In this review, we will be comparing AE509 and AE520, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Acoustic Energy Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE509 and AE520 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
AE509 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 AE509 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the AE509 and AE520 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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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE509 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.
| Driver |
AE509 |
AE520 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
4 x 5-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 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
AE509 has a frequency range of 32Hz - 28kHz whereas AE520 has a frequency range of 30Hz - 28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the AE520 can go slightly deeper then the AE509's min frequency of 32Hz.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing 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
AE509 and AE520 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. AE509 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the AE520's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the AE520 a more sensitive speaker compared to AE509, 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. 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.
AE509 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas AE509 has a max power handling value of 175 watts RMS , 125 watts less than the AE520.
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 AE509 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
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 AE509's and AE520'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 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 AE509 is approximately 499.5cm2 / 77.4inch2 and base area of the AE520 is approximately 592.0cm2 / 91.8inch2. The AE509 requires 16% less surface area than the AE520 which gives it a small advantage 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 AE520 weighs 30.00kg / 66lbs. This makes the AE520 36% heavier than the AE509.
Here is a comparison of how AE509 and AE520's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Height |
1000mm
vs
1130mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
499cm2 (185x270mm)
vs
592cm2 (185x320mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3499USD
vs
4999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
175 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE509 |
Acoustic Energy AE520 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Acoustic Energy |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 175 watts |
up to 300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32Hz - 28kHz |
30Hz - 28kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
4 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
carbon fibre cone |
carbon fibre cone |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
dome with waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.2" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2800Hz |
373Hz and 2.8kHz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1000.0mm (39.4") |
1130.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
185.0mm (7.3") |
185.0mm (7.3") |
| Depth |
270.0mm (10.6") |
320.0mm (12.6") |
| Weight |
22.00kg (48.4lbs) |
30.00kg (66lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) |
Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss White, American Walnut wood veneer |
Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss White, American Walnut wood veneer |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|