Acoustic Energy AE1 Active Speaker Review - The best £1k Hifi system available?

[@antdui356]

After I bought these active speakers by your recommendation 2 years ago, I can say that I am very satisfied with them. Especially now that I've paired them with the Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition streamer. Thank you Tarun and greetings from Split, Croatia. Anton

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That is great. Thank you 😊👍

[@yodigak8810]

Would I be able to extend my setup to an 5.1 setup? I just saw that accoustic energy also has centers and rears but they are passive. Or would i be better off grabing the passive ae1‘s. S/o from Frankfurt 😊

[@cesargamboa9405]

We have these speakers at home. We only have good things to say about them. I think this review is 100% accurate.. They are unbeatable at this price.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Cesar 😊👍

[@karhaj120]

Dziękujemy.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@karhaj120 thank you, kindly 😊👍

[@roll-man]

In this day and age of covid-19, getting out and auditioning speakers has become nearly impossible. So we are more so than ever faced with having to rely on reviews and opinions from experts etal in making purchase decisions. Thank God for Amazon's return policy and similar return policies of most of the higher end vendors, but I digress. What started out as a CD player suddenly not working properly, evolved into the research and building of a new system. After about 3 months of research I settled on an RME ADI-2 Dac, an Audiolab 6000CDT transport, and the Acoustic Energy AE1 actives. Also threw my laptop with external hard drive and my CD collection ripped to flac, and qobuz & tidal in there for good measure. After about 3 months of heavy listening I have to say I'm delighted with the results, and your review is the cherry on top for me because although I am really enjoying my experience so far, there's always the audiophile tendency to seek out something better and the fear that "uh oh I bought the flavor of the month". There have been very few reviews on the AE1 actives relatively speaking, although the handful that are out there are all mostly positive. There are also very few acoustic energy dealers here in the US, however the one I purchased these from conducted the sale online, placed the order, and the speakers arrived duty free about 4 days later directly from acoustic energy. It was a seamless and quite impressive experience. The long and short of it is that I'm extremely satisfied so far and I'm so glad that these speakers meet with your approval, as yours is one opinion I greatly respect. Thanks for all you do.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you David. I greatly appreciate your support. I am not surprised that you are so happy with your AE1s. They are quite special. Thank you for sharing your experiences with them 😊👍

[@paznewis107]

New 'woofer' is very quiet 😉. Who's a good boy?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Excellent 😂😂😂 Well said paz

[@Tomasz-y3e]

Tarun thats a great review. I will buy these speakers in 2 months time. Curently I own Yamaha hs80m, but I am looking for an upgrade. Thanks to Your insights about these AE 1 I am convinced to buy them. Greetings from Poland.❤

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@Tomasz-y3e thank you. Much appreciated 😊👍

[@Tomasz-y3e]

​@@abritishaudiophile7314 I bought them Tarun, 3 weeks ago. They are not a disappointment. The quality of the sound blows me out of the water. I pair them with RME adi-2 dac and I couldnt be happier. Thank you Tarun :)

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@Tomasz-y3e thank you for letting me know. I think they are very special speakers. Still unbeaten for the money in all my years of reviewing 😊👍

[@pitu2235]

Hi Tarun, Thanks to your tremendous review I auditioned and purchased AE1 Actives to my study. I paired AE1 with Bluesound Node and REL T/5x. Separation of instruments and soundstage are exceptional. Not only the system sounds great but also looks like a work of one design studio (all components in white). You are doing great job 👍 Best KZbin HiFi audio channel in my opinion 👏👏 One more thing - please do a video with Bob again 🙂. Greetings from Poland Peter

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you kindly Peter. That is a great system you have put together. It is about time Bob made another appearance 😊👍

[@is3commander]

Hello Pitu, what you are using for volume control?

[@pitu2235]

In my initial setup, I used the BlueSound Node for volume control. However, I eventually wanted to experiment with different DACs and add a subwoofer output, so I decided to purchase a preamplifier (Pro-Ject Pre Box DS2 Analogue). Upgrading to the Chord Mojo 2 DAC has been a fantastic decision-it sounds absolutely incredible!

[@IvermectinFTW]

Fantastic review Tarun. Very insightful and informative. It's clear that you love music and music reproduction equipment and are very talented at communicating your thoughts. Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to produce this review.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Andrew. Very kind of you to say and much appreciated 😊👍

[@eldloppa2]

It's been a few years since I bought a second hand set of AE1 actives for desktop use for dirt cheap, in large part because of your review. Both for music and for work-from-home meetings they have never failed me. They are truly something special with their tonality. Have tried to replace them with several others over time, mostly passives, but these keep coming back up on the stands. OK the ATC SCM11 did best them - but those ended up in the main living room system instead, that's how good they were.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@eldloppa2 great to know 😊👍

[@antonchigurh4125]

I will need to watch this twice as the puppy keeps distracting me (in a good way: adorable!). Congrats!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Anton. He is just making a guest appearance. It was a case of no video this week, as he won’t stay quiet if I leave him alone yet, or leaving him with me and hoping for the best. It is great that they get exhausted after 20mins of play at this age. It will be interesting to see how I am going to manage going forward. 😉👍

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Only with affection 😉

[@QoraxAudio]

3:16 Most active speakers just use a generic DSP as bandpass filter, like SHARC or Blackfin. 5:04 What a relief to hear someone saying "aluminium dome" again - most KZbinrs say aluminum. 7:30 a notched pot would work too, if the 'clicks' are aligned at the dots on the dial; maybe it's not even that hard to change the pot out for a notched one, might be worth looking that up. 7:37 Whether max setting is best depends on the linearity of the built-in amplifier; most amps are linear up to about 80 or 90% 7:50 completely agree, analog components are an investment, while digital stuff is more disposable-like with a short lifespan

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Qorax for some excellent points well made. I appreciate you watching and your feedback 😉😂

[@QoraxAudio]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 You're welcome, I really like your content, has a nice bit of depth to it and the reviews are always sober and realistic. No "blown away" and other exaggerations.. just keeping it real, I like that👍

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Qorax 😉👍

[@geraldmcmullon2465]

I have three different active speakers. Two do not distort at any volume level. One will mute the signal when it is too loud (otherwise they would hit the threshold of pain). The third pair distort at 58-60/64 but that is so loud you have leave the room. I have a centre speaker that is based on the same bass units, tweets and amplification that has no volume control and it seems to handle anything thrown at it.

[@nostro1001]

@@QoraxAudio Well...as you note per your spelling (aluminium/aluminum), there's a difference based on spelling rather than accent alone. Suffice to say English is a dynamic language and draws upon many languages to have what is English today. Of note: whilst many British assume their pronunciation/spelling is the 'true' English, there are many words where the American version is older and for want of better word here 'truer'. I'm not sure of the history of this particular word. Further, if you have an understanding of the language you'll know that the package is regularly updating with 'new words continually being added and some (to a lessor degree) vanishing. English 'borrows' from other languages vastly more than any other. There's no need to scorn at one's pronunciation. Indeed even within England there are many accents and to some extent words from dialects used in one county, but not another. Cheers!

[@Jamy4ya]

Just 3 days back i got my hands on the AE1-lite (passive) speakers and i cant beleive myself that i am listening again & again to all my tracks that these speakers brings something special to my ears. And i am expecting even more after the burn-in is completed.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That is great 😊👍

[@gazjok]

Hi and thank you for your reviews. I have purchased a pair of ae1 active speakers, partly based on your review. I have a long and varied history of source components coupled with amps and passive speakers. And I can say immediately that I have been shocked at how great these speakers sound. Coupled with a bluesound node 2i they offer depth and detail at all volumes, with no high frequency fatigue. And they look good in piano white. Thank you.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

They are pretty special aren’t they. Thank you for sharing 😊👍👍

[@papapatriot]

I have a pair coming to me in a week or so and also have bluesound node 2i with a nice DAC and want to use the Node as the preamp and was wondering how you enjoy this setup or did you upgrade to a preamp?

[@youtubiers]

Do the woofers have foam surrounds? From the video it looks like they do. I'm a little concerned that I'd have to get the surrounds replaced after they rot out in 15 years or so. Can any of you owners confirm?

[@saphyaers8264]

Based on your recommendation, I am now running the Active AE1 from my PC - Chord TT 2. Very happy and satisfied. Thank you.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That is great. Thank you letting me know 😊👍

[@Vaudioroom]

Hi, can you please post some videos of TT2 into AE1active? I am also thinking of going this way. Thank you!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@Vaudioroom I am struggling to get hold of Chord products at the moment.

[@hrvojekant9415]

Tarun ...You have done it again...immaculate presentation indeed !

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Hrvoje. I greatly appreciate you watching and your support 😉👍👍

[@StevePilgrim2013]

Great review. You've now got my curiosity up about the entire notion of active speakers and particularly the AE-1s. Thanks!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing Steve 😊👍

[@xl5man]

Great review! No gimmicks.. no loud music just loads of information.. I have been considering the kef lsx but these seem interesting too ! Many thanks

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. Much appreciated 😊👍

[@slawmac7352]

I've also thought abou KEF LSX, but they have built-in DAC that is most likely not as good as the one that I currently own (RME ADI-2 DAC), and (correct me if I'm wrong) putting two dacs in a row will result in the lowest common denominator

[@surfrico]

Love your channel Tarun. You have a rare ability to explain quite complex subjects in a very engaging and interesting manner. I bought these speakers partly on the strength of your review and they more than live up to my expectations of them. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and opinions and I hope your channel grows in the way you want. Richard

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That is great Richard. So glad they worked out. Thank you for watching and your support. Very kind of you and very much appreciated 😊👍👍

[@MakiPavlidis]

I whole heartedly agree with Richard's comment Tarun. I'm really enjoying and valuing your videos. The way you order and pitch your content, it's spot on, with the key points easy to understand and retain. And good fun. Thanks.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@MakiPavlidis thank you Maki. It is reading comments like that from you and Richard that makes it so worthwhile 😊👍👍

[@backrack01]

I love these speakers. They sound beautiful in my room. The bass is clean and fast. It goes deep enough to perfectly compliment the mids and highs. Very well built.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

They are special 😊👍

[@petermartin6919]

I would be interested to see a review from you on the AE 500 speakers, I'm very curious about the carbon fibre tweeter. Great review by the way.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and your suggestion Peter 😉👍

[@123oner]

Me too!

[@hvanleeu]

I already own a pair of AE1 speakers and I absolutely agree with the conclusions. Still there were some interesting other remarks, about analogue and digital and a couple more. Great, thanks!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Hans 😊👍

[@dustinrilcof2504]

This has been one of the most enlightening reviews I have ever come across! Can I get all the money I spent on amps and passive speakers back? I am curious how you would complete the system. Possible price appropriate preamps and streamers etc .. with vinyl. How they all connect together etc with balanced inputs. Almost a how to build and connect a great active system tutorial on budget! I seem to keep running out of money before completion

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Dustin. You and me both. How much money have I spent trying different amps with speakers over the years. If I was putting together a system to incorporate vinyl stuff whilst keep costs down, I would look at the Project S2 range. They do a decent phono box, analogue preamp and DAC, for that matter, for a reasonable price. I wouldn’t worry about the balanced connections unless you have very long runs between components in the system. If you want to go the balanced route, it is going to be expensive. Thank you for watching and sharing 😉👍

[@ememe1412]

On a mid size (UK typical) room, Elac Navis arb-51 paired to an Audiolab M-Dac Plus. All in for about 2.5kGbp, 2k if you wait around for 2nd hand and ex demo. (If you have a TT, then a Puffin DSP with the digital out (~600gbp shipped).) For XLR, the M-Dac Plus and Navis will accommodate them. Best value is to use Van Damme cables with Neutrik plugs that you put together yourself or get someone to do (there's an eBay UK seller that'll put together custom lengths). Even the best professional balanced cables are not that expensive relatively. The plugs is where the money should go though. All in, still cheaper than a 3M run of most speaker cables terminated by Furutechs. Going to the shop or buying hifi marketed items is not best value for XLR. A meter run (a bit audiophile overkill already for a home rig) in RS for 139 bragging about 'studio quality' when the same run for a cable that is actually used in a studio is a fraction of the price, not to mention that the plugs are most probably Neutrik OEM anyways... Do not be put off using the XLR even over shorter runs if your gear takes them. You can get a lot of real performance to value in XLR cables, regardless of hype, as compared to the myriad of phono cables marketed using esoteric explanations. My monoblock Ncores only accept balanced. From my pre, I use half meter runs of XLR. If listening near field or in a smaller room, then the pro entry level ATC SCM12 active for about 1.5K might be worth a punt.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank is excellent advice EmE Me. Thank you for watching and sharing 😉👍

[@ememe1412]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 I got carried away. I think you're doing a fine job breaking things down in to perspectives. It's what people need really, a more wholistic presentation of a review.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you EmE Me. Much appreciated 😊👍

[@jeffw6912]

Great puppy, we just got a new dog two months ago. He looks very similar but is a shihpoo, Shih Tzu Poodle mix. Happy times expanding the family.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Jeff. He is settling in well and very playful. We are all have a lot of fun 😊

[@tomastomasek1401]

Nice review, thanks. What discourages me from all active speakers is the power switch for each of them

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Tomas. Understood 😊👍

[@backrack01]

I leave mine on :p

[@hemantishwaran5741]

I’ve been waiting for this review and of course I was not disappointed. Excellent job!! One of the most interesting points to me was your comment on how manufacturers are starting to express interest for developing active speakers. This shows they recognize an emerging market for this technology. What your review shows in addition is that the technology has really matured and can now compete at an audiophile level for sound quality. It’s not just about connectivity via Bluetooth and wireless but that amazing sound can be had at a great price. I hope you do more active speaker reviews in the future. The edifier s3000 pros also give great performance at a great price. And there’s the new Buchardt’s that I and others keep clamoring about that are coming. It would be wonderful to have comparisons to the acoustic energy’s, both high and low pricing. Your reviews are so precise and understandable it would make a great benchmark

[@hemantishwaran5741]

@John M7RCZ thanks for the feedback! Maybe some of these companies will have no choice but take the plunge as the competition starts to heat up and active speakers start to get really good. I just watched John Darko's review of the Buchardt A500's (I guess he was provided early access) and he literally called them the best product he has reviewed in his 10 years. He didn't mince words and compared them to several benchmarks. The room correction feature was also a notable advantage of the DSP system. Frankly, I'm not surprised and expect other reviewers to weigh in with the same observations. I look forward to that.

[@papapatriot]

After watching your video on these speakers I so want to hear them. I wish the price in Canada $2200-$2400 was closer to £1,000 but if they sound as good as your review I'll buy them. As always a great video and detail on how they sound!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you buddy. They are better value in the U.K. 😊👍

[@papapatriot]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 I just received a used pair yesterday and they are sure resolving. I'm trying them with different DACs to add a little more body to the sound. They image better than my old Celestion SLS6s'.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@papapatriot cool 😎 please keep me updated 😊

[@papapatriot]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 I kept using my smooth sounding tube DAC in the mix and brought in a 24 band equalizer then played Voices from singers that I know very well. I used my Celestion’s as a reference and mixed the sound to match the sweet natural vocals of the SL6s’. The adjustments are not huge but boosted the 80hz 120hz, 200hz all plus 3db. I moved the speakers before starting to a rear field to eliminate the room nodes. I’ve turned the tweeter -2db on the back of each speaker and added a little sparkle back on the equalizer with a plus 3db on 8k and 13k.

[@jimshaw899]

I have been previously convinced, very thoroughly, that for reasons of design, engineering, cost, and physical principles, active speakers are the future of most music playback systems. The only exception is the use of vacuum tubes (aka valves) in power output stages. Your review of this high quality example of the genre is most welcome. I am also pleased with the strong trend toward using balanced interconnects at line levels. It seems only proper that reproducer builders take in house the responsibility of tuning the driver/enclosure/amplifier as a unit. The current and long standing puzzle of matching seeming Lego pieces into a final result results in too gross an approximation with myriad hard edges and pitfalls. But, I know, there will be resistance by the Lego or Erector set aficionados. C'est la vie. Ned Ludd lives. I also see a future for such manufacturers to also add new categories of combinations of drivers, enclosure sizes, and amplifiers to match users' needs. For example, instead of speaker size being prime, perhaps room size and acoustic output might become product class prime descriptors. Reproducers will become less tunable by the user -- granted -- but that personal tuning chore will be the responsibility of the preamp/controller or DAC. Put the vacuum tubes there, if you will. Integrated amplifiers will become preamps with standardized, balanced outputs. What I particularly wish to compliment you on is the organized and coherent approach you take in your reviews. They do fit nicely together, and even if we disagreed on a point, I would feel the same. It's rather like coming away from a proper five course meal, satisfied and delighted, but with a small disagreement on one wine choice.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Jim for the very thoughtful insight. You will never get two audiophiles to completely agree on anything. Hopefully, we are on the same page most of the time. Great to hear from you. Thank you for sharing 😊👍

[@ememe1412]

I think that actives are the future and a long time coming. It didn't gain momentum in the mid 80s when some manufacturers were starting to offer outboard crossovers for active amplification, maybe due to cost of multiple amps within living memory of the audiophiles who had upgraded to stereo from mono 20yrs before and marketing. Today, I can't see the hindrance if AE can produce this quality at this price. 'Purists' can well put their trust on companies like ATC that the in-house drivers and active crossovers with the amp pairing are optimised (a lot have managed to on the pre/power section of integrateds, DACs in players, table/arm combos of TTs etc so why not with speaker/active crossovers designed from the ground up?). They can add their input with a 'straight' preamp. Others that may have limitations in-room can take advantage of automated room response measurements and DSP, from dedicated preamps, to tailor to situations. AV receivers already have something similar for years... I think what you say is right, room size comparability would and should come to the for of the specs. One of the resistant opinions I've heard was for the topology and power of the amplification. I don't see the issue. Elac can fit a class AB in the Navis... They can conceivably use Class D and DSP from plate amps for a similar result at a lower price point. Any case, without a passive crossover dissipating a lot of the amp's power, the required wattage output is lower.

[@jimshaw899]

@@ememe1412 It would be nice to see a bit of standardization in the size and shape of in-built amps. Not one size, but a family of them. In that way, an owner could replace or return for service without shipping the entire enclosure. I am also convinced that we need a better solution than the XLR for low Z balanced connections. It is way too big and rugged, having been designed for microphone use circa 1955. As DSP develops and becomes more accepted, reproducer engineers could build in better and better tuning for their products. This could help fix things like cabinet resonances, driver peculiarities, crossover-point non-linearities, and even room corrections into the amp portion. With one or two amps for a driver/enclosure, the results could be better than ever before feasible.

[@HisMadness_]

Just ordered me a pair with a Bluesound Node 2i. So happy. Now, where can I get the dog to go with it? Wonderfully structured and presented review.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

My god! I had no idea how often they go for a poop and a pee. Thank you for watching my video His Madness Inc. 😊👍

[@wollymolly]

Hi, would you mind sharing your thoughts on how this setup with Node 2i is working out? Was curious about that combination. Thanks.

[@HisMadness_]

@@wollymolly hi, the combination has worked out great for me. I really love the quality sound the AE1s produce. They really bring well produced music to life. In my biased opinion, they don't like overproduced, overcompressed music, but that is to be expected of an audiophile speaker : the AE1's are the stars in this setup. Great value for money. The Node 2i performs as I hoped and expected, the Bluesound app works like a charm. Integration with - in my case - Tidal, is flawless. Hope this helps

[@wollymolly]

@@HisMadness_ Thanks for your detailed reply. I'll try to find a place to audition this. Also considering Cambridge CXN V2,

[@rptempmail1]

thanks for yet another great review. can you please also review the Buchardt Audio's A500?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I am talking to Mads Buchardt about it rp. They will need to be quite a bit better than the S400 to justify the price. Watch this space.

[@rptempmail1]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 can you please help me understand your comment? in this video you gave a convincing explanation as to why active is better than passive, well as you know the A500 is an active with built-in DSP,, 3x150W amp, dual DAC, AND room correction!, these are quite a bit more than what comes with the S400! you are hard to please sir!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

The actives should be inherently better the passives. The S400s are a good speaker for the price for people who want a big sound and floorstander bass extension. However, they also have their shortcomings, dark tonal balance, soft leading edges and rolled off treble. These are forgivable at the £1,650 price point of the S400s but will have to be addressed in the A500 bundle @ circa £4K, active or not.

[@rptempmail1]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 ok thanks

[@vicg5323]

very interesting review. Acoustic Energy is British company with a factory in China. But in truth, it is not surprising that a Chinese product that is well engineered and manufacture could equal a European manufactured product of greater cost. Hourly wages comes into play. I try not to buy gear from China for many reason, but one of the reasons I buy from Europe and the America's is for quality control, variety and re-circulation of my wealth. If we spend every nickle in China we soon will all be out of work and unable to buy anything without money.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Vic, I am going to stay clear of the political debate but understand your point of view. Thank you for watching 😉

[@sandydennylives1392]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 I've got some Chinese WETMEATMARKET speakers with a Pangolin amplifier. It's popular all over the World.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing sandydenny lives 😊

[@filofilo8127]

Another good review Tarun.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you filofilo 😉👍

[@jasoncarlson4285]

Well done Tarun, and Bob another fine review what a wonderful little puppy 🐶

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Jason. Much appreciated 😊👍

[@matthughes8189]

Bit late to the party but great review! I have been looking an active ‘hifi’ speaker for a while as opposed to studio monitors. The deciding factor for me to buy the ae1’s was the balanced inputs. I was Surprised at how few manufacturers Didn’t have these inputs, definitely seems to be a gap in the market. This review definitely persuaded me to buy a pair.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That is great Matthew. Please let me know how you get on with them 😊👍

[@colinbenfield326]

Hope Buchardt send you a pair of their new actives

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Let’s EE what happens Colin. They needs to be quite a bit better than the S400s to justify the price.

