Acoustic Energy AE1 Active Speaker Review - The best £1k Hifi system available?
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- Welcome to my review of the Acoustic Energy AE1s. What is is the big deal about active loudspeaker systems? Are they technically superior to passive systems? If so, how well are they implemented in the AE1s? At £1,000 could these just be the best way to spend a grand on Hifi equipment? I explore these questions in this video.
0:00 - Start
1:05 Passive Vs Active Systems
4:20 Design
8:40 Sound Quality
13:06 Setup & Partnering Equipment
15:18 Conclusion
Link to manufacturer’s website...
www.acoustic-energy.co.uk/pro...
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After I bought these active speakers by your recommendation 2 years ago, I can say that I am very satisfied with them. Especially now that I've paired them with the Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition streamer. Thank you Tarun and greetings from Split, Croatia. Anton
That is great. Thank you 😊👍
Would I be able to extend my setup to an 5.1 setup? I just saw that accoustic energy also has centers and rears but they are passive. Or would i be better off grabing the passive ae1‘s. S/o from Frankfurt 😊
Fantastic review Tarun. Very insightful and informative. It's clear that you love music and music reproduction equipment and are very talented at communicating your thoughts. Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to produce this review.
Thank you Andrew. Very kind of you to say and much appreciated 😊👍
Great review. You've now got my curiosity up about the entire notion of active speakers and particularly the AE-1s. Thanks!
Thank you for watching and sharing Steve 😊👍
Hi Tarun,
Thanks to your tremendous review I auditioned and purchased AE1 Actives to my study. I paired AE1 with Bluesound Node and REL T/5x. Separation of instruments and soundstage are exceptional. Not only the system sounds great but also looks like a work of one design studio (all components in white).
You are doing great job 👍
Best RUclips HiFi audio channel in my opinion 👏👏
One more thing - please do a video with Bob again 🙂.
Greetings from Poland
Peter
Thank you kindly Peter. That is a great system you have put together. It is about time Bob made another appearance 😊👍
Hello Pitu, what you are using for volume control?
Really good channel you got here, Your nicety comes across in the videos really well. Keep it up.
Thank you Frags 😊👍
Well done Tarun, and Bob another fine review what a wonderful little puppy 🐶
Thank you Jason. Much appreciated 😊👍
Love your reviews, another great one. Thanks
Thank you Peter 😉👍
Great review! No gimmicks.. no loud music just loads of information.. I have been considering the kef lsx but these seem interesting too ! Many thanks
Thank you. Much appreciated 😊👍
I've also thought abou KEF LSX, but they have built-in DAC that is most likely not as good as the one that I currently own (RME ADI-2 DAC), and (correct me if I'm wrong) putting two dacs in a row will result in the lowest common denominator
I’ve been waiting for this review and of course I was not disappointed. Excellent job!! One of the most interesting points to me was your comment on how manufacturers are starting to express interest for developing active speakers. This shows they recognize an emerging market for this technology. What your review shows in addition is that the technology has really matured and can now compete at an audiophile level for sound quality. It’s not just about connectivity via Bluetooth and wireless but that amazing sound can be had at a great price. I hope you do more active speaker reviews in the future. The edifier s3000 pros also give great performance at a great price. And there’s the new Buchardt’s that I and others keep clamoring about that are coming. It would be wonderful to have comparisons to the acoustic energy’s, both high and low pricing. Your reviews are so precise and understandable it would make a great benchmark
Some British hifi companies have both speaker and amp. subsidiaries and they may think it not a good idea to combine the two and lose the income. After listening to the AE1 actives I actually bought the AE Reference 1s. They had a scratch so were the same price. I already had a nice amplifier. Both speakers have the same house sound. AE speakers are all day listen and deservedly have a great reputation for that.
@@John2E0GTU thanks for the feedback! Maybe some of these companies will have no choice but take the plunge as the competition starts to heat up and active speakers start to get really good. I just watched John Darko's review of the Buchardt A500's (I guess he was provided early access) and he literally called them the best product he has reviewed in his 10 years. He didn't mince words and compared them to several benchmarks. The room correction feature was also a notable advantage of the DSP system. Frankly, I'm not surprised and expect other reviewers to weigh in with the same observations. I look forward to that.
I will need to watch this twice as the puppy keeps distracting me (in a good way: adorable!). Congrats!
Thank you Anton. He is just making a guest appearance. It was a case of no video this week, as he won’t stay quiet if I leave him alone yet, or leaving him with me and hoping for the best. It is great that they get exhausted after 20mins of play at this age. It will be interesting to see how I am going to manage going forward. 😉👍
Only with affection 😉
Tarun ...You have done it again...immaculate presentation indeed !
Thank you Hrvoje. I greatly appreciate you watching and your support 😉👍👍
Hello Bob, nice to meet you. Good, clear and informative review, as ever. Thank you, sir.
Thank you for watching and your kind words of support Sinan 😉👍
Hi and thank you for your reviews.
I have purchased a pair of ae1 active speakers, partly based on your review.
I have a long and varied history of source components coupled with amps and passive speakers.
And I can say immediately that I have been shocked at how great these speakers sound.
Coupled with a bluesound node 2i they offer depth and detail at all volumes, with no high frequency fatigue.
And they look good in piano white.
Thank you.
They are pretty special aren’t they. Thank you for sharing 😊👍👍
I have a pair coming to me in a week or so and also have bluesound node 2i with a nice DAC and want to use the Node as the preamp and was wondering how you enjoy this setup or did you upgrade to a preamp?
Do the woofers have foam surrounds? From the video it looks like they do. I'm a little concerned that I'd have to get the surrounds replaced after they rot out in 15 years or so. Can any of you owners confirm?
What a cute dog and by the way thanks for all your work and reviews.
Thank you Ricky. He is cute isn’t he. Asleep at my feet as I reply to you. Thank you for watching and your kind words of support 😊👍
Love your channel Tarun. You have a rare ability to explain quite complex subjects in a very engaging and interesting manner. I bought these speakers partly on the strength of your review and they more than live up to my expectations of them.
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and opinions and I hope your channel grows in the way you want.
Richard
That is great Richard. So glad they worked out. Thank you for watching and your support. Very kind of you and very much appreciated 😊👍👍
I whole heartedly agree with Richard's comment Tarun. I'm really enjoying and valuing your videos. The way you order and pitch your content, it's spot on, with the key points easy to understand and retain. And good fun. Thanks.
@@MakiPavlidis thank you Maki. It is reading comments like that from you and Richard that makes it so worthwhile 😊👍👍
Excellent review, thanks Tarun. I've always been a fan of active systems, and I've been using an active crossover and multiple power amps (with passive crossovers removed from speakers) for a long time. Currently building a new active crossover on Rod Elliott's Linkwitz-Riley design. As an aside, many years ago I heard the original passive AE1s hooked up to a stack of Krell, and they sounded fantastic - very revealing, even as a passive design.
Thank you osliverpool. I greatly appreciate your support. I am just curious, what is the Rod Elliott’s version of the classic Linkwitz-Riley crossover designs? A variation on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th? Great to hear from you by the way 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, you can find details of Rod's crossover at sound-au.com/project09.htm
Wow, what find. These AE speakers "sound" amazing. Great review, very informative.
Thank you B Shah. Great to hear from you buddy 😉👍
Another good review Tarun.
Thank you filofilo 😉👍
Great review and a good technical explanation of how an active speaker can be superior, which was an eye opener to me. I often thought active speakers were a gimmick but I understand now that's not necessarily the case. Sounds like AE did their homework on these. Lots of goofy impedance issues can be ironed out with the active crossover setup.
I have a pair of AE Evo 1s and at first thought they were what you were reviewing, they have impressed me.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences rotaxtwin 😊👍
Just 3 days back i got my hands on the AE1-lite (passive) speakers and i cant beleive myself that i am listening again & again to all my tracks that these speakers brings something special to my ears. And i am expecting even more after the burn-in is completed.
That is great 😊👍
Brilliant as always...thanks.
Thank you Kevin 😉👍
Based on your recommendation, I am now running the Active AE1 from my PC - Chord TT 2. Very happy and satisfied. Thank you.
That is great. Thank you letting me know 😊👍
Hi, can you please post some videos of TT2 into AE1active? I am also thinking of going this way. Thank you!
@@vytkaz I am struggling to get hold of Chord products at the moment.
In this day and age of covid-19, getting out and auditioning speakers has become nearly impossible. So we are more so than ever faced with having to rely on reviews and opinions from experts etal in making purchase decisions. Thank God for Amazon's return policy and similar return policies of most of the higher end vendors, but I digress. What started out as a CD player suddenly not working properly, evolved into the research and building of a new system. After about 3 months of research I settled on an RME ADI-2 Dac, an Audiolab 6000CDT transport, and the Acoustic Energy AE1 actives. Also threw my laptop with external hard drive and my CD collection ripped to flac, and qobuz & tidal in there for good measure. After about 3 months of heavy listening I have to say I'm delighted with the results, and your review is the cherry on top for me because although I am really enjoying my experience so far, there's always the audiophile tendency to seek out something better and the fear that "uh oh I bought the flavor of the month". There have been very few reviews on the AE1 actives relatively speaking, although the handful that are out there are all mostly positive. There are also very few acoustic energy dealers here in the US, however the one I purchased these from conducted the sale online, placed the order, and the speakers arrived duty free about 4 days later directly from acoustic energy. It was a seamless and quite impressive experience. The long and short of it is that I'm extremely satisfied so far and I'm so glad that these speakers meet with your approval, as yours is one opinion I greatly respect. Thanks for all you do.
Thank you David. I greatly appreciate your support. I am not surprised that you are so happy with your AE1s. They are quite special. Thank you for sharing your experiences with them 😊👍
I love these speakers. They sound beautiful in my room. The bass is clean and fast. It goes deep enough to perfectly compliment the mids and highs. Very well built.
They are special 😊👍
Super helpful Tarun, thanks. Definitely buying a pair of these this coming week.
Thank you redgordonm. Please let me know how you get on 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Well they are here Tarun and they look fabulous! My next problem is where to put them. I’ve decided to go with my study for now. The only source will be a CD player but I’m debating following some advice you gave elsewhere and getting something new like a Pro-Ject CD Box S2 paired with the Pre Box S2 Digital.....would that be a worthy combo? Cheers! Gordon
@@redgordonm another option would be using something like the SMSL M300 MkII that I reviewed. It has XLR outputs which may be beneficial if you have long cable runs. Thank you for the update
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Followed your advice to a T Tarun. Hooked up the AE1’s to my Brennan B2 and bought the SMSL M300 Mk II DAC. Don’t claim to be an audiophile to the extent of many of your followers but, wow, what a sound. Thanks for all the advice, my study is rocking!!
@@redgordonm that is great buddy. You have a system that will complete with much more expensive systems IMHO. Hope it gives you many years of listening pleasure 😊👍👍
Love your new puppy, Tarun! Absolutely adorable. I used to have a Springer spaniel, and just recently rescued a brother and sister kitten team. They already think they own the place.
That’s interesting re the designers saying they’d design an all active system. Makes sense though from what you mentioned. I guess I’m old school in that I really enjoy the challenge of putting together a good passive system, and not too keen on someone else choosing my amplification. I guess we’ll see what the future holds though, and maybe my opinion will change. Always gotta keep an open mind, especially when it comes to HiFi. Thanks for another great and very informative vid, Tarun. 🎶✌️🔊🙂
Hi Nick, that is great about the brother and sister kittens. Must be very rewarding. I am with you on putting together a passive system. That is the fun of hifi but honestly, I would struggle to put together a passive system this good for £2k. Kef LS50 and Exposure 2510 maybe?
A British Audiophile
Yeah, I’d most definitely struggle doing so also, especially for that price point.
Thanks again, Tarun.
In my upgrade days I spent Saturdays in hi-fi shops comparing a range of equipment, some with silly prices were relatively awful. I was listening to high end Naim and Linn combination. On some of my albums it was like being on the front row of the concert. But I picked Meridian active speakers. They were better on every other album I had. In 40 years I have never heard anything that made me wish to change them. Without another careful A/B comparison my impression is that those that have impressed are a little different but not clearly better. I have also found that for much of the listening to sources from radio, television and RUclips more modest systems can delivery most of the enjoyment and I would not notice any short comings in isolation. Listening to the drama, the music, etc not to the equipment.
Thank you Gerald
Gerald McMullon
Gerald, that’s a great story. It must be wonderful to have found your last pair of speakers 40 yrs ago. I’m on year 3 with the same speakers (Tekton Pendragons) and have absolutely zero “upgraditis”. It’s tough to think in terms of better when it comes to HiFi, as the word different seems much more suiting in the majority of situations. I really enjoyed what you had to say, Gerald. Thank you.
Another excellent review - thanks Tarun. I am saving up for a pair of these to go with my new MOJO 2 (which keeps amazing me! 👍). Should be a good match, I think.
Thank you Emmanuel. That may work if the cable runs through RCA are kept short 👍
I already own a pair of AE1 speakers and I absolutely agree with the conclusions. Still there were some interesting other remarks, about analogue and digital and a couple more. Great, thanks!
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Hans 😊👍
Great review
Thank you 😉👍
Very informative.. big thumbs up .. 👍👍👍
Thank you Simon 😊👍
Good review per usual. Actives are the tech of the future. Now that there's high quality D amps (though some will employ A/B as the reviewed speakers did...), DSP, etc. actives are the way to go. One can now get very respectable audio for little $ by purchasing the best actives they can afford, and using their phone as a DAC/pre amp/streamer/music server. Add a quality DAC/pre amp/streamer, and the audio improves, still for surprisingly little $ output. GREAT audio, is a different matter, but I suspect 90% or so of people will be very happy with that set up. All the majors and minor brands offering actives: Focal, B&W, Dynaudio, etc.
I agree with you Will. Thank you for watching and your continued support my friend 😊👍
We have these speakers at home. We only have good things to say about them. I think this review is 100% accurate.. They are unbeatable at this price.
Thank you Cesar 😊👍
Great puppy, we just got a new dog two months ago. He looks very similar but is a shihpoo, Shih Tzu Poodle mix. Happy times expanding the family.
Thank you Jeff. He is settling in well and very playful. We are all have a lot of fun 😊
Absolutely adorable pup!
Thank you vaishal27 🐶👍
This looks like a great solution for me to be able to use to listen to music in a HiFi sense and use to mix and record music (as a hobby/musician)... Thanks for the great review.
They would make great studio monitors Jeremy. I suspect AE designed them with commercial and domestic use in mind. Thank you for watching and commenting 😊👍
I have been previously convinced, very thoroughly, that for reasons of design, engineering, cost, and physical principles, active speakers are the future of most music playback systems. The only exception is the use of vacuum tubes (aka valves) in power output stages. Your review of this high quality example of the genre is most welcome. I am also pleased with the strong trend toward using balanced interconnects at line levels.
It seems only proper that reproducer builders take in house the responsibility of tuning the driver/enclosure/amplifier as a unit. The current and long standing puzzle of matching seeming Lego pieces into a final result results in too gross an approximation with myriad hard edges and pitfalls. But, I know, there will be resistance by the Lego or Erector set aficionados. C'est la vie. Ned Ludd lives.
I also see a future for such manufacturers to also add new categories of combinations of drivers, enclosure sizes, and amplifiers to match users' needs. For example, instead of speaker size being prime, perhaps room size and acoustic output might become product class prime descriptors. Reproducers will become less tunable by the user -- granted -- but that personal tuning chore will be the responsibility of the preamp/controller or DAC. Put the vacuum tubes there, if you will. Integrated amplifiers will become preamps with standardized, balanced outputs.
What I particularly wish to compliment you on is the organized and coherent approach you take in your reviews. They do fit nicely together, and even if we disagreed on a point, I would feel the same. It's rather like coming away from a proper five course meal, satisfied and delighted, but with a small disagreement on one wine choice.
Thank you Jim for the very thoughtful insight. You will never get two audiophiles to completely agree on anything. Hopefully, we are on the same page most of the time. Great to hear from you. Thank you for sharing 😊👍
I think that actives are the future and a long time coming. It didn't gain momentum in the mid 80s when some manufacturers were starting to offer outboard crossovers for active amplification, maybe due to cost of multiple amps within living memory of the audiophiles who had upgraded to stereo from mono 20yrs before and marketing. Today, I can't see the hindrance if AE can produce this quality at this price.
'Purists' can well put their trust on companies like ATC that the in-house drivers and active crossovers with the amp pairing are optimised (a lot have managed to on the pre/power section of integrateds, DACs in players, table/arm combos of TTs etc so why not with speaker/active crossovers designed from the ground up?). They can add their input with a 'straight' preamp. Others that may have limitations in-room can take advantage of automated room response measurements and DSP, from dedicated preamps, to tailor to situations. AV receivers already have something similar for years... I think what you say is right, room size comparability would and should come to the for of the specs.
One of the resistant opinions I've heard was for the topology and power of the amplification. I don't see the issue. Elac can fit a class AB in the Navis... They can conceivably use Class D and DSP from plate amps for a similar result at a lower price point. Any case, without a passive crossover dissipating a lot of the amp's power, the required wattage output is lower.
@@ememe1412 It would be nice to see a bit of standardization in the size and shape of in-built amps. Not one size, but a family of them. In that way, an owner could replace or return for service without shipping the entire enclosure.
I am also convinced that we need a better solution than the XLR for low Z balanced connections. It is way too big and rugged, having been designed for microphone use circa 1955.
As DSP develops and becomes more accepted, reproducer engineers could build in better and better tuning for their products. This could help fix things like cabinet resonances, driver peculiarities, crossover-point non-linearities, and even room corrections into the amp portion. With one or two amps for a driver/enclosure, the results could be better than ever before feasible.
