In this review, we will be comparing AE520 and RTi A5, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and Polk Audio. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE520 and Polk RTi A5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the AE520 and Polk RTi A5 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 AE520 and Polk RTi A5 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 RTi A5 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 |
Polk RTi A5 |
|
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 RTi A5 features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polymer composite Woofer .
Frequency Response
AE520 has a frequency range of 30Hz - 28kHz whereas RTi A5 has a frequency range of 40-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the AE520 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the RTi A5's min frequency of 40Hz.
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 RTi A5 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 90 dBdB.
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 RTi A5 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 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
AE520 has a rear firing port whereas RTi A5 has a front firing ports. Polk RTi A5's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to AE520 with its rear-firing port.
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 Polk RTi A5'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 Polk RTi A5 has external dimensions of 1007.0 x 269.0 x 404.0mm ( 39-5/8 x 10-9/16 x 15-7/8inch) .
AE520 is 84mm narrower and 84mm less deeper than Polk RTi A5 but it is also 123mm 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 Polk RTi A5 is approximately 1086.8cm2 / 168.5inch2. The AE520 requires 46% less surface area than the RTi A5 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 AE520 weighs 30.00kg / 66lbs and the Polk RTi A5 weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the AE520 65% heavier than the RTi A5.
Here is a comparison of how AE520 and RTi A5'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 Polk RTi A5?
Here are the items that come with the RTi A5:
Cherry floor-standing speakerDetachable black cloth grille4 Screw-on spike feetOwners ManualOnline registration sheetPolk Audio product brochure
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
592cm2 (185x320mm)
vs
1086cm2 (269x404mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
| Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
1007mm
vs
1130mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE520 |
Polk Audio RTi A5 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 300 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30Hz - 28kHz |
40-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
carbon fibre cone |
Polymer composite |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
373Hz and 2.8kHz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1130.0mm (44.5") |
1007.0mm (39.6") |
| Width |
185.0mm (7.3") |
269.0mm (10.6") |
| Depth |
320.0mm (12.6") |
404.0mm (15.9") |
| Weight |
30.00kg (66lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) |
Real wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss White, American Walnut wood veneer |
Cherry |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |