android, which uses the software platform developed with WiiM. Music services include Spotify, TIDAL, Qobuz, Deezer, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, Plex, TuneIn, Radio Paradise, BBC Radio, Calm Radio and around a dozen others. The app also manages the equalizer, presets and speaker groups. Spotify Connect and TIDAL Connect let you control playback directly from each service’s own app. AirPlay takes over from an iPhone or Mac, and Google Cast from an Android smartphone or compatible app.

Music arrives over dual-band 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, with streaming up to 24-bit / 96 kHz. MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC and Apple Lossless files are supported. Home Music Share plays a library stored on a computer or server on the local network, and music stored on the phone can also be played through the app. With no Ethernet port, the speaker depends on the quality of the Wi-Fi in its chosen location: the 5 GHz band is the most stable when the router is not too far away. Software updates arrive free over the Internet.

Multiroom, Bluetooth and analog input

In the app, multiple W-generation speakers form groups. They play the same music throughout the house or different content in each room. The A10 MkII W can also join AirPlay (versions 1 and 2) and Google Cast groups made up of other compatible devices.

Bluetooth 5.0 supports only the SBC codec. It is sufficient for quick listening or a guest, but falls short of Wi-Fi in sound quality. The 3.5 mm mini-jack input accepts a player, an older portable music player or a turntable, provided a phono preamplifier is added if the turntable does not have one built in. In a multiroom group, the main speaker retransmits a source connected by mini-jack or received over Bluetooth to all the other speakers in the group.

Technical specifications

Design and installation

• Type: 2-way wireless smart speaker
• Controls: touch interface on the top
• Installation: wall or ceiling mounting with optional brackets
  • Optional wall bracket: Audio Pro WB-201

Drivers and acoustic performance

• Tweeter: 1 × 3 cm BMR
• Midrange / bass driver: 1 × 7.6 cm long-throw driver
• Acoustic loading: 2 × 11 cm passive radiators
• Crossover frequency: 750 Hz
• Amplification: 15 W for treble, 37 W for midrange / bass
• Total power: 52 W
• Frequency response: 55 Hz – 20 kHz
• In-app equalizer

Audio playback and services

• Supported audio formats: MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, Apple Lossless
• Music playback from a smartphone
• Music sharing over the local network: Home Music Share
• Streaming services: Amazon Music, BBC Radio, Calm Radio, Deezer, Hotmix, iHeart Radio, KKBOX, Napster, Open Network Stream, Pandora, Plex, Qobuz, Radio Paradise, SoundCloud, SoundMachine, Spotify, Soundtrack Your Brand, TIDAL, TuneIn, vTuner

Wireless connectivity

• Bluetooth: version 5.0, SBC codec
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4 / 5 GHz
• Audio streaming over Wi-Fi: up to 24-bit / 96 kHz
• Streaming protocols: AirPlay 1 and 2, Google Cast
• Multiroom systems: Audio Pro, LinkPlay

Connections

• Auxiliary input: 1 × 3.5 mm mini-jack
• Ethernet: no
• Coaxial digital input: no
• Optical digital input: no
• HDMI / ARC: no
• Line output: no
• Subwoofer output: no
• USB charging port: no

Power and consumption

• Mains power: 100 – 240 V AC, 50 / 60 Hz
• Built-in battery: no
• Standby power consumption: 0.23 W
• Operating power consumption: 3 W

Dimensions and weight

• Dimensions (W × H × D): 140 × 193 × 140 mm
• Weight: 1.4 kg

Included accessories

• Power cord
• User manual