Сабвуферы — Acoustic Energy AE308

The AE308 is a powered subwoofer that Acoustic Energy launched in June 2019 to integrate with its 300 Series loudspeakers, filling the low end beneath the AE300, AE307, AE309 and AE320 family for both stereo and home cinema use. British pricing started at GBP 899 in piano gloss black or white and GBP 949 in real walnut veneer, and a US listing puts it between USD 1,599 and USD 1,699 depending on finish. The model is now listed as discontinued. Acoustic Energy, founded in 1987, engineers its loudspeakers in the UK.

Key specs that matter

Power comes from a 500 W RMS Class D amplifier, twice the rating of the AE SUB, driving a 12 inch high-excursion unit whose paper-pulp cone is treated with a doping compound for extra stiffness. Rated frequency response runs from 26 Hz to 120 Hz at plus or minus 6 dB. The cabinet measures 360 x 360 x 360 mm and weighs 16.5 kg, and the brand supplies carpet-piercing spikes with rubber caps for hard floors.

Engineering and use context

The enclosure is a sealed box with a driver that points down at the floor. What sets the AE308 apart is its onboard DSP with three selectable voicings for different jobs. Music mode is meant to carry the low end of the main speakers down to the rated limit without added emphasis. Movie mode adds emphasis for AV soundtracks, and Impact mode puts maximum volume first for parties. Switching between them lets one subwoofer move between a stereo system in the evening and a film night without changing the crossover or level settings each time.

Pairing

Connections include a low-level stereo RCA pair, an LFE RCA socket and high-level stereo binding posts. The stereo RCA input suits an integrated amplifier with preamp outputs, the LFE socket takes the subwoofer channel from an AV receiver, and the speaker-level terminals allow use with amplifiers that lack a pre-out, with the subwoofer wired to the same amplifier terminals as the front pair. A rotary crossover control sweeps from 40 Hz to 120 Hz, a phase control runs from 0 to 180 degrees, and a variable level control balances output against the main pair.

Alternatives

The Acoustic Energy AE SUB is the lower-priced sealed model with half the amplifier power, matte finishes and automatic signal-sensing standby but no DSP modes.