Description
Watch Terry Ellis review the AE100 Series 2 Speakers which he describes as “massively impressive!”
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
TWEETER
Acoustic Energy’s bespoke 25mm soft dome tweeter was designed in tandem with the 100 Series 2 bass driver to offer optimum integration and tonal matching. Paired with our Wide Dispersion Technology waveguide, the crossover region between drive units is audibly seamless whilst the high-power neodymium motor assembly ensures reliable, distortion-free high-volume playback.
DRIVERS
The 5.2″ bass/mid driver used in the 100 Series 2 has been developed with a high power, long excursion motor to provide satisfying volume levels and bass extension from relatively compact enclosures. The doped paper cone enables a higher crossover point for smoother mid-range and seamless crossover with the tweeter, creating extremely high fidelity, detailed and above all musical sound reproduction.
CABINET
The 100 Series 2 uses thin, 0.6″ high density (HDF) enclosures with carefully tuned bracing, reducing harmful resonances whilst retaining body and substance from compact, practical cabinets. The rear slot porting* enhances smooth bass extension with minimal room impact, allowing easy placement. The AE109² and AE120² feature inert mass-loading for additional stability and acoustic damping, all models come supplied with slim magnetic grilles.
Specifications:
Drive Unit: 5.2″
Tweeter: 1″ soft fabric dome
Frequency Range: 51 Hz – 26 KHz
Sensitivity: 87 dB
Peak SPL: 112 dB
Power Handling: 120 Watts
Crossover Frequency: 2.9 KHz
Impedance: 6 ohms
Design: 2-way
Grilles: Slim Magnetic Fit
Dimensions: 11.5″ H x 6.5″ W x 10″ D
Weight: 20 lbs each
Finishes: Satin Black, Satin White and Walnut vinyl veneer
Ian White, ecoustics.com July 2022. –
“The AE100 MK2 are engaging to say the least…the imaging and soundstage performance are surprising at the price point….I found the imaging to be quite precise. The AE100 MKII strikes a really good balance in the bass; Acoustic Energy have wisely chosen to focus on speed and definition.” Ian White, ecoustics.com July 2022.
Ron Mccoy, Audiophile Consumer, April 2022 –
AE100 Mk2’s have run in well. I have used a couple of different amps from a Powernode to Roksan K2 and a Marantz receiver. These are built well, look and sound terrific. I compare directly to my Dali Oberon 1 and really think they outshine those in bass, top end sparkle and overall separation. Ron Mccoy, Audiophile Consumer, April 2022
Richard Silkey, Audiophile Consumer April 2022 –
“You were right about the AE100 Mk2 run-in time! All of a sudden I started hearing little changes in the midrange/highs and overall soundstage! Wow…..the detail was really dialing in. So far I have been spinning Talk Talk’s, “The Color of Spring” as a reference disc. I also dropped in Pat Metheny’s cover of the Beatles, “And I Love Her” and was just blown away! Richard Silkey, Audiophile Consumer April 2022
Tom Arroyo, Audio Consumer, April 2022 –
The AE100 Mk2’s are impressive for what they offer. Absolute clarity and definition without being harsh. A real sense of venue and voice is VERY impressive.” Tom Arroyo, Audio Consumer, April 2022
Andreas Günther, Audio Magazine Germany, April 2022 –
“Price Tip Award. The price is not only tasty, it’s also set for battle – $399 for the pair. You have to search a long time to find something similar. This harmony between the drivers – these are real brothers. This clearly exceeds the recommended price. Anyone who wants or needs to be frugal with their money, but still wants to sniff a little high-end air – here would be a perfect speaker.
It doesn’t always have to be the big set for umpteen thousand euros. If we don’t want to exceed the $1000 limit for a system, we’re left with the small Acoustic Energy AE100², we still have $600 for a decent streaming receiver. This means that we can already get serious about hi-fi. That’s more than fair.”
Andreas Günther, Audio Magazine Germany, April 2022
Tarun, A British Audiophile YouTube Channel, March 2022 –
“Genuinely superb clarity, the sound staging ability and the tonality of the AE100² that impresses and really isn’t what you’d expect from a speaker at $399 a pair.”
“Surely this is an example of why there’s never been a better time to be into HiFI than this, the acoustic energy AE100² get an outstanding from this channel.” Tarun, A British Audiophile YouTube Channel, March 2022
Paul Sechi, Stereonet UK, Jan 2022 –
“There is much to like about Acoustic Energy’s new AE100 Mk II ($399 a pair) stand mounter. Set it up correctly, and it will sing for you – making music enjoyable and engaging. As with every loudspeaker, correct positioning is key, and when this is working right, it delivers a lot at the price. Of course, it has some low-frequency limitations, as all compact speakers do, but it still proved able to replicate bass notes in a tuneful way.
Thanks to this speaker’s generally sunny disposition, it proved to give a good rendition of all the music I threw at it. Of course, you’ll need a decent quality amplifier with at least 40W RMS per channel of power to really get the best from this baby box, but this done, it delivers an impressively uniform sound at low, medium and high volume levels. So if you are in the market for a little loudspeaker that’s sonically bigger than its compact cabinet suggests, you’re on the right track here – it certainly puts a smile on your dial! Paul Sechi, Stereonet UK, Jan 2022
Terry Ellis, Pursuit Perfect Systems UK, March 2022 –
“The sound stage is wide, really wide, really tall at times and really deep at times and I find that massively impressive and it’s also very, very open. They sound like much more expensive speakers. The AE100² delivered a very clean enjoyable sound with an excellent soundstage.” Terry Ellis, Pursuit Perfect Systems UK, March 2022