This has been one of the most enlightening reviews I have ever come across! Can I get all the money I spent on amps and passive speakers back? I am curious how you would complete the system. Possible price appropriate preamps and streamers etc .. with vinyl. How they all connect together etc with balanced inputs. Almost a how to build and connect a great active system tutorial on budget! I seem to keep running out of money before completion
Thank you Dustin. You and me both. How much money have I spent trying different amps with speakers over the years. If I was putting together a system to incorporate vinyl stuff whilst keep costs down, I would look at the Project S2 range. They do a decent phono box, analogue preamp and DAC, for that matter, for a reasonable price. I wouldn’t worry about the balanced connections unless you have very long runs between components in the system. If you want to go the balanced route, it is going to be expensive. Thank you for watching and sharing 😉👍
On a mid size (UK typical) room, Elac Navis arb-51 paired to an Audiolab M-Dac Plus. All in for about 2.5kGbp, 2k if you wait around for 2nd hand and ex demo. (If you have a TT, then a Puffin DSP with the digital out (~600gbp shipped).) For XLR, the M-Dac Plus and Navis will accommodate them. Best value is to use Van Damme cables with Neutrik plugs that you put together yourself or get someone to do (there's an eBay UK seller that'll put together custom lengths). Even the best professional balanced cables are not that expensive relatively. The plugs is where the money should go though. All in, still cheaper than a 3M run of most speaker cables terminated by Furutechs. Going to the shop or buying hifi marketed items is not best value for XLR. A meter run (a bit audiophile overkill already for a home rig) in RS for 139 bragging about 'studio quality' when the same run for a cable that is actually used in a studio is a fraction of the price, not to mention that the plugs are most probably Neutrik OEM anyways... Do not be put off using the XLR even over shorter runs if your gear takes them. You can get a lot of real performance to value in XLR cables, regardless of hype, as compared to the myriad of phono cables marketed using esoteric explanations. My monoblock Ncores only accept balanced. From my pre, I use half meter runs of XLR.
If listening near field or in a smaller room, then the pro entry level ATC SCM12 active for about 1.5K might be worth a punt.
Thank is excellent advice EmE Me. Thank you for watching and sharing 😉👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I got carried away. I think you're doing a fine job breaking things down in to perspectives. It's what people need really, a more wholistic presentation of a review.
Thank you EmE Me. Much appreciated 😊👍
Your reviews are perfect for me.. thanks.. more incidental Bob anytime.
Thank you chevyimp. Next week will be interesting to see if he will stay quiet 🤔
I would be interested to see a review from you on the AE 500 speakers, I'm very curious about the carbon fibre tweeter.
Great review by the way.
Thank you for watching and your suggestion Peter 😉👍
Me too!
New 'woofer' is very quiet 😉. Who's a good boy?
Excellent 😂😂😂 Well said paz
Nice review, thanks. What discourages me from all active speakers is the power switch for each of them
Thank you Tomas. Understood 😊👍
I leave mine on :p
Great review!
I'm toying with some actives.
I currently have the AE1 mkII, although I find them a bit 'clinical' now as my tastes in how I listen to music have evolved. I have a few pairs of TDL Studio 0.5s which are fabulous yet not as detailed as the AEs, and a dinky pair of Alexander SE2 which are truly sensational for what looks like a couple of black bricks with a chicken-wire grille. I've been mighty impressed with a mate's Fostex actives and have a hankering for some AVI actives so we'll see how it pans out.
Thanks for fuelling my fire :)
Great channel, especially now you appear to be getting to grips with how to pronounce 'Celestion' :p
Thank you Homeopathical. I have had to retrain my self after calling them “Celestrion” for the best part of 30 years 😂
@@abritishaudiophile7314 well, if it's any consolation, at least you taught me how to say 'Buchardt' properly :D
i like your pup. best review so far. i think more puppy with speaker reviews! keep up the good work. love this channel.
also alot of all in one's have class d power, and this amp has a/b i beleive. maybe that's what helps the quality - for it to sing!?
Thank you. Bob will be 3 in July 2023. Doesn’t time fly? It is class A/B. They tried class D during development but didn’t like the sound as much 😊
Bit late to the party but great review! I have been looking an active ‘hifi’ speaker for a while as opposed to studio monitors. The deciding factor for me to buy the ae1’s was the balanced inputs. I was Surprised at how few manufacturers Didn’t have these inputs, definitely seems to be a gap in the market. This review definitely persuaded me to buy a pair.
That is great Matthew. Please let me know how you get on with them 😊👍
Thanks for the review! *twothumbsup*
Thank you Markus, you too 👍👍
Tarun thats a great review. I will buy these speakers in 2 months time. Curently I own Yamaha hs80m, but I am looking for an upgrade. Thanks to Your insights about these AE 1 I am convinced to buy them. Greetings from Poland.❤
I had the AE1 active in for review last month. Yeah ... they are nice! I find them very slightly to the cool side of neutral but if you prefer the modern sound, it’s great.
Thanks for your reviews. 😬
To my ears they are as neutral as it gets at this price. Thank you for watching hushpuppykl 😉
A British Audiophile ... different rooms, different set up. 😬
Nice to see your channel growing strong and fast. All the best!
Thank you hushpuppykl 😉👍
hello lovey. managed to get a pair of these in the very first lockdown after seeing an open box pair for sale. no idea what i was getting myself into but lovely buggers, got the stands to match since. i saw another of your videos on popping in better power cables and wondered if you have done this with your AE1s, or if you might advise it
Thank you Lisa. Great to hear about your experiences. I hope you are enjoying them. To my ears the better power cables do help to clean the sound a little but the difference is subtle. I would only go down the DIY route if you are confident about doing the wiring. It is better to connect the shield at only the mains end as this will avoid ground loop problems. Good luck 😊👍
G'day from down under ABA and thank you for your site ! I've owned a pair of AE1a speakers for a year and your review corresponds very much to my experience. I a particularly agree with them as not being then most dynamic of speakers which, given my broad tastes in music, can be a bit irritating at times. I would be interested in your thoughts on how they compare, even if only from memory, to the Elac Navis ARB 51, especially in terms of dynamics.
Thank you buddy. I have spent an hour or so listening to the Navis ARB51s but not at home. They are certainly more dynamic that the AE1s. Would have get them in to see how much better they are 😊
After watching your video on these speakers I so want to hear them. I wish the price in Canada $2200-$2400 was closer to £1,000 but if they sound as good as your review I'll buy them. As always a great video and detail on how they sound!
