In this review, we will be comparing AE520 and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE520 and KLH Concord first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
AE520 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" dome with waveguide Tweeter
- 5.2" Midrange
- 4 x 5" carbon fibre cone Woofer
- 30Hz - 28kHz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 300watts
- Weight:30.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1130.0" x 7.3" x 12.6"( 1130.0 x 185.0 x 320.0mm )
KLH Concord Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer
- 28-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 94 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 225watts
- Weight:20.45kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1026.0" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"( 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the AE520 and KLH Concord 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 AE520 is a 3-way design whereas the Concord 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.
| Driver |
AE520 |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer .
Frequency Response
AE520 has a frequency range of 30Hz - 28kHz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go slightly deeper then the AE520's min frequency of 30Hz.
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
AE520 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Concord which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AE520 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Concord's is rated at 94 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to AE520, 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.
AE520 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Concord has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 300 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.
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 AE520's and KLH Concord'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 KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm ( 40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch) .
AE520 is 27mm narrower and 60mm less deeper than KLH Concord but it is also 104mm 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 AE520 is approximately 592.0cm2 / 91.8inch2 and base area of the KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The AE520 requires 27% less surface area than the Concord which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.