In this review, we will be comparing Solstice 8 and AE509, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Triangle and Acoustic Energy.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Solstice 8 and AE509 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Solstice 8 | AE509 |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Horn-Loaded | 1" dome with waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Paper, concave with no dust cap | 2 x 5" carbon fibre cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-22k Hz | 32Hz - 28kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 60-200 watts | up to 175 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 30.40kg / 66.9lbs | 22.00kg / 48.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-5/16" x 12-1/8" x 15-1/2"
1075.0 x 308.0 x 394.0mm | 39.4" x 7.3" x 10.6"
1000.0 x 185.0 x 270.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Triangle Solstice 8 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* |
Triangle Solstice 8 |
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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Solstice 8 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.
Triangle Solstice 8AE509
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Triangle Solstice 8 |
AE509 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
Solstice 8 features a 1" Magnesium alloy dome Horn-Loaded Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper, concave with no dust cap Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 250Hz and 3700Hz. 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
Solstice 8 has a frequency range of 38-22k Hz whereas AE509 has a frequency range of 32Hz - 28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the AE509 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Solstice 8's min frequency of 38Hz.
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
Solstice 8 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the AE509 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Solstice 8 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the AE509's is rated at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Triangle Solstice 8 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.
AE509 can handle a max power of 175 watts RMS, whereas Solstice 8 has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 45 watts less than the AE509.
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
Solstice 8 has a front firing port whereas AE509 has a rear firing ports. Triangle Solstice 8's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to AE509 with its rear-firing port.
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 Triangle Solstice 8's and AE509's external dimensions. Triangle Solstice 8 has external dimensions of 1075.0 x 308.0 x 394.0mm (42-5/16 x 12-1/8 x 15-1/2inch) whereas AE509 has external dimensions of 1000.0 x 185.0 x 270.0mm (39.4 x 7.3 x 10.6inch).
Triangle Solstice 8 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 123mm wider, 75mm taller and 124mm deeper than AE509.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Triangle Solstice 8 needs about 143% more floor or shelf area. Triangle Solstice 8 is 124mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Triangle Solstice 8 is 75mm 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 Triangle Solstice 8 is approximately 1213.5cm2 / 188.1inch2 and base area of the AE509 is approximately 499.5cm2 / 77.4inch2. The Solstice 8 requires 143% 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 Triangle Solstice 8 weighs 30.40kg / 66.9lbs and the AE509 weighs 22.00kg / 48.4lbs. This makes the Solstice 8 38% heavier than the AE509.
Here is a comparison of how Solstice 8 and AE509's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 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 |
 Price per pair* |
2799USD
vs
3499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
175 watts
vs
130 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1000mm
vs
1075mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
499cm2
vs
1213cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Triangle Solstice 8 |
Acoustic Energy AE509 |
| Brand |
Triangle |
Acoustic Energy |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
60-200 watts |
up to 175 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
38-22k Hz |
32Hz - 28kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper, concave with no dust cap |
carbon fibre cone |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Horn-Loaded |
dome with waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
250Hz and 3700Hz |
2800Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1075.0mm (42.3") |
1000.0mm (39.4") |
| Width |
308.0mm (12.1") |
185.0mm (7.3") |
| Depth |
394.0mm (15.5") |
270.0mm (10.6") |
| Weight |
30.40kg (66.9lbs) |
22.00kg (48.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
Resonance Suppression Composite (RSC) |
| Available Colors |
Teak, Birch, Black Ash, White |
Piano Gloss Black, Piano Gloss White, American Walnut wood veneer |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
|
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
|
A generation apart: Triangle Solstice 8 is the newer design, against a 2019 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | AE509 digs deeper - 32Hz against 38Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Triangle Solstice 8 is more sensitive (91dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Triangle Solstice 8 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | AE509 takes more power (175W vs 130W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | AE509 is easier to place; Triangle Solstice 8 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | A | Triangle Solstice 8 is cheaper - $2,799 against $3,499, about 20% less. |
A Triangle Solstice 8 B AE509
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 38Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Triangle Solstice 8 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Triangle Solstice 8 the better fit for a very large room, and AE509 for a mid-size room.
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.