In this review, we will be comparing AE120 MII and S50, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and Polk Audio. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE120 Mark II and Polk S50 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the AE120 Mark II and Polk S50 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 Polk S50 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 AE120 MII is a 3-way design whereas the S50 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 |
AE120 Mark II |
Polk S50 |
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
- |
Woofer
|
2 x 5.2-inch
|
2 x 5.25-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 S50 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
AE120 MII has a frequency range of 39Hz - 26kHz whereas S50 has a frequency range of 33-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 33Hz, the S50 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the AE120 MII's min frequency of 39Hz.
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 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the S50 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 S50's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the AE120 Mark II a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk S50, 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 S50 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 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
AE120 MII has a rear firing port whereas S50 has a bottom firing ports. Polk S50's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to AE120 Mark II with its rear-firing port.
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 Polk S50'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 Polk S50 has external dimensions of 951.0 x 262.0 x 281.0mm ( 37-7/16 x 10-5/16 x 11-1/16inch) .
Polk S50 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 97mm wider, 1mm taller and 31mm 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 Polk S50 is approximately 736.2cm2 / 114.1inch2. The AE120 MII requires 44% less surface area than the S50 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 Polk S50 weighs 14.50kg / 31.9lbs. This makes the AE120 MII 31% heavier than the S50.
Here is a comparison of how AE120 MII and S50'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 Polk S50?
Here are the items that come with the S50:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Feet (pre-installed)Owners ManualOnline Product Registration
Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
Height |
950mm
vs
951mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
Base Surface Area |
412cm2 (165x250mm)
vs
736cm2 (262x281mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
5.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
Low Frequency Response |
33 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
General |
Acoustic Energy AE120 Mark II |
Polk Audio Signature S50 |
Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Polk Audio |
Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
20-150 watts |
Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
Frequency Response |
39Hz - 26kHz |
33-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
Woofer Size |
5.2" |
5.25" |
Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Butyl rubber |
Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
Dome |
Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
No |
Crossover Frequency |
300Hz and 2.7kHz |
2500Hz |
Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
Height |
950.0mm (37.4") |
951.0mm (37.4") |
Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
262.0mm (10.3") |
Depth |
250.0mm (9.8") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
Weight |
19.00kg (41.8lbs) |
14.50kg (31.9lbs) |
Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
Finish |
HDF |
Meddite MDF |
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 |