In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Acoustic Energy. Acoustic Energy AE307 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the AE309 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE307 and AE309 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
AE307 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.1" dome with waveguide Tweeter
- 2 x 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich Woofer
- 42Hz - 30kHz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 175watts
- Weight:9.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 175.0" x 18.1" x 10.2"( 175.0 x 460.0 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 )
AE307 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 AE307 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* |
AE307 |
AE309 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the AE307 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 AE307 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 |
AE307 |
AE309 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.2-inch
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
AE307 features a 1.1" aluminium dome with waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2560Hz. 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
AE307 has a frequency range of 42Hz - 30kHz whereas AE309 has a frequency range of 38Hz - 30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the AE309 can go slightly deeper then the AE307's min frequency of 42Hz.
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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel 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
AE307 and AE309 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 89 dB.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
AE307 and AE309 has the same power range of up to 175 watts.
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 AE307 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 AE307's and AE309's external dimensions. AE307 has external dimensions of 175.0 x 460.0 x 260.0mm ( 6.9 x 18.1 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 AE307 is approximately 1196.0cm2 / 185.4inch2 and base area of the AE309 is approximately 455.0cm2 / 70.5inch2. The AE307 requires 163% more surface area than the AE309 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Number of Woofers 
Height 
Price per pair* 
Driver Setup 
Base Surface Area