Thank you buddy. They are better value in the U.K. 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I just received a used pair yesterday and they are sure resolving. I'm trying them with different DACs to add a little more body to the sound. They image better than my old Celestion SLS6s'.
@@papapatriot cool 😎 please keep me updated 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I kept using my smooth sounding tube DAC in the mix and brought in a 24 band equalizer then played Voices from singers that I know very well. I used my Celestion’s as a reference and mixed the sound to match the sweet natural vocals of the SL6s’. The adjustments are not huge but boosted the 80hz 120hz, 200hz all plus 3db. I moved the speakers before starting to a rear field to eliminate the room nodes. I’ve turned the tweeter -2db on the back of each speaker and added a little sparkle back on the equalizer with a plus 3db on 8k and 13k.
Love your dog. What a sweetie.
Thank you stanno 😊
Nice review - how are these with vocals i wonder? I have found active speakers can lack a bit of warmth in the midrange and vocals a bit recessed.
Excellent vocals for both male and female. Very natural. Not overly warm or lean. Thank you for watching 😊
Thanks for your review. I'm planning to buy this active speakers pair with a Smsl su-9.
I need to create the simplest combination dac+active speakers.
Do you think it's a good combination? Why the sound wasn't that good with smsl m300?
Are there other Dacs for about 400€ better for this AE1?
Last question, what do you think about the absence of a standby mode present in other active speakers as Dynaudio LYD 7?
Can I leave them always On without problems?
Thanks
Hi Vda, the M300 is a good DAC but the competition is stiff. It doesn’t sound as good as my Mojo. I am planning to review the ProJect Prebox S2 which I was also impressed with on first hearing. If they have a standby mode, I would leave them on all the time 😊
These speakers are the real deal. Alright then. Guess I’ll have to wait on mine. Good video Taraun! Working to remove debt first. No need to cause problems. Wouldn’t hesitate otherwise. Stay safe mates!😊👍🏻😷
You too my friend. I hope you get things sorted out. Always great to hear from you 😉👍
I started with edfier active speakers. They were very nice back then. Specially the 3 way speakers. I still have to find that type of sound coming from a 2 way passive speaker. It was not hifi but there is really something nice happening to the midrange and the bass when it is done by 2 different drivers. The drivers integration was far from perfect but the seperation between voices and the bass note was amazing even at high volume.
What do you think of 3 way speakers ? fav brands in passive ?
Nice review as always and welcome to Bob :)
Thank you yannick. There are some great 2 way and 3 ways speakers out there. It all comes down to implementation of the design. The big difference is going to be that the 3 way is going to have to be naturally larger and you will need to sit further away so that you don’t experience driver integration problems. What I am getting at is that they both work well but for different scenarios. Some great 3 ways are the ATC SCM 40s, Proac K6, Dynaudio Confidence 30s. These are all pretty expensive. At a more reasonable price there are some dual concentric versions that I like which means that you don’t have to be so far away from them. Kef R3s, Elac UB52s, and Tannoy XT6Fs. Good to hear from as always 😉
I know I am late but after watching your chat with Randy CheapAudioMan, I looked up this review. I actually have been following you for a few months. I loved that two of my favorite reviewers got together. I loved that video. Seeing this made me rethink my next audio upgrade. I am torn between the Denafrips Ares II and the RME ADI2 to use with these active speakers. I am leaning towards the RME because it has a remote. This will be a combination music and home theater solution. Care to comment on that? Also, any comment on adding a tube preamp? I have recently got into the tube sound. Thank you and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.
Thank you my friend. I appreciate your support. It was great chatting with Randy. Both the ADI-2 and Ares II are great options. The ADI-2 has a volume control so you can connect it to AE1s without needing anything else. I prefer the sound of the the Ares II but you will need a preamp to control the volume. This could be a tube preamp. If you want to use it for home cinema duties in a two channel setup then adding a subwoofer or two will greatly enhance your experience. You will need a preamp with two pairs of outputs or sub outs to do this 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 thank you so much
Thanks Tarun for your timely review! In fact, I was wondering why there were a lack of reviews on RUclips when there were at least a few good reviews on the Internet. I actually went to a local audio shop and listened to the AE1 myself. Boy when the music was played I was instantly amazed by its sound stage, clarity and the prowess of the sound effects!
Immediately after that, I paid a deposit for the piano black version, am so glad that you took the efforts to make this review!
P. S I was actually looking at the SMSL M500 for future DAC combination, would you think it is suitable combination, or would you suggest a better DAC?
Thank you Rick. I haven’t heard the M500 but the M300 MkII is good value and would be a good choice to run with the AE1s. For me the next step up would be a Chord DAC. I wouldn’t mind checking out the Denafrips Aries II either. A genuine R2R NOS DAC for £750 is interesting.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for your recommendation, will consider them for future upgrades, cheers man👍
great video Tarun, I wanted to ask would a chord mojo and a MacBook or mobile work well with these speakers ?
I generally use Spotify and am looking to get something to make that sound super nice. thanks
Hi Lionel, i used them with my Mojo. The problem was that I got a loud click from the speakers when I powered up the Mojo. I also had to power down the Mojo every time I switched input to protect the speakers. The Mojo is a great DAC but not very practical in this scenario 😉
Thanks for your review. I think I am about to buy a pair! Do you think it is always more rewarding in sound quality by using XLR connection instead of the RCA one?
Thank you. I would use XLR if possible, especially with longer cable runs. There is always a chance that a RCA cable will pick up noise 😊
Thanks Tarun, another great video. Would be interested to hear how these speakers sound with the audiolab 6000n Play and the Bluenode 2i?
Yes indeed. I think that is exactly the kind of stuff you should partner them with plus a good external DAC 😉👍
Hello! Would you recommend the AE 1 active with the IOTAVX SA3 amplifier allowing the possibility addition of a subwoofer or is this overkill as its already an active speaker? Thanks 🙂
No, you don’t need an power amplifier section 😊
Hi,
Great review ! I'm looking for a pair of active speakers for my room (
Thank you Panagoda. I needed to be at least 1.5m (5ft) away from the drivers to get a coherent sound. I think the Kef LSX is better suited for desktop use, 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 sorry I meant 10 square meters not feet ! But thanks for the reply, I'll go get the LSX then and maybe try out the AE1 one day when I'll have more space. I hope the LSX doesn't sound too bad compared to the AE1's !
