Acoustic Energy AE 509 Speaker Review

[@davesnider8375]

thanks for the review...I have scheduled a listening session in a couple weeks.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎

[@brown-eyedman4040]

Salubrious? Sent me to the dictionary, which is a hallmark of good writing in my experience. Thanks for another interesting and entertaining review.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. It was used slightly out of context but got the point across, I hope 😊👍

[@jked7463]

Excellent preview as always. You talked about a few pieces of equipment that I have not heard but seen suggested by you tube. I'll have to go back and check them out.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching buddy 😊👍

[@stevezeidman7224]

Sorry I was late to your video party this week. I appreciate the level of detail with your reviews. I think you’re a terrific reviewer. If I was spending 2400 pounds (sorry no character in US) or $3300 (yikes), I want a speaker that really floated your boat. Keep your content coming. I always look forward to your videos.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Steve. Very kind of you to say 👍😊👍 Great choices to consider and your decision should be influenced by room acoustics, setup, partnering equipment, taste, etc. Here are some of my favourite brands… ATC ProAc Argon

[@stevezeidman7224]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks, Tarun!

[@hopscotch30]

Yes, yes, yes! To stereo speakers vs home cinema speakers! I don't care for hearing every piece of glass flying around and the floor shaking when I watch a movie, but I do care about the musicality and fullness, stagungy, transparency etc when I listen to my CD's!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 😊👍

[@djlutique]

THese ones are really with a wow effect! Such a midrange clearance and air in top end combined with a strong bass! I Love them!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎

[@lonniefarmer7067]

Speaking as an A/V person; pairing speakers to the need without ripping through a budget is a tall order. 11 speakers (6 floor standing) and 2 subs for the professional imaging requirements of DTX/Pro and Dolby ATMOS is not cheap but delivers sound stage recorded with 122, 127 sound node points respectively, well. I did not want to rewire my house so a good A/V and not separates was what I pursued as well as sensitivity of the speakers in the 90's. I did my last modification last year replacing my Marantz 7010 with the 8015 to get full sound placement with rear height. Cost 20k all told, as some of my wires had to go 40 ft in my great room and the OLED was not cheap.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Lonnie 😊👍

[@filofilo8127]

Another comprehensive review Tarun. I have and prefer floor standing speakers.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you buddy 😊👍

[@arnehelgelaberg9957]

Hi Tarun, thanks for a good review. I have these speakers, I bought them about 10 months ago. They are partnered with a Audiolab 6000A amp, and a Bluesound Node 2i. Sound quit good i think

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎

[@jaysongreensmith7857]

Enjoyable as always.........Harbeth review please!.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. I will look into it 😊

[@rickp6731]

Just wait until you review the AE520 ! Biggest bargain on the market !

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing 😊

[@jimfarrell4635]

I think that the same attributes which make a good hifi speaker also make a good AV speaker with some obvious exceptions. Centre speakers need qualities of wide lateral dispersion and great mid/highs to faithfully recreate the human voice, and side mounted dipoles/ tripoles are better as rear/effects speakers than a single pair of standard rear standmounts. Ideally, however, you want both side mounted dipoles and rear standmounts. I just invested in Fyne Audio F501 floorstanders, F500 standmounts and an F500 centre, while keeping side mounted Monitor Audio dipoles and am very happy with the results. I didn't previously use my AV system for stereo listening ( I have another system for that ) but the F501s image so well I now quite often listen to two channel music in stereo rather than processing it to surround as I used to. Definitely a sign of a good front speaker.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this Jim 😊👍

[@MrDishdonkey]

Great review as always. I run AV and Hifi and use the AV bypass input on my Roksan K2 from my Yamaha AV amp, and listen to music over AV to a 70/30 ratio. If there were specific speaker designs for both uses my lounge would be overcrowded and I would be spending a lot more. It's all about compromise. The only issue I have on a modest income, I would like to upgrade my floorstanding Wharfedales to something else 'next level' but then to keep the whole sound uniform in AV I will ideally need to also replace my centre and surrounds. That could get expensive. By the way, I commented on an older review about getting a second REL sub and since then I have (Immaculate Q150 for £100!!) And I can honestly say having 2 subs with a high level connection for each channel is definately a revelation!! The sub bass now is so well integrated it underpins everything and adds so much air to instruments and I've hardly any gain set. Also this removed some minor directionality issues that certain bass frequencies caused by my limited choice of sub locations. I havent connected both to my AV via low level yet though as I think my neighbours will have a coronary 😆. Keep up the good work, really enjoy your reviews.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you James. Very well said and enlightening. I really enjoyed learning about experiences 👍😊👍

[@jeremiahchamberlin4499]

I run a Home Theater system entirely separate from my HiFi System in the same room. I find that my speaker needs for each application are very different. For instance, a set of two-way speakers with metal tweeters that worked great with cymbal hits but little else and 10” woofers that always sounded a bit light on the HiFi worked great on the Home Theater where what matters most is the accurate reproduction of the human voice in conversation; whereas the acoustic suspension speakers with 10” woofers and a silk dome tweeter that always sounded “soft” and dull on the Home Theater really opened up the sound stage and added a wonderful bass note to my HiFi. I only found this out when I tried swapping them to get the good result described above. 🙂

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Jeremiah 😊👍

[@yyams]

Hey dude. Just caught up with a few of your latest uploads which I'd missed. Nothing exciting to add, just a general hello and encouraging comment - keep 'em coming:D Picard out.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Mr James 😊👍

[@yyams]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 no worries dude🤘

[@zindahoon]

What a disappointment with my team .. sad day turned out informative after watching your video ,,, thanks for putting smile on my face

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you my friend. I hope tomorrow is better 😊👍

[@fletchermunson6225]

Thanks Tarun for another informative review. I await the review of the 500 bookshelf model some day? Listen to floor standers while ye may. At age 75, those days are well behind me. Many years ago I had an American speaker that was almost six feet tall and weighed about a hundred pounds or more. I remember being in my listening room one day when our of our Southern California earthquakes struck. I watched those monsters dance around on their spikes but they never came down. When I sold them, the new owner showed up drunk. He managed to maneuver his truck down my narrow drive way and get those things down from my second story listening room without a mishap. Even in alcoholism, experience wins the day.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Don’t you have a wonderful way of recalling a story. If did decide to write that book, I would buy it 👍🍻👍

[@fletchermunson6225]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks, Tarun. Actually, I did write a murder mystery called "What You Wish For" It's n Amazon, Written under the name of James Patric. While I got some five star reviews, it as self published and I do no promotion. I wrote it mostly to abate boredom and the challenge. I discovered one thing, self publishing books can deplete your bank account even quicker than audio. I'll never get any profit out of it, but then, I didn't do it for money. I just wanted to see if I could do it. It was fun and interesting but there will be no more books from me. You can read a sample at James Patric dot com web site if you wish.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@fletchermunson6225 Hi Lee, i recall you mentioning something about audio cables before. I hadn’t realised that that was your business for so long. I actually tried to buy the Kindle version but it wouldn’t go through for some reason. Will try again later 😊👍

[@avro66]

Some of my first floor standing speakers were AE back in the late 80s early 90s, being able to sand fill the lower section of the cabinet was a bonus, always great build quality and quality sound for the money, I do miss my hifi from the 80s and 90s, these new speakers seem to follow a similar path, thanks for another great review tarun.

[@jimfarrell4635]

Agree entirely. My first floor standers were a pair of AE 109s. They felt like proper hifi speakers to me at the time. I was seriously proud of them when I got them. My son still uses them over 25 years later. They still sound decent. Horrible vinyl wrap, though.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank Paul 😊👍

[@marcus1970]

This has made me remember how I lusted over the original AE1 way back.... Then as superb as they were... I just had such an ear for my ProAc Super tablets that the AE1 couldn't secure the sale! ... Though these days I suspect I'd have preference for those same old AE over those old ProAc.....

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing Marcus 😊👍

[@MartinLloyd-w1u]

Decided on these , love them, matching to Aethos,

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎

[@HAL-vu8ef]

Are you still loving the Acoustic Energy AE509 speakers?

[@MartinLloyd-w1u]

@@HAL-vu8ef yep

[@jonathanchung2384]

Love your reviews, keep up the good work. I have just listened to Ernist raglan. Certainly agree about bass extension, sounded great in my hifi. Love to hear more of your musical recommendations.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Jonathan 😊👍

[@mattreid114]

Hi Tarun. Very nice review as usual. I ran the AE509s for a year, partnered with a Gato Audio DIA-400S amplifier. This combination did yield good results, although in hindsight the pairing was not the best in terms of high frequency control. The speakers were about 2.5 metres apart, with almost no toe-in as the brightness became too much. Overall though, I enjoyed them very much before upgrading.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing your experiences Matt 😊👍

[@Trpurvis]

Thank you for the review. I had the ae509, upgraded to the ae520. Quite different sounding speakers. They definitely need space. Powered by a Naim Nova, it's good, but also tempted to try with smother amp. Beautiful speakers.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍

[@ImBillionaire]

how to do find naim and ae520 combination?

[@yamakawa511]

More floor stander reviews please, perhaps also a comparison of the virtues and vices of floor standers versus stand mounts. In answer to your question yes, I do think it's reasonable for speaker manufacturers to have different ranges for two channel versus multi channel as the requirements and audiences are different. Practically I use my two channel floor standers for both duties switching between my class A/B two channel amp and my class D AV receiver using a Beresford box. I know it's a more tortuous signal path but I find it a reasonable compromise. Y

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this 😊👍

[@keithwood4031]

Well said. I agree with this comment, that comparison would be very revealing.

[@MrEhf111]

Yes, I absolutely believe that home cinema and two channel require different tools to achieve best results. I have a cinema system using Paradigm speakers with a Nakamichi 5.1 channel amp bought 15 years ago and it sounds good for the purpose. Maybe it's just me but I never felt the need, nor did it ever cross my mind, to integrate my 2 channel Krell/B&W 802 M3 into the cinema system. Perhaps if I could have but one system (translation; wife would only allow one) I'd think differently but at the end of the day my eyes have seen enough and I just want to close them and listen.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing your experiences Mr E 😊👍

[@jdekong3945]

excellent review

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you buddy 😊👍

[@titntin5178]

