Acoustic Energy AE1 Active loudspeakers ... Class AB amps and balanced inputs

Looking like a wet dream Q Acoustic 3030 in the finish they always promised but never delivered, these are a serious bit of high energy audiophile quadruply amplified bookshelf loudspeaker. Seriously the walnut gloss finish is actually extremely elegant, and perhaps serves to allay the slightly rotund form.

The form is actually dictated by physics, if you want to get the best quality sound out of the smallest box with excellent imageing and good bass, well, you end up with cabinet about this size and drive unit configuration. That is why there are so many loudspeakers that are approximately this size that are actually very good.

I have heard these loudspeakers running from an Auralic streamer via their analogue balanced input and the musical rendition is exceptional. They do a really good job like the AE500s passive Acoustic Energy being powered up by high level amplification with good source and ace cabling.

The sound was extremely extended and the imaging extended right outside the cabinet limits and into the room. Sweet tonality with presence is hard to achieve. One of the things we very much approve of in the AE1's is their use of Class AB amplification rather than the otherwise ubiquitous Class D modules used in active speakers. It seems to me that the Class D amplifiers struggle to sound warm and proffer depth, as well as suddenly failing especially when built into a vibratory loudspeaker box. Incidentally this one of the reasons we like the good Rel subwoofers so much is their use of Class AB amplification ...

Taking advantage of many products now available on the market the AE1 active can be coupled with any equipment that has a variable pre amplifier output. One of the major benefits is you no longer need multiple Hi-Fi components to achieve high end sound quality. In the age of network streaming, Bluetooth and music streaming services, a fine sounding music system can be achieved of diminutive size. As an active monitor the AE1 Active can also be used as a loudspeaker connected directly to you computer offering sound quality rarely heard from computer loudspeakers. They are also ideal for improving the sound of from your TV (In fact I don't think there is a soundbar on the market that will come close to achieving the sound quality you can get when using the AE1s).