AE1 Classic

[matthewpiano]

Just interested if anyone has any experience of these little monitors? Before anyone says anything, YES I'm still very happy with the Roths. What I am doing, however, is working out a longer term plan to save and make a significant move upwards and I suspect the little AEs might just be the ticket. Would they work well with the A400 for a start? What amps would work best with them for future upgrades?

 

[Frank Harvey]

I've heard the original ones, which sounded amazingly transparent and fast, as long as they were driven with enough amplification. They were quite a low sensitivity if I remember rightly, so need a load of oomph. I've not heard the newer ones, but judging by the spec they've tweaked them a little to be more amp friendly.

I'm guessing the Pioneer won't get the best from them, but it should drive them ok. If it was the real originals, I wouldn't recommend the Pioneer.

 

[matthewpiano]

Thanks David. There isn't much in the way of reviews etc. for these so any comments are useful.

The other speakers that catch my eye are the ProAc Tablette 8s.

 

[AEJim]

The A400 should just about drive them ok, it was a decent enough amp. We have an old Audiolab 8000a we use occasionally as part of our test set-up and it manages with them - the more power the better though! That said our main amp is only an 80-odd watt Naim Supernait and this drives all our models well, power supply and current delivery are more crucial than watts.

Spec-wise they're pretty much the same as the originals - I'd say sensitivity is around 84-85dB realistically. The only changes from the original were the tweeter, which was no longer available so the best replacement we could find was used, very close to the original - the cab MDF is slightly different as it's from another supplier too but this is more a case of slight changes to character rather than spec. The sound is on the lean n' mean side which means they time very well and convey the musical message as it should be done, some may find them a little lightweight but, depending on your taste this may well be preferable to slow and bloated!

I'm not sure how performance figures/specs come about from most manufacturers but in most cases they're optimistic in my experience - even our own! I just checked the online literature from our site 88dB is way out, 8ohms impedance will be more like 6ohms, 200watt power handling is fine (this is still a vague figure as a 500watt amp would drive them better than a 200watt one and to be safe many think that this means you couldn't damage them with a 50watter... sigh...) and it's this sort of thing that confuses the public.

The close team we have in place nowadays do not like this randomness so all products from the last 2 or 3 years will have pretty accurate measurements, I'll probably introduce a maximum SPL rating for new models as this is more an indicator of how loud a speaker will go (along with sensitivity) than the wattage one is. Most competitor models we test are about 2-3db optimistic in their sensitivity ratings too - there are exceptions such as ATC (for example) who are honest about things though!

At the end of the day these figures are only a basic guide - most modern amps cope perfectly well with most modern speakers, it's not as big an issue as it used to be - the quality and character of the sound is far more important at the end of the day.

 

[Frank Harvey]

AEJim:I'm not sure how performance figures/specs come about from most manufacturers but in most cases they're optimistic in my experience - even our own! I just checked the online literature from our site 88dB is way out, 8ohms impedance will be more like 6ohms,

Sort it! We use your figures!!

 

[matthewpiano]

Thanks Jim - very useful information. Fast and with good timing is spot-on for me. I think I'd just have to plan future amplifier upgrades very carefully!

 

[AEJim]

Oh, and if you listen to the AE1 Classics let them warm up first - especially fresh from the box! The sound will be a little messy from the off until you get some heat through them. The last time I demo'd these was from the boot of my old repmobile straight into the shop and the first 10 mins or so we were all sort of scratching our heads and wondering if they were not as good as we remembered... Halfway through Hotel California (their choice, not mine - at least we all know the track well!) this changed and it all came together, what impressed us most was the brief pause in the middle of the track oddly enough, instant stop and start, no overhang - we all noticed it. This speed is what makes them musical as there's no artificial bloom, something there are no figures for and that's rarely mentioned or noticed in listening (unless there is real excessive bass/boxiness going on).

 

[matthewpiano]

Sounds perfect. I've come to understand that its the excessive bass and bloom that I don't like and that I much prefer a tighter, more rhythmic and very detailed sound.

