Bookshelf Speakers — Piega ACE 30 WIRELESS

The ACE 30 Wireless is the compact active member of the Ace Wireless series from the Swiss maker Piega, launched in January 2022 with UK availability from late February of that year. The series was designed by Stephan Hürlemann and also includes the ACE 50 Wireless tower and an ACE Center Wireless. A stereo pair is built from one TX speaker and one RX speaker, and in the UK the TX unit was priced at GBP 1,090 in aluminium and GBP 1,140 in black or white, with the RX unit at GBP 900 and GBP 950.

Key specs that matter

Each cabinet carries two drivers - a Piega AMT tweeter and a 120 mm MDS bass unit. Built-in amplification is rated at 100 W at under 1% THD, and the stated response runs from 35 Hz to 25 kHz. The enclosure measures 22 cm tall, 14 cm wide and 16 cm deep, and one speaker weighs 3.4 kg. Streaming reaches 24 bit and 192 kHz, and the power supply accepts 100 to 240 V at 50 or 60 Hz.

Engineering and use context

The two speakers of a pair are not identical. The TX side holds the connection panel with coaxial and optical digital inputs, HDMI eARC, an analogue stereo input, Ethernet, a socket for an external WiFi antenna and one for an external IR receiver. The RX side offers an analogue mono input plus a balanced analogue stereo input and output. Streaming clients built into the TX unit cover Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Google Chromecast, Roon Ready, Bluetooth and DLNA. Digital signal processing inside the speaker is used to extend bass output from the small driver. The cabinets are extruded aluminium with a sandblasted surface, offered in natural silver or black anodised, and each comes with a cloth cover in a matching colour. Piega sells an aluminium stand at GBP 160 and a machined aluminium wall bracket at GBP 100 for the model.

Pairing

Because the pair works without a separate amplifier or streamer, it can run from a phone, a tablet or a network music library alone. A television connects through HDMI eARC or an optical or coaxial lead, and a TV with WiSA certification can link to the speakers without any cable. In multichannel setups Piega uses RX designated units fed from a WiSA source, so the ACE Center Wireless, which is sold only as an RX unit with two 12 cm drivers, fits in the middle channel.

Alternatives

Within Piega's range of active standmounts, the Premium 301 Wireless Gen2 uses a 140 mm MDS woofer with a handmade LDR 2642 MKII ribbon tweeter in a sealed aluminium enclosure.