AEJim said:
The nicest finish
Ever since I've seen the brighter orange I've liked it.
Really looks good.
AEJim
Well-known member
- Nov 17, 2008
- 82
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drummerman said:
I like the 100's simply because I think they're a great speaker, regardless of price. The fact they're cheap, small, unfussy and not hideous to look at (in my opinion) are all bonuses. I have never yet heard them sound anything but enjoyable - I've demoed them to a couple of dozen dealers and feedback is universally the same (feel free to ask any stockists their honest opinion!).
I basically just wrote a far more comprehensive review of them in this reply but thought better of it and deleted as I'll only get accused of bias and self-promotion. I simply have very little to fault about them and always enjoy listening to them, that's my personal view.
I welcome anyone else to have a listen, they're widely available in the UK and most other places, if you hate them or otherwise feel free to come back and say so for balance! 🙂
Al ears said:
The perils of manufacturers getting involved in forums ... .
I know that Cyrus, to name one, regularly monitor but never get involved.
Understandable.
jonathanRD
Well-known member
- Jan 27, 2011
- 179
- 52
- 18,670
Al ears said:
In my experience it's the high priced (and cost more to make) models you sell less of, but attract the higher markup.
First of all, I will try not to make too many comparisons with my old ATC SCM11 + Nord passive kit that the AEs have replaced. All I can say is that I have not wanted to swap them back at any point since the AEs arrived some four weeks ago.
The music that I’ve focussed on for this review includes the following:
From NAS (FLAC):
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Tamacun (Rodrigo y Gabriela) Authentic quality
Fleetwood Mac - Sara (Best Of)
Steely Dan - Almost Gothic (Two Against Nature) (HD)
Alison Krauss - Paper Airplane (Paper Airplane)
Yo Yo Ma - Attaboy (The Goat Rodeo Sessions)
Vivaldi - Concerto in D for 2 violins (HD)
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd)
+ a much bigger range from Spotify. Although sound quality is slightly better from the local NAS, the AEs do not an issue of this and sq from both Spotify and internet radio streams is very listenable. Music genres have included rock, classical, dance, soul, funk, pop, acoustic and jazz (sorry but no thrash or hip hop - personal aversion here).
The speakers sit on their custom-built AE stands (67cm high) and are located close to a rear wall (20cm away). I use a Linn Akurate DSM1 streamer/preamp and they are connected by 4m/5m lengths of XLR cable. I do apply some room correction using Linn’s own SPACE settings that are accessible via their PC/Mac software Konfig. It mainly removes some bass at 48hz although there is a little more tweaking at 85hz where the software has identified particular issues with room frequencies (nodes) that could affect sound quality.
Without SPACE switched on, I find the AE actives a little too lively in their bass response although this can be tamed a little using the -2db bass switch on the back of the cabinet (this helps but is not as accurate as the Linn settings allow which is understandable). In other rooms and with the speakers further way from a rear wall, I doubt you would experience any such issues and bass/treble switch settings on the speakers would be down to personal preference.
The appearance of the speakers has already been commented on by a number of posters and it is good as the photos show. Finish is excellent and their dimensions pleasing to the eye. I have only seen the piano black version so cannot comment on the other two finishes but I believe that Paulq has the cherry finish.
What impressed me from the off was that these speakers sound extremely engaging. You are drawn to the music in its entirety. Apologies if this sounds odd but explaining sound qualities is not easy. The sound is very good at a holistic level; I found no particular frequency or sound dominates or detracts from the whole. I think that many good/excellent speakers achieve this and the AEs score very highly. They are just so easy to listen to and as many other posters, well versed with active designs have commented before, it doesn’t really matter how loud you play them; they still retain their even-sounding qualities. Whatever this ‘musical’ ingredient is, I’m not sure how it comes about; one possible contributing factor might be the integration between bass and treble drivers. Whatever it is, notes seem to flow easily and seamlessly.
As regards volume, despite the quoted 50+50w amp output from each speaker, they will go more than loud enough for most small/medium sized rooms. I’m not in a position to comment on how they would sound in a large room but would imagine that if you’re in the market for large floorstanders, this review will be academic. Regarding volume, a comparison with the ATCs wouldn’t go amiss; the SCM11s would go incredibly loud (fed by 400w per channel from the Nord) but I used to find this extreme volume almost painful to my ears.
