In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Acoustic Energy. Acoustic Energy AE500 Mark II is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the AE520 Mark II is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE500 Mark II and AE520 Mark II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE500 Mark II | AE520 Mark II |
|---|
| Brand | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Dome | 1.1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" carbon fibre cone | 2 x 6.5" carbon fibre cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-26k Hz | 28-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 120 watts | up to 200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.50kg / 16.5lbs | 30.00kg / 66lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12.2" x 7.3" x 10.6"
310.0 x 185.0 x 270.0mm | 41.3" x 7.3" x 14.2"
1050.0 x 185.0 x 360.0mm |
|---|
AE500 Mark II and AE520 Mark II are members of Acoustic Energy's AE500 Mark II series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the AE500 Mark II and AE520 Mark II 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* |
AE500 Mark II |
AE520 Mark II |
| Near-field |
Average |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE500 Mark II is a 2-way design whereas the AE520 Mark II 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.
AE500 Mark IIAE520 Mark II
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
AE500 Mark II |
AE520 Mark II |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
AE500 Mark II features a 1.1" soft dome Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" carbon fibre cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3.2kHz. On the other hand, the AE520 Mark II features a 1.1" soft dome Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" carbon fibre cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 220Hz and 3.6kHz.
Frequency Response
AE500 Mark II has a frequency range of 45-26k Hz whereas AE520 Mark II has a frequency range of 28-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the AE520 Mark II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the AE500 Mark II's min frequency of 45Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
AE500 Mark II is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the AE520 Mark II which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AE500 Mark II sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the AE520 Mark II's is rated at 92 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the AE520 Mark II a more sensitive speaker compared to AE500 Mark II, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
AE520 Mark II can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas AE500 Mark II has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the AE520 Mark II.
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.
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 AE500 Mark II's and AE520 Mark II's external dimensions. AE500 Mark II has external dimensions of 310.0 x 185.0 x 270.0mm (12.2 x 7.3 x 10.6inch) whereas AE520 Mark II has external dimensions of 1050.0 x 185.0 x 360.0mm (41.3 x 7.3 x 14.2inch).
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.
AE520 Mark II needs about 33% more floor or shelf area. AE520 Mark II is 90mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. AE520 Mark II is 740mm 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 AE500 Mark II is approximately 499.5cm2 / 77.4inch2 and base area of the AE520 Mark II is approximately 666.0cm2 / 103.2inch2. The AE500 Mark II requires 25% less surface area than the AE520 Mark II which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.