Hi-Fi: Acoustic Energy Aelite One Stand-Mount Speakers Review – 70

Acoustic Energy Aelite One Stand-Mount Speakers

$899

Rating: 4/5

Hi-fi cognoscenti discuss Acoustic Energy’s AE1 speaker in hushed and reverential tones. The incredible performance this little box can give helped to change the way people think about small speakers. So when their distant cousins the Aelite One stand-mount speakers were delivered, they went from the courier van to our photography studio and into a certain hatchback, no editorial cajoling necessary.

The Aelite Ones are definitely lookers, finished in a tidy real wood veneer and featuring curved cabinets intended to reduce standing waves, which can negatively affect the way speakers sound. The cabinets are built with braced 15mm MDF with a chunky 30mm front baffle; a sharp knock on the side with my electronically regulated, industry standard knuckle showed the cabinets to be quite dead, with little in the way of resonance. Two sets of multi-way binding posts grace the narrow rear end, allowing bi-wiring or bi-amping (if that’s your thing), and foam bungs are supplied to block the rear-facing reflex port if the speakers need to be located close to a wall.

After initial positioning on sand-filled stands, the brand new Aelite Ones proved to be bass light and very bright, making Diana Krall sound uncharacteristically angry and in the throes of a hissy fit. The solution? Set them up to run in and leave them to settle down overnight.

When I returned the next day they were transformed. The bass had presented itself for duty and the treble was more relaxed, Diana was back on form and her lovely voice on The Girl In the Other Room sounded so good that the CD ended up being spun in its entirety. Audioslave’s self-titled album and The Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits had the same effect, with what should have been quick samples turning into lengthy sessions.

The Aelite Ones are revealing, attention-grabbing speakers and they’ll never be accused of being restrained or boring. Vocals are vibrant and overall dynamics are good, with quick transient response and attack. There’s a lingering sharpness at the top but it isn’t overly aggressive – think of it as a touch of sparkle unless you can’t stand even a hint of sibilance, in which case you may be bothered by it. Sympathetic matching with well-balanced (not bright) components like Arcam’s Solo Music or valve amplification would be a cunning plan, but partnering them with the wrong kit could leave them a little tizzy for sensitive souls. The bass is taut and well controlled but these little speakers don’t go very low – if bass is an important factor there are big multi-driver floorstanders like the Aelite Threes in the range.

The Aelite Ones have a vicious natural enemy around this price point in Wharfedale’s all-conquering Diamond 9.1s, but they’re strong contenders and are well worth a listen. Just make sure they’re well run in before you lend them an ear.

Running In

Don’t believe that speakers break in or loosen up? If you audition enough spanking new speakers you’ll encounter this phenomenon again and again. I didn’t listen to the Aelite Ones at all for about eighteen hours from the time I set them up to run in, so I didn’t ‘get used to the sound’ as they were completely different after that period. Speakers are mechanical devices and their components will bed in and free up from an as-new state.

If you can’t just crank up your new speakers and walk away without annoying the family or neighbours, try this technique:

Wire one of the speakers out of phase and position them with the drivers facing each other and almost touching. The drivers will be out of phase with each other and will cancel each other out to a degree. Drape a thick blanket over the top and the volume levels will drop even further. You can turn them up quite loud like this and disturb not a soul.

SPECIFICATIONS

TWEETER: 25mm Ferrofluid cooled neodymium magnet

BASS/MIDRANGE DRIVER: 110mm with 32mm voice coil

POWER HANDLING: 100 watt max

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 45Hz-23kHz (+/- 3dB)

IMPEDANCE: 8 ohms

SENSITIVITY: 89dB/W

DIMENSIONS: 291 x 186 x 231mm (H x W x D)

WEIGHT: 6kg each

FINISHES: Black and Cherry

Pros:

• Curvy good looks
• Gutsy, exciting sound

Cons:

• Slight treble emphasis

Verdict:

They’re alive! Gutsy, dynamic and engaging

BRETT GIDEON

This review is from Tone issue #70.