Delighted to hear your take on these, thanks yet again for your considered analysis, im always informed and entertained by your videos! These might be up my street, I like a slighter warmer romanticised upper mid, though im a little cautious of metal tweeters in genral as ive heard too many harsh and overly lively versions! Thanks for mentioning the 'below the bass' albumn... I found it on Qbuz and Im currently pumping it through a naim atom into some wharfdale evo 4.4s. That 'blue note' jazz vibe with a dub bass is really hitting the spot on a rainy Sunday afternoon! Whilst I appreciate the psyical difficulties of testing floorstanders vs their bookshelf counterparts, Im delighted that you have taken the extra effort to do so a few times, and I hope you continue to evaluate such models in the future. For us old timers who aren't rushing to put a sub in the room and wish to keep it simple, the 'weight' you get from a good floorstander seems transformative throught the full range and not something i could forego for a standmount even though they can make a very good case in other areas. So im delighted to hear these models through your excellent reviews. Like everyone of course, Id love you to be listening to my system and hearing your views on its relative strengths and weaknesses. Like all hi fi freinds, theres nothing like chilling and enjoying music on each others systems for you really understand peoples tastes. The internet is fantastic, but we cant share those experiences yet! Stay safe, and thanks again for quality content.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you my friend. Great to have your insight and I am flattered by tour kind words of support. You stay safe too 👍😊👍

[@bobb.9917]

That Ernest Ranglin Album is GREAT to tune my two new subwoofers to! 👍🏼😁 THANKS!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Most welcome my friend 😊👍

[@stewstube70]

Your review of these speakers has got me interested in auditioning them. Speakers that are on the warm/rich side of neutral but have fast defined bass are thin on the ground in my experience, and are possibly just my cup of tea. I'm surprised the bass weight was so good on these as the drivers are quite small and I was wondering if they'd be enough - I also have my eye on their bigger brothers the AE520's with 3 dedicated bass drivers!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Stew. Good bass for a compact floorstander but if you have a big space then the 520s may be a safer bet 😊👍

[@pickyaudiophile]

I am owner of both the larger AE520 and the AE509. I can confirm your key word used of "romanticisation" by the AE509. Maybe inspired by user feedback and reviews (which all more or less pointed in the same direction) they made changes with the overall sound signature and incorporated that into the AE520 - which was released more than a year later. However, as the AE509s for me are designated for late night listening in my bedroom, tilted towards the top of my mattress, they do a nice job in there as an alternative to headphones. Imaging is impressive, even when played at low volume. In a bed-time situation I like that tweeter's "creamy" treble it disperses. I also appreciate that well defined bass response at low volume already. Crossover details have been further improved with the "colder" and more accurately sounding AE520, no doubt about that. So it's not just a larger / smaller sibling, one may like their decisions made or not.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊

[@MrTarati]

Thanks for your insights Picky! I've been contemplating the AE520s but I'm running class D XTZ A400 with RME ADI2 dac and I'm wondering if the 520s might be too clinical sounding? Maybe the 509s would be more sensible...but the 520s look ruder! :D I'm currently using Tannoy XT6F and sometimes they sound amazing and other times a bit boxy and boomy...to use the eq on the dac would be cheating right? 🤣

[@pickyaudiophile]

@@MrTarati Not at all too cold sounding. Are you based in the UK? Check out Falcon Acoustics' IMF200 from "complete at home series", too. Borrowed those and listened to them in a direct comparison against my AE520 for a 10 days and I must say these seem like a notch ahead when it comes to overall coherence and authenticity of instruments.

[@MrTarati]

@@pickyaudiophile Many thanks for the reply! I am indeed in the UK...thank you for introducing me to the IMF200's! I wasn't familiar...they definitely look like an interesting proposition!

[@willmac5642]

M&K range for home cinema has a sort of pro look, which I personally like.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎

[@edholmwood]

Honestly, I don't have a home theater system any more. I gave it up because it no longer interested me. I always try and choose products based on sound for two channel. I do think that here in the US speaker companies build their more affordable products with HT in mind not necessarily sound quality. In the 35 years I have been messing around with this hobby I have seen it move away from two channel towards HT, but now I sense it may be coming back around. The popularity of vinyl may be driving that. Also many who are looking for HT just buy sound bars. My hope would (a bit of wishful thinking) that manufacturers would choose to build a speaker that just sounds balanced and pleasing over making a marketing choice. Sorry for the long winded answer. As always a very good video.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Great to have you insights on this eholmwood. I agree. It seems that floorstanding speakers in particular seem to have to appeal to the HT enthusiasts 😊👍

[@edholmwood]

Yes and no. I have always had floor standers in my two channel systems, going all the way back to a pair of Dahlqist DQ10s. I seem to have that preference.

[@scottking2821]

I’m in the same boat. I dismantled my home theatre 18 months ago, and now only have a two channel system.

[@edholmwood]

@@scottking2821 I am glad I am not alone. Thank you. I found that movies still sound great and are enjoyable with 2 channels. I also think that for the most part most mass market AV Receiver mfgrs. choose features over everything else and sound quality takes a back seat.

[@scottking2821]

@@edholmwood I’ve drastically culled my DVD collection, and the majority of what I’ve kept are music/concerts, which are often recorded in stereo. Even those that have a 5.1 option, are better in PCM stereo. Probably the only exception is The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over, which is brilliant in surround. There’s truth in what you say about bells and whistles, especially in the mid range equipment. I now use a Cayin tube amp, which is about as far away from bells and whistles as you can get, haha. Happy listening!