I'm wondering whether an Audiolab 8000S, adding a matching power amp at a later date, might be the way to go.

 

[AEJim]

FrankHarveyHiFi:
AEJim:I'm not sure how performance figures/specs come about from most manufacturers but in most cases they're optimistic in my experience - even our own! I just checked the online literature from our site 88dB is way out, 8ohms impedance will be more like 6ohms,

Sort it! We use your figures!!

We will! I doubt I'll ever get the time to go over all old product and literature/specs but all future product info will be as accurate as we can make it - I don't know who started this fudging but most engineers will laugh at the figures manufacturers claim. I'm making sure we're as transparent and honest as poss nowadays. I've been with AE for... damn - 10 years exactly today!!! Must have myself a party! But only the last couple of years been high enough in the food chain to really put my mark on things, we've always been a close-knit team but as you move around you get to know more and more about the product and design process... It's basically myself and one engineer who make all new product now so I'm hoping I'll always be able to answer future questions straight from the horses mouth so to speak! Oh we'll have a new website in a week or two when I get round to finishing that too! (sitting at home waiting for solicitors calls on house move at mo so not "working", realising relying on other people is always a bad move...)

 

[AEJim]

matthewpiano:Sounds perfect. I've come to understand that its the excessive bass and bloom that I don't like and that I much prefer a tighter, more rhythmic and very detailed sound.I'm wondering whether an Audiolab 8000S, adding a matching power amp at a later date, might be the way to go.

I think the "S" and a power amp is a good option, used to have an 8000A and "P" (or "PX" can't remember the details now) myself, very little character of its own and a very clean sound - not to everyone's taste but would make for a very neutral system with the AE1 classic.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Cool

It's a shame we don't get more people like yourself from within the industry on forums ebing able to directly answer the questions that you'll be able to.

 

[matthewpiano]

Agreed. Thanks Jim. Really appreciate the input. Will let you know how I get on though it won't be straight away as I have a bit of saving to do!

 

[matthewpiano]

Oh, and as I've got family in Leceistershire I envisage making a trip to Coventry when I'm ready....

 

[AEJim]

FrankHarveyHiFi:
Cool

It's a shame we don't get more people like yourself from within the industry on forums ebing able to directly answer the questions that you'll be able to.

Yeah, I think it's a small and friendly enough industry for direct contact on the whole - the only problem being having the time! I usually go for a check through the forums when it's quiet (or at home like now!) so depending on what's going on there can indeed be a couple of weeks between visits.

I think the whole issue of vague/optimistic performance figures started some time ago with the attitude of "well they do it so we have to..." - I remember discussing it with our head of RnD some time back and we measured a few speakers we had bought in over the years, most were not accurate and usually well below what was stated on the box (could of course be down to the details of our/their testing facilities being different) so you end up rounding up so as not to lose out on paper... This is usually more apparent at the lower end of the market where the other equipment in the chain is less likely to be overburdened with power and of course tolerances are likely to be wider in any case so you state the best outcome. At the end of the day any small speaker (8-10 litres with 5-6" driver) quoting 90dB + sensitivity is more often than not stretching the truth somewhat!

These sorts of things are common though, I've heard CD players with slightly high output than standard so in A/B comparisons they sound louder than the competition as just another example... It's why the try before you buy option is always best, figures are figures at the end of the day and rarely equate to what you'll hear (the same for the fancy graphs other mags print!) - our old AE2 signature never measured that well yet I realised at the Munich show that pretty much all our old distributors still used them at home (as did I until recently), they must have done something right!! 🙂

 

[Dan Turner]

AEJim:
That said our main amp is only an 80-odd watt Naim Supernait and this drives all our models well, power supply and current delivery are more crucial than watts.

My mate bought his AE1 Classics over the other day and we hooked them up to my SuperNait. He normally uses them with an Arcam A90 and wanted to see if they were capable of more. I have to say they sounded lovely. Beautiful midrange and treble. Bass wasn't as deep or textured as my PMCs, but what was there was tight and fast, and was surprisingly deep given their size.

In isolation I wouldn't have faulted either speaker, but having heard the strengths of both, the bug has now bitten and I'm looking for a speaker upgrade that will capture the strengths of the AE1s and my PMCs.

But anyway I really enjoyed hearing the AE1s on the end of my Naim, cracking pair of speakers. Oh yes, and my mate is now saving for a Naim amp!

 

[AEJim]

Dan Turner:AEJim:
That said our main amp is only an 80-odd watt Naim Supernait and this drives all our models well, power supply and current delivery are more crucial than watts.

My mate bought his AE1 Classics over the other day and we hooked them up to my SuperNait. He normally uses them with an Arcam A90 and wanted to see if they were capable of more. I have to say they sounded lovely. Beautiful midrange and treble. Bass wasn't as deep or textured as my PMCs, but what was there was tight and fast, and was surprisingly deep given their size.

In isolation I wouldn't have faulted either speaker, but having heard the strengths of both, the bug has now bitten and I'm looking for a speaker upgrade that will capture the strengths of the AE1s and my PMCs.

But anyway I really enjoyed hearing the AE1s on the end of my Naim, cracking pair of speakers. Oh yes, and my mate is now saving for a Naim amp!

Give it about 3-4 months and we'll have something that should fit the bill perfectly... 😉

 

[matthewpiano]

But please don't discontinue the AE1 Classics in the meantime!!

 

[AEJim]

matthewpiano:But please don't discontinue the AE1 Classics in the meantime!!

Nah, don't worry, they're ongoing...

 

[Anonymous]

If you like these you would love the Avi 9.1's

 

[Dan Turner]

AEJim:

Give it about 3-4 months and we'll have something that should fit the bill perfectly... 😉

Ooooh that is intriguing. It will take me at least that long to save up the dosh anyway. Please keep us posted! :0)

 

[AEJim]

Dan Turner:
AEJim:

Give it about 3-4 months and we'll have something that should fit the bill perfectly... 😉

Ooooh that is intriguing. It will take me at least that long to save up the dosh anyway. Please keep us posted! :0)

Well I'm not allowed to advertise on here (forum mods dive in fast if you sound like you're trying to sell something - rightly so!) but I can say that there will be a new Reference range which we showed (and demonstrated) at Bristol.

There will be some nice technology in them and will be much more of a spiritual successor to the original AE1's and 2's price-wise and performance-wise. We did a lot of listening to make sure they had that company sound (which the non-SE version of the mkIII did not!). The Reference 1 is similar in sound to the AE1mkII (the tweaked original) and the 2 sounds close to the AE2 Signature of old - both will offer wider bandwidth without sacrificing power. Speed, low colouration and "musicality" were high on the list of priorities... We'll get a set to the WHF offices as soon as we can! (predicting August - many new components to produce!)

 

[davemartin01]

I've got an immaculate pair of Aegis 2 floorstanders upstairs sat doing nothing. Nice metal cone on them that once warmed up sound great. Is this a speaker still in demand or did it go out of manufacture for any reason? Only ask as as the AE1 classic surely is older than my aegis 2's but is still made. What was the story behind the aegis series as it was successful from I remember?

 

[AEJim]

davemartin01:I've got an immaculate pair of Aegis 2 floorstanders upstairs sat doing nothing. Nice metal cone on them that once warmed up sound great. Is this a speaker still in demand or did it go out of manufacture for any reason? Only ask as as the AE1 classic surely is older than my aegis 2's but is still made. What was the story behind the aegis series as it was successful from I remember?

The Aegis series was a great success became the Aegis Evo, then Neo that continues today. The Aegis 2 was dropped (along with all our two-way floorstanders) due to lack of demand! It's the middle model syndrome - people either want the small stand-mount (despite it taking up the same footprint as a floorstander in many cases) or the "top" model. Sadly the "2" models as we called them were usually very good speakers in their own right - having some of the benefits of the models either side of them blended into one.