Acoustic Energy AE500 Mark II is a 2-way Passive Bookshelf speaker by Acoustic Energy. It was released in November 2026. It features a 1.1" Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" carbon fibre cone Woofer.
Second-generation 500 Series, unveiled November 2026: a 29 mm soft dome over a 125 mm (5-inch) carbon fibre cone, now 8 ohms (the original AE500 was 6). Frequency range quoted at +/-6 dB. No US price yet.
The speaker has a frequency range of 45-26k Hz and a sensitivity of 87 dB.
Room Size Suitability
The size of the room where you plan to use the AE500 Mark II is a crucial factor in your decision. We have assessed its suitability for various room sizes based on its dimensions and maximum power output:
| Listening Environment* |
Suitability |
| Near-field | Average |
| Small Room | Good |
| Mid-size Room | Average |
| Large Room | Poor |
| Very Large Room | Bad |
(* 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.)
Acoustic Energy replaced the older AE500 with this model. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:
Compare AE500 Mark II vs AE500
Acoustic Energy's AE500 Mark II Series of Loudspeakers
AE500 Mark II is a member of Acoustic Energy's AE500 Mark II series of Passive speakers. Below you can see the main specs of these speakers.
See all 4 Acoustic Energy AE500 Mark II models compared »
Acoustic Energy AE500 Mark II Series Speakers
Frequency Response of the AE500 Mark II Speaker
AE500 Mark II has a Frequency response range of 45-26k Hz at ±6dB and Power Range of up to 120 watts. With a minimum frequency of 45 Hz, AE500 Mark II delivers moderate bass depth so depending on your use case, you might want to consider adding a subwoofer to your system.
Here we have a comparison of how AE500 Mark II's Low frequency value compares with the average, max and min Low frequency values in its class.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Thinking about a subwoofer for the AE500 Mark II?
Crossover frequency of the AE500 Mark II?
The crossover frequency of the AE500 Mark II is set to 3.2kHz. This is the threshold frequency where the higher frequency signals over this level are sent to the tweeter and the lower-frequency signals are sent to the woofer by the crossover component.
Impedance and Sensitivity
AE500 Mark II's nominal impedance level is
8 ohms and has a sensitivity of
87 dB.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
8 Ohms is pretty much the standard nominal impedance amongst stereo speakers and amplifiers so Acoustic Energy AE500 Mark II is not considered a difficult to drive speaker from nominal Impedance perspective.
Sensitivity
With a sensitivity level of only 87 dB, Acoustic Energy AE500 Mark II is a difficult to drive speaker from Sensitivity perspective, make sure to choose an amplifier with a high output if you like listening to your music at high volume levels. You may especially have a hard time using Tube amplifiers which are traditionally very low power compared to Class A/B or Class D amps. Work out how loud the AE500 Mark II plays in your room →
What amplifier does the AE500 Mark II need?
At normal listening levels in a medium room, about
15–120 W
per channel into 8 ohms.
Set your own conditions and we will rank every amplifier we cover.
Prefer to browse? See every integrated amplifier we cover.
Input Type
AE500 Mark II features type connectors.
AE500 Mark II External Dimensions and Weight
AE500 Mark II has external dimensions of (Height x Width x Depth) 12.2 x 7.3 x 10.6inch (310.0 x 185.0 x 270.0mm ).
Base Surface Area
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base area of AE500 Mark II is approximately 499.5cm2 / 77.4inch2.
Millimetres are hard to picture, so here is the AE500 Mark II drawn to scale next to the Klipsch R-51M, the closest bookshelf to it in price that we cover.
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.
AE500 Mark II needs about 31% more floor or shelf area. AE500 Mark II is 55mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Klipsch R-51M is 28mm taller.
Full comparison: AE500 Mark II vs Klipsch R-51M ›
Find speakers that fit your shelf or alcove → · Work out where they should sit in the room →
WeightThe AE500 Mark II weighs 7.50kg / 16.5lbs per piece. Here is a comparison of how AE500 Mark II's weight compares with the average, max and min weights in its class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
How does the AE500 Mark II compare to the Acoustic Energy AE509 Mark II?
One of the natural alternative to the AE500 Mark II is the AE509 Mark II which is located one step higher in Acoustic Energy's Passive Bookshelf selection.
Check the Detailed Comparison of AE500 Mark II vs AE509 Mark II for more details.
Available colors
AE500 Mark II is available in Piano Gloss White, Piano Gloss Black and American Walnut wood veneer.
Wall Mounting
AE500 Mark II doesn't sport any built-in mounting bracket, so you need an external structure to mount it on walls.
Does the AE500 Mark II come with a Grille?
AE500 Mark II comes with magnetic grilles. The purpose of the grille is to protect the delicate driver elements from external impacts while still allowing the sound to pass as clearly as possible. Since the included grille of the AE500 Mark II is magnetic type, it is very easy to put it on and off.
Recommended Accessories
Here is a list of accessories that we think you may need for the Acoustic Energy AE500 Mark II.
- Speaker Cable and Connectors
- Vibration Isolators: IsoAcoustics isolators are our favorite isolators but you may find more affordable options too.
- Acoustic Panels and Treatments: Your room is as important as your stereo equipment so acoustic treatments goes a long way in improving the overall performance.
- Speaker Stands: Stands bring your bookshelf speakers to ideal height (rule of thumb is to have the tweeter level with your ear in your listening position), helps stability and acoustical isolation.
Official Product Page
Official manufacturer's product page for the Acoustic Energy AE500 Mark II speaker can be found below:
Official Product Page for AE500 Mark II