In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Acoustic Energy. Acoustic Energy AE500 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the AE520 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE500 and AE520 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE500 | AE520 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with waveguide | 1" dome with waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.2" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" carbon fibre cone | 4 x 5" carbon fibre cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45Hz - 28kHz | 30Hz - 28kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 120 watts | up to 300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 8.00kg / 17.6lbs | 30.00kg / 66lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12.2" x 7.3" x 10.2"
310.0 x 185.0 x 260.0mm | 44.5" x 7.3" x 12.6"
1130.0 x 185.0 x 320.0mm |
|---|
AE500 and AE520 are members of Acoustic Energy's AE500 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the AE500 and AE520 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 |
AE520 |
| 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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE500 is a 2-way design whereas the AE520 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.
AE500AE520
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 |
AE520 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
4 x 5-inch
|
AE500 features a 1" carbon fibre dome with waveguide Tweeter and 1 x 5" carbon fibre cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz. On the other hand, the AE520 features a 1" carbon fibre dome with waveguide Tweeter, a 5.2" Midrange and 4 x 5" carbon fibre cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 373Hz and 2.8kHz.
Frequency Response
AE500 has a frequency range of 45Hz - 28kHz whereas AE520 has a frequency range of 30Hz - 28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the AE520 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the AE500'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 and AE520 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. AE500 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the AE520's is at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the AE520 a more sensitive speaker compared to AE500, 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 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas AE500 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the AE520.
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 AE500 and AE520 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 AE500's and AE520's external dimensions. AE500 has external dimensions of 310.0 x 185.0 x 260.0mm (12.2 x 7.3 x 10.2inch) whereas AE520 has external dimensions of 1130.0 x 185.0 x 320.0mm (44.5 x 7.3 x 12.6inch).
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 is approximately 481.0cm2 / 74.6inch2 and base area of the AE520 is approximately 592.0cm2 / 91.8inch2. The AE500 requires 19% less surface area than the AE520 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.