In this review, we will be comparing AE120 MII and AE109 MII, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Acoustic Energy Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE120 Mark II and AE109 Mark II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
AE120 MII and AE109 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 AE120 Mark II and AE109 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the AE120 Mark II and AE109 Mark II 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
Both AE120 MII and AE109 MII are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
AE120 Mark II |
AE109 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
|
2 x 5.2-inch
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
AE120 MII has a frequency range of 39Hz - 26kHz whereas AE109 MII has a frequency range of 41Hz - 26kHz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the AE120 MII can go slightly deeper then the AE109 MII's min frequency of 41Hz.
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
AE120 MII and AE109 MII have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. AE120 MII sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the AE109 MII's is at 89 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. 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.
AE120 MII can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas AE109 MII has a max power handling value of 175 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the AE120 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 AE120 MII and AE109 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
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 AE120 Mark II's and AE109 Mark II's external dimensions. AE120 Mark II has external dimensions of 950.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm ( 37.4 x 6.5 x 9.8inch) whereas AE109 Mark II has external dimensions of 860.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm ( 33.9 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 AE120 Mark II is approximately 412.5cm2 / 63.9inch2 and base area of the AE109 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 AE120 Mark II weighs 19.00kg / 41.8lbs and the AE109 Mark II weighs 16.00kg / 35.2lbs. This makes the AE120 MII 19% heavier than the AE109 MII.
Here is a comparison of how AE120 MII and AE109 MII's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 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 |
 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) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE120 Mark II |
Acoustic Energy AE109 Mark II |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Acoustic Energy |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
up to 175 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
39Hz - 26kHz |
41Hz - 26kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| 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 |
300Hz and 2.7kHz |
275Hz and 2.5kHz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
950.0mm (37.4") |
860.0mm (33.9") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
165.0mm (6.5") |
| Depth |
250.0mm (9.8") |
250.0mm (9.8") |
| Weight |
19.00kg (41.8lbs) |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
| 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 |
|
|