Any way thanks for taking the time to reply !👍
I’ve had these for a few months now, they performed well straight out the box and have just got better and better since.
I’ve introduced an AE Subwoofer via a balanced pre out and cut the bass on the speakers -2db, and with some room treatment the result to my ears is indeed outstanding.
Ps. I can’t recall seeing Bob again after this video hope he’s ok 👍
Thank you for sharing. Bob is over 3 years old now. Doing great and an integral part of the family 🐕 🙂
Hi Tarun - I bought these speakers (in the gorgeous walnut) after your glowing review. However, I appear to be getting a lot of chuffing from the ports in bass heavy music. They're at least 85cm from the back wall😀 and do this at around 70 dB loudness - Any ideas why or suggestions?
That is odd. They shouldn’t do that. I would check with the seller that all is well with them 👍
Thank you, as I am in the market for a good small monitor system and that would seem to be these.
Thank you for watching Lonnie. If you get them, please let me know how you get on with them 😊👍
Beautiful finish for the price as well as great sound!
Agreed. Thank you for watching and commenting Derek 😊👍
Hi Tarun, thank you so much for this review and advice. I am very tempted to go for this system but would like if possible to get your thought on pairing it with a Bluesound Node 2i and using it in a 37m2 room. Do you figure this can work well? Maybe the room is a bit too large for this system, but my problem really is budget.
Hi Pedro, I think the Bluesound is a good choice but your room is quite large. You may well need a bigger system 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you Tarun, I guess it was a bit of wishful thinking from me 😀.
Congrats on yet another great video!
thanks for yet another great review. can you please also review the Buchardt Audio's A500?
I am talking to Mads Buchardt about it rp. They will need to be quite a bit better than the S400 to justify the price. Watch this space.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 can you please help me understand your comment? in this video you gave a convincing explanation as to why active is better than passive, well as you know the A500 is an active with built-in DSP,, 3x150W amp, dual DAC, AND room correction!, these are quite a bit more than what comes with the S400! you are hard to please sir!
The actives should be inherently better the passives. The S400s are a good speaker for the price for people who want a big sound and floorstander bass extension. However, they also have their shortcomings, dark tonal balance, soft leading edges and rolled off treble. These are forgivable at the £1,650 price point of the S400s but will have to be addressed in the A500 bundle @ circa £4K, active or not.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 ok thanks
Hi. very good review as always. Do you plan to review the Kef LS50 wireless II?
Thank you KM. I was hoping to but Kef haven’t got back to me on sending stuff. I have tried a couple of times 🤨👍
Hi Tarun. I had the opportunity to listen to the Focal Shape 65 studio monitors recently. Those are active speakers in the same price range as the AE1 Active. The Focals are a bit bigger with a little more bass extension provided by 2 passive radiators. I listened to similarly priced home audio standmount Focals before and found the sound too coloured but these are much more transparent (as one would expect of course) without being analytical. They also look much better than your average studio monitor. I’m not pushing them over the AE1 at all, just wanted to mention that to my ears they would be worth your time if you ever come across a pair. Take care.
Thank you Claude. I do want to try out more active speakers 😉
Congratulations 🥳 for new member in your house
Thank you Atri 😊👍
Nice review. How do you think these speakers would fare as desktop monitors? I have a fairly large desk, so I would be able to keep them pretty far away from me (but not the back wall - six to eight inches at best there). My DAC has analog RCA outputs, so I should be OK there. Thoughts (if you have time)? Also, I think 42Hz would be enough low end response for me for my desktop. When I want 20Hz response, I can fire up the big rig. :)
Thank you James. If you can get about 1.5m away from them, I think they would be a great choice 😊👍
Just ordered me a pair with a Bluesound Node 2i. So happy. Now, where can I get the dog to go with it?
Wonderfully structured and presented review.
My god! I had no idea how often they go for a poop and a pee. Thank you for watching my video His Madness Inc. 😊👍
Hi, would you mind sharing your thoughts on how this setup with Node 2i is working out? Was curious about that combination. Thanks.
@@wollymolly hi, the combination has worked out great for me. I really love the quality sound the AE1s produce. They really bring well produced music to life. In my biased opinion, they don't like overproduced, overcompressed music, but that is to be expected of an audiophile speaker : the AE1's are the stars in this setup. Great value for money. The Node 2i performs as I hoped and expected, the Bluesound app works like a charm. Integration with - in my case - Tidal, is flawless. Hope this helps
@@HisMadness_ Thanks for your detailed reply. I'll try to find a place to audition this. Also considering Cambridge CXN V2,
Good job. I am enjoying your review. I am curious about the non amplified top of the AE line bookshelf speaker, the 500. It seems to have a special tweeter unfamiliar to me.
Thank you James. I have the 300s in for review at the moment. I am sure I will get to the 500s at some point. 😉👍
hi bob,welcome to the community :)
Thank you Glen 😉👍
Thanks a lot for this great review, which actually disserves to be called that way. I currently use the Hedd Type 05 active monitors (similar size and frequency response) as as a desktop setup. The AMT tweeters on those are incredible revealing, but for me a bit too analytical to enjoy the music. I am looking to replace them with a more relaxed / natural / neutral sound representation, with still a lot of detail. A little bit similar to the S400 / IOTAVX combo sound I have in the living room, but than also suitable for nearfield use and within the 1000-1500 price range. So the AE1 active seems to be the perfect kandidate for that. Would the AE1 Actives be also suitable for near field use, or if not, do you maybe have other recommendations in that budget for near field. I don't think you can close off the port on the back, right, due to the heat of the amps? Other option would be to apply DSP room correction, if needed to be. EDIT: I just read that the original AE1 was actually a near field front ported studio monitor....