[@yvesboutin5604]

If they were not so costly, I might have searched for a dealer in my country ( Canada), but I am looking for something around 2 k$. A good pair of standmount with a little sub will suit me better and I already have stands. Thanks for the review! As usual a good overview!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Yves 😊👍

[@neilgelowitz4737]

Hello Yves, I'm a Canadian dealer (Everest Audio). You may want to consider the standmount Acoustic Energy AE500 which retails for $2K CAD. We think this is probably the highest value in the 500 series.

[@pekkatervala8476]

These days I'm leaning towards this type of speakers. If I didn't already have big floor standing 3-way and small/mid size 2-way bookshelf speakers, these could nicely replace both for a simple and good looking 2.0 set up.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎

[@BoredSilly666]

Another enjoyable video Thanks. Home Cinema speakers would be a good idea in my opinion. I have a dual system. 7.2.4 HT and Dual Stereo amps and DAC for stereo. Originally I had the Monitor Audio RS Silver set up in 5.1 but Ive swapped my front towers for some PMC 24's and that made a big difference in both HT and Stereo. (Kept my RS8's for rears : ) ) Im now on the look out for a matching PMC centre. Im sure getting the centre will improve it yet again. I think it would be the same with dedicated speakers for HT like M&K. Ive treated all my room including ceiling and all corners so have started to really hear changes in my system. Im also looking forward to trying some of the MCRU power leads soon.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching my friend 😊👍

[@damianzaninovich4900]

Always enjoy your take. Maybe you should audition a tower that’s not a symmetrical box. For instance Canton or Sonus Faber. You can buy a used Canton Vento 7 for around $1000. These will disappear better than an inexpensive standmount with no strain.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for the suggestion 😊

[@jeffkalina7727]

Thanks for the honest review. I also learned a couple new words and that is something normally found when listening to Sports Talk Radio. The words are intriguely and incremently. Or is it my hearing?

[@marklennon4664]

Hi Tarun have you ever reviewed any Harbeth speakers, because if you have I must have missed it? I'd really like to see a comparison of similarly priced Harbeths and ATCs. They seem to have very different outlooks on what makes a good speaker, but both are revered for their finished products. Cheers for a very good channel 👍

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. I hope to review some Harbeth’s Mark 😊👍

[@rotaks1]

nice review.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 😊👍

[@keithwood4031]

Thanks for another excellent review Tarun although these do sound rather fussy when it comes to system integration. If you think you're getting long in the tooth then I guess there's not much hope for me. Go on, more floor-standers please.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you my friend. I guess we are all only as old as we feel. I bet there is plenty of mileage left in your tank 👍🙏👍

[@keithwood4031]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 I'd like to think so but one never really knows. As an aside Tarun do you have any plans to review the new / forthcoming Exposure pre-amp? I think it's in the 3510 series? Specifically the pre-amp. Not yet available (at least not here in DE but I've been quoted a price of around €1700). If, and it's a big if, I decide to do the next upgrade I'd probably swap out my vintage pre-amp for this or something like it, but I'm determined to keep my 2x vintage dual mono-block power amps. Take care my cyber HiFi friend.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@keithwood4031 I am down to review the new 3510 integrated and my plan was to review the pre monos after that. That would make a great head to head with my old Exposure XXI pre and XVIII Super monos. I just wanted to see how close the integrated came first so that I would have more reference points as to what the new pre/monos being to the party. Exposure are having some supply issues so I am not sure when I will get one yet. I hope that makes sense. Stay safe my friend 😊👍

[@steveluck9541]

Watched the review just to find out what AE are up to. I had AE1 MK1 on the dedicated stands for years driven by Audio Innovations valve amp. Great combination in a small flat with neighbours to think about. Now in a bigger house I built a huge pair of 106db efficient backloaded horns and have bass as well as pace.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Steve 😊

[@davidpetersen7091]

Nice review...clear...concise...and to the point. Mr. Pete--------> aging hippie

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 😊👍

[@richardherbert3519]

Interesting video,any luck with the Harbeths.

[@paulroscelli2545]

Would love to see HL5 review

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Richard, I going to wait until the schedule clears before looking at more products to review 😊

[@blanchtones42]

Yes speakers for music specifically

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 😊👍

[@Roof_Pizza]

Quality speakers can do double duty, lesser speakers not so much.

[@xzxzt4]

i like th clarity of this speaker its sound different on my other speakerso i sold all my polk audio speakers and buy another pair of this

[@royalbie]

Tarin, I very much enjoy your channel. thank you. I do have a question related to adding the Denafrips Ares II to my system - which is Buchart 400 speakers and I150 Amp, Bluesound Node II streamer, and Schitt Mani/Turntable. The Amp only has 1 RCA analog input which is being used by the Schitt Mani. To add the external Denafrips DAC I would need to add an RCA Splitter or RCA Selector, what do you think? many thanks

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Simon. It is not ideal to use a splitter but you could try it over short cable lengths and see what impact it has on sound quality 😊👍

[@royalbie]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 thank you. I'll get the AudioQuest Hard RCA Splitter (good quality in gold) to avoid any cable length, see how we go...I will let you know!