The AEs also have a deeper bass response than the sealed-cabinet SCM11s. This might explain why I’m finding them easier to live with as well as more engaging.
The width and depth of the soundstage is extremely good; it is not essential to sit dead centre of any sweet spot to appreciate this although perched at the apex of the ideal listening triangle, you will get the best out of the AEs. I find the AEs more ‘holographic’ than the SCM11s. Like Davedotco stated with reference to his Adam actives, the AEs have the ability to disappear and just leave the music in front of you. You can also listen into the depth of a mix without it becoming too separated or where instruments lose their rhythmic qualities.
Detail is there in abundance although it’s not of the cold, analytical, variety. It is easy to separate instruments in a complex mix e.g in the Gabriella track, the different guitars can be placed as well as how the hand hits the guitar body in a percussive effect. The rhythm of music is reproduced strongly and songs hang together well.
I haven’t found that any specific genre of music suits the AEs as they appear to sound great with classical, rock, pop, jazz, vocal etc. In this respect, they share the fuss-free qualities of the ATCs. One feature that has struck me with the AEs is their ability to play the trailing ends of notes and sounds. For instance, a triangle’s ’ting’ decays well over time and sounds like it should; i.e it has a ring and a reverb. The strum of acoustic guitar strings (a percussive sound) can be heard alongside the actual note of the string itself. I hesitate to use the term ‘warm’ as this would be an over statement, but there is such a quality to the overall sound which is extremely pleasing to the ear.
To summarise, although there’s no such thing as the perfect speaker, the AE1a come as close as possible for me at this amazing price (£1000). They sound great and they look great. They go loud without hurting and yet play at lower volumes with delicacy and finesse. They will rock with the best or sooth you with Mozart or Miles. My better half (who has an excellent ear for music and was once a serious player of classical trumpet) described these speakers as ‘authentic’ in their reproduction of instruments. As one reviewer has mentioned; at this price, these speakers are a steal.
The music that I’ve focussed on for this review includes the following:
From NAS (FLAC):
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Tamacun (Rodrigo y Gabriela) Authentic quality
Fleetwood Mac - Sara (Best Of)
Steely Dan - Almost Gothic (Two Against Nature) (HD)
Alison Krauss - Paper Airplane (Paper Airplane)
Yo Yo Ma - Attaboy (The Goat Rodeo Sessions)
Vivaldi - Concerto in D for 2 violins (HD)
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd)
+ a much bigger range from Spotify. Although sound quality is slightly better from the local NAS, the AEs do not an issue of this and sq from both Spotify and internet radio streams is very listenable. Music genres have included rock, classical, dance, soul, funk, pop, acoustic and jazz (sorry but no thrash or hip hop - personal aversion here).
The speakers sit on their custom-built AE stands (67cm high) and are located close to a rear wall (20cm away). I use a Linn Akurate DSM1 streamer/preamp and they are connected by 4m/5m lengths of XLR cable. I do apply some room correction using Linn’s own SPACE settings that are accessible via their PC/Mac software Konfig. It mainly removes some bass at 48hz although there is a little more tweaking at 85hz where the software has identified particular issues with room frequencies (nodes) that could affect sound quality.
Without SPACE switched on, I find the AE actives a little too lively in their bass response although this can be tamed a little using the -2db bass switch on the back of the cabinet (this helps but is not as accurate as the Linn settings allow which is understandable). In other rooms and with the speakers further way from a rear wall, I doubt you would experience any such issues and bass/treble switch settings on the speakers would be down to personal preference.
The appearance of the speakers has already been commented on by a number of posters and it is good as the photos show. Finish is excellent and their dimensions pleasing to the eye. I have only seen the piano black version so cannot comment on the other two finishes but I believe that Paulq has the cherry finish.
What impressed me from the off was that these speakers sound extremely engaging. You are drawn to the music in its entirety. Apologies if this sounds odd but explaining sound qualities is not easy. The sound is very good at a holistic level; I found no particular frequency or sound dominates or detracts from the whole. I think that many good/excellent speakers achieve this and the AEs score very highly. They are just so easy to listen to and as many other posters, well versed with active designs have commented before, it doesn’t really matter how loud you play them; they still retain their even-sounding qualities. Whatever this ‘musical’ ingredient is, I’m not sure how it comes about; one possible contributing factor might be the integration between bass and treble drivers. Whatever it is, notes seem to flow easily and seamlessly.
