In this review, we will be comparing AE509 and AE309, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Acoustic Energy.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE509 and AE309 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE509 | AE309 |
|---|
| Brand | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with waveguide | 1.1" dome with waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.2" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" carbon fibre cone | 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32Hz - 28kHz | 38Hz - 30kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 175 watts | up to 175 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.00kg / 48.4lbs | 22.00kg / 48.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39.4" x 7.3" x 10.6"
1000.0 x 185.0 x 270.0mm | 35.4" x 6.9" x 10.2"
900.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the AE509 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* |
AE509 |
AE309 |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE509 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.
AE509AE309
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
AE509 |
AE309 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
AE509 features a 1" carbon fibre dome with waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 5" carbon fibre cone 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
AE509 has a frequency range of 32Hz - 28kHz whereas AE309 has a frequency range of 38Hz - 30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the AE509 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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
AE509 and AE309 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 89 dB.
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.
AE509 and AE309 have the same power range of up to 175 watts.
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 AE509 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
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 AE509's and AE309's external dimensions. AE509 has external dimensions of 1000.0 x 185.0 x 270.0mm (39.4 x 7.3 x 10.6inch) whereas AE309 has external dimensions of 900.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm (35.4 x 6.9 x 10.2inch).
AE509 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 10mm wider, 100mm taller and 10mm deeper than AE309.
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.
AE509 needs about 10% more floor or shelf area. AE509 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 AE509 is approximately 499.5cm2 / 77.4inch2 and base area of the AE309 is approximately 455.0cm2 / 70.5inch2. The AE509 requires 10% more surface area than the AE309 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 AE509 weighs 22.00kg / 48.4lbs and the AE309 weighs 22.00kg / 48.4lbs.
Here is a comparison of how AE509 and AE309's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
|
Woofer Size |
5.2 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
900mm
vs
1000mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
455cm2
vs
499cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1899USD
vs
3499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE509 |
Acoustic Energy AE309 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Acoustic Energy |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 175 watts |
up to 175 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32Hz - 28kHz |
38Hz - 30kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5.2" |
| Woofer Composition |
carbon fibre cone |
ceramic aluminium sandwich |
| Tweeter Size |
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 |
1000.0mm (39.4") |
900.0mm (35.4") |
| Width |
185.0mm (7.3") |
175.0mm (6.9") |
| Depth |
270.0mm (10.6") |
260.0mm (10.2") |
| Weight |
22.00kg (48.4lbs) |
22.00kg (48.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) |
high density MDF |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss White, American 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 |
|
|
These sit in different price classes - AE509 costs roughly 1.8x what AE309 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | AE509 digs deeper - 32Hz against 38Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (175W vs 175W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | B | AE309 is cheaper - $1,899 against $3,499, about 46% less; arguably a different class. |
A AE509 B AE309
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?
AE509 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 84% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - AE309 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the AE509 appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 38Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper AE309 much easier to justify. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $1,600 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.