Acoustic Energy AE1 and AE2 40th Anniversary speakers compared

What the anniversary models are

Acoustic Energy has marked its 40th anniversary with two special loudspeakers, the AE1 40th Anniversary and the AE2 40th Anniversary.

Rather than building a showcase flagship, the company chose to honour its heritage. Both models follow the design principles and sound priorities of the originals, but they are engineered and built to modern standards.

Interest in retro audio gear is strong at the moment, with vinyl, cassette decks, reel-to-reel machines and even CD players all drawing fresh attention, which the publication says made this route a logical one.

How the AE1 has been updated

The original tweeter and mid/bass driver are long out of production, so Acoustic Energy redesigned both from scratch. The new tweeter has a 29mm aluminium dome, 4mm larger than the old one, which gives it more radiating area, and its diaphragm is intentionally shallow to widen the frequency range. A vented design keeps the fundamental resonance low, and ferrofluid, as in the original, helps power handling and reduces dynamic compression. It hands over to the mid/bass unit at 2.8kHz.

The mid/bass driver keeps the unusual features of the original, including a rigid, straight-sided anodised-aluminium cone, a strong motor system and good heat dissipation, but its cone has grown 5mm to 12.5cm across, raising radiating area and sensitivity. A shorting ring has been added to the motor to cut distortion.

The twin reflex ports survive, now flared at both ends to lower distortion and allow more output. Because the drivers are more capable, the crossover could be simplified into a low-order network that the company claims is more transparent than the complex original circuit.

The cabinet has changed too. Instead of the latex-modified concrete lining used before, the 29.5cm-tall enclosure uses the company's current RSC (Resonance Suppression Composite) panels, which sandwich bitumen between sheets of HDF to create a rigid, low-resonance structure. This speeds up manufacturing and slightly increases internal volume, which helps the low-end reach.

The bigger AE2 joins the range

Sales of the AE1 40th Anniversary have far exceeded the company's expectations, and demand for a revived AE2 grew too strong to ignore, according to What Hi-Fi?. The AE2 40th Anniversary was planned as a run of 500 pairs at £2499 / $3699 / AU$4950, but it has now become a full production model. The smaller AE1 costs £1499 / $1999 / AU$3100.

The two speakers share their drivers, with the AE2 using twin mid/bass units, and the simpler crossover continues with the handover point lowered to 2.2kHz.

Both models come in the same black or walnut high-gloss finishes, and the publication describes the AE2 as hefty and sturdy, with excellent build quality.

How they sound

In What Hi-Fi?'s listening, the two speakers remain distinct despite shared ingredients and a common engineering ethos. The AE1 has always been the livelier of the pair, and that remains true, with a scale of sound from a shoebox-sized cabinet that the reviewers found striking. This anniversary version is, however, smoother and more refined than before.

The smaller speaker's stereo imaging is described as exceptional, with few rivals vanishing so convincingly, and it delivers the more precise and layered soundstage of the two. It also stays clean and composed when pushed hard, handling wide dynamic shifts with authority unusual for its size.

The AE2 justifies its higher price with gains in authority and bass power, going louder and deeper while keeping its composure for longer. The publication notes that the bass depth and power match anything it has heard at that price, though the excerpt cuts off mid-sentence, so the full verdict on the AE2 is not available in the material at hand.

What it means for buyers

Anyone after a compact speaker with a bold, characterful presentation is well served by the AE1 40th Anniversary, which the publication says challenges the best modern designs at its price despite the basic design's age. Those with more space and budget get greater scale, bass depth and composure from the AE2.

Pricing is set at £1499 / $1999 / AU$3100 for the AE1 and £2499 / $3699 / AU$4950 for the AE2. Readers who want the full listening assessment, including the AE2 verdict that the available material does not cover, can find the complete review at What Hi-Fi?.