In this review, we will be comparing AE100 MII and Bronze 1, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Acoustic Energy and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE100 Mark II and Monitor Audio Bronze 1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE100 Mark II | Monitor Audio Bronze 1 |
|---|
| Brand | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" soft dome with waveguide | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.2" paper cone | 5.5" C-CAM |
|---|
| Frequency response | 51Hz - 26kHz | 55-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 120 watts | 20-70 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 4.60kg / 10.1lbs | 3.50kg / 7.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 11.4" x 6.5" x 9.8"
290.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm | 10.2" x 6.4" x 8.0"
260.0 x 165.0 x 205.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the AE100 Mark II and Monitor Audio Bronze 1 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
AE100 Mark II |
Monitor Audio Bronze 1 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Good |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
No way |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both AE100 MII and Bronze 1 are 2-way speakers.
AE100 Mark IIMonitor Audio Bronze 1
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
AE100 Mark II |
Monitor Audio Bronze 1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
1 x 5.5-inch
|
AE100 MII features a 1" fabric soft dome with waveguide Tweeter and 1 x 5.2" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2900Hz. On the other hand, the Bronze 1 features a 1" Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.5" C-CAM Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
AE100 MII has a frequency range of 51Hz - 26kHz whereas Bronze 1 has a frequency range of 55-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 51Hz, the AE100 MII can go slightly deeper then the Bronze 1's min frequency of 55Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
AE100 MII is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Bronze 1 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AE100 MII sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Bronze 1's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio Bronze 1 a more sensitive speaker compared to AE100 Mark II, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
AE100 MII can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas Bronze 1 has a max power handling value of 70 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the AE100 MII.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both AE100 MII and Bronze 1 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Monitor Audio Bronze 1 Port
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare AE100 Mark II's and Monitor Audio Bronze 1's external dimensions. AE100 Mark II has external dimensions of 290.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm (11.4 x 6.5 x 9.8inch) whereas Monitor Audio Bronze 1 has external dimensions of 260.0 x 165.0 x 205.0mm (10.2 x 6.4 x 8.0inch).
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the AE100 Mark II is approximately 412.5cm2 / 63.9inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Bronze 1 is approximately 338.3cm2 / 52.4inch2. The AE100 MII requires 22% more surface area than the Bronze 1 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The AE100 Mark II weighs 4.60kg / 10.1lbs and the Monitor Audio Bronze 1 weighs 3.50kg / 7.7lbs. This makes the AE100 MII 31% heavier than the Bronze 1.
Here is a comparison of how AE100 MII and Bronze 1's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Bronze 1?
Here are the items that come with the Bronze 1:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Foam port plugs
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
 Max Input Power |
120 watts
vs
70 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
51 Hz
vs
55 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
5.5 inches
vs
5.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
260mm
vs
290mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
338cm2
vs
412cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
299USD
vs
499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE100 Mark II |
Monitor Audio Bronze 1 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
up to 120 watts |
20-70 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
51Hz - 26kHz |
55-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5.2" |
5.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
C-CAM |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
soft dome with waveguide |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2900Hz |
2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
290.0mm (11.4") |
260.0mm (10.2") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
165.0mm (6.5") |
| Depth |
250.0mm (9.8") |
205.0mm (8.1") |
| Weight |
4.60kg (10.1lbs) |
3.50kg (7.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
HDF |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Satin Black, White |
Walnut, White, Rosemah, Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
n/a |
30-31" |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - AE100 Mark II costs roughly 1.7x what Monitor Audio Bronze 1 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | AE100 Mark II digs deeper - 51Hz against 55Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Monitor Audio Bronze 1 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | AE100 Mark II takes more power (120W vs 70W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Bronze 1 is easier to place; AE100 Mark II is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Monitor Audio Bronze 1 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Monitor Audio Bronze 1 is cheaper - $299 against $499, about 40% less; arguably a different class. |
A AE100 Mark II B Monitor Audio Bronze 1
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
AE100 Mark II is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 67% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Monitor Audio Bronze 1 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the AE100 Mark II appeals to you. Match it to your room: we rate AE100 Mark II the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and Monitor Audio Bronze 1 for near-field listening and a small room. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $200 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.