In this review, we will be comparing AE509 and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and SVS. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE509 and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the AE509 and SVS Ultra Tower 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 SVS Ultra Tower 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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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE509 is a 2-way design whereas the Ultra Tower 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 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 8.0-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 Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
AE509 has a frequency range of 32Hz - 28kHz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower 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 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Ultra Tower which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AE509 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Ultra Tower's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the AE509 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Tower, 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 Ultra Tower.
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.
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 SVS Ultra Tower'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 SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm ( 45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch) .
SVS Ultra Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 170mm wider, 159mm taller and 175mm deeper than AE509.
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 SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The AE509 requires 68% less surface area than the Ultra Tower 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 SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 56% heavier than the AE509.
Here is a comparison of how AE509 and Ultra Tower's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
Floorstanding loudspeakerCloth grille2 Metal grillesFoam port plug4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)4 Spike feet4 Nuts4 Protective discs2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)Owners ManualSVS brochureOnline Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
1000mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
499cm2 (185x270mm)
vs
1579cm2 (355x445mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 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 |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
3499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE509 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 175 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32Hz - 28kHz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
carbon fibre cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2800Hz |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1000.0mm (39.4") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
185.0mm (7.3") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
270.0mm (10.6") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
22.00kg (48.4lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss White, American Walnut wood veneer |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |