Acoustic Energy AE100 Series MK2 Loudspeakers Get a Major Facelift

Acoustic Energy doesn’t get a lot of attention from the North American press (minus us) and that’s a huge loss for consumers. The British loudspeaker manufacturer has been around for decades and having survived more than a few ownership changes, the brand is back in proper hands. The AE1 Active Loudspeaker is one of the best available and I’ve covered it extensively over the past year.

The $1,500 asking price is incredibly reasonable but not everyone wants an active loudspeaker. Sitting just below the AE1 is the brand new Acoustic Energy 100 Series and if they are a genuine upgrade over the existing models — you really want to put these on your audition list for 2022 if your budget is below $1,000.

The new 100 Series, available from today through selected authorized dealers throughout the UK, isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a completely new design from the ground up. The U.S. market will see them in Q1 2022 according to our sources.

The design brief was to try and maintain the compact dimensions and sleek appearance of the previous 100 Series but offer a more mature, refined and bigger sound with greater bandwidth and power.

So, what’s changed?

First in line for an upgrade was the main drive unit; the 4” paper cone used for over a decade has performed admirably but Acoustic Energy extracted all the performance they could from it. Therefore the decision was made to move up to a 5” driver – this time utilising a 4 layer voice coil with flux rings to enable the dynamics, headroom and clarity demanded from the series design engineers.

This of course created a new problem of size and keeping those compact dimensions. Enter HDF (High Density Fibreboard). The engineers came to the conclusion they needed more internal volume to achieve maximum benefit from the new 5” driver. After much calculation and experimentation, the decision was made to move to HDF – unheard of at this price-point and usually limited to the very high-end.

HDF provides the option of using thinner cabinet walls with no loss in acoustic performance, the mass and stiffness of the 15mm HDF being the same as the previous 18mm MDF.

The result of this move is a small 15% increase in cabinet size but a 30% increase in internal volume gained over the previous 100 Series speakers.

The final piece of the puzzle was retaining the integration and musically rewarding character the slimline 100 Series cabinets benefitted from.

For this, a new 25mm soft-dome tweeter and waveguide was developed to perfectly match the new bass driver… taking a leaf out of the 500 Series book and pushing them as close together as physically possible thanks to a cutaway trim. 

Aesthetically the new 100 Series retains similar lines to the older generation but cleaner and more refined. Cabinet veneer finishes have also been improved along with a dedicated flared trim on the bass port and higher-grade binding posts.

MD and Chief Design Engineer Mat Spandl commented “We knew the previous 100 Series was going to be a hard act to follow so we had to do something special and rewrote the design book for loudspeakers at this price. The result is a compact, slimline budget speaker range that we believe will raise the bar again and be unparalleled at the price.”

The new 100 Series (MK2) will retail from £229 to £599 and comprise of the AE100^² bookshelf, AE109^² floorstander, AE107^² centre and AE108^² active subwoofer… with a new AE120^² MK2 flagship tower loudspeaker following in Spring 2022.

All speakers are available in Black and Walnut vinyl veneer with the AE100² also available in White.

AE100²

The AE100² (MK2) is a compact standmount/bookshelf loudspeaker that exhibits qualities which perfectly embody those of Acoustic Energy.

The AE100² has been designed with a view to achieving high sound pressure levels from a small enclosure. This is obtained principally through the use of a 130mm mid-bass drive unit built around an ultra-high force, long throw motor system. Bass performance is augmented by a slot shaped duct allowing for a considerable cross-sectional area while negating the issues of air turbulence.

A 25mm soft dome tweeter featuring Wide Dispersion Technology completes the driver compliment and is housed within a 15mm HDF cabinet. Taking design cues from the award-winning 500 Series and finished in a choice of satin white, black or walnut vinyl veneer finishes. The AE100² is sure to look good placed on speaker stands or bookshelves, while delivering a sound that belies its compact size.

AE109²

The AE109² (MK2) is designed to offer effortless, room filling performance from a slimline floor-standing loudspeaker in much the same way the world acclaimed original AE109 did 20 years ago. To do this, two 130mm paper drivers utilising an ultra-high force motor system are used in partnership with a 25mm soft dome tweeter. The 2.5-way crossover features a unique topology allowing integration and power handling previously un-achievable from this type of speaker. Particular attention has been paid to the phase and time alignment for the most cohesive performance possible. 

Like the AE100² stand-mount speaker, the driver and crossover are housed within a substantial 15mm HDF cabinet that takes styling cues from the award winning 500 Series. The result is an audio product with clean and uncluttered lines that can still deliver the thrilling and powerful presentation Acoustic Energy owners have come to expect. Satin black and walnut vinyl veneer finishes are available.

AE120²

As the flagship of the range, the AE120² (MK2) is the largest model in the 100 series and a true 3-way design. This speaker offers a big sound from a slimline enclosure, tastefully styled to blend into a wide range of domestic environments.

Twin bass drive units underpin the room filling performance with a dedicated mid-range driver housed in its own enclosure, carefully designed to mitigate the harmful effects of rear wave reflections.

Integrated within the perfectly matched Wide Dispersion Technology (WDT) waveguide, Acoustic Energy’s 25mm soft dome tweeter manages the high frequencies with controlled dispersion, high sensitivity and low distortion.

The 3-way crossover is impedance compensated to avoid the resonance issues which would otherwise slow bass delivery and colour mid-range performance. Particular attention has also been paid to the phase and time alignment for optimum integration and soundstage.

The result is a loudspeaker offering smooth, wide dispersion high frequencies with a clean mid-range and lightning fast bass. The inert cabinet enclosure is constructed from 15mm HDF and like it’s smaller AE109² brother, supplied mass loaded to help dampen cabinet vibrations.

The internal bracing system has been carefully tuned to reduce cabinet resonances and mid-range colouration, whilst the new AE120²benefits from a subtlety styled, discrete satin black plinth to aide stability, further improving dynamics and stereo focus.

AE107²

For home theater and multi-channel music systems, the AE107² (MK2) is a 2-way horizontal mount loudspeaker designed for centre channel applications. The AE107² delivers exceptional articulation and detail throughout the vocal range, augmented by powerful bass performance from the reflex loaded rear slot port. The compact center speaker can be placed within a cabinet or on a shelf.

AE108²

The AE108² (MK2) is a new, compact, yet extremely powerful active subwoofer. Designed to work seamlessly as part of a multi-channel system including the AE100²s, AE109²s, AE120²s and AE107², the AE108² is ideal for the modern home where controlled bass performance is required without compromising the living space. 

At less than one cubic foot in size, the AE108² can be positioned discretely. Finished in a choice of satin black or walnut vinyl veneer finishes, the AE108² delivers a bass punch that belies its compact size.

Specifications

For more information: Acoustic Energy 100 Series