[@stephencosta6814]

Once again excellent review it sounds to me like the audio lab 6000 a integrated amplifier would pair ideally perfectly with this I may have missed it what is the price on them

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Steve. They are currently £2,399 in the U.K. I think they would probably work very well with the 6000A 😊👍

[@shanestephenson8423]

Very interesting Tarun I kind of hope that's not the case. I guess one can only hope that competition will keep prices realistic in accordance with the market. But I agree these sorts of things tend to be cyclical. We're about to have a Hi-Fi show here in Melbourne and I'm looking forward very much to being there. But a more direct to the consumer model might be a good idea. I'm always frightened with this direct purchase position the market seems to be going down because unless you've got an option to send it back you're going to create hesitancy in people buying I think. At least at a show you can see it hear it feel it and then buy it. Anyway great video again enjoyed this one. 👍🎧😁

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Shane. Great to have your insights on this 👍😊👍

[@shanestephenson8423]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 OMG l just read that back.... it now makes sense lol

[@ehudabadi7354]

Different line of speakers? No. Electronics? Yes. I have loved connecting my hifi to a television and even a Playstation in the past. Sound reproduction is sound reproduction. We're all going to still have our preferences for different sonic signatures. Some of the most impressive audiophile equipment here in Los Angeles is probably installed in people's home screening rooms. Alternatively put, what would I want differenly from a bookshelf speaker for music vs a bookshelf speaker for a movie?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Ehud 😊👍

[@johnb6677]

Thanks for such a thorough review. I have a Unison Research Unico Primo integrated amp. Two speakers that I have come across that I am considering are the AE509 and Spendor A6. Of the two, which do you think are the best match for my amp? When it comes to music I am looking for speakers with the best balance of treble that feels like the singer is in the room with you and bass that is quick, but impactful. I know, I want the best of both worlds. Would really appreciate any insight you can provide.

[@johnb6677]

Also, how do these speakers compare to the Focal 826?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you John. I haven't had a proper listen to the Spendor A6. I would also take a look at the ProAc DT8s. Great for the money 👍

[@JCP-Ghy]

I had guessed “Highly Recommended”. But I think that’s why I feel the Audiolab 6000A is (for the money I paid) exactly what you rated it - outstanding!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

If the treble had been a little more revealing, it would have comfortably got a “Highly Recommended” 😊

[@andysun8707]

Very useful review. I am wondering if this AE 509 compare with Triangle LN07, which one is better?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. I hope some one had compared them 😊👍

[@borlach321]

The design is interesting. I was looking at a pair of Spendor a7's as a comparison. Spendor has the port on the bottom. Also looking at a pair of Monitor Audio silver 300 as a slightly less expensive alternative. It is really difficult to find the right floor stander.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

It certainly is. Good luck with the search 😊

[@wim1983]

Very tempting to try the bookshelf version AE500, but you know I'm also curious about the ProAc Tablette 10 at about the same price, and as well the Dynaudio Evoke 10.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Decisions, decisions. Please let me know how you get on 😊

[@wim1983]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 aha in a blink, I clear off my credit card outstanding balance, and don't have enough money to buy ProAc Tablette 10, currently stick to Wharfedale Denton 80th lol. Don't know need wait how long haha.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@wim1983 the Denton is a good speaker 😊

[@davidwald2938]

Hi Tarun, big fan of British audiophile. When there is a lot of hype around a speaker I'm interested in I hope you review it to get real story without all the hype. I have an all KEF R series bookshelf 5.1 system I love and use a Doge 7 dac with Yamaha AS2200 running balanced for stereo. Bought the Yamaha to see whether my Denon 4806 AVR was really a total fail for stereo, lol. Turns out its not but I'm thinking of starting a separate system with floorstanders to get that sense of scale but also superior midrange to the KEF's. I'm thinking KLH Model 5 or 7 and am also very tempted by the JBL l100 75th with it's improvements like finish and bi-amp capability and wonder if it couldn't even be an investment given the limited production. I'm afraid tbat JBL is probably over priced due to the coolness factor (in the US) and not transparent enough and wonder what floorstander out of your favorite brands you would recommend to pair with the Yamaha and tube dac? I'm a classic rock guy but recently fell in love with streaming and lately prefer puting on old standards like God Bless the Child or Georgia and listening to all the renditions more than jamming Black Sabbath thee days but still must be great for rock (ever elusive Ward or Bonham kick drum sound done right!)

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you my friend. Much appreciated. I haven’t heard the KLH but I have heard the JBL L100s. You will certainly get a big increase in dynamics with the L100s. However, it has a very different presentation to the Kef R series. It isn’t the last word in the stereo imagining and refinement at the price. I have yet to hear a wide front baffle speaker that is. I suspect the KLHs may be similar in this regard. Given that they are also a wide front baffle design. There is no getting around the physics, edge diffraction issues and the +/- of large woofers. This is purely speculation on my part. As I would have to get one in to be sure 😊👍

[@davidwald2938]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Good to know, thx. Confirms my suspicions the big baffle speakers may not be an upgrade, let alone even match the midrange of my existing KEFs. Ok cool, I think I need to look at ones similiar in style to these AE509s

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@davidwald2938 the synergy between your Yamaha AS2200 and your chosen speakers is probably the most important thing to get right after room setup. Here are few speakers I would check out… ProAc DT8 Kef R7 Dynaudio Evoke 30

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@ronlysons6750 thank you Ron 😊👍

[@Buzza235]

Nice review. I've got the 309's would you suggest the same power amps for the 509's I'm just using a Denon avr right now.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. Some AVRs will do a good job of driving them 😊👍

[@Buzza235]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Do you think an emotiva amp would make them sound better?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@Buzza235 that depends on which AVR you have and which Emotive you are considering 😊

[@Buzza235]

@@abritishaudiophile7314Emotiva BasX A-5175.

