Entry King! New Acoustic Energy AE100 Mk2 Speaker Review

[@jked7463]

This is exactly the kind of product that is needed to keep this audio hobby alive and kicking for younger people. A well designed, inexpensive model that can be upgraded with subs, better amps down the road without embarrassing itself. A true respectable product now that can be used as a stepping stone later.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you JK 😊👍

[@cheapaudioman]

I wish I could give these a listen, T. They sound, no pun intended, like they’d be right up my alley

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I suspect they would be Randy 😊👍

[@tessie4204]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Its weird why Erin hates this speaker. "Erin's Audio Corner".

[@dandeluca]

Great review as always, Tarun. I think you are easily the best audio reviewer on you tube. For my ideal speaker (which I absolutely couldn't design!), I tend to prefer slim tower speakers to stand mounts. I think it's mostly just an aesthetic preference, but of course the extra cabinet space can help the low end. I think the slim towers sort of disappear more, maybe help the soundstage width too. A nice wide soundstage is my favorite aspect of high end audio, it makes me feel enveloped by the music.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Dan. That is very kind. There are some very nice slim towers around these days 👍😊👍

[@Stuck_in_the_70s]

Hi Dan, I have the AE309 Floorstanders - pretty much the speaker you describe! They are very good-looking speakers and sound really great too. I listen to a variety of music from rock to jazz to soundtracks and electronic - and the 309s excel at all of them. I also now have a REL T9x on music and movie duties - at least in part thanks to Tarun!! 😆

[@ChrisLitton]

Thanks for the review. These speakers are on my shortlist, can't wait to to hear them in person.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎

[@tonyhodgkinson4586]

I agree with you about the AE1 active, I bought a pair purely based on your review of it and I’m not disappointed, better than many £1000 speakers I’ve ever heard.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That is great 😊👍

[@marantz7783]

Our Favorite Reviewer of Hi- Fi, on U-tube--- thumbs up laddies

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 🥳

[@bryanherr1093]

I think my spouse might actually go for these for the built ins she is building . I just rewatched this review and they might be the ticket. Nice looking, affordable, and can be placed nearer to the wall. Thanks Tarun.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎 thank you Bryan 😊

[@zindahoon]

Hi Tarun , just back from India after my little surgery all I was curious to watch all your videos in last 4 weeks thanks 🙏 for uploading informative content

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Atri. I hope all is well 😊👍

[@harpalchauhan428]

For the average joe who buys these will be really impressed, especially if they don't do there research and just buy for the reson its within a certain budget. Thank you as always enjoy your review which are filled with so much INFORMATION lol.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Harpal 👍

[@sleeper1023]

I'm really happy with this brand. I remember watching your 509 review 3 TIMES inside a store before finally buying the 520--and that's after demoing them twice.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. I hope you are enjoying them 😊👍

[@gregorypatton360]

I cant wait for your arcam review!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

It won’t be long 😊

[@DistroUser]

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!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing 😊

[@steverees1936]

I agree Tarun about it being the best time to buy hifi right now, but it has also created a major headache and confusion at any price point. Keep up your great work 👍

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Steve 👍

[@De132an]

As always an excellent review coming across as honest as can be. Cheers!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you DS 😊

[@bobb.9917]

Tarun….I have finally tweaked my system to where I am happy! (…at considerable time and expense 🥺). Monty Alexander's Calypso Blues (Parts 1&2) REALLY let me know how happy that I truly am. THANKS for that!!! 👍🏼

[@howardskillington4445]

As a musician as well as a furniture designer-builder, it is important to me that speakers both sound and look beautiful. Sharing a fairly small home with someone who does not want a visually intrusive system in our living space, I need stand mounted speakers that I can move into their ideal location when I have the luxury of a serious listening session. I also have a fairly limited audio budget. To meet those criteria I could not design a better speaker than my Canton Reference 9.2 DCs.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing Howard. Aesthetics are important to me too 😊

[@panagiotisargyropoulos2217]

Cannot go wrong with Monty. Cheers

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 👍

[@marcgabor9690]

I'm a big fan of large 3-way bookshelf speakers like jbl L100 and Klipsch Heresy. I think they look good and are big enough to have that big sound when listening in the near to medium field. I like the idea of having a bass driver that goes up to around 400, and then mid and tweeter drivers for the rest. Wharfedale Lintons and KEF R3 are modern examples. So I think my dream speaker design would be a 10" paper woofer, 3"-4" mid, and maybe a ribbon tweeter or horn loaded tweeter in a fairly large enclosure with short stands. Maybe even angle the whole baffle up a little bit so they don't need angled stands. And to help with the speakers "disappearing" a curved enclosure (looks nice too).

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Marc 😊

[@jeremiahchamberlin4499]

Sounds like a winner to me.

