In this review, we will be comparing AE109 MII and AE120 MII, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Acoustic Energy.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE109 Mark II and AE120 Mark II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE109 Mark II | AE120 Mark II |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with waveguide | 1" dome with waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.2" | 5.2" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.2" paper cone | 2 x 5.2" paper cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 41Hz - 26kHz | 39Hz - 26kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 175 watts | up to 200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.00kg / 35.2lbs | 19.00kg / 41.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 33.9" x 6.5" x 9.8"
860.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm | 37.4" x 6.5" x 9.8"
950.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm |
|---|
AE109 MII and AE120 MII are members of Acoustic Energy's AE100 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the AE109 Mark II and AE120 Mark II 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* |
AE109 Mark II |
AE120 Mark II |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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.
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Drivers
Both AE109 MII and AE120 MII are 3-way speakers.
AE109 Mark IIAE120 Mark II
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
AE109 Mark II |
AE120 Mark II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
1 x 5.2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
2 x 5.2-inch
|
AE109 MII features a 1" fabric dome with waveguide Tweeter, a 5.2" Midrange and 1 x 5.2" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 275Hz and 2.5kHz. On the other hand, the AE120 MII features a 1" fabric dome with waveguide Tweeter, a 5.2" Midrange and 2 x 5.2" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 2.7kHz.
Frequency Response
AE109 MII has a frequency range of 41Hz - 26kHz whereas AE120 MII has a frequency range of 39Hz - 26kHz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the AE120 MII can go slightly deeper then the AE109 MII's min frequency of 41Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
AE109 MII and AE120 MII have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. AE109 MII sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the AE120 MII's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the AE120 Mark II a more sensitive speaker compared to AE109 Mark II, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
AE120 MII can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas AE109 MII has a max power handling value of 175 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the AE120 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 AE109 MII and AE120 MII 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.
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 AE109 Mark II's and AE120 Mark II's external dimensions. AE109 Mark II has external dimensions of 860.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm (33.9 x 6.5 x 9.8inch) whereas AE120 Mark II has external dimensions of 950.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm (37.4 x 6.5 x 9.8inch).
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 AE109 Mark II is approximately 412.5cm2 / 63.9inch2 and base area of the AE120 Mark II is approximately 412.5cm2 / 63.9inch2.
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 AE109 Mark II weighs 16.00kg / 35.2lbs and the AE120 Mark II weighs 19.00kg / 41.8lbs. This makes the AE120 MII 19% heavier than the AE109 MII.
Here is a comparison of how AE109 MII and AE120 MII's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Height |
860mm
vs
950mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
999USD
vs
1499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
175 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
39 Hz
vs
41 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE109 Mark II |
Acoustic Energy AE120 Mark II |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Acoustic Energy |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 175 watts |
up to 200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
41Hz - 26kHz |
39Hz - 26kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.2" |
5.2" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
paper cone |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
dome with waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
5.2" |
| Crossover Frequency |
275Hz and 2.5kHz |
300Hz and 2.7kHz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
860.0mm (33.9") |
950.0mm (37.4") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
165.0mm (6.5") |
| Depth |
250.0mm (9.8") |
250.0mm (9.8") |
| Weight |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
19.00kg (41.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
HDF |
HDF |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Satin Black |
Walnut, Satin Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Acoustic Energy's AE100 series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
evenly matched |
Much the same reach (41Hz vs 39Hz). |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (175W vs 200W). |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price |
A |
AE109 Mark II is cheaper - $999 against $1,499, about 33% less. |
A AE109 Mark II
B AE120 Mark II
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $500 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.