The AE Active sits within Acoustic Energy's powered loudspeaker line as a fully active, self-powered standmount system. It is an evolution of the company's award-winning AE1 Active, first launched in 2017 and comprehensively refreshed for 2026 both acoustically and aesthetically. With amplification built directly into each cabinet, the AE Active removes the need for a separate amplifier, offering a complete two-channel system from a compact pair of speakers.
Drive Units
Each speaker pairs a 125mm mid-bass driver with a 27mm aluminium dome tweeter. The mid-bass unit uses Acoustic Energy's sixth-generation pure piston cone, a ceramic hard-anodised spun aluminium diaphragm engineered for rigidity and low colouration. The tweeter is mounted behind a Wide Dispersion Technology (WDT) waveguide to broaden the listening window and improve off-axis consistency.
Amplification
Amplification is fully analogue. Each speaker houses dual 50-watt Class A/B amplifiers, one dedicated to the low frequencies and one to the high frequencies, fed by a linear power supply. Acoustic Energy uses analogue line-level crossover filters and EQ throughout, deliberately avoiding DSP and digital processing to keep the signal path pure.
Cabinet
The 18mm MDF cabinet has been redesigned with extensive internal bracing and a rear slot reflex port. Slim magnetic cloth grilles fit to the baffle without visible fixings, and the gloss finish is carried across the curved cabinet edges.
Connectivity and Control
Connection is kept simple with balanced XLR and RCA line-level inputs, allowing the AE Active to partner a wide range of sources, streamers and preamplifiers. Independent high-frequency and low-frequency shelf controls (each adjustable by plus or minus 2dB) allow the response to be tuned to the room, alongside a volume control. An auto power-on and power-off feature wakes the speakers on signal detection and returns them to standby after 15 minutes of silence.
