Acoustic Energy AE101 Speaker Review

Why would you choose the AE101 over the competition? It's all in the genes...

by Ed Selley
MSRP: £250.00

What is the AE101?

When I was a youth- something that regrettably was an increasingly long time ago- budget speaker tests in magazines (and it was in magazines as the internet was a fringe undertaking used by a select few technophiles) were a considerable undertaking. If a test wanted to cover a meaningful quantity of the models on offer, it went on for page after page of the things. There were dozens of speaker manufacturers and they all knew that if they collared you first, there was a reasonable chance that you'd stick with them up the pecking order of their product lines.

There might have been dozens of speakers but they almost without exception were the same basic pattern. A box between 25 and 40 centimetres in height contained a tweeter and a mid bass driver. The size and material that these two drivers were made from varied somewhat- metal vied with plastic which tangled with paper and porting arrangements altered between front and back but fundamentally, the pattern was the same. What differed wildly though was performance. In the same way that giving a Michelin starred restaurant and a Little Chef exactly the same ingredients won't result in exactly the same dish, the best budget designs were far more than the sum of their parts.

In the thick of these contests was Acoustic Energy. I won't rewrite history and say that they were decisively better than everyone else- they were the pick of the field some years and firmly mid table in others- but what made Acoustic Energy different from the pack was that if you stuck with them, the speaker at the top of the range was the same basic shape and size as the one at the bottom. Acoustic Energy made a name for themselves by unleashing the AE1 on the world and pretty much created the high end standmount market while they did so. In 2015, the number of contenders has shrunk a little but Acoustic Energy still makes high end standmounts and at the other end of the market you can buy into the design concepts with the AE101. The lineage is there but does it translate to great performance?

Design

Acoustic Energy AE101
As befits the brand, the AE101 is a two way standmount speaker that is exactly 30 centimetres tall in classic Acoustic Energy form- not accidentally as we shall see. I have covered a fair bit of the technology that makes the range tick in the review of the 5.1 system but in short, the 101 is built around a 28mm soft dome tweeter and a 100mm mid bass driver made of aluminium- a company calling card. A soft dome tweeter is more of a departure from the AE norm- the company historically used aluminium for that as well but it has made the move to soft domes across the ranges with some success of late.

This is conventional enough but there are some variations to the theme that Acoustic Energy use to try and achieve a performance boost. The most notable of these is the use of a slot port at the front of the faceplate to vent the cabinet. The use of a slot is beneficial in a few areas. The smaller profile of the slot makes it easier to accommodate on the relatively busy front panel but at the same time the cross-sectional area is fairly high. This gives plenty of venting potential to the cabinet but also slows down the air as it leaves which should avoid the chuffing effect that can mar the performance of small speakers. Equally, keeping the port on the front means that the AE101 should be happier used nearer to rear walls than rival designs with a rear port. This means that the 101 should be happier on shelves and in alcoves than some rivals.

Acoustic Energy AE101
The 101 does without a biwire capable set of terminals- it appears that after a decade and a bit of heated argument over whether this makes any real difference, the pendulum is swinging away from the practise - and there is instead a pair of sturdy if unspectacular terminals for a single run of speaker cable. This also means that the 101 should slot into the place of an existing pair of speakers without issue.

What's good about the AE101?

The Acoustic Energy is neither hugely complex nor desperately ornate. What is impressive is that despite this, the 101 feels solid and well thought out. The use of magnetic trim tabs and the clean overall lines of the speaker make it look handsome in an unfussy sort of way and the chrome trim lifts the product without being over styled. The build is also good with good quality visible materials, a solid feeling cabinet and a general sense of thought and care about the whole design.

The 101 it seems is also a bit of a bargain. The drivers are shared with the more expensive 301 and the savings made by refining the cabinet and losing the gloss finish. Given that the 301 is a very accomplished speaker, the 101 is a bit of a steal as aesthetically it is still perfectly acceptable. Additionally to this, Acoustic Energy has just shaved another £25 off the list price. While speakers like the Q Acoustics 3010 and 3020 cast a long shadow in this price category, this is a speaker that is worth the asking price.
Acoustic Energy AE101
The use of magnetic trim tabs and the clean overall lines of the speaker make it look handsome in an unfussy sort of way

What's not so good about the AE101?

