Acoustic Energy AE1 40th Anniversary review

The original AE1 was Acoustic Energy’s first speaker and, to a large extent, remains its most iconic product. The fierce-looking compact standmounter first appeared on the market in 1987. It was an astonishingly ambitious design for a startup company to produce, with its technically advanced all-metal driver array, obsession with avoiding thermal compression and rock-solid build. A textured black finish suggested that the AE1’s primary purpose may have been studio use, but audio enthusiasts didn’t wait to hijack the product, and we’re glad they did.

The original sold for just below £700 back then, which was considered outlandishly expensive for something that was barely bigger than a size 11 shoebox. However, doubters were quickly convinced by the speaker’s blend of excellent detail resolution, strong dynamics and surprisingly potent bass performance. These were small speakers that could easily give physically larger price rivals a bloody nose, and usually did.

Over the years, Acoustic Energy continued to develop the original AE1 design, bringing in classier finishes and tinkering with the sonics until 2008, when the all-new MkIII came in. This third-generation model was a clean-slate design that marked a move upmarket and signalled a significant change of sonic character. It was a talented product, but somehow lost some of the original’s charm too.

With the company’s 40th Anniversary looming, the decision was made to bring the original AE1 design back to life. The company’s engineers could have made a modern speaker that kind of looked like the original and be done with it, but they decided to take a more interesting route.

Think of this AE1 40th Anniversary model as a reimagining of that original; the same sonic character and basic ingredients but, where possible, things have been tweaked to make it just that bit better.

Design & build

All the original’s parts have long been out of production, so Acoustic Energy had to start from zero. Both drive units are newly developed designs. The tweeter now uses a 29mm aluminium dome, 4mm larger than before, to give a greater radiating area.

The dome’s profile is shallow to help with bandwidth, and it vents into a rear chamber to keep the fundamental resonance low. Like the original, this tweeter uses ferrofluid to help power handling and reduce compression.

The use of an all-metal drive unit complement may not be unusual today, but back in the late ’80s, it was considered almost revolutionary. The original AE1 mid/bass was an unusual design with its straight-sided anodised aluminium cone, powerful motor system and ability to cope with high power levels thanks to good heat dissipation.

The straight-sided profile helped to make the diaphragm rigid, which improved resolution and dynamics. That distinctive pointy dustcap not only looked impressive, but also formed part of the heatsinking arrangement (together with the cone) to manage heat build-up in the voice coil. This gave the mid/bass unit impressive power handling for the time.

This new 40th Anniversary model doesn’t change any of that, but the cone is now 5mm bigger at 12.5cm in diameter, which increases the radiating area and sensitivity. The engineers have also adopted modern practices, such as adding a shorting ring in the motor system, to reduce distortion levels. The speaker’s bass output is still tuned by a pair of front-firing ports, though now they are flared at both ends to reduce distortion and allow more output.

These more capable drive units allow the use of a simplified crossover. It is now a low-order network, similar to that used in the original pricier Signature version of the AE1. This new crossover design is claimed to be more transparent than the 3rd-order Butterworth circuit used in the original, and makes the speakers easier to drive than before.

Sensitivity is up a few dB and is now rated at 87dB/W/m, while nominal impedance is quoted at 6 ohms. These are fairly typical figures that should pose no problems for most price-compatible amplifiers. Connection is by a single pair of functional-looking terminals.

The 29.5cm tall cabinet is the same size as before, but rather than being internally lined with latex-modified concrete to avoid resonances, this 40th Anniversary model uses Acoustic Energy’s RSC (Resonance Suppression Composite) technology instead.

The RSC panels used here sandwich a Bitumen layer between sheets of HDF (High Density Fibreboard) to create a rigid but low-resonance structure that replicates the sonic characteristics of the original cabinets. Switching to RSC panels makes for quicker manufacturing – no waiting for the concrete to dry – but also results in a slight gain of internal volume, which helps to extend the speaker's low-end reach.

The AE1 40th Anniversary’s build quality is excellent. The enclosure feels immensely rigid and is finished in a lovely, deep piano gloss. Our samples are wrapped in a Walnut veneer, but there is a black option too. We love the effort the company has put into replicating the look of the original AE1, from the pattern on the tweeter faceplate to the appearance of the rear panel.

Compatibility

Despite being more forgiving than the original, this 40th Anniversary model still performs best when driven by amplifiers that have a bit of grunt. We got great results using the likes of Naim’s Nait XS3 and Arcam’s A15+, but the AE1’s innate transparency means that the sound continues to improve as we push up in price to the Cyrus 40 AMP and even PMC’s Cor integrated.

