In this review, we will be comparing AE120 MII and Prime Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE120 Mark II and SVS Prime Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE120 Mark II | SVS Prime Tower |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with waveguide | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.2" | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.2" paper cone | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 39Hz - 26kHz | 30-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 200 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 19.00kg / 41.8lbs | 18.23kg / 40.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 37.4" x 6.5" x 9.8"
950.0 x 165.0 x 250.0mm | 36-5/8" x 8" x 11-11/16"
931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the AE120 Mark II and SVS Prime Tower 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 |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both AE120 MII and Prime Tower are 3-way speakers.
AE120 Mark IISVS Prime Tower
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 |
SVS Prime Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
1 x 4.5-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 Prime Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
AE120 MII has a frequency range of 39Hz - 26kHz whereas Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the AE120 MII's min frequency of 39Hz.
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 Prime Tower 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 Prime Tower's is rated at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the AE120 Mark II a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Tower, 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.
Prime Tower can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas AE120 MII has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Prime Tower.
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 Prime Tower 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 SVS Prime Tower'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 SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm (36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch).
AE120 Mark II is 39mm narrower and 47mm less deeper than SVS Prime Tower but it is also 19mm taller.
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 SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2. The AE120 MII requires 32% less surface area than the Prime Tower 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 SVS Prime Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs. This makes the AE120 MII 4% heavier than the Prime Tower.
Here is a comparison of how AE120 MII and Prime Tower'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 SVS Prime Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
412cm2
vs
605cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
931mm
vs
950mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
1499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE120 Mark II |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
39Hz - 26kHz |
30-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.2" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz and 2.7kHz |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
950.0mm (37.4") |
931.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
204.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
250.0mm (9.8") |
297.0mm (11.7") |
| Weight |
19.00kg (41.8lbs) |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
| 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 |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: AE120 Mark II is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
SVS Prime Tower digs deeper - 30Hz against 39Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
AE120 Mark II is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
SVS Prime Tower is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom |
B |
SVS Prime Tower takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
AE120 Mark II is easier to place; SVS Prime Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. SVS Prime Tower sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
evenly matched |
Much the same money ($1,499 vs $1,400 a pair). |
A AE120 Mark II
B SVS Prime Tower
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?
SVS Prime Tower 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 39Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate AE120 Mark II the better fit for a mid-size room, and SVS Prime Tower for a very large room.
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.