Acoustic Energy AE320² Floorstanding Speakers - Matte Black

Acoustic Energy AE320² — Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Pair)

The AE320² is the flagship of the new 300 Series and the closest any Acoustic Energy loudspeaker gets to the £6,000 Corinium without actually being one. It shares the same driver configuration as the company's flagship — a dedicated midrange driver with twin dedicated bass units below — and uses driver technology, crossover design, and cabinet construction developed directly from the Corinium programme. The result is a speaker that delivers roughly ninety percent of Corinium's performance at a fraction of its price, making the AE320² arguably the most compelling example of trickle-down engineering in Acoustic Energy's current range.

Like every model in the redesigned 300 Series, the AE320² is a complete ground-up redesign that shares no components with its predecessor. New drivers, new cabinet materials, new crossover topology, and a new aesthetic — everything has been rethought from scratch.

Corinium Driver Array

The three-way driver array mirrors the Corinium's layout. A 120mm midrange driver uses the 300 Series' paper and coconut-fibre cone — developed during the Corinium research programme — to deliver the smooth, natural, and detailed midrange that defines the new range. Below it, twin 140mm bass drivers (larger than the 120mm units in the AE309² and AE300²) use the same cone material to move substantially more air, providing bass extension to a genuine 30Hz with authority and control that fills medium to large rooms effortlessly. A 29mm soft dome tweeter, also derived from the Corinium project, handles high frequencies with speed, clarity, and low distortion, aided by the latest WDT waveguide for wide, even dispersion.

Dual-Port Cabinet Design

The 18mm constrained-layer RSC (Resonance Suppression Composite) cabinet uses a sandwich of MDF and bitumen to suppress cabinet resonance — the same technology pioneered in Acoustic Energy's Reference Series and carried through to the Corinium. What sets the AE320² apart from the rest of the 300 Series is its dual-port arrangement: a slot-shaped bass reflex port on the lower rear panel handles the twin bass drivers, while a separate circular port towards the top is tuned specifically to the midrange enclosure. This dedicated midrange porting is unusual at any price, let alone this one, and contributes to the AE320²'s notably open, airy soundstage and the sense of space around vocals and acoustic instruments. The twin bass drivers have been positioned lower on the front baffle than the original AE320 — a layout principle developed during the Corinium project — to improve baffle balance and visual proportions.

Crossover and Amplifier Matching

The three-way crossover at 240Hz and 2.8kHz employs premium polyester capacitors and low-loss inductors, with particular attention paid to phase accuracy and integration between drivers. With 92dB sensitivity and a 6 Ohm nominal impedance, the AE320² is an easy load that works well with a broad range of amplifiers — from high-current solid-state designs to warmer valve-based electronics. Peak SPL reaches 118dB, giving the speaker genuine dynamic headroom for both music and home cinema duties.

Finish and Design

Available in Walnut, 'Silk-Touch' Matte Black, or 'Silk-Touch' Matte White, the AE320² features gracefully rolled edges on the front and rear baffles, flush-fitted drivers, and colour-matched trims with matching magnetic grille fabric. Solid aluminium feet with spike covers ensure stability on any floor surface, and the slim proportions — just 200mm wide — keep the visual footprint modest despite the speaker's considerable performance. Screen-printed logos and the absence of visible driver or grille fixings on the front baffle give the AE320² a clean, contemporary look that belies its accessible price. Voice-matched to the AE300², AE309², and AE307², it's the natural anchor for a full 300 Series home cinema system — or a superb stereo pair in its own right.

Specifications