Complete AE Aelite 5.1 speaker system consisting of the Aelite 3 floorstanding front ... more
speakers, the matching Aelite 1 compact rear speakers, the Aelite Centre speaker and powerful Aelite subwoofer, all featuring a stunning real-wood veneer and outstanding AV performance. "A straight-out winner from Acoustic Energy: fabulous drive, clarity, refinement and integration", said What HiFi Sound and Vision in Spring 2006.
Advantages: Sound quality, ease of use and installation Disadvantages: A few rough edges, cheap remote
The Aego5 system from AcousticEnergy is a ?home cinema? surround sound setup that includes everything you need (apart from a suitable TV and DVD player!) in one box. It?s a system based around a small decoder unit, a (comparatively) larger sub-woofer/amplifier unit and 5 satellite speakers, described by the manufacturers, not unfairly, as ?palm sized?. This targets the package at the user who can?t live with the sizeable speakers some other setups involve ? ideal for my average size living room. I made my purchasing decision following a number of favourable reviews this unit received in the related specialist magazines.
So how did it turn out?
Firstly, it?s fair to say that very nearly everything you need to get going is included in the box, even batteries for the remote control and wall mounting stands for the speakers (though ...
Advantages: A balanced, crisp and authoritative sound reproduction. Very classy. Disadvantages: Nothing to worry about.
I have had these speakers for 6 months now and I can say they are one of the best purchases I have ever made.
A delight to listen to with a wide variety of music, they are exceptionally well balanced throughout the range, with tight bass, clear mid and upper ranges. More than any other component in my system, they have transformed the sound. Even with a cheap CD player and 2nd hand Cyrus 2 amp (15 years old?) they sound fantastic.
Reading the only other review here, I was surprised to read the comment about limited bass, because I feel that the Aelite's bass response (their are 2 bass units in each speaker) is one of their main strengths. The bass is there to be felt not just heard. You have to be careful where you sit - get to close to an adding bass harmonic and your insides start to vibrate!
I listened to a pair of Kef IG9 ...
Advantages: Superb Sound Quality, Small Satellites Disadvantages: Slight hum from subwoofer, no Dolby Prologic 2 support
The AcousticEnergy 5.1 system is available in two configurations - one with and one without a Dolby Digital / DTS decoder. The version without the decoder is less expensive and would be suitable if your system already has some form of surround sound decoding capability. I went for the version with the decoder.
The system is very easy to set up. All amplification is perfomed within the subwoofer so this forms the 'hub' of the system.
There is a single cable from the decoder to the subwoofer, then 5 single cables from the subwoofer to each of the satellites (one each for the left, right, centre, surround left and surround right channels)
The decoder itself has a coaxial and a digital input for digital sources, as well as three line level standard stereo inputs for connecting non-digital equipment.
The subwoofer is powered by ...