[@paznewis107]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Darko loves them..

[@gerard3797]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 I use a Buchardt S400 / IOTAVX SA3 combo in my living room and tried out the new A500s (60 percent TV/movies and 40% music), but it was not for me. Although the LLE works great for music on low levels and I was immediately surprised by the dynamics out of the box (especially with bad sources such as KZbin), this also negatively impacted the mid range. I really noticed this with watching TV/Movies, because dialogue and speech was a lot less understandable than on the S400s. On all other points the A500 was better, but that is also largely because of my amplification. I ended up returning them and will wait for the Buchardt I150 integrated amp which will have the same DSP tech the A500 has, but at least with the ability to toggle the LLE on or off. It will be either that or the Hegel H190 in the end. Would be nice if you could to a review of both in the future ;)!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I haven’t seen his review. I should check it out. Thanks paz 😉

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank is very interesting. Thank you for sharing and your suggestions Gerard 😊👍

[@willbrink]

Good review per usual. Actives are the tech of the future. Now that there's high quality D amps (though some will employ A/B as the reviewed speakers did...), DSP, etc. actives are the way to go. One can now get very respectable audio for little $ by purchasing the best actives they can afford, and using their phone as a DAC/pre amp/streamer/music server. Add a quality DAC/pre amp/streamer, and the audio improves, still for surprisingly little $ output. GREAT audio, is a different matter, but I suspect 90% or so of people will be very happy with that set up. All the majors and minor brands offering actives: Focal, B&W, Dynaudio, etc.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I agree with you Will. Thank you for watching and your continued support my friend 😊👍

[@malintha.leanage]

i like your pup. best review so far. i think more puppy with speaker reviews! keep up the good work. love this channel. also alot of all in one's have class d power, and this amp has a/b i beleive. maybe that's what helps the quality - for it to sing!?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. Bob will be 3 in July 2023. Doesn’t time fly? It is class A/B. They tried class D during development but didn’t like the sound as much 😊

[@captainhadd0ck]

Another excellent review - thanks Tarun. I am saving up for a pair of these to go with my new MOJO 2 (which keeps amazing me! 👍). Should be a good match, I think.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Emmanuel. That may work if the cable runs through RCA are kept short 👍

[@richardbanks1286]

I’ve had these for a few months now, they performed well straight out the box and have just got better and better since. I’ve introduced an AE Subwoofer via a balanced pre out and cut the bass on the speakers -2db, and with some room treatment the result to my ears is indeed outstanding. Ps. I can’t recall seeing Bob again after this video hope he’s ok 👍

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing. Bob is over 3 years old now. Doing great and an integral part of the family 🐕 🙂

[@nicktesla5020]

Nice review. I've owned active speakers for many years, first some Avantgardes, currently, some ADAM Tensor Deltas, I'd never go back to passive speakers again. I bought my AE1s several months ago, mainly for nearfield listening playing flac files from my laptop through a FiiO K5Pro DAC, and I'm impressed, like you with the resolution, imaging and coherence. I've connected them to my main system using a Weiss DAC, of course, the limitations are obvious compared to the ADAMs, but really that's comparing apples with oranges. For the price, and in the right room, I doubt that you can do better.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Nick, great to hear about your experiences and that your experiences with your AE1s seem to match my own. Thank you for sharing. 😊👍

[@panagodavenura7380]

Hi Nick, how far from the back wall do you have them ? I'm was going to get KEF LSX's but after auditioning them... wasn't for me. So I'm trying out to find out how these would work on a desk or at least near a wall if it's your use case. Thanks !

[@nicktesla5020]

@@panagodavenura7380 I use them mainly as near-field speakers. They are around 3m from a wall and decoupled from the floor. Don't expect ground-shaking bass from a speaker this size, it isn't there, but what it does, it does well, with real bass resolution, not the 'faked' one-note bass boost that many ported speaker boxes provide. Not surprisingly, my ADAMs also have a slotted port (front-mounted).

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I think you need to be about 1.5m away from the speakers Panagoda. The minimum distance would be 90cm from the front wall measuring to the front baffle or about 60cm from the rear of the speakers. You may be able to get away with less and turn the bass setting down by 2dB.

[@panagodavenura7380]

Thank you both for your answers ! It would near impossible for me to be at 1.5M from the speakers, so I would be looking for something that can sound good when sitting closer and that could work relatively close to a wall (like 30cm from the back of the speakers). If you have any recommendations for me I would be grateful ! 😁 The obvious answer seemed to be the KEF LSX's that could even go on a desk but as I mentioned before, I auditioned them yesterday and didn't sound...I don't know how to put it...not HiFi/not audiophile or just not to my taste ! But maybe that's what I'll have to live with as I don't have much space to spare for better speakers like these AE1'S for example. Or maybe headphones are the way to go ?

[@petervdveenmuis]

Your dog is a real beauty!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Peter 🐶👍

[@rotaxtwin]

Great review and a good technical explanation of how an active speaker can be superior, which was an eye opener to me. I often thought active speakers were a gimmick but I understand now that's not necessarily the case. Sounds like AE did their homework on these. Lots of goofy impedance issues can be ironed out with the active crossover setup. I have a pair of AE Evo 1s and at first thought they were what you were reviewing, they have impressed me.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences rotaxtwin 😊👍

[@NickP333]

Love your new puppy, Tarun! Absolutely adorable. I used to have a Springer spaniel, and just recently rescued a brother and sister kitten team. They already think they own the place. That’s interesting re the designers saying they’d design an all active system. Makes sense though from what you mentioned. I guess I’m old school in that I really enjoy the challenge of putting together a good passive system, and not too keen on someone else choosing my amplification. I guess we’ll see what the future holds though, and maybe my opinion will change. Always gotta keep an open mind, especially when it comes to HiFi. Thanks for another great and very informative vid, Tarun. 🎶✌️🔊🙂

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Nick, that is great about the brother and sister kittens. Must be very rewarding. I am with you on putting together a passive system. That is the fun of hifi but honestly, I would struggle to put together a passive system this good for £2k. Kef LS50 and Exposure 2510 maybe?

[@NickP333]

A British Audiophile Yeah, I’d most definitely struggle doing so also, especially for that price point. Thanks again, Tarun.

[@geraldmcmullon2465]

In my upgrade days I spent Saturdays in hi-fi shops comparing a range of equipment, some with silly prices were relatively awful. I was listening to high end Naim and Linn combination. On some of my albums it was like being on the front row of the concert. But I picked Meridian active speakers. They were better on every other album I had. In 40 years I have never heard anything that made me wish to change them. Without another careful A/B comparison my impression is that those that have impressed are a little different but not clearly better. I have also found that for much of the listening to sources from radio, television and KZbin more modest systems can delivery most of the enjoyment and I would not notice any short comings in isolation. Listening to the drama, the music, etc not to the equipment.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Gerald

[@NickP333]

Gerald McMullon Gerald, that’s a great story. It must be wonderful to have found your last pair of speakers 40 yrs ago. I’m on year 3 with the same speakers (Tekton Pendragons) and have absolutely zero “upgraditis”. It’s tough to think in terms of better when it comes to HiFi, as the word different seems much more suiting in the majority of situations. I really enjoyed what you had to say, Gerald. Thank you.