[@ChrisLipski]

Love your videos, thanks so much!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Much appreciated 😊👍

[@boubakane]

Hi there Auditioned diamond 12.1, 3030i, b5.2 and bought the Q. I had spektor 2. I have PSB p5 & RP 500m. I'm selling all and keeping these (just bought them). If all of the other speakers I've had are ridiculously Good (like another British KZbin audiophile would say) these ae100 mk2 are out of this world for my ears never mind the price. Thx for the insight PS: even with my recapped nad 3020A I'm blown away! Will try them with rega io, Onkyo a-9110 and music Hall a15.3 also ✌🏿

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing

[@karstenkrause8737]

My project started: Cabinet: twisted pyramidstup approx. 90liter. Units: 1", 5", 10" Scanspeak Relevator &2x10" SB 10" Passive radiators. Active components: B&O ICE as125 &250. Arylic wireless &Wondom DSP

[@yyams]

Huh, I have the SMSL SA300 in the bedroom system with some tiny Dali spektor 1 speakers and very basic diy sub setup. While the system does a fine job, the bedroom setup etc is compromised. However, when i first got it and set it up in my main music room with the speakers plonked on top of my Kefs, blimey! For such a cheap and compact complete setup? I certainly got much more than I I'd paid for! Great time to love music these days indeed. Always good to hear from ya - keep it rolling dude:D Picard out.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Mr. J 😊

[@backrack01]

The ae1 actives are wonderful. I went over kill with them...schiit gungnir multibit, schiit freya+, bluesound node N130. This isn't the 1st purchase I've made from a KZbin review...but it's the 1st from you and more importantly...its the best purchase I've made and happiest Ive been via from a KZbin review. Ironically...the audio on that review is not so great :p. Anyways friend, thank you for your review and thank you for your help. Hope all is well. Cheers man

[@gaborozorai3714]

A great review again. I am always excited by products that raise the bar for quality available to the masses. As for what I would design, high efficiency is what seems to do it for me due to the effortless, open and dynamic presentation. LIVE, albeit sometimes at the expense of some refinement at lower price points.

[@neilthompson7752]

AE back on form way over due💥

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

They really knocked the ball out of the part with this one 😊

[@neilgelowitz4737]

Thanks for the review! I'm an Acoustic Energy Canadian dealer and generally don't carry the lower series, but I love the somewhat darker tonality of the AE509. Everyone has their preferences and I completely respect yours.

[@padmeshsethuraman5617]

If you don’t mind where are you located

[@neilgelowitz4737]

@@padmeshsethuraman5617 located in Regina, SK. Canada

[@steverees1936]

I have always wanted to design and build my own 2 way speaker that has that sweet treble that is detailed yet not harsh or overly bright. It also needs to have a full and rich sounding midrange that gives a natural and realistic sound, especially for pianos and vocals. I would partner them to a pair of REL subs so bass would be managed by them. I would want the best possible drivers to compliment them. As for cabinet design I real love the Curved shape of Sonus Faber and made of Walnut. That would be my ideal speaker design

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Steve. That would be a speaker I would love to review 😊

[@6643bear]

Hi Tarun , another great and interesting video, one of only few that this company with AE 300 has actual veneer instead of vinyl wrap at that price point. Regards mark

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thx Mark 👍

[@ML-rm3vk]

Great video sir sounds like a fine speaker and yes it a question of what you like and yes what you can afford but also how good your ears are .peace to you

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you ML. Much appreciated 👍

[@andrewburgess4450]

Good review always a fan of small speakers

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Andrew 😊

[@oluhamilton2121]

Not gonna stop making inquiries until you do ae500.

[@Ireland-bc2gx]

Another good review 👍

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 😊

[@thirdkey9]

Thank you for diving into a brand that I am unfamiliar with here on the West Coast of the US. Having gone from more neutral, exciting and analytical sounding speakers when I was younger to warmer leaning box speakers; whose tweeter vanishes a bit and has strong equity in all the main facets, I still enjoy the qualities of a friend’s Magnepans. Especially when paired with a hard charging hybrid tube set up. If even possible, perhaps some of those sound characteristic added. Though a believer in a good sub to provide additional nuance, depth and dynamics, I also would want a speaker that delivers to the point where one is not essential. Definitely stand mounts and Aesthetics….I would prefer a rich tonal red or purple semi-matte finish for the box.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing Wolf 👍

[@titntin5178]

Nice review. Always had time for AE's in the past and these sound like they are a great design. Not so keen on metal tweeters and any harshness is not my thing, hense my preference for AMTs, but its nice to see how much you can get for your cash these days. Another fine review, thank you.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you buddy 😊

[@jimfarrell4635]

My very first floor standing speakers, over 30 years ago, were AE109s. My son still uses them in his own system and loves them, despite the horrible vinyl wrap. A good company.

[@sc51153826]

Oh mine, if I can really design my own speakers! I don't think so, but I can try to describe what I hope them to be. They would be the most seamlessly matched pairing of a taller version of the Magnepan LRS with a small REL sub on each side. 😋😋😋 God bless Ukraine and peace✌️✌️✌️🙏🙏🙏

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Simon 😊

[@siamxiii]

Just got them and placed on my desktop setup. Paired with SMSL VMV A1 they quite a performer. A1 is ideal for desktop, as I also use it as headphone amp.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎

[@goodboid]

I picked up a pair of used LS50Ws and really enjoyed your recommended track on them. More audiophile test tracks please, I'd love a shared Spotify playlist even.

[@philpepp]

Hi Tarun, I have to agree there seem to be loads of very reasonable low cost speakers available. Back in the early 90s when I first got into this hobby things were more limited. I had some mission 760is which were around £100, so comparable, but from your review I don't think they would stand up today. I did then move to some AE 109s with an Arcam amp!.... I would like some small and very sensitive speakers that play well with low powered tube amps. I realise that physics plays a part here though. Your reviews are getting more polished. Great journalism. Very balanced and informative. Cheers Tarun.

