In this review, we will be comparing AE309 and AE320, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Acoustic Energy.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE309 and AE320 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE309 | AE320 |
|---|
| Brand | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" dome with waveguide | 1.1" dome with waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.2" | 5.2" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich | 2 x 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38Hz - 30kHz | 35Hz - 30kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 175 watts | up to 200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.00kg / 48.4lbs | 26.00kg / 57.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 35.4" x 6.9" x 10.2"
900.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm | 39.4" x 6.9" x 10.2"
1000.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm |
|---|
AE309 and AE320 are members of Acoustic Energy's AE300 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the AE309 and AE320 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* |
AE309 |
AE320 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both AE309 and AE320 are 3-way speakers.
AE309AE320
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
AE309 |
AE320 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
1 x 5.2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
2 x 5.2-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the AE320 features a 1.1" aluminium dome with waveguide Tweeter, a 5.2" Midrange and 2 x 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz and 3400Hz.
Frequency Response
AE309 has a frequency range of 38Hz - 30kHz whereas AE320 has a frequency range of 35Hz - 30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the AE320 can go slightly deeper then the AE309's min frequency of 38Hz.
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
AE309 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the AE320 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AE309 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the AE320's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the AE320 a more sensitive speaker compared to AE309, 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.
AE320 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas AE309 has a max power handling value of 175 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the AE320.
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 AE309 and AE320 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 AE309's and AE320's external dimensions. AE309 has external dimensions of 900.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm (35.4 x 6.9 x 10.2inch) whereas AE320 has external dimensions of 1000.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm (39.4 x 6.9 x 10.2inch).
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Near-identical footprints. AE320 is 100mm 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 AE309 is approximately 455.0cm2 / 70.5inch2 and base area of the AE320 is approximately 455.0cm2 / 70.5inch2.
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 AE309 weighs 22.00kg / 48.4lbs and the AE320 weighs 26.00kg / 57.2lbs. This makes the AE320 18% heavier than the AE309.
Here is a comparison of how AE309 and AE320's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Height |
900mm
vs
1000mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1899USD
vs
2699USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
175 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE309 |
Acoustic Energy AE320 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Acoustic Energy |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 175 watts |
up to 200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38Hz - 30kHz |
35Hz - 30kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| 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 |
5.2" |
5.2" |
| Crossover Frequency |
296Hz and 2560Hz |
380Hz and 3400Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
900.0mm (35.4") |
1000.0mm (39.4") |
| Width |
175.0mm (6.9") |
175.0mm (6.9") |
| Depth |
260.0mm (10.2") |
260.0mm (10.2") |
| Weight |
22.00kg (48.4lbs) |
26.00kg (57.2lbs) |
| 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 |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Acoustic Energy's AE300 series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | AE320 digs deeper - 35Hz against 38Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | AE320 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (175W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | A | AE309 is cheaper - $1,899 against $2,699, about 30% less. |
A AE309 B AE320
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?
The usual trade-off: AE320 measures better, AE309 costs about about 42% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $800 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.