In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Acoustic Energy. Acoustic Energy AE300 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the AE309 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE300 and AE309 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
AE300 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.1" dome with waveguide Tweeter
- 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich Woofer
- 45Hz - 30kHz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 100watts
- Weight:6.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 300.0" x 6.9" x 10.2"( 300.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm )
AE309 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.1" dome with waveguide Tweeter
- 5.2" Midrange
- 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich Woofer
- 5.2" Midrange
- 38Hz - 30kHz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 175watts
- Weight:22.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 900.0" x 6.9" x 10.2"( 900.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm )
AE300 and AE309 are members of Acoustic Energy's AE300 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the AE300 and AE309 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* |
AE300 |
AE309 |
| Near-field |
Average |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the AE300 and AE309 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 AE300 is a 2-way design whereas the AE309 is a 3-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 |
AE300 |
AE309 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
AE300 features a 1.1" aluminium dome with waveguide Tweeter and 1 x 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz. On the other hand, the AE309 features a 1.1" aluminium dome with waveguide Tweeter , a 5.2" Midrange and 1 x 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 296Hz and 2560Hz.
Frequency Response
AE300 has a frequency range of 45Hz - 30kHz whereas AE309 has a frequency range of 38Hz - 30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the AE309 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the AE300'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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf 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
AE300 and AE309 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. AE300 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the AE309's is at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the AE309 a more sensitive speaker compared to AE300, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
AE300 can handle a max power of 175 watts RMS from the amp the whereas AE300 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS , 75 watts less than the AE309.
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 AE300 and AE309 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 AE300's and AE309's external dimensions. AE300 has external dimensions of 300.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm ( 11.4 x 6.9 x 10.2inch) whereas AE309 has external dimensions of 900.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm ( 35.4 x 6.9 x 10.2inch) .
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 AE300 is approximately 455.0cm2 / 70.5inch2 and base area of the AE309 is approximately 455.0cm2 / 70.5inch2.
Height 
Price per pair* 
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Low Frequency Response