In this review, we will be comparing AE109 MII and Alpha T20, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE109 Mark II and PSB Alpha T20 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE109 Mark II | PSB Alpha T20 |
|---|
| Brand | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with waveguide | 0.75" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.2" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.2" paper cone | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 41Hz - 26kHz | 36-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 175 watts | 15-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.00kg / 35.2lbs | 11.89kg / 26.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 33.9" x 6.5" x 9.8"
860.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm | 34-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 9-13/16"
869.0 x 212.0 x 250.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the AE109 Mark II and PSB Alpha T20 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 |
PSB Alpha T20 |
| 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE109 MII is a 3-way design whereas the Alpha T20 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 IIPSB Alpha T20
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 |
PSB Alpha T20 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
0.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
2 x 5.25-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 Alpha T20 features a 0.75" anodized aluminum with front waveguide Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
AE109 MII has a frequency range of 41Hz - 26kHz whereas Alpha T20 has a frequency range of 36-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Alpha T20 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 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Alpha T20 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AE109 MII sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Alpha T20's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the PSB Alpha T20 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.
AE109 MII can handle a max power of 175 watts RMS, whereas Alpha T20 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 55 watts less than the AE109 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 Alpha T20 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 PSB Alpha T20'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 PSB Alpha T20 has external dimensions of 869.0 x 212.0 x 250.0mm (34-3/16 x 8-5/16 x 9-13/16inch).
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 PSB Alpha T20 is approximately 530.0cm2 / 82.2inch2. The AE109 MII requires 22% less surface area than the Alpha T20 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 PSB Alpha T20 weighs 11.89kg / 26.2lbs. This makes the AE109 MII 35% heavier than the Alpha T20.
Here is a comparison of how AE109 MII and Alpha T20'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 PSB Alpha T20?
Here are the items that come with the Alpha T20:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Rubber feet
- 8 Spike feet
- 8 Hex-nuts
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
 Max Input Power |
175 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
412cm2
vs
530cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
5.25 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 |
 Price per pair* |
799USD
vs
999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE109 Mark II |
PSB Alpha T20 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 175 watts |
15-120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
41Hz - 26kHz |
36-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.2" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
0.75" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
275Hz and 2.5kHz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
869.0mm (34.2") |
869.0mm (34.2") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
250.0mm (9.8") |
250.0mm (9.8") |
| Weight |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
11.89kg (26.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
HDF |
MDF, Wood-grain 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 | PSB Alpha T20 digs deeper - 36Hz against 41Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | PSB Alpha T20 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | AE109 Mark II takes more power (175W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | AE109 Mark II is easier to place; PSB Alpha T20 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | PSB Alpha T20: bi-amping. PSB Alpha T20 sits in a wider range (9 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | PSB Alpha T20 is cheaper - $799 against $999, about 20% less. |
A AE109 Mark II B PSB Alpha T20
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?
PSB Alpha T20 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take AE109 Mark II if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. 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.
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.