[@sinaniseri6575]

Hello Bob, nice to meet you. Good, clear and informative review, as ever. Thank you, sir.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and your kind words of support Sinan 😉👍

[@ranelime]

I really agree with the observation of having a pure analog active speakers is the better choice.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Astro 😊👍

[@ranelime]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Do you see any benefits of having passive speakers? With such a thorough overview of the merits of active speakers it is hard for me to look at my passive the same way... The only advantage I see passive have is the ability to save up for bigger speakers (I wouldn't be able to buy my ATC40 in their active form). I do think that amp matching is eventually a pain more than a gain...

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Astro boy, you can definitely get an equally good sound with passives. It is just going to cost more. All the extra boxes, cables, R&D, manufacturing, shipping, marketing associated with each component comes at a price. Passive give you much more flexibility and upgrade options. Really good active solutions just weren’t available below £2k before. Acoustic Energy just halved the price 😉👍

[@ranelime]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you, it's great to know that passive rack is not at a sonic disadvantage, just cost more. I was worried with the the point you have mentioned about impedance mismatch between the amp and the passive crossover, but I guess it is true even with the crossover>amp>speaker confirmation, just less complicated. If I understand correctly, if the system does not use a digital crossover then there will always be that crossover challenge. And as you mentioned, introducing digital has its problems. Again, thank you for te valuable info and another great video!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

You are right digital crossover and DSP opens up a whole new minefield. Analogue signals in have to be converted to digital and back to analogue again. Good quality passive crossovers can achieve great results. It just comes at a cost. 😊

[@osliverpool]

Excellent review, thanks Tarun. I've always been a fan of active systems, and I've been using an active crossover and multiple power amps (with passive crossovers removed from speakers) for a long time. Currently building a new active crossover on Rod Elliott's Linkwitz-Riley design. As an aside, many years ago I heard the original passive AE1s hooked up to a stack of Krell, and they sounded fantastic - very revealing, even as a passive design.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you osliverpool. I greatly appreciate your support. I am just curious, what is the Rod Elliott’s version of the classic Linkwitz-Riley crossover designs? A variation on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th? Great to hear from you by the way 😊👍

[@osliverpool]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, you can find details of Rod's crossover at sound-au.com/project09.htm

[@Anand.Asrani]

Hey Tarun ! Prior to this video my perspective on actives was a clear no Simply because it was taking all the geeky joy out of HIFI ,but now I guess I'll give them a listen ...and a big hug to Bob 🤗

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Anand. I agree, for tinkerers like you and me, you are better off with passives. I could put together a passive system that sounds as good but at over twice the price. Kef LS50s and Exposure 2510 may get you close.

[@geraldmcmullon2465]

There is still a host of issues to over come and tweaking is at new levels. DSP speakers can be set up with a microphone to measure the room's own frequency and to remove them from the listening. This "fixes" problems with the room. Analogue connections are usually easy but setting up digital Toslink, Coxial, Ethernet, Wireless and then attempting multi-room or 5+1, 7+1 or 5+5 surround is a geeky as you could ever hope to attempt. In the digital world things are done by computer processors and every component adds a different delay.

[@jcisme]

This looks like a great solution for me to be able to use to listen to music in a HiFi sense and use to mix and record music (as a hobby/musician)... Thanks for the great review.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

They would make great studio monitors Jeremy. I suspect AE designed them with commercial and domestic use in mind. Thank you for watching and commenting 😊👍

[@robbiet007]

Hi, brilliant review as always but you have thrown a spanner in the works. I am now torn between the AE1's and the Triangles Bro3's. My initial setup was going to be Iotavx. 2x PA3 as a mono blockS setup and SA3 to drive them complimented by the Triangles. Very interested to know in what you think. Thanks

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Robbie. I haven’t heard the BRO3’s but they would have to be class leading to get near the AE1s 😊👍

[@robbiet007]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 TRIANGLE BOREA BR03 LOUDSPEAKERS

[@davdidit6]

I know I am late but after watching your chat with Randy CheapAudioMan, I looked up this review. I actually have been following you for a few months. I loved that two of my favorite reviewers got together. I loved that video. Seeing this made me rethink my next audio upgrade. I am torn between the Denafrips Ares II and the RME ADI2 to use with these active speakers. I am leaning towards the RME because it has a remote. This will be a combination music and home theater solution. Care to comment on that? Also, any comment on adding a tube preamp? I have recently got into the tube sound. Thank you and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you my friend. I appreciate your support. It was great chatting with Randy. Both the ADI-2 and Ares II are great options. The ADI-2 has a volume control so you can connect it to AE1s without needing anything else. I prefer the sound of the the Ares II but you will need a preamp to control the volume. This could be a tube preamp. If you want to use it for home cinema duties in a two channel setup then adding a subwoofer or two will greatly enhance your experience. You will need a preamp with two pairs of outputs or sub outs to do this 😊👍

[@davdidit6]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 thank you so much

[@rickyricardo4168]

What a cute dog and by the way thanks for all your work and reviews.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Ricky. He is cute isn’t he. Asleep at my feet as I reply to you. Thank you for watching and your kind words of support 😊👍

[@hushpuppykl]

I had the AE1 active in for review last month. Yeah ... they are nice! I find them very slightly to the cool side of neutral but if you prefer the modern sound, it’s great. Thanks for your reviews. 😬

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

To my ears they are as neutral as it gets at this price. Thank you for watching hushpuppykl 😉

[@hushpuppykl]

A British Audiophile ... different rooms, different set up. 😬 Nice to see your channel growing strong and fast. All the best!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you hushpuppykl 😉👍

[@Conservator.]

9:40 “I like my neighbours and I like glas in my windows” 🤣

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I hope they are watching Conservator. If nothing else, a few brownie points for when I do have to turn the volume up 😂😂😂

[@geraldmcmullon2465]

Just plugged in a different pair of front channels with 36-20k Hz so did a little test with a video clip - 94 db on 45/64 volume control. My normal front speakers go down to below 20Hz. The Phantom Gold claim 14Hz and in the bass certainly go head to head with my large floor standing speakers.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing Gerald McMullon

[@bshah4831]

Wow, what find. These AE speakers "sound" amazing. Great review, very informative.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you B Shah. Great to hear from you buddy 😉👍

[@BadChizzle]

