Acoustic Energy AE1 Classic User manual

Reference Series
ACOUSTIC ENERGY LIMITED
16 Bridge Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England GL7 1NJ
Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: 01285 654430 Email: [e-mail]
www.acoustic-energy.co.uk
Bass/Mid Driver:
110mm ceramic sandwich aluminium cone.
32mm edge-wound voice-coil. Magnetically shielded.
Tweeter:
25mm magnesium alloy dome. Magnetically shielded.
Crossover:
Symmetrical third order at 3kHz.
Power Handling:
Compatible with amplifiers rated at up to
200 Watts into 8 Ohms
Frequency Response:
70Hz - 22kHz ±3dB
Sensitivity:
88dB for 2.83V at 1m
Nominal Impedance:
8 Ohms
Total Harmonic Distortion:
Typically less than 0.3%, 200Hz to 20kHz
Power Compression:
Less than 1dB for 16dB gain at 250Hz
Dimensions (H x W x D):
295 x 180 x 255mm
Weight (single speaker):
8kg
Specifications
The original AE1 built up a loyal band of well known users -
studios, musicians, engineers and broadcast organisations.
A few examples:
Abbey Road Studios, Air Studios, Alchemea, Alleycats, Bad Earth
Studios, Beulah Studios, Billy Ocean, Boomerang Sounds,
Brownhill Studios, Channel 4 Television, DEP International Ltd.,
Domaine Productions, EAR Productions, Fairground Attraction,
Goldsmiths College, Hoxton Studios, ICC Studios, James Taylor,
Mick Hucknall, Kevin Maloney, Polygram / Island Music, Paragon,
Parkgate Studio, Red Bus Studios, Radio Norwood - Holland,
Redwood Studios, Roger Waters Music UK Ltd., Rollover
Studios, Seal, Strongroom, USDF Productions, UB40,
Virgin Records Ltd., Whitfield Street Studios.
AE1 Classic
Compact Nearfield Monitor
Innovation ■Performance ■Quality ■Value

Classic Principles
Time may move on but the principles of accuracy, transparency,
reliability, and listening ease that made the AE1 such a success first
time around don't change. The AE1 Classic embodies those
principles once again.
The AE1 Classic is modelled on the original AE1 from around 1990.
Our aim was, within the limitations of component supply and
manufacturing, to make the AE1 Classic as close to identical as
possible. That we didn't quite make it is only because, thanks to
improved components and manufacturing consistency, the AE1
Classic is better.
Seriously Small - Seriously Good
The original AE1 introduced new techniques in almost every
element of its design and construction, each one aimed at making
a better nearfield monitor. It was, for example, the first professional
monitor with a ceramic sandwich aluminium cone, the first to
increase power handling by using the cone as a heat-sink, the first
to incorporate a metal dome tweeter, the first to feature a latex
fibre/powder composite lined cabinet, and the first to demonstrate
beyond doubt that a seriously small speaker could be a seriously
capable monitor.
The AE1 technical highlights feature in the Classic just as they
did in the original. The bass/midrange driver is UK manufactured
in-house at Acoustic Energy using a spun aluminium cone only
0.3mm thick. The cone is hard anodised on both sides to create
an immensely rigid sandwich component and then bonded to an
aluminium voice-coil former. The intimate bond between metal
former and cone means that the entire cone area is used for heat
dissipation. As a result, and despite its small dimensions, the
AE1 driver offers generous power handling and suffers
minimal compression.
Welcome though it is, power handling is not the primary reason for
the choice of an aluminium cone. Aluminium's combination of light
weight and rigidity means that cone break-up is delayed till well
above the crossover frequency. And thanks to the aluminium cone,
bass/mid driver and magnesium dome tweeter, the AE1 Classic is
one of very few speakers of any type that can genuinely claim
pistonic operation over the full audio bandwidth. The result is
extraordinary tonal accuracy that reveals the shortcomings of most
other monitors.
Near ideal drive unit performance however would mean little if the
AE1's cabinet panels sang along in sympathy. That they don't is
thanks both to the inherent rigidity of the AE1 construction and to
the unique latex composite lining of the internal walls.
AE1 First and Second
The AE1 was the first truly accurate, high power compact nearfield
monitor. We believe 20 years later the AE1 Classic is perhaps the
only speaker to reach its predecessor's standards. The AE1 Classic
completes the award winning reference series, which features the
AE1 MKIII and AE3 MKII.
By popular demand...
...AE1 Classic
In 1985 Acoustic Energy launched its first product: a compact
nearfield monitor featuring metal diaphragm drivers and a composite
lined cabinet. The AE1 was an immediate hit with music and
broadcast professionals worldwide and many mourned its passing in
the late 90s. So many, in fact, that we decided to bring it back....
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