The Acoustic Energy is available in two finishes but slightly problematically, none of them blow my frock up that much. You have a choice of black ash or walnut. The black ash is inoffensive- and was the finish of the review sample- but not the stuff that sets the pulse racing while the walnut is a little artificial and slightly at odds with popular shades of the moment. With Q Acoustics bringing, leather (or something that looks pretty much like leather), gloss black and white as well as more prosaic finishes, the pressure is on manufacturers to fight their historic unwillingness to have dozens of different colours and give customers a fair choice. Another minor gripe is that the magnetic tags for the grilles could do with a little more oomph. They aren't completely child proof as is.

How was the AE101 tested?

The Acoustic Energy was mainly connected to a Musical Fidelity M6SI that was in residence for the duration of testing. This was partnered with a Wadia di122 DAC and the Clearaudio Performance DC that passed through reviewing at the same time. All equipment was connected to an IsoTek Evo 3 Sigmas mains conditioner and the speakers were placed on a pair of Soundstyle Z60 stands. Music used included lossless and high res FLAC, Vinyl and Tidal.

Sound Quality

Acoustic Energy AE101

Historically, Acoustic Energy designs managed above all to be fun. The original AE1 (still available in mildly reworked Classic form) might not always have been the most refined speaker around but it could deliver a level of joy to a piece of music that was hard to beat. The good news is that at the core of the AE101 lies some of the same desire to find the fun in a piece of music and deliver a lively and exciting performance.

Part of this is down to the innate simplicity of the design principle. With only two drivers, the complexity of the crossover and the challenge of achieving time alignment and other niceties of speaker design are lower and the AE101 is blessed with a pair of drivers that integrate effectively and seamlessly with one another. The result is a speaker that sounds consistent from top to bottom and matches this with speed and agility.

It also manages surprising bass extension too. For a fairly small speaker, the AE101 can produce a degree of bass you feel as well as hear. To be clear, if you want to rearrange your internal organs, it probably won't do the job (or at least need some help from a sub) but it has more grunt that you'd give it credit for and this bass is also well integrated with the rest of the frequency response rather than a freak blip at the end of a period of nothingness.

Acoustic Energy AE101
Further up the frequency response the news is pretty good too. The midrange of the AE101 is smooth, refined and generally very believable with good tonality and effective separation of different performers and instruments. At the very top of the spectrum, there is the slightest sense that the AE101 is rolling off a little. This might be a limitation of the tweeter but could also be a deliberate decision to reduce the top end energy to ensure that the AE101 stays civilised. The effect is only really noticeable when you compare the Acoustic Energy to rather more expensive speakers but if you have electronics that already roll off at the top end you might find it deadens the performance somewhat.

These minor gripes shouldn't be taken as stark criticism though. In the time that the AE101 has been running, the most significant part of their performance I've experienced is that more often than not, I've stopped analysing their performance and just enjoyed what they can do. This means that I've also stopped considering them as £250 speakers and simply enjoyed them as speakers- and good speakers at that. The AE101 is also capable of showing up the difference and characteristics of equipment further up the signal path- while I reached my decisions about the Clearaudio with my more usual Neat speakers, I would have been able to divine the same things with the 101s in their place.

The slight sting in the tail is that this means that the Acoustic Energy is not an instant fix all to lacklustre equipment. It responds with enthusiasm to more expensive equipment but I can see it also being a little merciless with less capable electronics. There is a huge amount of high quality budget equipment on the market though so it shouldn't be too difficult to partner the AE101 with cost effective equipment that shows it to good effect. It will need to be partnering equipment with a fair amount of grunt however. There is nothing in the specs that suggests that the Acoustic Energy is especially insensitive but it really does come alive at higher levels with a little bit of power behind it.
Acoustic Energy AE101
I've also stopped considering them as £250 speakers and simply enjoyed them as speakers- and good speakers at that

Conclusion

Pros

  • Refined but accurate sound
  • Well built
  • Competitively priced

Cons

  • Slightly lacklustre finish choice
  • Won't flatter poorer equipment
  • Need some power to deliver their best

Acoustic Energy AE101 Speaker Review

A comprehensive budget speaker group test is not the enormous spectacle that it once was but there is still no real shortage of speakers available at this price point. The technology has broadened the materials available and how you can use them but for the most part, the major brands are fighting it out by making micro adjustments to the same basic formula. The market remains tough.

As such, there is no shortage of competition for the AE101 but the little Acoustic Energy really holds its own. This is a relatively affordable speaker that packs a considerable punch which it partners with impressive civility and a real ability to find out more about the recording and the equipment playing it. This is not the prettiest speaker at the price and a modicum of care needs to be taken in partnering it but if you meet these basic criteria, this is a truly excellent speaker for the asking price.

Scores

Sound Quality

.
.
8

Build Quality

.
.
8

Value For Money

.
9

Verdict

.
.
8
8
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

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