Acoustic Energy AE120 - Stereo speakers ₨ 1,49,990

An unusual three-way configuration makes its presence felt in these compact floorstanders, which will suit those who are short on space

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We unbox Acoustic Energy’s AE120 floor standers with no small amount of excitement. They emerge to reveal a tweeter and three relatively large drivers, all within a slender and unobtrusive chassis. The bijou dimensions and true three-way configuration has piqued our interest already.

The AE120 floor standers are the largest in the firm’s most affordable 100 series. They pack a 25mm soft-dome tweeter, a dedicated midrange driver (housed in its own enclosure) and twin bass drive units – that last trio featuring the company’s bespoke 11cm paper cones – they’ve got a lot going for them.

You get a choice of two finishes. The model we’re testing has a black satin wrap, which costs more than the walnut vinyl veneer option.

Once placed on the spiked plinths, these speakers would fit happily into even the smallest of rooms. Their cabinets use 18mm-thick panels and come mass-loaded from the factory, weighing in at 19kg each.

The high and lows That 25mm tweeter includes the company’s Wide Dispersion Technology (WDT) waveguide and, at the back of the cabinet, you’ll find a slotted bass reflex port to augment those two bass drivers.

Once run-in, the AE120s are relatively unfussy regarding placement, making them ideal for the space-deprived. We eventually settle on placing them 30cm from the wall of our testing room – a location that shows them at their best.

We cue up Hootie & The Blowfish’s Hold My Hand