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AE300 vs AE309 Comparison

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AE300

Passive Bookshelf | 45Hz - 30kHz

Acoustic Energy AE300
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AE309

Passive Floor-standing | 38Hz - 30kHz

Acoustic Energy AE309
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AE300 AE300
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AE309 AE309
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AE300
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AE309
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AE300 vs AE309 Speaker Comparison

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.

Acoustic Energy AE300 Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
AE300
Bookshelf 45Hz - 30kHz 86 dB6Ω 1 x 5.2"
AE309
Floor-standing 38Hz - 30kHz 89 dB6Ω 1 x 5.2"
AE307
  
Center Channel 42Hz - 30kHz 89 dB6Ω 2 x 5.2"
AE320
  
Floor-standing 35Hz - 30kHz 90 dB8Ω 2 x 5.2"

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.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


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

AE300
AE309
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

AE300
AE309
Min
Average
Max

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

AE300
AE309
Min
Average
Max

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.


Reasons to choose Acoustic Energy AE300 over Acoustic Energy AE309
Height 300mm vs 900mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair* 1099USD vs 1899USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Acoustic Energy AE309 over Acoustic Energy AE300

Max Input Power 175 watts vs 100 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity 89 dB vs 86 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Low Frequency Response 38 Hz vs 45 Hz Generates deeper bass
AE300 vs AE309 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Acoustic Energy AE300 Acoustic Energy AE309
Brand Acoustic Energy Acoustic Energy
Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Floor-standing speaker
Power Range up to 100 watts up to 175 watts
Sensitivity 86 dB 89 dB
Impedance 6 ohms 6 ohms
Frequency Response 45Hz - 30kHz 38Hz - 30kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity 1 1
Woofer Size 5.2" 5.2"
Woofer Composition ceramic aluminium sandwich ceramic aluminium sandwich
Tweeter Size 1.1" 1.1"
Tweeter Type dome with waveguide dome with waveguide
Aimable Tweeter No No
Midrange Driver No 5.2"
Crossover Frequency 2800Hz 296Hz and 2560Hz
Firing Direction rear rear
Physical Specs
Height 300.0mm (11.8") 900.0mm (35.4")
Width 175.0mm (6.9") 175.0mm (6.9")
Depth 260.0mm (10.2") 260.0mm (10.2")
Weight 6.50kg (14.3lbs) 22.00kg (48.4lbs)
Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
Finish high density MDF high density MDF
Available Colors Piano Gloss White, Piano Gloss Black, Real Walnut wood veneer Piano Gloss White, Piano Gloss Black, Real Walnut wood veneer
Mounting Bracket
Grille Yes Yes
Moisture Resistancy No No
Connections
Other
Parts Warranty
Labor Warranty

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