In this review, we will be comparing AE520 and AE509, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Acoustic Energy.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE520 and AE509 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE520 | AE509 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with waveguide | 1" dome with waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.2" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 5" carbon fibre cone | 2 x 5" carbon fibre cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30Hz - 28kHz | 32Hz - 28kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 300 watts | up to 175 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 30.00kg / 66lbs | 22.00kg / 48.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44.5" x 7.3" x 12.6"
1130.0 x 185.0 x 320.0mm | 39.4" x 7.3" x 10.6"
1000.0 x 185.0 x 270.0mm |
|---|
AE520 and AE509 are members of Acoustic Energy's AE500 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the AE520 and AE509 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* |
AE520 |
AE509 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AE520 is a 3-way design whereas the AE509 is a 2-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.
AE520AE509
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
AE520 |
AE509 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 5-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the AE509 features a 1" carbon fibre dome with waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 5" carbon fibre cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz.
Frequency Response
AE520 has a frequency range of 30Hz - 28kHz whereas AE509 has a frequency range of 32Hz - 28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the AE520 can go slightly deeper then the AE509's min frequency of 32Hz.
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
AE520 and AE509 have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. AE520 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the AE509's is at 89 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. 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 AE509 has a max power handling value of 175 watts RMS, 125 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 AE520 and AE509 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 AE520's and AE509's external dimensions. AE520 has external dimensions of 1130.0 x 185.0 x 320.0mm (44.5 x 7.3 x 12.6inch) whereas AE509 has external dimensions of 1000.0 x 185.0 x 270.0mm (39.4 x 7.3 x 10.6inch).
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 AE520 is approximately 592.0cm2 / 91.8inch2 and base area of the AE509 is approximately 499.5cm2 / 77.4inch2. The AE520 requires 19% more surface area than the AE509 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 AE520 weighs 30.00kg / 66lbs and the AE509 weighs 22.00kg / 48.4lbs. This makes the AE520 36% heavier than the AE509.
Here is a comparison of how AE520 and AE509's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 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 |
 Height |
1000mm
vs
1130mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
499cm2
vs
592cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3499USD
vs
4999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE520 |
Acoustic Energy AE509 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Acoustic Energy |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 300 watts |
up to 175 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30Hz - 28kHz |
32Hz - 28kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| 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 |
5.2" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
373Hz and 2.8kHz |
2800Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1130.0mm (44.5") |
1000.0mm (39.4") |
| Width |
185.0mm (7.3") |
185.0mm (7.3") |
| Depth |
320.0mm (12.6") |
270.0mm (10.6") |
| Weight |
30.00kg (66lbs) |
22.00kg (48.4lbs) |
| 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 |
|
|
Siblings in Acoustic Energy's AE500 series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
evenly matched |
Much the same reach (30Hz vs 32Hz). |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
A |
AE520 takes more power (300W vs 175W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
AE509 is easier to place; AE520 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price |
B |
AE509 is cheaper - $3,499 against $4,999, about 30% less. |
A AE520
B AE509
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
AE520 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 30% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - AE509 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the AE520 appeals to you. Match it to your room: we rate AE520 the better fit for a very large room, and AE509 for a mid-size room. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $1,500 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.