Acoustic Energy AE120² Floorstanding Speaker Review & Comments

[Ed Selley]

Affordable floorstanders are less and less common these days so Acoustic Energy updating its 100 Series is great news. Is this sleek tower up to the job?
Read the review.

Write your own review for Acoustic Energy AE120²

 

[nickj1000]

I have a much older version of these make of speakers that nearly broke my low salaried bank at the time and I managed to integrate them into my surround sound system with my 100 watt Rotel amp. Wonderful sound both for music and movies. These I guess must be infinitely better I am sure !

 

[pressure]

They look lovely. Sounds like the acoustic energy sound has matured a bit!

BTW @Ed Selley those speaker cables look very pretty, would you mind sharing what they are?

 

[Ed Selley]

BTW @Ed Selley those speaker cables look very pretty, would you mind sharing what they are?

A nigh on twenty year old run of Audioquest CV6.

 

[Jefke13]

lovely company.

 

[mike7]

Once again a review of speakers with no apparent attempt to comment on how they sound with a real full orchestra. Electronic music and small combos are not the only genres that purchasers of these expensive speakers will want to use them for.

 

[roundhed]

I have the 520's and the last paragraph here pretty much sums about how I feel about them.
Great all rounders with a level of detail that I didn't expect.
The most enjoyable speakers I've owned [and by no means the most expensive].
Also..... Boards of Canada do something to my brain no other band does, it's hard to explain actually.

 

[NewAcousticDimension]

Has anyone seen any frequency response, impedance or phase plots for these please?

 

[Ossiepop]

Once again a review of speakers with no apparent attempt to comment on how they sound with a real full orchestra. Electronic music and small combos are not the only genres that purchasers of these expensive speakers will want to use them for.

I expect the reviewer has merely come to the conclusion that they are better off sticking with the music that they know and enjoy as it just isn't worth expending any extra effort to test the equipment with an all-encompassing mix of genres, some they may not even be overly familiar with, as inevitably there will always be somebody disappointed enough with the selection to repeatedly whine on about it anyhow.

 

[Jefke13]

Once again a review of speakers with no apparent attempt to comment on how they sound with a real full orchestra. Electronic music and small combos are not the only genres that purchasers of these expensive speakers will want to use them f

I have the 520's and the last paragraph here pretty much sums about how I feel about them.
Great all rounders with a level of detail that I didn't expect.
The most enjoyable speakers I've owned [and by no means the most expensive].
Also..... Boards of Canada do something to my brain no other band does, it's hard to explain actually.

Hello, use to have the 509 and loved them, boards rule

 

[bogart99]

Speakers are probably the hardest part of a hi-fi change to give definitive views on as the room plays such a massive part in the overall perception.

 

[Gwarf]

Affordable floorstanders are less and less common these days so Acoustic Energy updating its 100 Series is great news. Is this sleek tower up to the job?
Read the review.

Write your own review for Acoustic Energy AE120²

a good price point. rest of my money is going on utility bills probably.

excellent review.

only downside is they are not Marriage ending sized Speakers, which is what I am looking for. They tend to cost much more.

 

[robdmarsh]

A few years ago I heard the diminutive ae 109, which I suppose was the predecessor to this speaker. It sounded really nice, wonderfully cohesive like a stand mount, but with a bit of welcome bass kick for those looking for a floor standing speaker for smaller rooms. Does AV Forums have only one reviewer for hifi speakers and that one reviewer is Mr Selly?

 

[Jefke13]

a good price point. rest of my money is going on utility bills probably.

excellent review.

only downside is they are not Marriage ending sized Speakers, which is what I am looking for. They tend to cost much more.

in white they are quite unintrusive and probably one of the few brands that offers gloss black and white in this price segment

 

[Steve Stifler]

A few years ago I heard the diminutive ae 109, which I suppose was the predecessor to this speaker. It sounded really nice, wonderfully cohesive like a stand mount, but with a bit of welcome bass kick for those looking for a floor standing speaker for smaller rooms. Does AV Forums have only one reviewer for hifi speakers and that one reviewer is Mr Selly?

AFAIK affirmative. Ed is a highly accomplished HiFi and av journalist and you will find his reviews across a range of online and print publications. Always a good entertaining read.

 

[Sandyb01]

AFAIK affirmative. Ed is a highly accomplished HiFi and av journalist and you will find his reviews across a range of online and print publications. Always a good entertaining read.

Agreed very much, he writes with a clarity that you dont see often.

Try and read his reviews even when the product is of no practical interest to me.

 

[Khazul]

Speakers are probably the hardest part of a hi-fi change to give definitive views on as the room plays such a massive part in the overall perception.

That and in the case of relatively budget floor-standers, using them with a high end amp can sometimes be a whole different experience to use with what people are more likely to pair them with.