I suppose we should define near field Gerard. I think you need to be a minimum of 1.5, maybe 2m away from them. That is semi-near-field. I would look at the Kef LSX for near field. Thank you for watching and your support 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks :)! I don't like the Kef sound, too sharp for my taste. 0,7 - 1m from them and close to the wall, real desktop speaker distance :). So probably better to look for something that is closed box with Sub or front ported. I have seen that Sean from Zero Fidelity did a few video's on desktop setups, including the Harbeth P3ESR that he uses on his own desktop, but that's well above my budget, maybe second hand. I also came across a brand that seems to be forgotten :), with good reviews 15 years ago. The Role Audio Kayak, www.roleaudio.com/kayak. But cannot find anything recent on that one.
Hi Gerard, I am not aware of that brand. You are right, there is not much choice in actives. The search continues... 😊👍
I have moved to active speakers (AVI DM10 and sub woofer) and I enjoy the sound and I like having fewer boxes ( previously I had a power supply, pre amp and power amp) Tarun thanks for the review,the more active speakers the better choice I will have, if I need to change mine. Has the addition of a dog bed helped to soften the sound of your very lively sounding room?
Thanks John. As I am sure you are aware, anything soft and fluffy helps 😉🐶
Hi Tarun once again. Do you think that these speakers sounded better toed in or facing straight into the room? Thanks
That will depend on taste, your room and the partnering equipment. Think of it as a treble control 😊
I love watching your reviews, they're honest and informative. I'm considering to buy the AE1 Actives after watching this video. Do you think it matches well with the Danafrips Ares 12th? I should be able to plug them together and get great music? Where I live, it's not possible to try them out at a store unfortunately, so I'm buying blind. Thanks!
Thank you kindly. The Ares 12th will be a good match but has no volume control. I would go with the SMSL VMVD1SE 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for your recommendation! I'm actually quite intrigued by an R2R DAC, as I've only been using a Topping one. Do you have a good recommendation for tube pre-amp between the AE-1 and Ares? My budget would be around same as those 2 devices. Thanks!
Awesome review. This with a Node2i could be a neat little system. I wander how these would compare to the AE500 passives with a comparatively priced amp.
Thank you. I am planning to get the AE509s in for review this year 😊👍
Hi Tarun do you think the audiolab or iotavx sa3(with an external dac) + triangle bro3 or triangle genese trio combo will musically match or outperform the acoustic energy ae1 active's? At least for your taste? There are reviewers out there who think that the iotavx sa3 + triangle bro3 is a match made in heaven for its price point. The comparison with the ae1 actives is what I'm mostly interested in.Thanks
Hi Ionut, I haven’t tried the Bro 3 but hope to at some point. I would expect the AE1s to be quite a bit better. I tried the SA3 with more expensive speakers and I still felt they didn’t get to the performance of the AE1s. However, some combinations just gel together and give musical pleasure regardless of the technical performance. 😉
Your dog is a real beauty!
Thank you Peter 🐶👍
Hey Tarun ! Prior to this video my perspective on actives was a clear no
Simply because it was taking all the geeky joy out of HIFI ,but now I guess I'll give them a listen ...and a big hug to Bob 🤗
Thank you Anand. I agree, for tinkerers like you and me, you are better off with passives. I could put together a passive system that sounds as good but at over twice the price. Kef LS50s and Exposure 2510 may get you close.
There is still a host of issues to over come and tweaking is at new levels. DSP speakers can be set up with a microphone to measure the room's own frequency and to remove them from the listening. This "fixes" problems with the room. Analogue connections are usually easy but setting up digital Toslink, Coxial, Ethernet, Wireless and then attempting multi-room or 5+1, 7+1 or 5+5 surround is a geeky as you could ever hope to attempt. In the digital world things are done by computer processors and every component adds a different delay.
Hi, these ended up on my demo shortlist. Would these active speakers work on a 5.1 surround avr system - compatibility and usability wise?
Sure, if the AVR preamp has the right connectivity 😊
Lovely video, lovely dog. Dog wins though ;-)
I wondered this: you mentioned to put the speakers on max volume and then adjust with your pre-amp or DAC. But would there be a difference in sound quality if you put the speakers like at 50% volume? I mean there's a spectrum of pre-amp volume vs speaker volume to get the same decibels out, but what is preferred for sound quality? Or doesn't it matter?
So do you want a big input signal to the speaker, in general?
Thank you Marten. Worth experimenting with but I don’t think it is going to make much difference in this case. The AE1s are pretty linear all the way to the max volume setting. I did notice a slight increase in hiss. So maybe 3/4 of the way around it about right. It just isn’t easy to get both speakers at the exact same level, which is the reason I suggested turning them both to max an using to preamp and DAC to attenuate. Over short cable lengths, low level signals fed in should not be a problem.
Anyone know if these have a similar sound signature and/or is basically an AE-300 passive with built in amplification?
Don't know for sure but older AE gear always had a sort of "house sound" they tuned their speakers toward so it's highly likely.
Too bad I didn't buy these for my office system, caught between feeling pissed and grateful for this review lol!
I know that feeling. Thank you for watching and sharing Michael 😊👍
Hi. Couldn't find any info on this. Do these speakers have a standby mode, or would I have to physically switch them off every time?
It has been a while but I don’t think so 😊
I was wondering which speaker pair would get the first Outstanding rating. Great find Tarun and many thanks for the video. A funny coincidence is that I went to an audio store this afternoon to listen to the Acoustic Energy AE500 bookshelves. These are passive and have carbon fiber drivers (both mid/bass and tweeter!). I really, really liked them and somewhat surprisingly, my impressions on how they sound exactly match what you said about the AE1 despite the fact that the AE1 is active and has aluminum drivers. The amp at the audio store was an Exposure unit. Impressive that Acoustic Energy is able to get great sound out of completely different driver material. Would you see a reason why they would choose carbon fiber for the passive and aluminum for the active units?
