In this review, we will be comparing AE109 MII and Diamond 12.3, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and Wharfedale. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE109 Mark II and Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the AE109 Mark II and Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the AE109 Mark II and Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE109 MII is a 3-way design whereas the Diamond 12.3 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.
| Driver |
AE109 Mark II |
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 |
|
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 5-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 Diamond 12.3 features a 1" Textile Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Mica-infused polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
AE109 MII has a frequency range of 41Hz - 26kHz whereas Diamond 12.3 has a frequency range of 45-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 41Hz, the AE109 MII can go slightly deeper then the Diamond 12.3's min frequency of 45Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. 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 Diamond 12.3 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 Diamond 12.3's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the AE109 Mark II a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale Diamond 12.3, 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
AE109 MII can handle a max power of 175 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Diamond 12.3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the AE109 MII.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both AE109 MII and Diamond 12.3 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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Wharfedale Diamond 12.3'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 Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 180.0 x 362.0mm ( 38-3/4 x 7-1/8 x 14-1/4inch) .
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 15mm wider, 125mm taller and 112mm deeper than AE109 Mark II.
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 Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 is approximately 651.6cm2 / 101.0inch2. The AE109 MII requires 37% less surface area than the Diamond 12.3 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 Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 weighs 19.50kg / 42.9lbs. This makes the Diamond 12.3 22% heavier than the AE109 MII.
Here is a comparison of how AE109 MII and Diamond 12.3'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 Wharfedale Diamond 12.3?
Here are the items that come with the Diamond 12.3:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille4 Spike feet (w/ locking collars)2 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)4 Isolation pucksUsers Manual
 Max Input Power |
175 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
5.2 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
41 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
860mm
vs
985mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
412cm2 (165x250mm)
vs
651cm2 (180x362mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
| Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Price per pair* |
998USD
vs
999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE109 Mark II |
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 175 watts |
30-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
41Hz - 26kHz |
45-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.2" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
Mica-infused polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
275Hz and 2.5kHz |
2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
860.0mm (33.9") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
180.0mm (7.1") |
| Depth |
250.0mm (9.8") |
362.0mm (14.3") |
| Weight |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
19.50kg (42.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
HDF |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Satin Black |
Black, Oak, Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |