Image, transparency, sweet midrange, bass (for the size)

Price?

This is a follow-up review.

Since the last review, I have been upgrading my components for the sake of upgrades. My biggest complaint at the time was the slowness and tilted freq response. Guess what, gone! All gone since the addition of my Sonic Frontier Line 3 SE (previous pre amp was ARC LS-15 and Ref 1). AE1 is even more transparent, more dynamic, and tight bottom end at the same time which I did not think was possible with the dual large ports. Yes, the lower octave is still slightly tilted, but how many small speakers are not? At least AE1 won't make this presence known when you listen.

Hooking the AE1 to my Cary SLI-50 is another surprise. With only 30wpc of triode power, bass is still tight and midrange is as good as anything I have neard. In comparison, the midrange falls in the Sonus Faber Extrema and Dynaudio Contour 3.3 league which is world class. Top end is typical British, a little polite and "dark" if you will, but retrieval of details is excellent even compare to my reference speakers.

Overall, they are musical transducers that can bring out the emotion in you.

Similar Products Used:

too many to list

I have listened to many high end minatures, all with their good points, but none can match the AE1's in terms of soundstage, midband accuracy, energy and ability to stay clear and focused even when driven loud.
Other models (LS3/5, Pro-ac, etc, may be sweet and detailed. But the AE1's are just as delicate with Jazz and Vocals, and much better with guitars and pop/rock. No bass (they are only a few inches tall!), but the most enjoyable, involving and capable minature I have ever heard.

MUST have very solid stands and a reasonably powerful amp, as they are not too sensitive.

AE1 is undeniably an excellent speaker, and one of the best in the worldin this price range.
When it comes to competition it´s not true that it has none.
ProAc Response 1SC has even better soundstage and it don´t sound unemotionally
cold in the high ferquencies.
Strong competition comes from (some simply won´t belive this:) Jamo, and of
course B&W and some others brands like that one which is owned by the creator of
the fantastic AE1!
So, let´s stop mistifying!

I must confess thht this review is a bit late. I have had the spkrfor a year plus.It is the later version Santos Rosewood as opposed to early
black/grey. After using for 6 mths in my living room, my "real' spkrs arrived - B&W Silver Signature and the AE1's were marginalised to the library witha rotel tuner and RoTel integrated.

I have now set up a system in my bedroom consisting of Jadis Orchestre
and an old Theta basic feeding a Meridian 563. let metell you that these spkrsare real gems.

the highs are extended and the vocals are articulate with bags of detail, this is one revealing performer. After switching off my main rig, and listening tthis set up, I find that the AE1 loses out to the silver signatures in the bass
but with a similar electrostatic kind of treble transparency. This little gem is
set to be an icon in the mini monitor arena. Why get an Ls3/5a which is blatantly coloured when the AE1's offer an open window.

I have to caution that because of its revealing nature , shoddy front end sources and electronics will make it sound bright. Try something like a
warm tube integrated like Conrad Johnsons MV 55.

An ethusisastic 5 pumpin JBL's!!!!

I've had my AE1's for about 4 or 5 years, now and have generally been very happy with them. I'm using them now with Cyrus III amp with PSX power supply and a modified Pioneer CD player. I haven't got a good pair of stands at the moment, which are apparently highly recommended - I am planning to make some this year and it will be interesting to see how this changes the sound. I mainly listen to classical and jazz and find them best suited to this type of music. They're a bit too "clinical" for most pop music. Their strengths are accuracy and excellent imaging, although only within a fairly small sweet spot. The bass isn't very extended, but is very tight. Typani "whacks" are terrific. Criticisms of them is that sometimes they sound bit fatiguing, they don't have a very "big" sound, and I wouldn't call them warm.

I bought my speakers second hand, so they were good value for me, but at the prices that they're selling them now, there's probably better value around.

image, soundstage

slow bass, recess high

Bought an used AE1 Signature for fun since I love mini-monitors. The last pair of monitor I owned was Sonus Faber Extrema if you can call that monitor and I currently own Dynaudio Confidence 5. As good as Extrema is, Confidence 5 is better in everyway and I don't expect any speaker to better the sound when I bought the AE1 Signature. They are not better in anyway and I don't mean just low bass. It does have a very nice soundstage and very holographic image, as good as any older Sonus Faber (the new line sucks). But the high does sound too roll off in comparison to anything I have owned. On top of that, there is an audible hump around 80 to 100 Hz to boost up bass response which is typical of many small monitors (like Totem Model One). Because of that fact, amplifier matching is very important. My current amps, Sonic Frontier Power 3 and McCormack DNA-2 Deluxe, do not hide those flaws. Otherwise, AE1 Signature are very easy to listen and very coherent, something no too many speakers can deliver. Do I like them, yes, for what they do well.

Similar Products Used:

Sonus Faber Electa Amator, Extrema, Merlin VSM, Wilson Watt/Puppy 5.1, Dynaudio Confidence 5, KEF Reference 3, Genesis VI, Energy Veritas 1.8, and many others