Acoustic Energy AE2 40th Anniversary Goes Official

Following its recent show debut, we have more information about Acoustic Energy’s AE2 40th Anniversary standmounter, including price and availability.

The AE1 40th Anniversary Edition was obviously a winner, so Acoustic Energy has answered calls for a larger sibling with the new AE2 40th Anniversary, a limited-time production loudspeaker inspired by the 1990s AE2 Signature.

The new model carries over the freshly developed woofer and tweeter used in the AE1 40th Anniversary, but places them in a larger cabinet and an offset mid-tweeter-mid driver layout designed to deliver greater bass extension, more headroom and lower midband distortion.

Acoustic Energy says the result is a cleaner, more transparent sound at everyday listening levels, with the tonal balance and dynamic precision of the AE1 Anniversary retained but scaled up for a bigger, more authoritative presentation.

The AE2 40th Anniversary tweeter uses a larger 29mm voice coil and a slightly larger aluminium dome to reduce distortion, while retaining the ferrofluid cooling and damping of the original design.

The woofer has also been newly developed to echo the character of the original AE2. Its larger, modern 125mm cone provides greater radiating area for improved efficiency, lower distortion and increased air movement, with a hard anodised ceramic coating applied to both sides for added stiffness.

The crossover draws on the luxury Signature version of the original loudspeaker, using low-order filters and high-quality components to achieve a natural, live, and dynamic sound. Acoustic Energy describes the voicing as warm through the midrange, weighty in the bass, forgiving in the treble and punchy across its operating range.

Claimed performance figures include a 35Hz to 45kHz frequency range (+/-6dB), 88dB/m at 2.83V, and 6-ohm impedance.

The cabinet measures 385 x 235 x 315mm (HxWxD) and uses a triple reflex-ported design with 18- 32 mm RSC constrained-layer HDF/bitumen bracing. Strategically placed 3mm steel plates help reduce cabinet colouration, while finishes include ten-layer high-gloss black paint or walnut wood veneer.

Mat Spandl, AE's Managing Director, told StereoNET:

The AE2 40th Anniversary is our answer. It retains everything that made the AE1 40th Anniversary so special—its speed, transparency and musicality—but delivers a bigger, more effortless presentation that’s perfectly suited to larger listening rooms. It’s not simply a larger AE1; it’s a loudspeaker that honours one of the most respected models in our history while showcasing just how far Acoustic Energy has come over the past forty years.

Like its smaller stablemate, the AE2 40th Anniversary is aimed at purist listeners. Its minimalist crossover is designed to prioritise speed, openness and musical engagement over specification-led complexity.

Acoustic Energy says the speaker is intended for larger listening spaces of 25m² and above, combining compact floorstander-like scale with the imaging, placement flexibility and low cabinet colouration associated with standmount designs.

The AE2 40th Anniversary will be available from October through authorised retailers, priced at £2,500 per pair.

For more information visit Acoustic Energy