Finally I own some AE1 Classics

[admin_exported]

Ive been into HiFi for years, slowly upgrading over the years

My current system consists of:

Inspire Eclipse SE TT

RB1000

2M Black

MF XLPSv3 Phono

MF XPSUv3

Morgan Audio Deva 500 Valve Pre

Morgan Audio Deva 500 Dual Mono Power Amp

Ive had AE speakers for years, starting with the AE100s which must be nearing 20 years old now but I wont part with them.

Ever since buying the AE100s I wanted a pair of AE1s but there always seem to be something else I needed to spend my pennies on

Since 2009 I have been using AE Linear 3s but given my room dims 2.5m x 7m and the speakers having to live close to the back wall in the corners I was suffering uncontrolled bass so I thought it was time to audition some new speakers...hmmm

A audition was booked and the speakers on my list were AE Reference 1s, AE1 Classics, Kef LS50 and PMC Twenty 22

I used my Madona LP "Ray of Light" for the demo , if theres an album for showing boomy bass thus is it.

The PMCs were fantastic with vocals but no slam, punch

The Kefs not good at all

The Reference 1s Im sorry to say were disapointing

The AE1 Classics....well....fantastic..just what I wanted

The next week I was the proud owner of a set of Gloss Cherry AE1s

They have been running in for 2 weeks now and these just keep getting better and better, the only downside is they need to warm up before serious listening but thats a small price to pay for the sound is stunning.

Was it worth the 19 year wait...hmm yes...

 

[AEJim]

Congratulations Fatcat! Great to hear you're happy with your new speakers.

Goes to show that it's all down to personal taste, preference and finding something right for you. A good 25 year old speaker is still a good speaker - the basics haven't changed! I hope you enjoy them for many years to come.

Jim.

 

[steve_1979]

They look like great little speakers. I've always wanted to hear the AE1's but have never had the chance yet.

All of the Acoustic Energy small two way speakers have always seemed to sound just 'right' to my ears.

 

[the record spot]

A good 25 year old speaker is still a good speaker - the basics haven't changed!

Jim.

Couldn't agree more Jim - welcome back by the way. Good to see you here again.

 

[hoopsontoast]

Nice, would love to hear some AE1's (old or modern) someday after having had the AE2's previously. They look a lot nicer in the Cherry Veneer over the 'studio' textured black finish!

 

[MajorFubar]

Congratulations Fatcat! Great to hear you're happy with your new speakers.

Goes to show that it's all down to personal taste, preference and finding something right for you. A good 25 year old speaker is still a good speaker - the basics haven't changed! I hope you enjoy them for many years to come.

Jim.

Here here!! The risks of buying used HiFi are imo somewhat overstated on this forum sometimes. I can appreciate those views to a certain extent, especially seeing that WHF by the very nature of its existence relies on people buying new gear. Nonetheless, nice to see a bit of balance.

 

[Anonymous]

My amps were custom built by Robin Stephens the designer at Morgan Audio and when he brought round the completed power amp we listened to a few LPs, he was very impressed with the AE Linear 3s. I put on a Katie Melua LP just before getting some brews and biscuits and when I came back I found him spralled on the floor in musical nivana, to say he was very impressed with them is a slight understatement.

If you like your music clean, dynamic punchy and full of life listen to some AE1's just give them an hour to warm up first.. imo a similar sound to the Linears but better and without the boom because of the rear bass ports

The more I use these the better they get, Im amazed how much bass they produce, when I first tried them I was using a Rel Strata to reinforce the bass but now Im finding I dont need it.

As a side note Ive been playing arround and by using blu tack on the speaker stands (didnt want spikes ruining that mirror finish) and filling the stands with cat litter ,the sound quality is even better,

Jim, are AE attending the show at Manchester Airport in March??

John

 

[Singslinger]

Great setup - those AEs look right at home! :dance:

 

[NHL]

I auditioned AE1with depeche mode around 1993 in Brighton or Poole, what a bite in the sound. The alu speakers made them special, I guess.

 

[mitch65]

Nice one fatcat.

I ran a pair of AE100s for 5 years, the best £200 I ever spent on speakers and nothing really came close when I was auditioning. I wished I hadn't been so hasty selling them on but I do love my Neat Petites.

I have always hankered after some AE1s.......well you never know.

 

[AEJim]

Jim, are AE attending the show at Manchester Airport in March??

John

I'm afraid not John, it's been a busy last year (and is continuing that way!) with new ranges in the works, we're looking to do Munich as our only show this year - it's the best International show for us where all our distributors come for meetings. We decided with all we have going on and staff including myself overseas so often that it would make more sense to do one big show rather than trying to organise many smaller ones. Hopefully next year will be quieter and we'll be able to attend more of the smaller events!

Cheers for all the other comments guys!

The AE1's were a long time in development (the basic design was around as early as 1984!) and it's still a very good standmount indeed because of that.