Oh! That looks like foam surrounding those woofers. Hope they have perfected that idea by coming up with a foam that doesn’t fall apart after a few years. I’m always much happier when I see rubber surround, as it will last much longer. I’ve had awesome JBLs that the foam fell out of. What a drag! You always have beautiful looking speakers, though. I’ll give you that, my friend. Having no experience with high end speakers... about all I can say is that they look Cool. Ha ha Yes... the little pup did very well. Also... in future you can ask him if your setup is emitting frequencies above what you can hear, so you will know if you’ve got weird high stuff going on you don’t know about. Seriously, though... he’s about the cutest little pup I’ve seen in a while! They are so good for a home, especially in these weird times we are in, as they bring things down to a basic level of existence, that can free us up from our stresses and complex considerations. You know: run, play, eat, drink and poop n pee. All very basic and uncomplicated! Ha ha ha! I can see by the glow in your smile, you are doing well... and that makes me happy. On the subject of happiness, My Son just got a six string fret less Bass Guitar and I’ve got a studio condenser mic, with specs that would blow your mind, on the way in the post... and we are all healthy hear. Things overall are very good! Even my Mom is feeling pretty good!! At this point I’d like to remind you that I left my email in the very bottom of one of my last comments to you, with which you and I can BS and I can also send you some Music my Son and I have written and recorded through our Musical adventures in life. Hey... if nothing else, you will have some songs you can say not many other people have. Exclusive listening material! Ha ha ha! If you only have a business email or whatever, just set up one for said reasons when you get the time. 🛠 Ok... enough bla bla bla from me to you. Your Buddy, Chuk PS: Chet Baker may be calling you for a listen from the great beyond... ooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeoooooooooooow.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That is spooky Chuk, I was listening to Chet earlier today. Great to know you and your family are well. You are right, the puppy is a lot of fun, settling in superbly well and does encourage me to take some time out and appreciate the simple things in life. One of the engineers commented on the use of foam surrounds. AE1 have used an aluminium mid/woofer because it has very good pistonic motion due to its stiffness. However, it has a nasty break up node at about 5.5KHz, even though this is outside the driver linear range it is still audible. The foam surround as part of the suspension system does a much better job of damping the node than a rubber surround. He further defended AEs decision to utilise foam by stating that the foam used now is much more durable with better resistance to UV light and humidity than those used in the 80’s. I guess time will tell. I would love to hear some of the music you and your son have written. I somehow must have missed the post with the email. If you would like to repost it, I will be happy to send you a reply. Great to hear from you and take care my friend, Tarun 😊👍

[@BadChizzle]

A British Audiophile 5.5k is a very bad area to be having anything negative happening, for reasons I’m sure you are aware of. Hope they are correct. About the foam... as you say... Time will tell! It always does. [e-mail] Chime in and say things when you like!

[@jackneber2609]

I’ve got some small speakers with rubber surrounds that failed as well - hard, brittle and cracked after 10 years or so. Had to replace the driver.....

[@BadChizzle]

Jack Neber Oh no! What can we believe in these days!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thanks Chuk 👍

[@fletchermunson6225]

Good job. I am enjoying your review. I am curious about the non amplified top of the AE line bookshelf speaker, the 500. It seems to have a special tweeter unfamiliar to me.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you James. I have the 300s in for review at the moment. I am sure I will get to the 500s at some point. 😉👍

[@NorthCamZ]

Really good channel you got here, Your nicety comes across in the videos really well. Keep it up.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Frags 😊👍

[@markphilpot4981]

These speakers are the real deal. Alright then. Guess I’ll have to wait on mine. Good video Taraun! Working to remove debt first. No need to cause problems. Wouldn’t hesitate otherwise. Stay safe mates!😊👍🏻😷

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

You too my friend. I hope you get things sorted out. Always great to hear from you 😉👍

[@ossiebacchus7110]

Who I'm i trying to kid, I'm not an audiophile (the wife won't let me). I do aspire to be and will / do enjoy your videos..thankyou!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

If you care about music and wanting it to sound good, that makes you an audiophile in my book Ossie 😉

[@englishsteve1465]

I'm an impoverished audiophile but it doesn't have to cost the earth. I research the hell out of things and try to buy second hand around five years old or so. Like cars, the first owner always takes the biggest hit, so let them ! lol. Also, a lot of people inherit gear and don't know what they have. There's a great high to be had when you've just scored a £2000 bit of kit for £200 !

[@ossiebacchus7110]

@@englishsteve1465 £2000 bit of kit for £200! Where man, where? 😜😁

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I agree with every word of that. Well said english steve 😊👍

[@JauzaFIN]

There is one BIG drawback with the AE1 Actives: There is no sleep mode for the power, but the amplifier is fully powered constantly, drawing 15 Watts of power without an audio signal (each speaker), which is A LOT compared to an active speaker with a 0,5 Watt sleep mode (like Genelec's). AE1 Actives only have the power switches, but those are a nuisance to use constantly... ...So basically, to go around this problem, one needs a remote controlled main power switch, which is plugged between power cord and wall socket! I asked the power consumption from the Acoustic Energy customer service.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

The volume control is a pain and I hope they address it in future models 😊

[@zindahoon]

Congratulations 🥳 for new member in your house

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Atri 😊👍

[@wm2357]

Love your reviews, another great one. Thanks

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Peter 😉👍

[@michaelmityok1001]

Too bad I didn't buy these for my office system, caught between feeling pissed and grateful for this review lol!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I know that feeling. Thank you for watching and sharing Michael 😊👍

[@glen3468]

hi bob,welcome to the community :)

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Glen 😉👍

[@chrissmith7069]

Hi Tarun, what a great review of these active speakers!! I've never considered them until I came across your review. I'm in a dilemmas now! 😂😂 Seriously considering selling up my amp, passive speaker setup for a easier solution, in your opinion would the Ae Actives present a better over all listening experience over my Rega Elex R amp, Rega Dac (or my smsl do100) Q acoustics Concept 40 speakers? Maybe you haven't tried these combinations so for a pound for pounds comparison would the AE Actives out shine a passive setup within the above price range Appreciated as always, you have a great channel which is very I formative, balanced and down to earth 😊 Regards Chris.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That is tricky. Pound for pound the AE1s still come out on top. However, I would put the money to upgrading the passive Concept 40s 😊

[@chrissmith7069]

@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank-you for your reply Tarun. I would like to move over from a floor stander to a Stand mounted speaker. Regarding my Elex R and if I was to keep it, do you know which brand/model of Stand mount speaker which would work quite well with it in a small room approx 9x14ft. Thx again, Chris.

[@awchiu]

I love watching your reviews, they're honest and informative. I'm considering to buy the AE1 Actives after watching this video. Do you think it matches well with the Danafrips Ares 12th? I should be able to plug them together and get great music? Where I live, it's not possible to try them out at a store unfortunately, so I'm buying blind. Thanks!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you kindly. The Ares 12th will be a good match but has no volume control. I would go with the SMSL VMVD1SE 😊👍

[@awchiu]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for your recommendation! I'm actually quite intrigued by an R2R DAC, as I've only been using a Topping one. Do you have a good recommendation for tube pre-amp between the AE-1 and Ares? My budget would be around same as those 2 devices. Thanks!

[@homeopathical]

Great review! I'm toying with some actives. I currently have the AE1 mkII, although I find them a bit 'clinical' now as my tastes in how I listen to music have evolved. I have a few pairs of TDL Studio 0.5s which are fabulous yet not as detailed as the AEs, and a dinky pair of Alexander SE2 which are truly sensational for what looks like a couple of black bricks with a chicken-wire grille. I've been mighty impressed with a mate's Fostex actives and have a hankering for some AVI actives so we'll see how it pans out. Thanks for fuelling my fire :) Great channel, especially now you appear to be getting to grips with how to pronounce 'Celestion' :p

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Homeopathical. I have had to retrain my self after calling them “Celestrion” for the best part of 30 years 😂

[@homeopathical]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 well, if it's any consolation, at least you taught me how to say 'Buchardt' properly :D

[@CC-bg8gf]

Hi Tarun. I had the opportunity to listen to the Focal Shape 65 studio monitors recently. Those are active speakers in the same price range as the AE1 Active. The Focals are a bit bigger with a little more bass extension provided by 2 passive radiators. I listened to similarly priced home audio standmount Focals before and found the sound too coloured but these are much more transparent (as one would expect of course) without being analytical. They also look much better than your average studio monitor. I’m not pushing them over the AE1 at all, just wanted to mention that to my ears they would be worth your time if you ever come across a pair. Take care.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Claude. I do want to try out more active speakers 😉

[@whaletragicsfoundation7664]

G'day from down under ABA and thank you for your site ! I've owned a pair of AE1a speakers for a year and your review corresponds very much to my experience. I a particularly agree with them as not being then most dynamic of speakers which, given my broad tastes in music, can be a bit irritating at times. I would be interested in your thoughts on how they compare, even if only from memory, to the Elac Navis ARB 51, especially in terms of dynamics.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you buddy. I have spent an hour or so listening to the Navis ARB51s but not at home. They are certainly more dynamic that the AE1s. Would have get them in to see how much better they are 😊

[@strannostrannovasrr]

Love your dog. What a sweetie.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you stanno 😊

[@chevyimp5857]

Your reviews are perfect for me.. thanks.. more incidental Bob anytime.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you chevyimp. Next week will be interesting to see if he will stay quiet 🤔

[@grahamehedger4498]

Wow. This has chucked a huge spanner in the works for me. In my limited space living room I was at the point of pulling the trigger on Buchardt S400 MkIIs. Partnered with my Audiolab 600A. Now I've seen this....and a shop in Spain (where I live) is knocking out a pair of these (ex-dems) at 975 yo yo's. BAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

They are unbeatable value for money 😊

[@grahamehedger4498]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Bum. Just after I bought my Audiolab 600A. Ok let's see if that hi fi outlet still has them! Thanks for the reply Tarun.

[@pedroleum2]

Hi Tarun - I bought these speakers (in the gorgeous walnut) after your glowing review. However, I appear to be getting a lot of chuffing from the ports in bass heavy music. They're at least 85cm from the back wall😀 and do this at around 70 dB loudness - Any ideas why or suggestions?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That is odd. They shouldn’t do that. I would check with the seller that all is well with them 👍

[@yourtubisfilled7164]

Thanks so much for the review. If you like these speakers I would suggest you to check out the Airpulse A100's designed by Phil Jones. Also under a thousand, with less tonal control on the speakers themselves than these AE1's, but world class components & wiring, great digital conversion and a USB line in for a lossless connection with your digital source, among a wide range of connection options. The best things are the soundscape and clarity though. The horn loaded ribbon tweaters really are something. I owned them for around a year now in combination with a woofer from XTZ to complement it as a near-field setup on a (big) desk and I am more than happy with them. Working in a concert hall here. I'm really curious what you would have to say about them and how they compare with these AE1's in your opinion.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and your suggestion 😊👍

[@yourtubisfilled7164]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you for your reply! I only recently discovered your channel and am really impressed with the laid back, no-nonsense and highly informative character.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@yourtubisfilled7164 thank you, much appreciated 😊👍

[@redgordonm]

Super helpful Tarun, thanks. Definitely buying a pair of these this coming week.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you redgordonm. Please let me know how you get on 😊👍

[@redgordonm]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Well they are here Tarun and they look fabulous! My next problem is where to put them. I’ve decided to go with my study for now. The only source will be a CD player but I’m debating following some advice you gave elsewhere and getting something new like a Pro-Ject CD Box S2 paired with the Pre Box S2 Digital.....would that be a worthy combo? Cheers! Gordon

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@redgordonm another option would be using something like the SMSL M300 MkII that I reviewed. It has XLR outputs which may be beneficial if you have long cable runs. Thank you for the update

[@redgordonm]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Followed your advice to a T Tarun. Hooked up the AE1’s to my Brennan B2 and bought the SMSL M300 Mk II DAC. Don’t claim to be an audiophile to the extent of many of your followers but, wow, what a sound. Thanks for all the advice, my study is rocking!!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@redgordonm that is great buddy. You have a system that will complete with much more expensive systems IMHO. Hope it gives you many years of listening pleasure 😊👍👍

[@andybenn]

My AE1 Actives arrived today, and shocked they were from Tetbury, a place I have a connection to from my most early years. The walnuts I have received are very good not to orange at all. I am waiting for UPS to deliver the Eversolo A6 but so far they have been really not great. . I have a new cartridge for the turntable all ready and hopefully by Sat night I will be having a great time

[@majicogarcia8417]

How are you liking your AE1 speakers?

[@andybenn]

@majicogarcia8417 Extremely well, I haven't placed them in a great place yet, the6 are in a kitchen in a bit of a recess near a well. but they sound great to my ears. really glad I went with them can't lie.

[@majicogarcia8417]

@@andybenn What are their strengths and weaknesses? Have you had any other bookshelfs you can compare them to? There are very few demos of the AE1 Active on youtube unfortunately. And this channel didnt include a sound demo.

[@kago90]

Hi. very good review as always. Do you plan to review the Kef LS50 wireless II?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you KM. I was hoping to but Kef haven’t got back to me on sending stuff. I have tried a couple of times 🤨👍

[@steverees1936]

Bob is such a cutie, not something I normally say about other guys but he is an exception 😂 Interesting looking speakers and active speakers are starting to become more accessible and affordable and for £1000 they sound a steal. I know they are more expensive but the Buchardt 500 seems to lead the way for me though with their room correction software. Hopefully there'll be a review on their floorstander version soon.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Steve. I may look into reviewing the Buchardt Actives. Always great to hear from you 😉👍

[@steverees1936]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 hopefully the A700's as everyone else is reviewing the A500's. Be the one to stand out from the sheep 😁

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for the suggestion steve 😊

[@joshuasterling2144]

My powered setup is far from audiophile grade, its more bombastic and its basically a PA system for me...lol Two Yamaha DXR 10's and two BEHRINGER EUROLIVE B1200D-PRO's fed through HiFi Decoder SMSL SU-8 and a Harmony remote. I use the subs to cross the low end to 70hz and that cleans up the separation between everything substantially. I have this setup paired with a projector that I can take in and out of the space for outdoor and indoor use. If I use a direct USB feed through PC and I am streaming Tidal with the Dolby Atmos headphone app running I do get close to what I would call a high end sound. I doubt many people even bother to put any of the quality of feed and processing that I do even on this type of setup, but the results are pretty good. Many of the advantages you spoke of also coincide with one of my main concerns....portability and ease of use. Also XLR connections are just great and you can just use them anywhere without problems. You also rest easy knowing that whoever designed what your listening to got their execution done cradle to grave on the speaker before releasing it without introducing more links in the chain before reaching your ears. In some ways it the purest experience for the company you enjoy or love. The Klipsch fives seem to be reviewing well. Cheers.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Joshua 😊

[@majicogarcia8417]

A 15 second demo with copyright free music would have been very nice.

