In this review, we will be comparing AE109 MII and A190, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE109 Mark II and JBL Stage A190 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE109 Mark II | JBL Stage A190 |
|---|
| Brand | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with waveguide | 1" HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.2" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.2" paper cone | 2 x 8" Polycellulose |
|---|
| Frequency response | 41Hz - 26kHz | 36-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 175 watts | 20-225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.00kg / 35.2lbs | 22.61kg / 49.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 33.9" x 6.5" x 9.8"
860.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm | 43-15/16" x 13-1/4" x 17-1/2"
1117.0 x 337.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the AE109 Mark II and JBL Stage A190 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 |
JBL Stage A190 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE109 MII is a 3-way design whereas the A190 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
AE109 Mark IIJBL Stage A190
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 |
JBL Stage A190 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
2 x 8-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 A190 features a 1" aluminum HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 8" Polycellulose Woofer.
Frequency Response
AE109 MII has a frequency range of 41Hz - 26kHz whereas A190 has a frequency range of 36-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the A190 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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 A190 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 A190's is at 91 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the JBL Stage A190 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.
A190 can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas AE109 MII has a max power handling value of 175 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the A190.
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.
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 JBL Stage A190'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 JBL Stage A190 has external dimensions of 1117.0 x 337.0 x 445.0mm (43-15/16 x 13-1/4 x 17-1/2inch).
JBL Stage A190 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 172mm wider, 257mm taller and 195mm deeper than AE109 Mark II.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
JBL Stage A190 needs about 264% more floor or shelf area. JBL Stage A190 is 195mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. JBL Stage A190 is 257mm taller.
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 JBL Stage A190 is approximately 1499.7cm2 / 232.5inch2. The AE109 MII requires 72% less surface area than the A190 which gives it a small advantage 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 AE109 Mark II weighs 16.00kg / 35.2lbs and the JBL Stage A190 weighs 22.61kg / 49.7lbs. This makes the A190 41% heavier than the AE109 MII.
Here is a comparison of how AE109 MII and A190's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of JBL Stage A190?
Here are the items that come with the A190:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outriggers
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spikes
- 8 Screws
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Height |
860mm
vs
1117mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
412cm2
vs
1499cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
999USD
vs
1000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
225 watts
vs
175 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
41 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE109 Mark II |
JBL Stage A190 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
JBL |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 175 watts |
20-225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
41Hz - 26kHz |
36-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.2" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
Polycellulose |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
275Hz and 2.5kHz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
860.0mm (33.9") |
1117.0mm (44") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
337.0mm (13.3") |
| Depth |
250.0mm (9.8") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
22.61kg (49.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
HDF |
MDF, Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Satin Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | JBL Stage A190 digs deeper - 36Hz against 41Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | JBL Stage A190 is more sensitive (91dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | JBL Stage A190 takes more power (225W vs 175W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | AE109 Mark II is easier to place; JBL Stage A190 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | JBL Stage A190: bi-amping. JBL Stage A190 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($999 vs $1,000 a pair). |
A AE109 Mark II B JBL Stage A190
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?
JBL Stage A190 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 41Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate AE109 Mark II the better fit for a mid-size room, and JBL Stage A190 for a very large room.
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.