Purple Reign - Exploring Acoustic Energy and their extensive range of quietly brilliant speakers

/ Audio T Portsmouth/

All quality hi-fi manufacturers will go through purple patches, those times when they absolutely nail it with a particular product or range of products to the general acclaim of the hi-fi community…

There are too many examples to list exhaustively here, but to highlight a few hi-fi icons just think of Naim’s Nait series, the Cyrus One, Linn LP12 turntables or the Rega Planar series.

Not every product or range will achieve such iconic status, but when the stars align the hi-fi world understandably pays tribute to its audio darlings.

Yet, it’s important to realise that does not mean that manufacturers sink into mediocrity in between these high points.

To prove that this is very much not the case in this blog I am focussing on British speaker manufacturer, Acoustic Energy.

I’ve written about the genuinely iconic Acoustic Energy AE1 speakers which at their launch in 1987 changed forever perceptions of what a bookshelf could achieve. And the recently launched AE1 40th Anniversary Speakers are a truly worthy successor to the originals.

AE1 4oth anniversary speakers

But, we in hi-fi retail know that Acoustic Energy has quietly been producing many excellent and competitively priced speakers for years, none more so than its current line up of stand mounts and floorstanders.

From the entry level AE100² to the flagship, range topping Corinium, Acoustic Energy speakers are firm favourites with Audio T Portsmouth customers. And for good reason.

Part of their appeal lies in their amazing value for money. Ok, the £6,000* Coriniums (£7,000* with the limited edition British Racing Green finish) are not cheap but for the money you get a good slice of high end sound for a fraction of the typical price of high end speakers.

Another part of the appeal lies in their detailed yet non-fatiguing sound. This is a characteristic that applies across the Acoustic Energy range.

Yes, other speakers may give greater treble extension or bass weight. But as all hi-fi enthusiasts know, one person’s detailed treble is another’s bright speaker, and the big bass that appeals to some is anathema to others.

Acoustic Energy pulls off the nice trick of balancing all of these factors across its speaker range. So let’s take a deeper dive into some of the company’s current speakers.

Elevating entry level

The ever-popular AE100² speakers are such accomplished performers that we have no hesitation recommending them to those looking for a no-nonsense, cost-effective entry into real hi-fi.

They have such a sweet sonic character with an ability to present a pleasing amount of detail and punch that belies their price point. This sort of poise is not often found in sub £300* speakers.

The speakers’ 130mm mid-bass driver is a long throw design which basically means it moves a lot of air allowing it to generate a good amount of bass weight. Yet the AE100² never sound boomy in part thanks to the slot style port on the rear which helps control bass distortion.

The soft dome tweeter is detailed and sweet. And paired with the mid-bass they make for a nice level of clarity in the midrange, all of which lends them a surprising polished sound for a speaker at this price point.

One of hi-fi’s best floorstander bargains have to be the AE109². They are dinky speakers at just 86cm (33 inches) high and yet, using the same long throw driver as the 100s, they are able to achieve greater bass weight thanks to the twin 130mm drivers which handle the lowest frequencies (only one crosses over to midrange) and of course greater cabinet volume.

At £599* the AE109² are as detailed and toe-tappingly entertaining as many floorstanders costing considerably more.

And at £799* the AE120² are another bargain with a 3-way configuration designed to offer full-range sound and lower distortion.

AE300 Series

Acoustic Energy’s 300 series represent a significant step-up in terms of the quality of the drivers and cabinet construction, and yet they sit at price points that many would still call entry level.

Both the AE300² and AE309² deliver a level of refinement well above the 100 series. Bass is fast and tight and the midrange and treble beautifully integrated.

But the pick of the range are, perhaps, the AE320² which in addition to using trickle-down technology from the flagship Corinium, actually have the same driver layout. They have a sophisticated musical presentation reminiscent of the Corinium with a tight bass, clear midrange and sweet tweeter. The AE320² are a lot of speaker for just under £2,000*.

Moving on up

AE509

With the 500 series, Acoustic Energy switches to carbon fibre for the drivers, both the tweeter and mid-bass units, allowing speakers in the range to deliver noticeably enhanced levels of detail with greater speed. The 500 series speakers deliver a tighter, clearer and more open sound than the 300 series.

The AE500 is a peach of a stand mount speaker with an open and smooth, almost liquid-like, presentation of music. It digs deep too with heft in the bass that never feels too much. At just over £1,000* they are an audio bargain.

But it’s the AE509 that are perhaps the sweet spot in the range. These tallish, yet slim floor standers deliver a beautifully polished sound. Bass is tight and tuneful which underpins the fantastically open mids and highs. There is plenty of high frequency detail but it is integrated brilliantly into the overall sound. These speakers are wonderfully balanced.

Stepping up to the range topping AE520 Acoustic Energy really starts to show its high end credentials with a speaker offering a powerful and rich sound. As a 3-way speaker there is detail beyond that achieved by the AE509 and the sound stage is wide and holographic.

At £3,650* they are knocking on the door of high end in terms of price point, but they are more than cable of giving far more expensive speakers a run for their money.

Optimus

Acoustic energy Corinium in british racing green

When Acoustic Energy launched the Corinium speakers two years ago — named after the Roman title for Cirencester, the company’s home town — it marked a clear statement of intent: a brand long respected for its entry and mid-level loudspeakers could also compete at the high end.

And boy did they achieve their goal.

These elegant speakers taper front to back in a design that belies their 40kg weight. The solid aluminium front baffle adds additional heft to the construction although only the new soft dome tweeter is attached to it. The carbon fibre bass and mid range drivers, larger than those in the 500 series, are bolted to the composite cabinet.

The Corinium sound is incredibly poised and, like their shape, elegant. There is a delicacy in the way they handle mids and highs. They are fantastically transparent letting vocals and instruments breathe with plenty of space around them.

Bass reaches impressively low thanks to the larger carbon fibre drivers and new motor system behind the cones. Yet the presentation remains controlled and tuneful rather than overly dominant. The Coriniums use their low-end weight with real deftness.

All of this makes for a hugely insightful speaker with the poise and the clarity to convey the emotion in music rather than just notes and sounds. They sound unforced with wonderfully natural tonality.

They were three years in development and, in our opinion, that was time very well spent.

Final Thoughts

Acoustic Energy prides itself on delivering technically sophisticated speakers built on sound engineering principles.

The bulk of the AE range may not have generated the media excitement that the AE1 40th Anniversary speakers or the Coriniums did at their launch, but the rest of the range, including the AV-focused AE105 Wall Speaker, AE107² Centre Speaker and their range of subwoofers, include some real star performers.

In fact, right now, in our humble opinion, they are making some of the best speakers available at their respective price points.

We have a range of Acoustic Energy speakers on demo in the Portsmouth store so if you’d like to hear them for yourself then drop us an email at portsmout@audio-t.co.uk or call us on 0239 266 3604.

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You can find out more about Acoustic Energy and their award winning speakers in Music at Home+ Winter Edition 2025.

*All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. E&OE