[@Buzza235]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 I've got the Denon X3600h. What are your thoughts?

[@spartanmtb2640]

Hi, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and opinions. I find your videos very informative. I'm looking to buy a set of speakers as part of my home cinema system. Can you recommend a set of speakers for around £1k I've demoed Dali Oberons and found them excellent in some regards (highs, vocals soundstage) but unimpressive in other (e.g. muddled flat sound with Metallica)

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you my friend. Unfortunately, there is no quick answer here. Choosing the right speakers will depend on many factors, room acoustics, setup, partnering equipment, taste, etc.. I would check out offerings from Wharfedale and Q Acoustics 😊👍

[@spartanmtb2640]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 I was thinking this may the case :-) thank you

[@ianorigbo7617]

I had these speaker at home for 2 weeks... Exactly as described in the video. Had to return them cause the bass even tho clean, was just too powerful for my room. 16 × 11 feet. If you like balanced rich sound yet upfront without top end sting these may be the speakers for you.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Ian 😊👍

[@ianorigbo7617]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 you're welcome

[@poloo92]

Could you EVER review a Wilson Audio speaker or an Audio Note speaker ? ... Really apriciate your , what seems to me, honest and neutral opinion

[@billiondollarbaby3276]

Wilson and Audio Note dont need to send out speakers for review.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. If I can get hold of one, would love to 😊👍

[@phitur]

My local shop has the floor demo at almost half the price, I might decide to upgrade from the 300. I'm not familiar with floor standers, any good at low volume listining?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Depends how low but should be fine 😊

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

Hmm... interesting question. I've long despised manufacturers who produce HT oriented loudspeaker sets as well as music oriented loudspeakers. To me this is as perverse as producing loudspeakers for music with acoustic instruments and also loudspeakers for music with electronic instruments. I prefer a manufacturer who knows what their strong suit is and concentrates on just that. A manufacturer that produces all sort to me sounds like wholesaler. To qualify this statement somehow, I believe that designing a loudspeaker, as with any system that is to be a happy marriage of many factors, is an incredibly complex, multi-faceted balancing act. Boutique manufacturers know this game as they have honed their skills and place emphasis on particular aspects while putting the rest on a lesser tier. In contrast, a manufacturer that does it all would probably be met by incredulity from my part and a suspicion that they are playing the marketing game the best.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Stelios 😊👍

[@markphilpot8734]

Another faithful rendering Tarun. The truth is sometimes harsh. Just because it doesn’t work with your gear, there is another which will. Not a big floor stander fan. I prefer the two way monitor which requires a substantial dampened metal stand. To each their own. That GTE version of solo dac would be worth a listen. Best to have a revealing piece to enhance the experience. Stay safe my mates!😊👍🏻😷

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Mark 😊👍

[@surf6d769]

Great review, just what I'd been waiting for! Had my eyes on these as a possible sideways move from my Spendor Classic 4/5's in a 4x4m room with questionable acoustics, because as fantastic as they are (imaging, detail, natural tone, transient speed, disappearing act, cohesiveness), the promise of a bigger sounding speaker was enticing. But it sounds like these AE509s fall behind in some of those key areas above. There's something special about mini monitors. So I think instead I'll get a REL t5x to supplement the Spendors instead. Are the proac 1SCs still your favourite overall speaker?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you David. I understand and can see why the Rel’s may be the way to go. Yes, still loving my 1SCs. I haven’t found anything to replace them yet 😊👍

[@Roof_Pizza]

Yeah, get a sub before moving on from your mains.

[@kenmicallefjazzvinylaudiop6455]

Will soon need that fire!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

True Ken. I hope you are well 🥵😊

[@GregoryPaulDavis]

Would like to know how you rate the Cabasse Java speakers. I find them amazing for clarity and once run in the bass is more satisfying than the spec says. Incredible detail from my Rotel RA-1570 once I used my Rega phono stage. I found the Rotel amp phono stage lacking and adding noise. I need to move them out >4 feet when listening properly.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for the suggestion Greg 😊👍

[@remolongo5177]

Hi Tarun , very watchable review as usual ! I have a question for you , have speakers really improved over the last 20 years ? The reason I'm asking is that I've been demo - ing floorstanders up to the £3000 mark and I can't find anything that makes me want to buy ! I have mission 752 freedoms powered by Cyrus 3 & psx power supply , bought new 24 years ago ,they sound articulate , detailed , with a lovely controlled bass . I'm gagging to spend the money but nothing has really impressed !!! Regards Remo