[@andrewbrazier9664]

I've recently purchased the Mission QX2 mk 2 ( retail £395 ) Incredible build quality .Non fatiguing not too forward presentation with a 38mm tweeter tuned to make HF distortion inaudible Purchased to upgrade near decade old MA Bronze for a Marantz PM6005 ( 45wpc 8ohm /60 wpc ) Excellent wide soundstage & good depth.. A great upgrade for me Although for rock you'd probably want more forward slam B&W ?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Philip 👍

[@andrewbrazier9664]

Taking about the Acoustic Energy AE300 these were recommended to me for my Marantz PM6005 in a Manchester store last Autumn & aesthetically very pleasing too in the walnut . However I decided £629 was too far over budget for my decade old £400 Marantz amp, as such a pair of speakers would need something better to really shine 🔊

[@philpepp]

@@andrewbrazier9664 if it was in budget, did you consider a demo?

[@andrewbrazier9664]

@@philpepp Good question. However they were £629 against the more forward sounding B&W 606 S2 at £479. I didn't want to take up the sales person's time to set them up as he was lone working. By that stage I had decided I couldn't justify more than £400 on a decade old £400 Marantz amp . I already own a set of forward sounding Focal floorstsnding speakers & Naim XLS2 amp so sought a more laid back sound for the dining room 👍

[@sonusancti]

Hello Tarun. I highly respect your ear-brain-speech processing skills and consider you a good reference for product evaluation. On what type of speaker design I prefer, I'm the giant slayer approach kinda audiophile which is another way of saying I can't afford a lot of great products out there so I have to rely on my creativity and ears to fashion a "giant slayer" system. I've built a 2-way with an AMT tweeter and an 8" Morel mid woofer, gave it Jantzen blue caps in crossover and van den hul cabling in and out. Running it with 20W class a ChiFi solid state and a tube rectified 6SN7 preamp, I would say it definitely punches above its weight. No fatigue, has a degree of refinement, modest soundstage, highly transparent. Just ordered the Fountek Neo X3.0 AMT tweeter to upgrade my current one so I believe ribbon tweeter technology is quite superior to your average conventional dome types. Perhaps you can audition ProAcs Response D2Rs next. I also read exceptional feedback on Raal tweeters but they're very pricey. Keep up the excellent channel. Cheers!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Bobby. Very much appreciated. Sound like you have put together a very nice system for a very reasonable price 😊👍

[@sonusancti]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Upgraded the 10,000uF filter caps of amp to Supertech 2Ts (x6), ELNA electrolytics and Mundorf coupling caps (same in preamp), tube rolling both 5U4G and 6SN7 yielded eye opening results. I recall seeing Samwha caps on a Sugden amp in one of your videos. I would definitely want to swap those with Supertechs if I owned them to hear the difference. This is the fun side of being an audiophile with modest means. Can't imagine messing with high-end gear.

[@garyalexander5686]

Hi Tarun: I came away from this brilliant review with the thought that these speakers are an excellent example of the superb values to be found in home audio today. Given their lineage and their resemblance to the ProAc Response One SC I'm not surprised to hear you got on well with these. I can easily imagine an excellent nearfield listening experience with these speakers. If I were able to design a speaker I'd like very much to do a high-efficiency horn-based standmount. If I could manage to use a horn without any screech, honk or fatiguing coloration and push efficiency into the high 90s with clean, tight bass I'd consider that to be a goal well met. As always, thanks for a great review.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Gary. Much appreciated. That sounds like a fun project 👍😊👍

[@Evolved_ue7]

( big acoustic energy fan) Why did I leave these in the box so long, after a week I think this speaker is probably the best under £300 they are just Right .. They give my AE 301s a run for their money . Amps used Denon 1600 Yamaha 1000a Exposure 2010 . This speaker is flying well under the radar ( it's so dam well balanced)

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@Evolved_ue7 great 👍

[@sgtgrash]

Great review of these excellent speakers 👏 Back in the early 80's I was gifted an interesting pair of speakers by my grandad, who was a bit of a Philips afficianado. Now, his main system was all top of the line Philips gear purchased from Harrods during the 1970's (yup, THAT Harrods). It sounded lovely and it cost him a small fortune, it also looked like it had come straight off the set of Gerry Anderson's Space 1999, which definitely appealed to this then teenage superfan of Gerry's entire portfolio. Anyhoo along with the main speakers, and as part of the deal, they also shipped two spherical, white ABS cabinets around 8 to 10 inches across each housing a 6" full range driver and which sat on seperate plastic rings that allowed for directional adjustment. My grandad never used these heavy, planet-like speakers but I rather coveted them, and I would eagerly remind him of this everytime I went to visit. Eventually I wore him down and he gave them to me. 😊 I used these speakers for years and they sounded pretty good. There wasn't a great deal of heft to the bass, which was probably due to the small sealed enclosures, but they imaged like a laser and the soundstage was everywhere! Moving forward to the present day, and having lost the little balls of sound during a move many years ago, I often wonder how good a larger iteration of those speakers would sound, especially if they had Mark Audio Alpair drivers installed.

[@hrvojekant9415]

I really don't like to repet myself, but I have to..."Ecellent as always" if I may to say now ... dear Tarun.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. Great to learn about your experiences 😊

[@avro66]

Hi tarun, thanks for another indepth review, I've been a big fan of AE over the years, always liked there floor standers personally they are usually very well built. I'm glad you enjoyed these little bookshelf speakers, I'm a currently using active quads at the moment, I might have to have a look at there active offerings or perhaps go back to passive equipment again, looking forward to seeing another review soon and I'll try and join you on Sunday evening.