I find the original AE1 and Classics sound better when placed as John has done - near to boundaries, it evens out a mild leanness in the lower midrange that was addressed with crossover changes in the mid-nineties mkII - a speaker I prefer in free space but is not as likely as many to be used that way! This is why auditions are crucial, while reviews are great guides you should always listen for yourself if you can, in a room and on gear as similar to yours as possible. What might work brilliantly in a purpose-designed listening room with the life damped out of it might not work as well in a livllier living room with hard surfaces, or nearer wall boundaries, next to furniture etc etc. Try before you buy!

 

[bluedroog]

I love the AE sound, I heard the 109s many years ago in a fairly modest set up but the upper bass was some of the best I've ever heard, just so tight. I listened to the Riverboat Song by Ocean Colour Scene and the bass guitar has stayed with me ever since. How do the higher end models such as this compare and differ to the likes of the 109?

 

[Andy Clough]

I still run a pair of AE1s at home - fabulous little speakers.

 

[steve_1979]

If you like your music clean, dynamic punchy and full of life listen to some AE1's just give them an hour to warm up first..

Do they really need to warmed up for an hour first? That sounds very odd to me, I've never noticed it make a difference with any other speakers before.

 

[moon]

If you like your music clean, dynamic punchy and full of life listen to some AE1's just give them an hour to warm up first..

Do they really need to warmed up for an hour first? That sounds very odd to me, I've never noticed it make a difference with any other speakers before.

BR 2's

 

[Dan Turner]

My mate used to have a pair of AE1s - I never forget how astonished I was at how good they were when I first heard them. Lovely pair of speakers.

 

[AEJim]

I love the AE sound, I heard the 109s many years ago in a fairly modest set up but the upper bass was some of the best I've ever heard, just so tight. I listened to the Riverboat Song by Ocean Colour Scene and the bass guitar has stayed with me ever since. How do the higher end models such as this compare and differ to the likes of the 109?

The 109's, like the AE1's were pretty special speakers - sometimes all the ingredients just work together perfectly and they were a prime example of that. In isolation the fairly cheap tweeter was a little splashy, the paper bass drivers and cabinet both added a little colouration too but the balance and tone they produced together was fantastic. They had bass depth and punch in equal measure and even now I've not heard another speaker that size (no matter what price) hit you in the chest with heavy drum beats the way they could.

We design our speakers to our particular set of preferences which include both computer measurements and extended listening sessions to achieve a sound we're happy with for our tastes. All our speakers will share character traits because of this as every other manufacturer's will too so there will be some of the 109's in all our products.

With so many variables in a speaker no model will sound exactly the same as others - our higher up ranges naturally have less colouration, less distortion etc but this affects the character as well so while they gain in some areas they may well lose other aspects of the sound you like. I'm not one of those who believes more expensive is always better - rather "different" and will appeal for different reasons, some people like certain colourations while some like a very clean sound.

Something I've found interesting with all these active vs passive debates (remembering we make both types) is that some things seem to get overlooked. Voicing, balance and tonal qualites seem to be forgotten. Tonal qualities in particular are a grey area with speakers with many saying they can't be measured the same way as other qualities such as frequency response. The AE1's and 109's amongst others - even the original Aego 2 had wonderful tone, they sounded extremely "right" and natural with voices and instruments and stood out amongst their peers because of that.

The AE1 was raved about when new due to it's power handling and lack of dynamic compression for a "miniature" model, while those qualities were impressive I still find I go back to them as a reference because of their tonal reproduction, probably due in part to very low cabinet resonance and matched aluminium drive units. I find they make instruments sound simply more real than many other speakers do. Interestingly they don't measure particularly well in the conventional sense, they have dips in the power response which should, in theory, ruin the sound - if they were to be designed "by the book" (as many respectable companies do) in an anechoic chamber they would be nowhere near as good as they are.

Apologies for waffling on a bit, once I get going I tend to carry on... :roll:

 

[Singslinger]

Lovely speakers no doubt, but I seem to recall the originals were very power hungry. Are they still?

 

[AEJim]

Lovely speakers no doubt, but I seem to recall the originals were very power hungry. Are they still?

I think it's relative to the era - they measure around 85dB sensitivity but modern amps are generally more powerful than those from the 80's so it's less of an issue than it used to be. I've had no problems driving them with anything in the office (Naim Supernait, Krell 300i, Audiolab 8000a and AVI Lab series) but then the 60 Watt Audiolab is the weakest of them and it's hardly weedy. In a shop demo a while back the new Audiolab drove them fine but shut down at high volume on our entry level Compact 1's so make of that what you will!

I would say pretty much anything availalable from the main guys anywhere near the price point would have no issues.

 

[Pete68]

Congrats on the new speakers. What kind of music do you listen to?

