Acoustic Energy - AE1 Active - Bookshelf Speakers

"No hype or exaggeration here, just a natural sense of power, pace and perspective. - Hi-Fi Choice

The changing roles of hifi equipment mean that audio systems themselves are changing shape. The increasing number of products with integrated pre-amplifiers mean that many customers are searching for an equally convenient speaker to connect them to. Taking full advantage of Acoustic Energy’s considerable experience in the field of active speakers, the AE1 Active is designed to deliver this convenience without trading performance.

At a Glance

• Fully active, bi-amped loudspeaker – no external amplifier required

• 2 × 50W Class A/B amplifiers per speaker for exceptional control and dynamics

• Pure Piston™ ceramic aluminium mid/bass driver for ultra-low distortion

• Aluminium dome tweeter with WDT waveguide for wide, immersive imaging

• All-analogue signal path – no DSP, no wireless compromise

• Balanced XLR & RCA inputs for seamless system integration

• Room-tuning bass & treble trims with analogue volume control

• Reference AE1 performance in a compact, self-powered design

Reference Active Loudspeakers

Modern hi-fi systems are evolving—and the AE1 Active is designed for the way people listen today. Built for direct connection to high-quality DACs, preamps, and streamers, the AE1 Active delivers true reference-level performance without the need for an external amplifier, speaker cables, or compromise.

Drawing on over 30 years of AE1 refinement and Acoustic Energy’s deep expertise in professional active monitor design, the AE1 Active offers the legendary clarity, speed, and musical insight of the original AE1 in a fully self-powered, fully active loudspeaker.

Fully Active. Fully Integrated. Fully AE1.

The AE1 Active is a two-way standmount loudspeaker featuring integrated Class A/B amplification and fully active analogue crossovers. Each speaker is bi-amped with two perfectly matched 50-watt Class A/B amplifiers, delivering exceptional control, dynamics, and transparency.

By designing the amplification, crossover, and drive units as a single system, Acoustic Energy eliminates the losses and variables inherent in passive designs—resulting in unmatched coherence, punch, and resolution.

Legendary AE1 Drive Units

At the heart of the AE1 Active is Acoustic Energy’s fifth-generation Pure Piston™ ceramic aluminium cone mid/bass driver. This 125mm hard-anodised spun aluminium cone combines extreme stiffness with very low mass, dramatically reducing cone breakup and coloration.

High frequencies are handled by an all-new 27mm aluminium dome tweeter, engineered to work in harmony with Acoustic Energy’s Wide Dispersion Technology (WDT) waveguide. The result is wide, stable imaging with seamless driver integration and exceptional spatial realism.

All-Analogue, No-Compromise Design

The AE1 Active is proudly all-analogue—chosen purely for sound quality.
After extensive testing, Acoustic Energy rejected DSP, Class D amplification, wireless inputs, and switch-mode power supplies in favor of a purist signal path that delivers the performance expected of the AE1 name.

Key electronics features include:

• Balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA analogue inputs

• High-quality linear power supplies

• Pair-matched 50W Class A/B amplifiers per speaker

• Defeatable ±2dB bass and treble trims for room tuning

• High-quality analogue volume control for source-only systems

Redesigned Cabinet & Slot-Port Loading

The AE1 Active introduces an all-new cabinet design featuring:

• Heavily braced, high-mass fibreboard construction

• Internal damping panels

• A newly developed slot port, optimized through Acoustic Energy’s R&D program

This advanced port design offers greater airflow, reduced turbulence, and significantly lower distortion at high listening levels—allowing the AE1 Active to play louder, cleaner, and with greater authority than any AE1 before it.

Reference Performance, Compact Form

Despite its compact size, the AE1 Active delivers truly exceptional output:

• Frequency response: 40Hz – 25kHz

• Maximum SPL: 115dB

• Sensitivity: 104dB (1Vrms)

Few small speakers—active or passive—can approach this level of scale, control, and realism.

Equally at home in a high-end listening room or professional studio, the AE1 Active combines precision, musicality, and flexibility in a single elegant solution.