Thank you for another wonderful budget product review. There are soo many of "audio enthusiasts" and I believe this cost range is where the majority of us live. Your reviews are very articulate and well explained. Always looking forward to the next one! Cheers from Chicago, IL. USA.
NIce review! I own bigger model AE 509 and i realy love them! They sound deep and warm with little forward and open midrange (which i love), they are very quick with excellent dynamics and they sound so well in midnight volume levels. The bass is very strong from such a small cabinets!! So tight and deep!
I’m a Somewhat Vintage Acoustic Energy fan and still currently using a Pair of Original AE100 as well as AE109’s and a Couple of Pairs of AE120’s but these new MK11 AE100’s do look cool albeit it seems a few Companies seem to be Manufacturing their mid Size Speakers now with the Rounded Cabinets which do look Aesthetically Pleasing. All told it’s nice to see Acoustic Energy Back in the Mix again👍
I've owned these for several months now and continue to be amazed on the performance of these budget loudspeakers. They are open, spacious and can sound much larger than they appear...just give them a decent amplifier and sub-woofer and you are in for a good time. Also sounds wonderful with 2 channel video! Don't forget decent loudspeaker stands and place them a foot or two from the back wall. Sadly the price went up here in the USA. Cheers!
Although I've not heard these i can only agree with you with respect to the bang for buck and high quality that can now be had at entry level. Compared to when I started out in the early 80's (I bought my first proper amp around 1983, an Audiolab 8000a) today's entry level sound quality is light years ahead. I recently needed some desktop speakers to go with my old Linn Classik to listen whilst working and I went for the Dali Zenzor Pico speakers. About 1m away from my seating position either side of my PC they sound, and I kid you not, nothing short of excellent. So much so that when Dancing on Ice or Strictly are being watched I can happily sit, read and listen with a cuppa for a good few hours. Once again Mr TE an excellent review, kudos to you.
I just bought these today without listening first . No worries tho . Sounding good . Good prat and well ballanced . Small speaker but actually have enough bass for me. 👍
Prachtige luidsprekers ik heb ze nu een jaar en blijf mij verbazen waartoe deze kleine jongens toe in staat zijn ik ben er nog steeds erg blij mee Heb er geen subwoofer bij Omdat ze voor mij laag genoeg komen ik luister uitsluitend stereo en ze blijven iedereen die ik ken verbazen dus een zeer trotse eigenaar ik hoop nog erg lang Mooie revieuw van deze hifi kenner
I‘m listening to my music in a real small space (4x4m - distance is around 3m) and paired my AE100 Mk ll with a BC Acoustique amp. The speakers are placed 50cm from the wall and are towed in a bit. Bass blends out quit well, so i don’t miss anything there on my small room. I‘ve tried many speakers under 500€ in my listening space…there's nothing that compares with the magic of the AE‘s to me personally. Not the neutralest speaker of curse…but so much fun. Only a pair of 800€ bookshelfs was a bit better, not worth double up the price to me. I love and enjoy them very much…best recommendation for fast and dynamic music, with a great fun factor. 👍
Another great review! Can't wait for reviews for the REL and Kinki you've got there, I've been looking into buying these exact models for a few months now!
A Sub as you recommend this brings us into the world of small speakers with excellent midrange and presence that can be transformed into audio excellence by taking advantage of their strengths - How about an AE100 Mk2 shootout with the Dali Spektor 1 while also including a REL T/5x - now you are really moving into the "pursuit of audio perfection" on a reasonable budget.
Have the ae509 paired with Master sound Box a 35 watt tube amp and blue sound mode sounds great. Keep up the great videos fantastic information on everything you review.
These are tempting - I'm still struggling to find find fault with my Q Acoustic Concept 20s which at this price point are astonishingly open and balanced. I'd love to see a comparison of the AE100/2 & Concept 20, or hear from anyone who has compared these models
I had those . Very good build and all rounders . Excelled in clarity . I got rid of them for being slightly cold sounding and although good enough at rhythm, not their natural forte. I much prefered the original 3020 that sounded more musical to my ears . I forgot to say the concepts are very conposed too
Thank you for the interview Terry❤ I have had an AE100 MK2 for months and I loved them. Sound quality is pretty good. My system: AE100 MK2 + Micromega MyAmp Plug in Cooper IG8300, with Centaur power cable and Inakustik Exzellenz USB cable How do you think about my system? Thanks.
🤗THANKS TERRY…I AGREE WITH YOU 😊…and there has never been a better time for entry level speakers and I AM SURE YOUR ROOM HELPS DELINEATE THE DIFFERENCES AND HELPING PEOPLE IN MAKING DECISIONS 🧐 AND LOOKS 👀GREAT DOING IT 😎😍😍😍
Do you think we could have a short listening session? It's almost impossible to find a single youtube video providing a sound demo for the mk2 version.
I have these paired up with the new Emotiva BassX A1 monoblocks & Emotiva BassX P2 preamp + SMSL DO200 dac...i had the Elac Unifi UB52 and they were great....imaging and soundstage monsters...but these do it with more extention up top and better soundstage depth. I had the Elac B6.2, there is no way the B5.2 is close to these, looking at my setup...i think i might spin the wheel again and send them back and step up and get the ae500, the 100mk2 will embarrass many more expensive speakers, if i didnt have more money to spend i'd build my system around them, Budget speakers are off the charts these days we are trully in the Speaker Golden Age right now, and welcome back Acoustic Energy we missed ya!
Hi Terry, I had both the Elac b5 (originals) and the b5.2. Have you ever heard the b5? They in my opinion were truly something special and I much preferred them to the 5.2. They had a sweetness and a coherence to the sound that the b5.2 lacked. It's almost as if Andrew Jones was trying to address the criticisms raised at the originals, namely that they were too veiled in the treble and in correcting this lost the magic and coherence of the original. I think you can see that in the physical design, which is really not very attractive in my opinion, with the tweeter, woofer and front firing port kind of fighting each other.
@@sudd3660 Not sure what you really mean but I think that the original b5 and 6 were the designs which really took the budget hifi world by storm and that the mark ii versions were not an improvement imho.
@@robertmarshall7712 i meant what i said, public influence has twisted andrews work to be not what he want ot can do but a compromise. itrs quite normal when you folow the money.
Hi Terry, Thank you for a great review. It would be a good idea in my opinion, to let the viewers know what associated equipment you were using to do your review of the speakers-Amp / PreAmp / DAC / Computer /Streaming Platform. great choice of competitors, Wouldn't adding a Wharfedale competitor be a good idea?
I reviewed the diamond 12.1 last year so it made no sense to do them again, instead I bought the Elac. The system info would be useful I agree I will see what I can do on that one
Excellent review as usual. Thank you. I am very tempted to get these to replace my very old Mission 760i but I am concerned about the sensitivity as I am using an NAD 302 amp (25 wpc). Room size is 36 m². I would change the amp but not sure what to get for about £300-400. All the best and keep up the good reviews.
I dont remember them seeming hard to drive so I think you would be ok with the NAD. Then if you feel the need to maybe save a little more money or look out for a used Audiolab 6000a
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Hi, thank you for the reply. Oh Yes the 6000a is so famous, if I am sure that it would drive them to their best I wouldn't hesitate to stretch the budget and get it.
Thanks for the review Terry! I was wondering why you didn't give these speakers any award after the very good review you gave them? Sounds you liked them very much, even more so than the Q Acoustics 3030i!
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Ok, thanks. I'm hesitating between them and the Whardefale Diamond 12.1, but sounds like either way I will be getting a very good speaker for the money, so it depends more on my personal preference.
Thank you so much for this review. I'm seeking small stand-mount speakers like those in this review. However, my budget is closer to $2000 USD for the pair. Any suggestions? Also, which speaker stands are you using? Thanks for being so thorough with your discussions of room placement & the details of how the speakers handle the full range of sounds.
I did a group test on speakers in that price range last year and compared about 8 different speakers ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8CjXG2JAAKE.html Thats just the conclusion each speaker got its own video review
Really great comparison and review...a both exciting and (yet) disconcerting that speakers are getting so good and so comparatively cheap. I was looking int the pricier AE's but had gotten a great deal on a pair of Quad S2's (which i now totally love). Still might get some of these if ever in a position for a second system. Stupid side question for which I must apologize in advance....but what are those cool gel looking pucks (feet?) on your stands for the speakers? Are they part of your stands or can they be purchased separately for other stands?
Those are atacama isolation gels or something, I have had them ages but put them somewhere for safe keeping, so safe I couldnt find them. I discovered them when I changed all my room around
Hi, can you do a sound test comparison between acoustic energy ae100 MK2 and q acoustics 3030i? And something else, can you explain this specs from q acoustics 3030i (Stereo amplifier power: 25 - 75 W AV receiver power (2 ch. driven): 50 - 145 W). I'm so confused ! For the AE 100 MK2 in the specs says power handling 120w. Which one shall I buy?
Hi Terry, don't know if you've heard the emotiva B1+~B2 line. Was wondering how they'd compare to this AE100². (Hate the emotiva's looks but I've heard rave reviews about them.) Thanks
Thank you very much for such a great review. May I ask if AE100 compare to the Fyne F500 before, which one has wider and deeper sound stage? Which one you prefer? Thanks again.
Hey, thx for the review/comparison, how you would rate the ae100mk2 vs the ae300? I was thinking the ae100mk2 are more on level with the q 3020i but apparently they are at 3030 level
Very informative, thank you -- in terms of power, do you think these AE100s would pair well with Cambridge Audio's AXA35? In other words, do you think the AXA35 (35 watts into 8 ohms) is underpowered compared to the speaker's power? I'm definitely buying these speakers, the AXA35 is extremely well-reviewed, but I'm not sure if there's a power disparity -- thanks much
amplifiers are only underpowered if the speakers demand more than they can deliver in current, Acoustic Energy are smart guys they know what kind of amplifiers most audiophiles will use with the speakers, I think you will likely be fine with the AXA35
I was supposed to be getting the S400 MKII last year but they never happened and CSS did contact me a while ago but I dont have the time to do one of their builds, I dont have it genuinely with all I do behind the scenes like Dirac calibrations and other work
Selling my ridiculously Good 3030i these are just super Saiyan ridiculously Good! For me they top 3030i, 12.1, spektor 2, PSB p5, RP 500m and b5.2😉 Thx for bringing extra joy in my journey with this review 👍🏿
Why did you compared the ae 100 to the q acoustics 3030i ? The 3030i are much bigger and more expensive, do to the size of the woofer and price you should have compared the ae 100 to the q acoustics 3020i
Oi! When you reviews all that kit, does they make you sign the form saying you won't say nothing bad about their kit? Because that's what a heard them companies make you do. It's true, innit?
The Polk are coming up at £499 so thats not a fair comparison and I havent looked at them so really dont kbow sorry. The diamond 12.1 will have a more similar sound signature to the elac but probably a little less bass as they are a bit smaller from memory. The AE100 stands out for the more lively sound. All good in their own rights pros and cons like with everything
Terry my old mate, I've had a few AE speakers in my time, I'm telling you mate you need some really BEEFY speaker stands for these geezers. Mate of mine told me you'd been in my manor recently - just watch it, alright? Know what I mean? Behave yourself. I'm only kidding. It's great to watch your videos, excellent stuff. But we do share a little geography! I was in DV247 just off North Street this afternoon.