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Remo, in general speakers have improved over 20 years, especially what you get at lower price points. This is due to advancements in materials, manufacturing techniques and manufacturers’ accessibility to measurements. However, there are exceptions, where manufacturers in the past may have stumbled on or through much listening, tweaking and evaluation, produced an outstanding speaker. Those speakers fair remarkably well against their modern counterparts. BBC LS3/5A, Harbeth’s, some classic Tannoys, Klipsch, JBLs, and my ProAc Response 1SCs are examples 😊👍

[@robertm8518]

Yes I believe that manufactures should differentiate between cinema and two channel speakers. It seems like making the tweeter out of carbon fiber might have affected their sound quality slightly… Are these a 2 way or 2.5 way configuration?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing Robert. They are a two-way, crossover at 2,900 Hz 😊👍

[@devilspin6649]

Tarun, I always enjoy watching your reviews thanks to your knowledge and logical presentation. I'm looking to upgrade my speakers, and in search of an holographic soundstage, accurate tonality and authoritative chest pounding speakers that give a sense of a live event, ideally good also at low listening levels. I mostly listen to vocals, jazz, classical and sometimes rock and pop music. What (ideally full range) speakers would you recommend for a space of 5x6 meters? I'm sitting 4 meters away from speakers. Currently using active speakers. I'm open to either active or passive speakers, budget is around 5k pounds. Appreciate your feedback, thank you

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Alessandro. There is one speaker that comes to mind. The ATC SCM19 Actives. Not full range so you may want to add a sub or two. You should check out my review 😊👍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqqpeJJmiKqkbcU

[@devilspin6649]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 thank you, leaning towards Gershman Studio ii

[@paulwg2112]

Listening room is the cinema room. So audio gear needs to do double duty for many.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

True for me too 😊👍

[@scottking2821]

Would you consider doing a review of the KEF R5 or R7? I’m looking at changing to floorstanders, and would be really interested to get your thoughts on them. Thanks.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for the suggestion Scott. Kef didn’t respond to my queries last time. Will try again in the future 😊

[@scottking2821]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the response. Perhaps they don’t like sharing. It might go some way to explaining why there are relatively few comprehensive reviews of their gear on KZbin. Keep prodding! Haha. Thanks again

[@VK-kl6qr]

Hi Tarun, love your videos! I understand this is a bit late comment, concidering it is old video but still have to ask. I got a good deal on these from my hifi seller, do you think these are still worth buying in 2023 at this price point?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. If you can get them for a good price, absolutely 👍

[@VK-kl6qr]

I did infact buy them. I have to say that stepping up from Hecor Aurora 700 to AE 509's is a world of difference. I didnt concider Hecos to be bad but the 509's are humbling them in every aspect. Now im starting to understand that you should invest big portion of your budget into speakers, lesson learned. Im just wondering if these are 8/10 in your opinion, how good are the 10/10 would be interesting to hear. The soundstage in 509's is crazy stretching far beyond the cabinets and also loads of depth. Bass has actually gotten charasteristics now, before it was thumping but now theres resolution and nuances in it (loads of "umph"). High frequencies are detailed and yet doesnt scream at you resulting in hours and hours of fatique free listening. Vocals male or female are one of the best i have heard. Absolutely love the 509's. My room is about 30 square meters, 520's would be too much. Thank you for the review, wouldnt have even concidered without your recommendation!

[@andrewgpayne]

Hi Tarun, thanks for an interesting review. I actually have these speakers, I bought them about 9 months ago and absolutely love them. They are partnered with a Cambridge CXA-81 amp, and a Bluesound Node 2i driving an RME ADi-2 FS DAC. I specifically bought them to replace a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 200s which I found fatiguing with overly harsh and abrasive treble. In that regard, the slightly recessed treble compared to the Silver 200s is perfect, the detail levels are still there and I can listen for hours, whereas before I always felt the need to turn the music off after a short while. It's worth noting though, I wasn't blown away with these speakers straight away. I had them for 3 weeks on an extended home audition and it definitely took some time for me to understand their treble presentation (and positioning!), especially after the Monitor Audios. But after about 10 days, I fell in love with them and going back to the Silver 200s was horrible. Certainly with the gear I have and with the acoustics of my room, they are wonderful sounding speakers. The beauty of the RME DAC is also that I can tweak the treble EQ if required, although so far I've not found the need.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Andrew. I can see how the 509’s would pair up very well with the CXA81 amp. It is precisely the kind of amp that I would have thought to have worked well with the 509s 😊👍

[@thecurlymonster]

did you need to pair them with a sub? i have the cxa81 also and have been virtual shopping around for new speakers - klh model5's are also in the consideration pool - how do perform filling the room? (im in 600sqft room mishaped room)

[@JCP-Ghy]

RME ADI-2 FS 👍🏼 I’ve bumped up the bass just a tad so that I don’t feel the need to add a sub-woofer to my Quad Z-2 stand-mounts - simply cannot accommodate a sub in the room. I am thinking of swapping the DAC’s power supply with something from Ifi Audio - following one of Tarun’s suggested tweaks. It did make a difference to my earlier Audiolab M-DAC Mini.

[@shitsandwich1983]

@@JCP-Ghy i'm also considering a linear power supply for my mytek liberty dac. all the reviews are glowing.

[@andrewgpayne]

@@thecurlymonster I’ve certainly never felt the need for a sub, as Tarun says in his review the bass extends a long way down, is fast and very well judged. Obviously it’s a personal thing, but a sub would overwhelm things in my opinion.