[@aussie8114]

Doggy is adorable 🥰 These speakers look to be awesome. I see they are made in PRC, that would explain the low cost. Would like to see inside one of them. Not sure where the amp heat is going. By the way there is an error in the video title, Hz.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you my friend, I have corrected it. Damn autocorrect! I would like to open them up. If I am allowed. Maybe a follow up video looking at the circuit. Always great to hear from you and thanks again LAZY DOG 😉👍👍

[@ts9127]

Great review - as always and greetings from Poland. If You had to choose from 3 sets: 1) Allo usbridge signature + Pro-ject pre box s2 digital + Acoustic energy ae1 active 2) Bluesound node 2i + Acoustic energy ae1 active or passive 3) Allo usbridge signature + Audiolab 6000a + Wharfedale evo 4.2 What would You choose and why?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

All good choices but I suspect option one would sound the best 😉

[@vaishal27]

Absolutely adorable pup!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you vaishal27 🐶👍

[@kevinoshea8898]

Brilliant as always...thanks.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Kevin 😉👍

[@beetooex]

PUPPPPYYYYYY!!!!!!! 😀😀😀😀 (I'll now rewind and actually listen to what you were saying lol)

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you beetooex. If you find him distracting, imagine how I felt whilst filming. He was a very good boy though. 😉👍

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

He has already tried 🐶👍

[@davidthomson8164]

Thanks Tarun, another great video. Would be interested to hear how these speakers sound with the audiolab 6000n Play and the Bluenode 2i?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Yes indeed. I think that is exactly the kind of stuff you should partner them with plus a good external DAC 😉👍

[@derekjarman1638]

Beautiful finish for the price as well as great sound!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Agreed. Thank you for watching and commenting Derek 😊👍

[@lonniefarmer7067]

Thank you, as I am in the market for a good small monitor system and that would seem to be these.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching Lonnie. If you get them, please let me know how you get on with them 😊👍

[@Chris-nj2jz]

Great review. If building a $2000-ish basic stereo setup from scratch for 75% streaming (via Wiim), 25% vinyl would you choose the AE1 over a basic passive setup like the Audiolab 6000A w. Wharfedale EVO 4.1 or similar? And if so, any sub $500-ish pre-amp/dac or standalone dac recommendations? Thanks!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thanks. Both good systems with relative strengths and weaknesses. To accommodate vinyl you may want to check out a Schitt Freya but for digital only I would go for a SMSL DAC. I would use balanced connections 😊

[@wollymolly]

Awesome review. This with a Node2i could be a neat little system. I wander how these would compare to the AE500 passives with a comparatively priced amp.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. I am planning to get the AE509s in for review this year 😊👍

[@donalddeorio2237]

I have a Cavipoo and we love her

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Bod is 9 months old now 🐶 😊👍

[@ismailkavak8759]

Any idea if these active speakers ok for nearfield listening? Or any recommendation for a high-end desktop speakers for listening 1m distance

[@oldgeezer5861]

Bit late to the party Tarun. Cracking review of the AE1 Actives. I am currently a custodian of a pair of 20 year AE109's which I intend to keep. I've noticed your 'listening room' sounds fairly 'bright'. From experience over the years I've noticed that different furnishings, carpets and long curtains etc have a marked effect on the acoustics of a room. How do you overcome these challenges.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you buddy. Soft furnishing will help to reduce reverb at high frequencies. Speaker positioning is the most important thing you can do to get good sound. I did a video on speaker setup when I started the channel 😊👍

[@simonhawkins7004]

Very informative.. big thumbs up .. 👍👍👍

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Simon 😊👍

[@yannick930]

I started with edfier active speakers. They were very nice back then. Specially the 3 way speakers. I still have to find that type of sound coming from a 2 way passive speaker. It was not hifi but there is really something nice happening to the midrange and the bass when it is done by 2 different drivers. The drivers integration was far from perfect but the seperation between voices and the bass note was amazing even at high volume. What do you think of 3 way speakers ? fav brands in passive ? Nice review as always and welcome to Bob :)

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you yannick. There are some great 2 way and 3 ways speakers out there. It all comes down to implementation of the design. The big difference is going to be that the 3 way is going to have to be naturally larger and you will need to sit further away so that you don’t experience driver integration problems. What I am getting at is that they both work well but for different scenarios. Some great 3 ways are the ATC SCM 40s, Proac K6, Dynaudio Confidence 30s. These are all pretty expensive. At a more reasonable price there are some dual concentric versions that I like which means that you don’t have to be so far away from them. Kef R3s, Elac UB52s, and Tannoy XT6Fs. Good to hear from as always 😉

[@ionutplesea5693]

Hi Tarun and congrats for another fantastic review. I'm a beginner in the audiophile journey and I find your reviews very informative and enlightening. I decided to take the plunge on these AE1 Actives and was wondering if you have any suggestions for a decent pair of stands for them. And also what did you use underneath the base plate to raise your speakers stands? Any advice recommendations links would be very much appreciated. Thanks and keep up the excellent work.

[@ionutplesea5693]

And I forgot to mention I love your cute little puppyI had to watch this twice because of him...

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Ionut. Bob is settling in very well. I think he thinks he owns the place now. He has a lovely temperament. I use EVA blocks to raise the stands. My cousin recently bought some Custom Design Signature stands. They are reasonably priced and can be filled. Make sure you get the right height. I hope you will be happy with the AE1s when they arrive 😊👍

[@ionutplesea5693]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks so much Tarun. Are those blocks stable enough under the stands, seems somewhat wobbly to me? But hey, what do I know, it's gonna be my first pair of stands😂 You've also mentioned filling the stands with sand, should I use bags or it's better to pour directly? Sorry for the silly questions😊

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Ionut, I don’t believe in using spikes. See my video below. It is okay if it wobbles a little as long as it is stable. I would use bags to fill with kiln dry sand or kitty litter. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHmyiougi69-gbs

[@ionutplesea5693]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks so much

[@zindahoon]

Hey , Tarun after your todays video i revisited your review about

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching Atri 😊

[@zindahoon]

Forget to ask you Tarun , is analog input on both speakers ? or a coax cable ? if its RCA than it should be 2 channel right ? sorry about the silly question

[@SolivG]

Hi Tarun, how would you rate the Acoustic Energy AE1 active against the AE500 from the same company in terms of sound quality assuming a modest budget for a separate amplifier for the AE500?

[@ricardolopes2014]

Hello Tarun! Would you recommend this for Hard Rock / Heavy Metal? I moved away from passive speakers! I own a Ruark Audio MR2 for a desktop/2nd system and now I will invest in my main system! From my experience you are right when you say that active speakers should not have any Bluetooth/Wi-Fi or DAC! You also suggested B&W 606 for “rockers” in the review for the AE300? What about the 607? Another “life lesson” regarding speakers...when you have wife and kids you don’t go “to eleven”! I need a compact speaker to play at low or moderate levels, but with body to the sound! Congrats on the channel! Best Regards!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Ricardo, the AE1s are a very good all rounder. For rock enthusiasts I would normally recommend a speaker that is dynamic, fast and a little on the cool side of neutral. B&Ws, Focal’s, PMCs generally have that sound. 607s and an Iota VX SA3 may give you a more visceral rock experience. Even if it is not a transparent and refined as the AE1s. I hope this makes sense 😊👍

[@ricardolopes2014]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi, Tarun! Thank you for the feedback. Yes, it makes sense! I’m trying not to have to choose amp+cables, again! 😩If only Iotavx had dealers so we were able to listen first! 😅. Best Regards

[@chowyeung]

Thanks for your review. I think I am about to buy a pair! Do you think it is always more rewarding in sound quality by using XLR connection instead of the RCA one?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. I would use XLR if possible, especially with longer cable runs. There is always a chance that a RCA cable will pick up noise 😊

[@panagodavenura7380]

Hi, Great review ! I'm looking for a pair of active speakers for my room (

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Panagoda. I needed to be at least 1.5m (5ft) away from the drivers to get a coherent sound. I think the Kef LSX is better suited for desktop use, 😊👍

[@panagodavenura7380]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 sorry I meant 10 square meters not feet ! But thanks for the reply, I'll go get the LSX then and maybe try out the AE1 one day when I'll have more space. I hope the LSX doesn't sound too bad compared to the AE1's ! Any way thanks for taking the time to reply !👍