News

Acoustic Energy has redesigned, upgraded and relaunched its entry-level 100 Series loudspeakers in the shape of the AE1002 bookshelf (pictured), AE1092 floorstander, AE1082 active subwoofer and AE1072 centre (for home cinema setups). Meanwhile, a new AE1202 flagship floorstander is due to follow in the future.

The company says the design brief was to: “try and maintain the compact dimensions and sleek appearance of the previous 100 Series, but offer a more mature, refined and bigger sound with greater bandwidth and power”.

What this means is that the 100mm paper cone has been increased in size to a 127mm driver utilising a four-layer voice coil with flux rings, while high-density fibreboard (HDF) is now being used – which AE claims is: “unheard of at this price-point and usually limited to the very high end”.

What HDF does, AE reveals, is provide the option of using thinner cabinet walls with no loss in acoustic performance, the mass and stiffness of the 15mm HDF being the same as the previous 18mm MDF. The result of this is a 15 percent increase in cabinet size, but a 30 percent increase in internal volume gained over the previous 100 Series speakers.

Also new to the series is a 25mm soft-dome tweeter and waveguide, which was developed to match the bass driver and although the new 100s retain similar lines to the older generation, AE says they’re cleaner and more refined – the latest design including improved cabinet veneer finishes along with a dedicated flared trim on the bass port and higher-grade binding posts.

The AE1002 standmount pairs the aforementioned 25mm soft-dome tweeter with a 130mm mid/bass driver, measures 165 x 290 x 250mm (WxHxD) and weighs 9.2kg. The AE1092 floorstander adds an additional 130mm mid/bass driver with a 2.5-way crossover, is 165 x 860 x 250mm (WxHxD) and weighs 16kg. The three-way AE1202 has the same tweeter as its sibling, two 130mm bass drivers and a 130mm dedicated midrange driver. Its dimensions are 165 x 950 x 250mm (WxHxD, including the plinth) and weighs in at 19kg.

All speakers are available in Black and Walnut vinyl veneer, while the AE1002 also comes in white.

Available to buy now, you can find out more about the updated AE100 series here.