[@IrenESorius]

I would put the rounded outer corners close to the drivers, where they could help minimize the edge di-fraction, and absolutely not at the bottom of the speaker, to maximize the surface area to the speaker stand. I cringe when I see where they have put them on the AE,s and the Q-Acoustics. 😬🤪 Cheers and thanks for another excellent review Tarun,, 🍻😎👍‍‍

[@LorDarkGoose]

Thanks Tarun! Another exemplary review! :) A few yers ago I had the pleasure to listen to the AE300's at the Bristol Hifi show and they were absolutely excellent. The demo track was an *energetic (no pun intended) acoustic guitar sample and the texture and tone, as well as the scale of the image was really impressive. They were using an AVI Labratory Series S21 M1 amplifier. First time I heard of it - doing some research I discovered that it was developed to test loudspeakers, but had such a great sound that it turned out to be a huge commercial success as well. Sadly they don't manufacture it anymore but I managed to get my hands on a preowned unit on Ebay. I must say it's transformed the way I listen to Speakers. It's so neutral that only but the most fussy speakers don't pair well with it. Bring on those edgy treble and upper midrange monsters it eats them all (well almost). Never got my hands on the AE's yet as they are so scarce but I may well give these a go.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you JS. Great to learn about your experiences 😊👍

[@ranelime]

Thank you Tarun for yet another great video and content. Always a fan. If I were to design a speaker it would probably start with a big cabinet. I suspect that cabinet size is a heavy restriction for manufacturers. From my experience, we're missing a lot of fun. I would probably experiment more with the cabinet materials and proportion than anything, with a single (crossover-less) driver. Exploring the option of transition line sounds like a lot of fun (perhaps too ambitious). Just looking for that big, visceral sound. Another speaker, that might be too ambitious, would be a metal cabinet. Not metal sheet, but thin cast+CNC panels. The vibrating sound of a macbook pro is quite pleasing, with such small drivers. Heard a Magico a while back and I can still feel that metal ring.

[@LorDarkGoose]

If I could design my own speaker it would be a combination of two. Firstly the Totem Rainmakers with which I've always had a love/hate relationship. They are fantastically responsive and their sountsage is incredible. I love how it does dynamics and I've not heard another one that deals with dynamic swings in quite the way the Totems do. Bass is also well defined and deep. That said I really do not get on with the tweeters/high frequencies. Really reminds me of the sound of circular saws! Recovery is needed after each listening session. I love the tweeters on the Triangle BR0 3's. Lovely refined detail and strikes a nice balance between horn and soft-dome. I also really enjoyed the highs on the Spendor SA1's, but overall a bit too reserved dynamically for my tastes.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing JS 😊

[@marcus1970]

Part way through you used the expression "Gotta love the underdog! " That was shortly after spoke of your own ProAc..... That a budget design can even be mentioned alongside such company is astounding.... They look superb (particularly in that matt black finish).. .. As far as my own design? .. Well, it would likely just end up being what I use anyway! ... So an AMT tweeter and carbon drivers in a 2.5 way compact floorstander.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Marcus. Hopefully, people understood that I was just trying to put my enthusiasm in some context 😊👍

[@marcus1970]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Context is essential in my book.... Another particularly great video

[@thomasward00]

Tarun, I spotted an Arcam HDA Amp in your system, as an SA10 owner I look forward to your review.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool. It won’t be long 😊

[@martindevon3204]

Nice review. A baby version of my Jamo Concert 8s it seems 😁

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 👍

[@iancoulson8171]

Hi Tarun; excellent review as always. I would consider buying these speakers if I hadn't just bought the Q Acoustics Concept 20s... As to designing a pair. When I was 11 years old I rewired my Dansette record player so the sound came out of the 8" speaker in an old radio in my bedroom; that was the beginning! In my teens I made a few of Bernard Babani's classic designs including a 1/8th-wave horn loaded bookshelf, an unusual ported full range "library" speaker, as he called it, and then some designs of my own. My favourite was a small I/B which stacked up well against my neighbour's Rogers LS3/5a's (he owned the local hi-fi shop so I knew he was a good judge of my abilities). The one that got away, because I couldn't afford the materials, was my design for a D'Appolito style I/B made of lead sandwich plywood, a material used a lot in the x-ray industry for screen fabrication, but very expensive. It would have given the enclosure immense rigidity and fantastic damping properties, but it never made it off the drawing board. Hey ho, that's life!

[@calelsuper2725]

I had the q 3020 , not the i , and the concept 20 . Got these ae 100 today . I would say they sit in the middle of those 2 q acoustic models in terms of sound and nice cabinet. I think the ae 100 have some of prat of the 3020 and some of the clarity of the conepts . Not as warm as the 3020 and not a cool as the conepts but leaning cool . The grills are magnetic like the 3020 but they look nicer overall on the ae 100 . I do think the ae 100 are a little more musically engaging than the concepts but not as composed maybe lol .