As regards volume, despite the quoted 50+50w amp output from each speaker, they will go more than loud enough for most small/medium sized rooms. I’m not in a position to comment on how they would sound in a large room but would imagine that if you’re in the market for large floorstanders, this review will be academic. Regarding volume, a comparison with the ATCs wouldn’t go amiss; the SCM11s would go incredibly loud (fed by 400w per channel from the Nord) but I used to find this extreme volume almost painful to my ears.
The AEs also have a deeper bass response than the sealed-cabinet SCM11s. This might explain why I’m finding them easier to live with as well as more engaging.
The width and depth of the soundstage is extremely good; it is not essential to sit dead centre of any sweet spot to appreciate this although perched at the apex of the ideal listening triangle, you will get the best out of the AEs. I find the AEs more ‘holographic’ than the SCM11s. Like Davedotco stated with reference to his Adam actives, the AEs have the ability to disappear and just leave the music in front of you. You can also listen into the depth of a mix without it becoming too separated or where instruments lose their rhythmic qualities.
Detail is there in abundance although it’s not of the cold, analytical, variety. It is easy to separate instruments in a complex mix e.g in the Gabriella track, the different guitars can be placed as well as how the hand hits the guitar body in a percussive effect. The rhythm of music is reproduced strongly and songs hang together well.
I haven’t found that any specific genre of music suits the AEs as they appear to sound great with classical, rock, pop, jazz, vocal etc. In this respect, they share the fuss-free qualities of the ATCs. One feature that has struck me with the AEs is their ability to play the trailing ends of notes and sounds. For instance, a triangle’s ’ting’ decays well over time and sounds like it should; i.e it has a ring and a reverb. The strum of acoustic guitar strings (a percussive sound) can be heard alongside the actual note of the string itself. I hesitate to use the term ‘warm’ as this would be an over statement, but there is such a quality to the overall sound which is extremely pleasing to the ear.
To summarise, although there’s no such thing as the perfect speaker, the AE1a come as close as possible for me at this amazing price (£1000). They sound great and they look great. They go loud without hurting and yet play at lower volumes with delicacy and finesse. They will rock with the best or sooth you with Mozart or Miles. My better half (who has an excellent ear for music and was once a serious player of classical trumpet) described these speakers as ‘authentic’ in their reproduction of instruments. As one reviewer has mentioned; at this price, these speakers are a steal.
I have not heard the AE1x so can't really comment on them, but so much of what you say resonates very strongly in the context of some of the active speakers I have tried at home. Most of these were from the professional side of the divide but the transparancy, clarity and even handedness that you mention is common among the better pro models.
Clearly there needs to be some perspective here, we are talking about relatively budget models and some are clearly much better than others, just like hi-fi speakers.
Should you need to fill a larger space, there are models around the price of the AE1x such as the Lyd 7 or 8 that will reproduce the music on a larger scale and others with different presentation to suit your requirements and taste. Just like hi-fi really!
Clearly there needs to be some perspective here, we are talking about relatively budget models and some are clearly much better than others, just like hi-fi speakers.
Should you need to fill a larger space, there are models around the price of the AE1x such as the Lyd 7 or 8 that will reproduce the music on a larger scale and others with different presentation to suit your requirements and taste. Just like hi-fi really!
@Pedro2
Thanks, good info without going into the usual hifi superlative vocabulary. Much obliged.
May I ask, do they subjectively sound punchy and how do they fare at low volume?
Thanks, good info without going into the usual hifi superlative vocabulary. Much obliged.
May I ask, do they subjectively sound punchy and how do they fare at low volume?
nopiano
Well-known member
- Feb 15, 2009
- 4,415
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Super write up, thank you.
When they were launched I heard them at the Bristol Show and they sounded super. But they were literally the first thing I heard, so couldn’t make a definitive judgment. Then again, I’ve always liked the AE I’ve heard, and I’ve followed them for many years. Used to drive past their Cirencester head office every day too, when we lived nearby. A good part of the world for speaker makers!
