Display
Contents
This speaker is situated on the right side of what we call ‘neutral’. So a slightly warmer speaker especially in the midrange. The tweeter is fortunately not as aggressive as that of its predecessor. This is a relaxed reproducer, not particularly fast but sufficiently rhythmic.
The ‘flow’ of the music is good except for more complex work where the AE300 sometimes struggles. Of course you should not expect this to reproduce large symphonic orchestras The intelligibility is fine for this price range and both the stereo image and the sweet spot are wide. No stiff neck here. Imaging is decent but obviously not as precise as our six times more expensive Revels.
The AE300 does a good job of showing the quality of a recording but rarely becomes sharp or unlistenable. A smart and deliberate move by Acoustic Energy because this speaker will probably be combined with a budget integrated amplifier. And those tend to bite every now and then. The AE300 has a rather round sound that, provided an appropriate amplification, allows sufficient detail to pass through. Its greatest asset is the emotional charge it draws from music. That is its raison d’être.
Listen
On “If you leave” by Bony Man, we immediately hear that wide and stable stereo image. His new album “Cinnamon Fields” is bloody beautiful and on the AE300 the voice of Icelandic Guolaugur Jon Arnason is projected a little more forward. The instrumentation supports the vocals from the back seat. We are touched by his extraordinary voice and are completely in the music.
The AE300 makes us put the laptop aside and become completely absorbed in the music. Not an easy task. “I wanna feel happy” by Rosie Carney from her album of the same name shows a speaker in balance. The sub-bas runs surprisingly long and beautiful. There’s not that much punch but the bass is thankfully not artificially bloated. Once again, the AE300 strikes the right chord and keeps our attention.
‘While my heart is still beating’ by Roxy Music shows that the AE300 appreciates a solid recording. We hear sufficient details and the song drives along nicely. This is not the most dynamic speaker but it is the overall balance that convinces every time. There is also a sufficient fun factor present. Bryan Ferry’s voice floats over the instruments with the percussion and wood blocks clearly audible without drawing too much attention to themselves.
Turning up the volume knob a little further the AE300 remains stable and does not cramp Momma with “Household Name” is energetic rock with good lyrics and it is music that goes well on the AE300. The tempo of the songs is well maintained and the music sounds a bit “dirty” as it is meant to be. Again, we enjoy it more when we turn up the volume. This sounds like music from the 90s. Uncomplicated, fun but with tons of quality and enjoyment.
Bill Laswell is a renowned and respected bassist but you may never have heard him like on ‘Oscillations’ from 1996. In collaboration with DJ Ninj a real drum and bass album is created that still sounds timeless twenty-five years later. This is where the AE300 gets into trouble. The deep basses don’t quite come through (logical) but the AE300 also has trouble keeping up with the fast beats and effects. The AE300 does its best but this is clearly not the music the creators had in mind. The mid-driver is really too small for that. It lacks a bit of focus and precision here.
But if we shift to Taylor Swift, Kurt Vile, This is the kit, Shapeshifter, Fenne Lily, Will Graefe, Mallrat, Drakeo the rapper, Renee Reed and Bill Callahan. All is well again.