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

You should definitely review the sa300 (by the way smsl's sister companys have the loxjie a30 and sabaj a10a that are basically the same amp, only with different form factor and aesthetics and some different features) and even more their da-9 amp. Best value amp ever!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you José 😊

[@willbrink]

Sounds like those are a great choice for the $, and I like their clean modern looks too.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Me too Will 😊

[@richardherbert3519]

Sorry I missed your last two reviews, I’ve. Now caught up. Both seem very interesting, especially the Exposure, it’s on my listening list. Have you listened to the Exposure Mono Power Amps ? Two more great reviews.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Richard, I haven’t heard the current Exposure Monoblocks 👍😊👍

[@1959ludo]

I like my sound open, with great sound stage,detailed but not harsh. And the speakers must be easy to drive so you can be in the even price range as the speakers with your amplification. That is most of the times not possible at this time. The Amphion Argon One is such a speaker, just my cup of tea. Greetings Ludo

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Ludo 👍

[@fletchermunson6225]

I'd probably send you a picture of my Dynaudio Special 40, my current heart throb. Just a picture, not a tattoo. Ha. Good review. It's a great time tone a budget audiophile.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you buddy. I will book you in at the local tattoo parlour 😂👍

[@mden2490]

How would you compare these to the Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52. I am trying to decide between the two? In my main listening room I have a pair of Elac Uni-Fi reference UBR62 powered by a Music fidelity Msi2 with the Cambridge cxn v2 for streaming , the Cambridge cxc v2 cd transport, and the Technics SL-1500c for vinyl. In the living is where I am trying to get a fuller sound I currently have a pair of Klipsch RP 400’s powered by the Denon PMA 150h. I wanted something that could fill the room a bit better. Would I be better served by the AE’s or the Elac’s. Thank you again for your continued pursuit of hifi and sharing your wisdom and skill with us. Also wishing you and yours a blessed New Year!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you M Den. Happy new year to you too. The UB52 should give you better power handling and more bass than the AE100s. However, they are also going to be more demanding of the amp. I don’t thing the Denon PMA 150H will cut it. You may have to look into upgrading the amp as well 😊

[@mden2490]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 I thought as much..thank you. May look at getting the Cambridge axr85 or the Yamaha A-S301. Trying to keep the cost low as this is secondary listening set-up.

[@tawaunwilliams7002]

@@mden2490 I dont think the PMA 150 will cut it for either of them...Taurun is right the Yammy 301 is a gem and possibly the best deal in budget amps. You already have the UBR62, and the UB52 is no less demanding, i had the 301 its a big sounding laidback amp, the UB52 may sound a lil dull and reticent with it. On the plus side it seems that 100mk2 is 1 of very few speakers that can do what dual Conentric speakers can do for under $1000 and probably will be a really good match with the Yammy i say get them...

[@mden2490]

@@tawaunwilliams7002 thank you

[@tawaunwilliams7002]

@@mden2490 no problem....thinkin about getting the ubr62 since their on sale....got my ub52 all boxed up ready to go to UPS. How is the bass and the treble extension on the UBR62?

[@bertrigters3705]

Great review as you always provide. I'm struggling in judging what might be the right speaker for me. I have a tiny budget and my amplifyer is a NAD C338 which was already reviewed by you. Appreciating the restrictions of this amplifier I'm still struggling which speakers I would connect. When building speakers myself in the very past with Audax and Philips and Focal, the aim was always 6dB/octave filters and maximum soundstage AND depth. Alright, I know better now. I learned that speaker design and building is something you shouldn't practice as long as you are not a real professional and know all the aspects. Would these speakers (Acoustic Energy AE100 Mk2) give me the satisfaction that I'm looking for? Thanks for your reply!

[@jcisme]

Another great review Tarun.. How is Bob doing ?

[@spellacy29]

Excellent review Tarun. That Arcam amp looks interesting too, as does the little SMSL 🤔

[@sjohnston1487]

Thanks again. Another quality review. My first “real” speakers purchased in the early 1980s were Acoustic Energy - played some crazy music through those at abusive spl. If I put on a magical speaker designer hat that could transform me into a talented designer my goal would be something along the lines of Salk Sound - Songbird or Song Tower II narrow floor standing transmission line speakers (with much of the design talent going into the cabinet function) in the $2,000-$3,000/pr that sounded marvelous with a similar priced integrated amp with the speakers placed relatively near wall boundaries for a med sized room

[@jeevanmotors4275]

Super Sir Your reviews are always Enticing us on Hi fi world sure

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Jeevan 😊👍

[@andrewallison70]

As for question of what design of speaker, I think an Active speaker combined with some electronics that can incorporate the Roomperfect/DIRAC live room correction system. It would definitely be a Floorstander (a good big'un beats a good little'un), something like the ATC SCM19a as a kind of starting point/entry level. I think the advantages an active system with room correction, would offer some fantastic price/performance for a whole host of different setups. Just add your favourite source and/or preamp and your good to go.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Andrew. I can see the appeal of a big active speaker with DSP and room correction 😊

[@bradm1507]

Great video! I really appreciate your approach to reviews, especially 'partnering' pieces. What do you think about these paired with that SMSL VMV A1 amp? If I'm interpreting your comments correctly, these would seem like a good pairing given the sound quality and tone, performance at lower volumes, and the speaker's design.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Brad. Much appreciated. The A1 is good with easy speakers to drive so should work well with these 😊👍

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

I've been rocking aluminum dome tweeters and carbon fiber woofers in ported enclosures for a dozen years. My dream upgrade speaker uses a ribbon tweeter or AMT, some high bandwidth midrange driver and a big old 8-10" woofer mounted in acoustic suspension. Small room audio wants small room low frequency rolloff

[@bw8827]

........and what in any context has that to do with this review ?

[@hugobloemers4425]

Nice review, I agree from how you describe this speaker that it deserves an outstanding. I like the looks as well, it has normal proportions and does not try to be ground breaking in the ascetic department . If I would design a speaker, I would love to try a transmission line. I have always liked the concept from me teenage years on. Possibly I would use a full range driver.