[@joshski85]

I have a Rel T7/X so bass isn't an issue. If I were to get the AE500 instead, am I missing out on anything other than the extra bass? How do you think these would work with an Arcam SA30?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I haven’t tried that combo so can’t say 😊

[@jackdee1978]

hi Tarun. when are you going to review the primre pre 35 and A35.2

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

No plans just yet but I will be considering products when the schedule clears 😊

[@jackdee1978]

Thank you for such a prompt reply. I look forward to your review on the Primare Pre35 and power amp A35.2. Keep up the excellent work 👍

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@jackdee1978 thank you Jack 😊👍

[@Mrhifitunes]

Would love to see you make a review of the sibelius from pearl acoustics. They are open to do that. Single driver TL line without xo. Thomas&stereo made a review. They have a associate in London now. Thisisis what they wrote me : Bart Luyckx Hi, thanks for your kind words. maybe one day he’ll reach out. Who knows! 😉

[@sonusancti]

Multi channel and two channel systems are separate worlds indeed but it would also be unreasonable for manufacturers to assume that AV enthusiasts would spend for a separate 2-channel HiFi kit and vice-versa. I think both camps try to find the balance they can live with given limited resources. As for me, I've enjoyed watching movies on my 2-channel system just fine. I have no desire to surround myself with speakers. After all, true immersive sound can be achieved with 2 channels, it's a psychoacoustic problem, however, that is yet to be fully tackled and solved but we will inevitably get there imo.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thx for sharing 😊

[@cofiking23]

i have an old nakamichi a1 amp that has 80w per channel, would it be possible to mix these speakers with that?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

No way of knowing other than trying it. They aren’t particularly difficult speakers to drive 😊

[@chrisgarvey5939]

Hi Tarun. Can you explain what you mean by "speaker chuffing"? Thanks.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

It is a noise caused by air acceleration through the port of a speaker. It makes an unpleasant sound if the port is not designed properly 😊

[@chrisgarvey5939]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Can it be remedied by blocking the port off with, say, foam or sponge?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@chrisgarvey5939 it can but that changes the response of the speaker 😊

[@urakur000]

An interesting review. I currently have a pair of AE500 paired up with an Audiolab6000A which is quite acceptable but looking for a bit more. I have recently been to my local favoured store and had a few sessions with the AE509 against the Spendor A4, with amplification via a HEGEL H190 and a PERREAUX 80i NOIR edition. I dearly want to take the AE509 but the little A4 are proving hard to drop offf the list

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎 thank you for sharing 😊

[@RigVader]

Being an MTM design, did you notice any particular sound stage height and sensitivity to vertical alignment (of the listener to the tweeter)?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

There were no particular issues regarding vertical off axis that I noted 😊

[@Lee-yt1de]

I'm really thick when it comes to this so I apologize in advance, I bought the ae509 and the ae309 for home cinema, but I'm listening to music more in 2 channel ATM, what avr should I buy with these speakers, I bought a arcam avr11 but I'm not 100% happy with the sound

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

There are a lot of factors to consider in that purchase Lee. If you really struggle you may want to check out my Patreon 😊

[@toddm9957]

The white ones look identical to my gr-research av3's

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Cool 😎

[@romainmarchese9935]

Je vais chercher une paire de ACOUSTIC ENERGY AE 309 que je vais associer à un amplificateur intégré BERENDSEN IPA80 ( dual mono ) , je vous donnerai mon ressenti !!!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Merci 😊

[@D1N02]

I wonder whether carbon was the right choice for those tweeters. They used aluminium in the AE1. Maybe more resistant to little fingers, but you could protect them.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

They have grills but I didn’t poke them to find out 😊

[@eazyryder1591]

Surprising as this is the first (amateur) mediocre review of the already well reviewed, highly praised and awarded AE509s And after previously owning Exposure amplification i can fully understand the incompatability wth the AE509s. For me Exposure amplification had poor dynamics, overly warm and recesssed sound. And it does come down to good system matching. Perhaps if you added your previously reviewed and highly rated tacima power conditioner, this would improve things dramatically. 🤣 Maybe you just prefer a loudspeaker with an aggresssive, over exagerrated treble/top end as seems to be the norm with many of the newer offerings today. Definately stay away from harbeth, they would not be to your tastes at all.

[@jimfarrell4635]

Well I like my Tacima power block with the little window into it's exciting innards. It fits my primary criteria when it comes to powering hifi, it's well built and cheap.

[@HungryEatNow]

I am waiting for the day you say this is the last word of smth 🤣

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

What is “smth?” Am I being slow?

[@HungryEatNow]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 something

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@HungryEatNow thank you. I am not sure I will ever get there 😊

[@rickyross6656]

Modern man is the man who goes off to discover himself, his secrets, and his hidden truth; he is a man who tries to invest himself in something beneficial for the future.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Very wise Ricky 😊

[@edholmwood]

Yes. The Zen of audio.

[@user-jf4wc7tf9v]

Investing in crypto is the best way to earn financial freedom.

[@David-gn8rn]

Exactly 💯

[@vladmirklose3499]

@Cletus That won't bother you if you trade with a professional like Mr Michael Wayne

[@RoverWaters]

these speakers need a pair of subwoofer

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Don’t they all? 😊