When they were launched I heard them at the Bristol Show and they sounded super. But they were literally the first thing I heard, so couldn’t make a definitive judgment. Then again, I’ve always liked the AE I’ve heard, and I’ve followed them for many years. Used to drive past their Cirencester head office every day too, when we lived nearby. A good part of the world for speaker makers!
chebby
Well-known member
- Jun 2, 2008
- 1,257
- 34
- 19,220
A wealth of information on this thread. Excellent. Read the HFC review too.
A pity about the only wood veneer option costing £200 extra but at least it’s a decent looking, high-gloss job.
This seems an amazing package and thanks to Jim for the designer’s insights. (And photos etc.)
I have just read a review of someone using AE100s with his Marantz M-CR611 (very successfully) and - naturally - wondered about the AE1Actives with the same as a ‘front-end’.
Just pondering. Can’t afford to change at present.
A pity about the only wood veneer option costing £200 extra but at least it’s a decent looking, high-gloss job.
This seems an amazing package and thanks to Jim for the designer’s insights. (And photos etc.)
I have just read a review of someone using AE100s with his Marantz M-CR611 (very successfully) and - naturally - wondered about the AE1Actives with the same as a ‘front-end’.
Just pondering. Can’t afford to change at present.
Hi Jim; nice to read your comments- Ive been the very happy owner of a pair of your Company's AE120 floorstanders for nearly 20 years. Excellent loudspeakers !
AEJim said:
Al ears said:
Clearly you don't watch the apprentice all ears. If you have something at RRP of £200, and something of £200,000, which do you think will produce the most profit. ? I can assure you the profit on the latter will be more than £20.
plastic penguin
Well-known member
- Apr 28, 2008
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"Clearly you don't watch the apprentice all ears. If you have something at RRP of £200, and something of £200,000, which do you think will produce the most profit. ? I can assure you the profit on the latter will be more than £20."
That's one way of looking at it. But if you take it on percentage terms, the cheaper items often give you more of a mark up. That's why some companies, such as Richer Sounds, have a 'pile it high and sell them cheap' policy . They would rather sell in volume and lower profit rather than huge profits with a small turnover. I know making hi-fi products is different but higher price doesn't guarantee bigger profits.
That's one way of looking at it. But if you take it on percentage terms, the cheaper items often give you more of a mark up. That's why some companies, such as Richer Sounds, have a 'pile it high and sell them cheap' policy . They would rather sell in volume and lower profit rather than huge profits with a small turnover. I know making hi-fi products is different but higher price doesn't guarantee bigger profits.
Paulq
Well-known member
- Dec 2, 2007
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Pedro2 said:
Hey Pedro
Glad you are still enjoying. I have spent only limited time with them so far but all good up to now - hugely enjoyable to listen to.
Just wondered what you do with the following:
1 - Do you leave the amps switched on (so the white light is on) all the time or turn them off? My natural inclination is to turn them off when not in use but I also don't want to eventually wear the switch out.
2 - Where do you have the volume set to on the back of each unit? I have tended to have mine set to around 1 o'clock as you look directly at it then use the ADSM volume. Just curious.
@AEJim - what would your recommendation for each of the above be?
Hi Paulq,
I tend to switch off at night; not sure how much power they consume or whether they’ve got a standby setting. Not really thought about the switch durability.
As regards volume setting, I’ve got mine on max setting with the Akurate set to a max of 85 using Konfig. There’s also a -12db default setting in Konfig on sensitivity which I’m using. Tried it at 0db but found the volume to be too loud around 55 so put it back to -12db. Think it’s a bit hit or miss really. Have you tamed the bass yet? They’re a great little speaker!
I tend to switch off at night; not sure how much power they consume or whether they’ve got a standby setting. Not really thought about the switch durability.
As regards volume setting, I’ve got mine on max setting with the Akurate set to a max of 85 using Konfig. There’s also a -12db default setting in Konfig on sensitivity which I’m using. Tried it at 0db but found the volume to be too loud around 55 so put it back to -12db. Think it’s a bit hit or miss really. Have you tamed the bass yet? They’re a great little speaker!
Paulq said:
I would put the volume on the aeactives to 7or 8 out of ten.
Then set the preamp so the listening level on the volume is between 11 and 3 o'clock
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