[@frostycanada6404]

Hello Tarun, I still can’t believe it, but I bought my first valve amp. The Cayin CS55A has no right to sound as good as it does (based on specs and distortion levels and all) but it sounds gloriously good to me. Very please with myself. The Cayin will find a new home beside my Sugden ANV50. 🙂 The other amps under my review were all excellent. I was surprised to learn that the Roksan K3 is being discontinued. Demo test: Cayin CS55A (with KT88) in ultra linear, Exposure 3510, and Sugden A21 … couldn’t demo the K3. Thanks again for your 3510 review, Brian

[@paultasker7788]

I'm amazed by what you can get in the affordable market right now. I bought some cheap active monitor speakers presonus eris 4.5 to just use with my TV and watch movies, TV and some music videos on. As I often find myself listening in my lounge with family I was constantly dissapointed by just how far off the hifi the sound was. A soundbar just isn't good music wise and TV even worse. Upgrading to a set of speakers I'm amazed by the extra clarity, warmth, bass weight and sound stage for just 160. 15 years ago that would get me entry level wharfedale diamonds that would sound rather small and I'd have to spend extra for an amp. Clarity would not be in the same league. I'd put the sound more like speakers at 300 say 15 years ago. I plugged in a set of mission 70s from the 80s with an old amp the other day out of curiosity. They sound like a mobile phone speaker in comparison! And pretty sure they're working just perfectly. I'll still listen to the hifi for solo listening but at least now when I'm listening to music with family in the lounge I won't desperately want to leave the room and play the track upstairs so poor it did sound in comparison. I'll even enjoy it now.

[@JCP-Ghy]

Wow! An Outstanding at that price range - that’s great news. Looking forward to the Arcam review- plain curiosity about a brand I’ve heard of but never heard. Too unqualified to answer on speaker design.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Jeremy. It is a well used amp so the SA10 amp review shouldn’t be too far away 👍

[@rmzidann]

I would design a large bookself that punches down to 30-32Hz in room response. 0.75 Cubic Feet. A 3” or 4” paper cone Full range driver from Tang Band to handle frequencies above 180-200 Hz and up to 20 KHz, in its own enclosure separated from the 7” bass driver. The bass driver would have to go down to 35Hz. One crosser point at 180-200 Hz and no port. But the bass enclosure would have an 8” passive radiator in the back. All premium X-over parts and high quality 16 AWG solid-core copper or silver wiring inside. Furutech speaker binding posts. It would be an 8 ohm and 89-90 db sensitivity . Easy load for even flea power tube amps of 2 Watts. I am already working on it. 😉

[@MelanicWarrior]

Thank you for this review. Could you please give us your thoughts on the Dali Oberon 3 Bookshelf Speakers? I have a pair and I think they are great in just about every area. But I would like to hear professional thinks about them. Thanks!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. I hope to get to them in time 😊

[@amanieux]

great useful video, for near field desktop use would you recommend the ae100mk2 over denton 80th anniversary ? thanks

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. I would need to get the Denton 80s home to find out 😊

[@amanieux]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 i did not know there were that many british speaker makers that a channel dedicated to this area would not have experienced all of them

[@freeperjim]

Always superb reviews - accurate and to the point! QUESTION: Any recommendations for a small monitor (LS3/5A size) that can offer a more transparent & detailed sound quality vs Falcon/Rogers designs? Thanks in advance!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you buddy. Much appreciated. I am currently evaluating the Dali Menuet SE. I still haven’t finalised an opinion but hey have very good detail and a natural tone 😊👍

[@freeperjim]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, Thank you for the reply! I did a quick search and the Dali Menuet SE cabinet looks stunning in the walnut gloss. Also like the Mundorf caps & silver wiring, too. I'll look for your review and any comparisons (neutral tone (no added colorations), detail, etc) to Argon1 and the Falcon/Rogers 3/5A designs will be most appreciative. Again, your reviews are a benchmark for others - video & print. - Jim (USA) PS: Do you know if the "SE" cabinets are Birch Ply, HDF, MDF....?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@freeperjim thank you my friend. I will have to check but I think they are MDF 😊👍

[@youtubiers]

Proac tablette 10 / 10 signature

[@milagroscaviglia5034]

I think good options could be Dynaudio Evoke 10, Mission QX2 or ByW 607 S2AE

[@Jorge-Fernandez-Lopez]

The bookshelves speakers I like would have just enough low frequency to integrate with two aligned subs seamlessly. Sometimes too much low end requires compromises. Great review, thanks Tarun.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Jorge 👍

[@neilstern7108]

Great stuff, maybe you could do something on EQs. I know purist dislike them. But still would like to hear your slants on them. And maybe find some comparisons. Maybe one that would enhance a stereo. Sorry if this is a bit off subject.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I still have to find one I like 😊

[@neilstern7108]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 a true Audiophile, I was just wondering, can't find something better than what I have. My sd card player has what they call a EQ works well to bring up my bass treble and mid range. If the voice is a bit in the background and not clear I just click a button a few times and bingo. I looked up the speaker's you had. Buchard audio s 400 listened to the and wow. But I don't have enough power to drive them. But we're they beautiful. Maybe if the market gets better I'll reward myself and get the Arcam sa 10s too. It's funny they are made for Harmen kardon. I guess I'm a die-hard. It's always nice to talk to you. Have you ever heard the group King crimson, or would you like to listen to Sade she really has a nice groove.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@neilstern7108 thank you Neil. I haven’t heard King Crimson but regularly listen to Sade 😊

[@neilstern7108]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 I think she great. King crimson is more rock in the court of the crimson king has a lot going on you might not be into them. How about Brian Setzer he has a Christmas collection. He's the guy from the band stray cats. They're from England.