Just for fun, we also connect our reference Burmester 088/911 MkIII pre/power, and the AE1 just lap it up, showing clear improvements in the process. This is clearly a speaker with plenty of stretch. Our sources are Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and the Technics SL-1000R turntable with a Kiseki Purpleheart moving coil cartridge fitted.

Many small speakers need to be placed close to a wall to deliver a decent amount of bass weight and solidity. These don’t. In our 3 x 7 x 5m (hwd) test room, the AE1 40th Anniversary sound happiest out into the room where they can deliver proper stereo imaging while still rendering the lows with authority. We angle them in slightly towards the listening position to solidify and focus the soundstage.

Sound

If you are after the very best sounding standmounter pair available for this kind of money, the AE1 40th Anniversary isn’t it, and it was never intended to be. It is for those who still hanker after the original, and to a certain extent, people who want a characterful alternative to many of the slightly soulless designs on the market.

Even Acoustic Energy wouldn’t claim this to be the best it can do for the money. The company’s contemporary designs tend to sound more subtle and sophisticated than this. That said, the original AE1 has a legendary status and strong following for a reason.

For us, this remains a hugely engaging and entertaining design. Play a demanding piece of music like Tchaikovsky’s Marché Slave Op.31, and the new AE1 burst into life, producing a bold and punchy performance that belies their shoebox dimensions.

The sound is unfeasibly big, particularly when we turn the volume up, and it is delivered with deeply impressive confidence. We are still staggered at how this little box produces huge dynamic swings with such swagger, and the way it refuses to harden up even when pushed hard.

Tonally, it remains a slightly mid-forward performer, but this new model is certainly slightly warmer and fuller sounding than earlier versions we’ve heard. Refinement at the top end is better, too, sounding a little cleaner and sweeter than before. That makes it easier on the ear and more forgiving of poorer recordings and partnering equipment.

While there is certainly more deep bass here than KEF’s similarly-sized LS50 Meta manages, something this small will never convince you that there is a subwoofer in the room. Listen carefully, and it is obvious that the really deep bass notes are missing, but most of the time, the AE1 cover their tracks so well in this respect that we just don’t mind.

Class-leading price rivals such as PMC’s Prodigy 1 and the aforementioned KEF certainly sound more neutral, and have a degree of subtlety and textural detail that the 40th Anniversary can’t match. These modern rivals sound more open and spacious, too.

Yet, as we listen to these new AE1 in full flow, those things are easy to overlook, given how much fun we are having. Their stereo imaging is excellent and is properly out-of-the-box, which suggests that the RSC construction works well. Given a well produced recording, these Acoustic Energy speakers will render an expansive soundstage that’s impressively wide and deep, while retaining a great deal of precision in the positioning of instruments.

The story remains positive as we work our way through our music collection. Ice-T’s Original Gangster shows off the AE1’s impressive punch and taut low-end. His menacing vocals on The Tower come through with emotion and clarity intact, while the dense instrumental backdrop is handled with unusual composure and control. Rhythmically, these are surefooted rather than enthusiastic, but they still communicate the music’s momentum well.

The Assassination Of Jesse James by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is a more low-key affair, and the Acoustic Energy speakers respond accordingly, digging up a good amount of detail and organising it with care. There is a good degree of insight on offer, and the 40th Anniversary treats the music with the lightness of touch it deserves. Low-level dynamic shifts are conveyed with care, and the interplay between instruments is easily followed.

As we switch from Bob Marley’s Catch A Fire set to Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, it is clear that the AE1 40th Anniversary speakers are unfussy about musical genre. They have a broad enough spread of abilities to cope with all types of music without favour. Despite the pleasing musical cohesion, these speakers are still transparent enough to allow the listener to put the recording and production under the microscope should they desire.

Verdict

Forty years is a long time in consumer electronics. Think of how phones, televisions and cameras have changed in those four decades. CD players have come and almost gone in that time, amplifiers have become more sophisticated, and speakers, even though it may not seem it, have got significantly better too.

It is some testament to the original Acoustic Energy AE1 design that this 40th Anniversary model still sounds so appealing. It isn’t perfect, but given a carefully chosen partnering system it is still undoubtedly capable of sonic magic. These speakers are easily one of our favourites at this price.

Review published: 24th February 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 4

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