In this review, we will be comparing AE120 MII and BW 603, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE120 Mark II and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE120 Mark II | B&W 603 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with waveguide | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.2" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.2" paper cone | 2 x 6.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 39Hz - 26kHz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 200 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 19.00kg / 41.8lbs | 24.14kg / 53.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 37.4" x 6.5" x 9.8"
950.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm | 38.7" x 7.4" x 13.3"
985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the AE120 Mark II and B&W 603 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* |
AE120 Mark II |
B&W 603 |
| 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 AE120 MII and BW 603 are 3-way speakers.
AE120 Mark IIB&W 603
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
AE120 Mark II |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.2-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
AE120 MII has a frequency range of 39Hz - 26kHz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the AE120 MII can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BW 603's min frequency of 48Hz.
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
AE120 MII is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the BW 603 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AE120 MII sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the BW 603's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the AE120 Mark II a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 603, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though AE120 MII is rated up to 200 watts and BW 603 30-200 watts.
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 AE120 MII and BW 603 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 AE120 Mark II's and B&W 603'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 B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm (38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch).
B&W 603 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 25mm wider, 35mm taller and 90mm deeper than AE120 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 AE120 Mark II is approximately 412.5cm2 / 63.9inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The AE120 MII requires 36% less surface area than the BW 603 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 AE120 Mark II weighs 19.00kg / 41.8lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the BW 603 27% heavier than the AE120 MII.
Here is a comparison of how AE120 MII and BW 603'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 B&W 603?
Here are the items that come with the BW 603:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinith (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock-washers
- Two-piece foam port plug
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
39 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
950mm
vs
985mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
412cm2
vs
646cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE120 Mark II |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
39Hz - 26kHz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.2" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz and 2.7kHz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
950.0mm (37.4") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
250.0mm (9.8") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
19.00kg (41.8lbs) |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
HDF |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut, Satin Black |
Black, White, Oak |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: AE120 Mark II is the newer design, against a 2018 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
A |
AE120 Mark II digs deeper - 39Hz against 48Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
B&W 603 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size |
depends |
AE120 Mark II is easier to place; B&W 603 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
B |
B&W 603: bi-amping. |
A AE120 Mark II
B B&W 603
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?
B&W 603 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 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, B&W 603 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, AE120 Mark II is the easier speaker to get right.
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.