 

[bluedroog]

Not at all Jim, I enjoy enthusiasm in people, it is a terrific quality. I’d love to hear these speakers. Just another quick question if you don’t mind! How do the 120s compare to the 109s, are they better? It is my experience that the next model up isn’t necessarily better but wondering in this case? Also I don’t know much about the models say 10 years old that replaced the ones I’m talking about the Evos I think…were these a direct replacement and how do they compare? When I have need for 2nd system I could see me looking for an old cheap pair for nostalgia.

 

[Singslinger]

Lovely speakers no doubt, but I seem to recall the originals were very power hungry. Are they still?

I think it's relative to the era - they measure around 85dB sensitivity but modern amps are generally more powerful than those from the 80's so it's less of an issue than it used to be. I've had no problems driving them with anything in the office (Naim Supernait, Krell 300i, Audiolab 8000a and AVI Lab series) but then the 60 Watt Audiolab is the weakest of them and it's hardly weedy. In a shop demo a while back the new Audiolab drove them fine but shut down at high volume on our entry level Compact 1's so make of that what you will!

I would say pretty much anything availalable from the main guys anywhere near the price point would have no issues.

Thanks for the quick reply Jim. :cheers:

 

[AEJim]

Not at all Jim, I enjoy enthusiasm in people, it is a terrific quality. I’d love to hear these speakers. Just another quick question if you don’t mind! How do the 120s compare to the 109s, are they better? It is my experience that the next model up isn’t necessarily better but wondering in this case? Also I don’t know much about the models say 10 years old that replaced the ones I’m talking about the Evos I think…were these a direct replacement and how do they compare? When I have need for 2nd system I could see me looking for an old cheap pair for nostalgia.

Cheers Bluedroog,

I would say that all things being equal (and at the risk of upsetting 12designs above!) the 109's were a better speaker than the 120's but it would also depend on your room and taste in music. In ideal circumstances the 109's are very well balanced with the 120's being a little "heavier" in sound. If you had to fill a larger space or have a preference for dub reggae/organ music then the 120's which reach down to 30Hz or so might suit better. Even some more reasonably sized rooms with stairs in or many hard surfaces can perceptively suck out bass (or inversely highlight the treble which has the same basic effect) and might warrant the beefier sounding speaker. Horses for courses as they say!

The Evo's were the direct replacement for the 100 Series and compare well. They were slightly brighter sounding (at the risk of using Hi-Fi clichés as mentioned in another thread) where the 100 Series could be perceived as a touch "dark". They are all enjoyable speakers to listen to in my opinion and the Evo's won the WHF Awards for a few years running so are probably a very good bet as a 2nd-hand purchase. I do think they were a small step back in visual design though, looking a little cheaper but in-fact costing more to produce! Something I'm gradually trying to rectify, we were often accused of making our products look cheaper than they really were rather than the other way around!

 

[AEJim]

Thanks for the quick reply Jim. :cheers:

No probs!

 

[Pete68]

Not at all Jim, I enjoy enthusiasm in people, it is a terrific quality. I’d love to hear these speakers. Just another quick question if you don’t mind! How do the 120s compare to the 109s, are they better? It is my experience that the next model up isn’t necessarily better but wondering in this case? Also I don’t know much about the models say 10 years old that replaced the ones I’m talking about the Evos I think…were these a direct replacement and how do they compare? When I have need for 2nd system I could see me looking for an old cheap pair for nostalgia.

Cheers Bluedroog,

I would say that all things being equal (and at the risk of upsetting 12designs above!) the 109's were a better speaker than the 120's but it would also depend on your room and taste in music. In ideal circumstances the 109's are very well balanced with the 120's being a little "heavier" in sound. If you had to fill a larger space or have a preference for dub reggae/organ music then the 120's which reach down to 30Hz or so might suit better. Even some more reasonably sized rooms with stairs in or many hard surfaces can perceptively suck out bass (or inversely highlight the treble which has the same basic effect) and might warrant the beefier sounding speaker. Horses for courses as they say!

The Evo's were the direct replacement for the 100 Series and compare well. They were slightly brighter sounding (at the risk of using Hi-Fi clichés as mentioned in another thread) where the 100 Series could be perceived as a touch "dark". They are all enjoyable speakers to listen to in my opinion and the Evo's won the WHF Awards for a few years running so are probably a very good bet as a 2nd-hand purchase. I do think they were a small step back in visual design though, looking a little cheaper but in-fact costing more to produce! Something I'm gradually trying to rectify, we were often accused of making our products look cheaper than they really were rather than the other way around!

I hear what you are saying about the AE120's being a bit heavy. Personally I love the way they dig out the lower bass and give a 'sumptuous' presentation of the recording as it suits my ear and much of the music that I listen to. We are moving house soon and wonder whether I will be able to keep the floorstanding AE120's or have to get something smaller. I have listened to the MA BX2s on my set up and they were very nice but if the budget can stretch at the time I would love to hear the AE1s.