Acoustic Energy AE120² Floorstanding Speakers

Acoustic Energy AE120² Floorstanding Speakers

As the flagship of the range, the AE120² is the largest model in the 100 series and a true 3-way design. This speaker offers a big sound from a slim-line enclosure, tastefully styled to blend into a wide range of domestic environments. Twin bass drive units underpin the room filling performance with a dedicated mid-range driver housed in its own enclosure, carefully designed to mitigate the harmful effects of rear wave reflections. Integrated within the perfectly matched Wide Dispersion Technology (WDT) waveguide, Acoustic Energy’s 25mm soft dome tweeter manages the high frequencies with controlled dispersion, high sensitivity and low distortion.

The 3-way crossover is impedance compensated to avoid the resonance issues which would otherwise slow bass delivery and colour mid-range performance. Particular attention has also been paid to the phase and time alignment for optimum integration and soundstage. The result is a loudspeaker offering smooth, wide dispersion high frequencies with a clean mid-range and lightning fast bass response. The inert cabinet enclosure is constructed from 15mm HDF and like its smaller AE109² brother, supplied mass loaded to help dampen cabinet vibrations. The internal bracing system has been carefully tuned to reduce cabinet resonances and mid-range colouration, whilst the new AE120² benefits from a subtlety styled, discrete black plinth to aide stability, further improving dynamics and stereo focus

Bespoke Soft Dome Tweeter

Acoustic Energy’s bespoke 25mm soft dome tweeter was designed in tandem with the 100 Series bass driver to offer optimum integration and tonal matching. Paired with our Wide Dispersion Technology waveguide, the crossover region between drive units is audibly seamless whilst the high-power neodymium motor assembly ensures reliable, distortion-free high-volume playback.

Doped Paper Midrange and Bass Drivers

The 130mm midrange and bass drivers used in the 100 Series have been developed with a high power, long excursion motor to provide satisfying volume levels and bass extension from relatively compact enclosures. The doped paper cone enables a higher crossover point for smoother mid-range and seamless crossover with the tweeter, creating extremely high fidelity, detailed and above all musical sound reproduction.

High Density Fibreboard Cabinet

The 100 Series uses thin, 15mm high density (HDF) enclosures with carefully tuned bracing, reducing harmful resonances whilst retaining body and substance from compact, practical cabinets. The rear slot porting enhances smooth bass extension with minimal room impact, allowing easy placement. The AE120² features inert mass-loading for additional stability and acoustic damping, and comes with slim magnetic grilles.

Our Review

As the flagship of Acoustic Energy’s 100 Series, the AE120² is a slim, elegant floorstander that really punches above its size, delivering a big, confident sound without dominating the room visually. It’s a true 3-way design, so the dedicated midrange gets its own enclosure for clarity and focus, while the twin bass drivers dig deep with speed and control, giving music a sense of weight and drive that’s instantly engaging. The soft dome tweeter, working with Acoustic Energy’s Wide Dispersion Technology waveguide, keeps the top end smooth and open, spreading detail evenly across the room rather than beaming it straight at you. Under the hood there’s plenty of smart engineering too, from the impedance-compensated crossover to the carefully braced, mass-loaded HDF cabinet, all working together to keep the sound clean, fast and well balanced. The end result is a speaker that feels lively and musical, with a wide soundstage and effortless scale, making the AE120² just as enjoyable for relaxed listening as it is for turning things up and filling the room.