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🤗 TARUN…DEFINITELY THE BEST TIME FOR AUDIOPHILES….IMHHO …IT IS ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER 🤗😍😍😍

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

As for the speaker cabinet of my choice…I would love ❤️ the solid wood varieties …like PEARL ACOUSTICS 😍😍😍

[@yvesboutin5604]

Hi! These are nice little speakers and if they sound nice with a variety of amps, we got a winner here! Regarding your question, if I were to design a speaker, I would make it a 3-way tower with 2 woofers, a 4 inch mid and ribbon tweeter. Fun to see some new products coming all the time and pushing the boundaries of quality and good price.

[@markclancy5371]

Sound nearly like my project I'm doing fountek cd3 ribbon 5inch monacor kevlar mid 6.5 carbon woofer solid silver to tweeters 14awg cable and inductors with clarity capacitors.

[@yvesboutin5604]

@@markclancy5371 Will it be a sealed box, open baffle or a ported cabinet?

[@markclancy5371]

@@yvesboutin5604 ported but was swinging to sealed as I've got 15 inch dayton audio subwoofer. But having sealed tweeter mid section then bass drive ported.only my third project so still a learning curve.got some monacor 5inch full range I'm toying having a go at a Bluetooth speaker with passive radiator

[@yvesboutin5604]

@@markclancy5371 With a 15 inch sub is that bass clean and fast or more of a one note rumble? For movies I have a 12 inch sub from Energy but not very musical, so I bought an 8 inch from the same company. With my stereo system, the small sub is agile and better integrated with the rest of the music.

[@markclancy5371]

@@yvesboutin5604 its not bad with it being hf model excellent drivers really nice lows but you don't get the fast response like your talking about think your really need servo subs for music. I'm mostly home Cinema.servo sub are really hard to get hold of in uk.ive also looked at building a 10 inch sub to give me that faster punch.i enjoy the learning as much as listening

[@wendell7379]

Hi Tarun. I like your presentation. Very nice indeed. Would you be so kind to let me know about the speaker stands? Thank you. Kind regards

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. They are Target R4s 👍

[@NeilBlanchard]

Do you happen to know how the inside of this speaker cabinet is designed? The slot / port makes it *possible* that it is a transmission line - which could explain how it has good bass quality AND the large soundstage.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I am pretty certain it is a regular slotted port and not a TL design. Just well implemented 😊

[@brown-eyedman4040]

Thank you, Tarun, for another excellent review. Entertaining and informative. My ideal speaker? KEF LS50 that went a little lower and was a little more efficient. Or perhaps a full range driver, like the Decwares. Haven't heard the Decwares, or seen a review but intrigued nonetheless.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you buddy. Much appreciated. They don’t seem to be readily available in the U.K. 😊👍👍

[@hruff1985]

FYI, the manufacturer link in the description is to Exposure (not AE).

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you I will change that 😊Cut and paste error 😜

[@pesolikestea]

So glade I stumbled across your channel,I was in the market to upgrade,was impressed with the monitor audio silver 500 7g but what's your opinion with these compared to m.a? Coming from Australia where the prices are almost 3 times the price,any help on your opinion would be amazing, thanks from an Australian.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard the 7G series. I reached out to MA a couple of times but never heard back 😊

[@spooner1]

Tarun, thanks once again for reviewing another speaker from AE. I have been interested in the AE line after watching your reviews on them. I like the location of the slotted ports. Interesting. I wonder how differently a slotted port, positioned so high, versus a rounded port would have on the overall sound when placed near a rear wall. But my real adventure is not finding where to listen to any of them.

[@philw4053]

Hi. I love the channel and am working my way through your videos. You mentioned in your system tour that you "store all your music on a USB stick and run J River". Can I ask how you physically connect the laptop to the DAC? What cable / equipment / laptop port do you use and how do ensure the lossless data gets to the DAC rather than being interfered with by the laptop? Any help much appreciated.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Phil. The USB drive is now connected directly to my Auralic streamer via USB 😊👍

[@philw4053]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Many thanks.

[@eduardoesponda3367]

I enjoyed this review as usual but this speakers are not what I am afterTarun.But something called my attention I liked the stands youre using could you give some info, they look very strong without being obtrusive good design.And before I forget very elegant hoodie sailing jacket.Greetings keep up your good reviews.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Eduardo 👍

[@lonniefarmer7067]

Having a pair of Golden Ear Reference gives me insight and I would next think about PS Audios new offering and I have no budget constraints lol.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎

[@dougg1075]

Good stuff

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 👍

[@frostycanada6404]

Hello Tarun, it’s too bad that we don’t have measurements on that tweeter. The liveliness of the tweeter might be caused by its wide dispersion characteristic. Maybe direct sound from the tweeter and first reflections are arriving at your ear at the same time causing you to perceive the tweeter as being “hot” or sound tilted up. I checked the user manual (nothing specific to the tweeter) but the AE100 has a 120° dispersion characteristic in both the horizontal and vertical planes. Hard to tell without measurements but a toe-in might be required to reduce the first reflections and provide a more flat listing experience. As an example, I have a pair of Davis Acoustics Maya speakers (circa 2014) and the tweeter is run full range on a 2.5 way setup. Measurements at the time showed a super elevate tweeter response but its dispersion pattern was 15° max so when placed in-room the speaker sounded absolutely fine. FYI.. the Davis Acoustic tweeter in the Maya has a magnet the size of a shilling but it still sounds great when played at a reasonable SPL level. 🙂 Please share your thoughts, Brian

