Tech Talk: Mat Spandl of Acoustic Energy

Acoustic Energy is a leading name in the UK loudspeaker scene. Since the 1980s, the company has been associated with outstanding loudspeaker systems, both active and passive. It is perhaps best known for its two-way stand-mount loudspeakers, such as the classic AE1, which was recently relaunched to mark its 40th anniversary (reviewed in Issue 249).

The company also has a strong reputation for producing high-quality active loudspeakers. The outgoing AE1 Active (reviewed in Issue 160) was one of the most highly prized examples of the affordable active two-way stand-mount loudspeaker category. Its replacement – the AE Active – builds on those strengths.

However, the brand doesn’t just build small, two-way stand-mount loudspeakers; its recent Corinium flagship floorstanding loudspeaker (reviewed in Issue 231) represents a fine blend of optimum real-world sizing, high-end performance, and a sensible price for a top-end model. It reignited international interest in a company that has long been at the forefront of loudspeaker design.

We spoke with Mat Spandl, Chief Engineer and Managing Director of Acoustic Energy, about what went into the making of what might just be a new active legend…

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m Mat Spandl, Chief Engineer and Managing Director of Acoustic Energy. This is my tenth year in this role, but I have been designing loudspeakers professionally for over 20 years now… and I’m still learning!

Why ‘AE Active’ and not ‘AE1 mk II Active’? 

This is an update to our AE1 Active speaker, which has been in production since 2017. After recently relaunching our classic AE1 in 40th-Anniversary guise, we’ve rebranded this speaker as AE Active to avoid confusion. The original speaker has been well liked, so the top goal for this project was to avoid messing it up. Since 2017, our designs have evolved a little, so this was an exercise in bringing the Active model up to date with our current design ethos, both visually and acoustically.

What’s changed since 2017?

Over the years, we tinkered with the original design a little and considered adding other Active models, but we never reached a point where we felt it was worthwhile. This new design has come out of the AE1-40 (AE1 40th Anniversary stand-mount loudspeaker) project. Most notably, we used the woofer we developed for the AE1-40 and carried over the philosophy behind the filter design and some of the balancing, as we felt they would enhance this speaker.

Where did development take place?

As with all our products, we developed this model at our headquarters in Tetbury. We have a pretty tight team here, and together we work on the sound and appearance, and make sure each new product fits in a sensible position within our range and the wider market.

After almost 10 years of AE1 Active, were you worried about changing it?

Since the original AE1 Active speaker was well established in the market, particularly noted for being great value for money in terms of the performance you get, we did not want to deviate too much from the original recipe. Rather, we looked at each area, the woofer, the tweeter, the filters, and the power amp, to try to achieve small increases in performance in each area, which have added up to a significant change.

Would you class the AE Active as ‘cutting edge’?

The AE Active is based on well-established technology, including analogue filter stages, Class A/B amplification and linear power supplies. This means that whatever front end you use, the speaker will never go out of date. There are no firmware upgrades, and there’s no built-in obsolescence. The original design has proved very reliable, and when it does go wrong, it is easy to repair. As with all of our products, we try to build in lasting value, which means the focus is on simple reliability. Following customer feedback, we have added an automatic low-power standby mode to the new model, as we found people just left the old model powered up. Now we have the low-power option.

Are there plans for more Active models?

The AE Active speaker is something of an orphan, as it’s our only powered model. However, it has proved very popular, both in the traditional audio market and in home studio applications, with quite a few finding their way onto desktops. It makes sense, as it’s our classic monitor speaker recipe in a neat package that removes the need for separate power amplification. It can be paired with a modern streaming system, a traditional vinyl system, a PC, or anything in between.

However, before that, we still have some classics in the Acoustic Energy line deserving of the 40th Anniversary treatment! The original stablemate to the AE1 – the AE2 from 1988, which morphed into the AE2 Signature in 1994. The larger three-driver stand-mount with its Mid-Tweeter-Mid arrangement has long been missing from our portfolio, but the interest in the AE1 40th Anniversary has sparked enthusiasm for the Legend’s Big Brother, and it will be available for a limited time. That was also a challenge, and – before you ask – the black crackle finish is still not coming back! 

Read the Acoustic Energy AE Active review here.

Manufacturer

Acoustic Energy

+44(0)1285 654432

More from Acoustic Energy

Back to Home