Hi Claude Côté, that is really interesting. Thank you for sharing. I suspect they went for a less expensive driver in the Actives to get it to market for £1k. That doesn’t mean that the 500s will sound better as there is an inherent advantage in an active solution. It would be interesting to see how the Exposure/AE500 combo compares with the AE1s. Of course, they are not at the same price point. Great to hear from 😉👍
Looks like the next upgrade to my system. Happy with my Adam audio ts7v studio monitors at present and I get active. These replaced PMC FB1s and a musical fidelity XA1 amp simply because they felt a league ahead with tighter sound and more clarity. Did make me wonder what a more expensive active speaker would be like, and I know what I'll try and audition next should I desire more. Some of that technology (dual amps for each speaker and active cross over are in mine. I guess the biggest difference will be the quality of drive units themselves and cabinet design
... and the quality of the amps. I hope the review was worth the wait Paul. Thank you for watching and commenting 😉👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 was definitely worth the wait. Great review. That's a good point, of course the quality of the amps will be significant too.
Hi Tarun, cracking insights. Based on my comment on another video where the room is 17ft x 16ft (around 270 square feet) and sound proofed. I mentioned I would be interested in the kef ls50 wireless 2 and this particular speaker. Is the price difference justified ? The acoustic currently around £1k and the Kef wireless 2 around £2k ? Both would be paired with either a single or dual sub SVS/Rel. If so for the room size which would you choose ? Thanks again
Both good choices but with very different sonic signatures. It is the inbuilt DAC and streamer that pushed the Kef LS50W up in price 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks Tarun, so the acoustics may be better for the long term to have separate sources ?
What would be a good digital pre-amp (with streamer) to combine with the AE1's ?
You could go for a Bluesound Node 2i and then eventually upgrade with an external DAC like the Denafrips Ares II.
Thanks for an amazing review, Tarun!
Very informative, yet now I find myself in a dilemma... :)
I'm building my first hifi system and thought about buying the Triangle Borea 03's with the Iotavx sa3. But now I'm considering buying this. :)
How do these systems compare to each other? It's meant for at small room. (15 square meters)
Thanks for your hard work
The Borea/SA3 are a very good passive solution at their price point but not close to the AE1s in performance. Thank you for watching 😉👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks! 😁👍
Apologies silly question alert but how would you connect a chord mojo 2 to these speakers? I must be missing something . The mojo doesn’t have XLR or RCA out to connect to the AE1
Not at all a silly question. Use a 3.5mm to RCA cable. Audioquest do some good ones at sensible prices 😊
Tarun, May I have your advice again? I am thinking to put AE1 Active speakers in my summer house, which is not insulated. Thus it will be quite hot inside in the summer (about 30-35 celsius I think) and cold in the winter (about 5 celsius). Do you think these variations of temperature will harm the speakers? Cheers
I would keep them out of direct sunlight but they should cope with the temperatures 😊
Hi Tarun
Nice informative review without being to flowery thanks. I notice AE are still using what looks
like foam surrounds on the bass driver, although I stand to be corrected , in the dim and distant past ( I'm 73 ) I have witnessed this type of surround ( not AE I hasten to add )breakup and finish up as a powder on the floor in front of the speaker, much to the owners dismay (mine) and they were not that old. Also the sound does change as the surround degrades going by the difference in the sound when mine came back and after a time running in again.
Do you think this problem has been overcome or a surround replacement has to be allowed
for in the original purchase if the ownership is to be long term, I have learned in the intervening years that this problem is not as uncommon as you may think. A bit off topic I know but interesting non the less.
Good point Ray. They do feel a bit like foam, certainly not the regular rubber type. I am sure they are probably not foam surrounds as they were quite a problem and widely used up to and including the 80s. Replacing them is not as easy as it may seem. There are plenty of kits available from eBay but unless you get exactly the same surround (usually from the manufacturer) it changes the compliance of the suspension system for the driver. This alters the mechanical Q which in turn changes sound characteristic of the driver. I would be flabbergasted if AE are still using foam surrounds. Would we worth find out though. Thank you for the excellent observation and query. 😉👍
Hi Tarun Thank you for the reply its good to know what was happening
as the surround degraded, I can't recall I really noticed the sound changing
slowly over time only a plunging synth bass line and then powder on the
floor and a rather saggy cone. Thanks again, always look forward to
your reviews I always learn something.
Thank you Ray 😊👍
Thank you for your effort, especially since it's a mine field out there for someone like me. My old set up was an entry level Cambridge amp, CD player and leak speakers. I have recently purchased a Naim mu-so 2 because I thought it would tick all the boxes for me going forward but I miss a 2 channel system, even though the mu-so 2 sounds great. I no longer have my cds, so would these speakers be OK to pair with an Audiolab 6000A Play? If not, could you please recommend something without needing a separate dac? I have £2000 to spend.
Thanks again,
Dan
Hi Charles, the Acoustic Energy AE1s have the amplifiers built in so you won’t need an external amplifier like the Audiolab 6000A. What are you using as a music source, PC, TV ? Depending on what you are using as a music source, you will need a DAC with a volume control 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you. I'm currently using the Naim mu-so 2, so streaming my music from Spotify and Tidal. What if I paired them with the Cambridge CXN V2?
@@Henry-C-Bukowski that would be great. Use the XLR outputs 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 brilliant, thank you.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 one last question 😁, would these speakers provide enough bass for a 4 m x 3 m room?
Love that pooch! 😍
Thank you 👍
Hi Taren, does the sound quality differs between the three different finish? Why sell walnut finish for £200 more if they all sound the same? Just curious. Thanks
The sound quality will be the same James. The real walnut veneer costs more than a simple painted finish. That is why it is more expensive 😊
Great review, Tarun!
An age old question: would this work on a desktop/nearfield setup? ~1 meter away from the listening position and 15-20 cm behind it to the wall.
I'm really struggling to figure out what system would work best in this setup, so if you (or any of the viewers) have any suggestions that would be highly appreciated, cheers!
Thank you CK. I would want to be about at least 1.5m away from the speakers but it is always worth a try. I would used a balanced DAC with XLR connections to the AE1s. The SMSL VMV D1 would be a good option 😊👍
Thanks, that makes a lot of sense.
I could drive it using a Topping d90se and I even have their Pre90 preamp at house, plus the ifi zen dac as an alternative, but I'm afraid that these speakers would indeed be out of place on a desktop, a waste of their talent in a way...
Hence the search continues!
Would you recommend your psb minis for desktop use? If I can find a good one used.. 🙂
@@Csaboo absolutely 😊