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi FC, the AE100 tweeter sits in a fairly deep waveguide so I should imagine the directivity is well controlled as long as it is designed right. It was definitely a lot brighter on axis which suggests it is the direct sound from the tweeter that is responsible. A Spinorama or sound power measurement would be illuminating. That is why the guys who do measurements correctly provide a valuable service even though it doesn’t reveal the full picture about how a speaker or component sounds 😊

[@frostycanada6404]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hello Tarun, thanks for the reply. I was checking Stereophile’s measurements of your Proac’s 1SC and the high frequency energy drops off nicely in both planes (-10dB?) which is maybe why it works so well in your room. Maybe you needed some additional room treatment or more furnishings to breakup those early first reflections or maybe sit closer. I’m no expert, just trying to learn. Audioholics made an excellent video years ago (narrow vs wide dispersion speaker) which you might find interesting. Love what you do. Take care, Brian

[@1moderntalking1]

Hi Tarun, really like your analysis and commentary. Could you help me understand the difference between a studio monitor and near field speakers ? E.g Tannoy 5s etc… vs book shelf speakers - what makes the difference? Why do they call them different terms?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. Studio monitors tend to have a near flat frequency response. Near field monitors are small speakers that a designed to be listened to within 2m. The can me studio monitors or a regular hifi speaker 😊

[@1moderntalking1]

Oh tah 😀

[@willmac5642]

My dream speaker wd be a compact 3 way floorstander capable of 25hz (f3) using an isobaric section below 200hz

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎 thank you for sharing 👍

[@JimmyKarlsson]

Great review although mk2 seem to have been around since 2018. These are the AE100 2. A little bit confusing ;-). They look quite different. Tweeter is much closer to the woofer.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. This is the new version launched in January 2022 😊

[@BigMikeGuitar]

I look at the Focal Grande Utopias - supposedly the best speaker on the market - and I see three-way construction: a gigantic bass enclosure; a mid-range enclosure stacked on top of it; and a treble enclosure stacked on top of the mid-range enclosure. Each enclosure is highly specialized, and finely tuned. I would source the most affordable/dense locally sustainable hardwood and reproduce that design in scaled-down form; and I would load it with the best speakers, crossovers, and advise provided by an online enthusiast supply, like GR-Research.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing Mike 😊

[@dnaydany6959]

Would you recommend these for desktop use for PC cuz i have been looking for a while for a cheap speaker excels in soundstaging Thank you!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

As long as you can be about 1.5m away from them 😊

[@marcgabor9690]

Alternatively, I like a 2.5 way design. maybe two 8" woofers, one for bass, one for mids, and a tweeter crossed around 1200-1500 hz.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Marc 😊

[@ccf672]

Hi Tarun, 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 AE100 system? Thanks.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Nice system Frank 👍

[@kyron42]

Many years ago acoustic energy had a speaker with an internal woofer in its own box driving the external woofer. I can't remember what that was called.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That one must have slipped me by too Kyron 🤔

[@gaborozorai3714]

That would be what is called an isobaric configuration, the internal and external woofer working in unison, unless the external one is just a passive radiator. I cannot remember any such AE design. Could you be thinking of a Neat speaker?

[@BeyondResolution]

My good sir, you have the same "problem" as many of us.. The need to listen at Low levels. Would you consider making a video that list up some speakers and amps that you realy would recomend for this? I know you(like me) have found something special in the Proac's.. so that one is a given :) Keep up the good work and hope to see a video like the one i mention :)

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you my friend. I think it depends on how far you are away from the speakers. Most nearfield monitors work very well at low volumes. The Dali Menuet SE are a good example 😊

[@ML-rm3vk]

A fan also a yank much thanks

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you ML 😊👍

[@rogerholmes3863]

I wish I could get these in the USA. Still no luck finding them here.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That is a shame.

[@rogerholmes3863]

​@@abritishaudiophile7314 I don't know about England, but it's very hard to actually see and listen to equipment in person in the U.S. The internet is great, your show for example, but it has certainly caused its share of problems, this being one. I live in a small country town called Bristol, TN. My sister was going to Nashville w/her husband, so I did a search, found some hifi shops there, and went with them. I previewed speakers at two shops. Neither had AEs, Proacs, nor Buchardt (wanted to check out the S400 mkII). I was looking for small speakers for my bedroom. I listened to Sonus Faber Lumina I, Goldenear BRX and Aon, Focal Aria 906 and Dynaudio Evoke 10 and 20. I have to say, for the size, the Lumina sounded very good. Focal too, but they were larger than I wanted. However, I liked the Dynaudios the best. I debated on the 10 or 20s. 20s have richer midrange and go a bit deeper, but the size of the 10 is perfect for my room, and it has a great sound to me. I like neutral speakers with no V curve. They were very revealing. They were on a Moon amp, not sure which one. So, I ordered them. The dealer was great and gave me a price lower than what I could find on line. I'll get them this week. Thank you for your posts. I greatly enjoy them. I'll try to hop on your patreon sometime. Have a great summer! P.S. Maybe if we sent Putin a good sound system he'd relax and stop his madness!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@rogerholmes3863 thank you Roger. I appreciate you kind words of support. They have dwindled but there is still a health network of dealers in the U.K. 😊👍