Carefully unpack your speakers as not to damage them by sitting the box on the floor and removing all accessories from inside the box. Use both hands to lift one speaker at a time, taking care not to knock them together or against anything and ensuring the internal bags don’t split or open. Take a good grip of the packaging and ensure jewellery does not scratch or mark the surface

When unpacking a floorstanding speaker it is advisable to either use two people to lift the speaker or carefully roll the speaker box over (once opened) and lift the packaging off.

We recommend that you retain all the original packaging for your loudspeakers in case you need to transport them safely.

The AE105 can be mounted to a wall and can be positioned either vertically or horizontally. It is also suitable for mounting on a shelf or flush mounted in a bookcase. Optimum performance is achieved by mounting the AE105 vertically and listening below the tweeter axis. Due to the way it has been designed, mounting them high on a wall either side of a screen and listening from a seated position around 0.5m below the tweeter axis will produce a very even, balanced sound.

With your amplifier turned off, connect speaker cables (not supplied) to the respective Positive (+) and Negative (-) terminals on the back for left & right channel outputs as shown. These are usually colour-coded Red (+) and Black (-). Connect the other end of the cables to the respective +/- terminals on each speaker, the left speaker channel being the one to your left as you face the speakers from your listening position.

Some speaker cables are fitted with 4mm metal pins which can be inserted directly into the terminals, others use spade connectors or bare wire; in which case unscrew the plastic caps (black & red) enough to either slot the spade in place or insert wire through the exposed hole in the brass terminal post. Once in place hand-tighten the plastic caps to ensure a firm connection, being careful to avoid any loose wires which could short-circuit the amplifier.

With wiring connected, turn on the amplifier with volume control set to minimum position, check that the correct source input is selected on the amplifier and begin playing music from your source. Slowly raise the volume to hear the music playing through the speakers, if nothing is heard re-check wiring as instructed previously.

Please refer to the diagram below:

Your loudspeakers may benefit from a period of ‘running-in’. During this time, the stresses in the suspension system will relax and stabilise. Any running in period is dependent on many factors, and time can vary depending on how often and how loud you play your loudspeakers.

For advice on pairing your loudspeakers with other electronics components you should seek advice from your local Acoustic Energy dealer. For cables and interconnects we have partnered with Wireworld cables, more details and your local stockist can be found on the Wireworld website.

Cabinet veneers should be treated like all high-quality furniture. Routine dusting with a soft cloth is recommended. Do not apply any aerosol sprays directly as they could damage the drive units. Dust can be removed by use of a soft brush or other suitable domestic duster.

On some models the delicate high frequency (tweeter) dome is protected by a metal cover, care should be taken not to dislodge the magnetic fixing whilst dusting.

Do not expose the cabinets to damp, widely fluctuating temperatures or direct sunlight as the appearance and performance may suffer. Avoid contact with rough or abrasive surfaces or materials.

When not in use it is recommended to replace the clothe grilles to help prevent accidental damage.

The AE108² subwoofer is virtually omni-directional, so it can be positioned in almost any location in the same room. For the best performance in the ideal room the AE108² should be positioned in a corner of the room or near a back wall. In certain circumstances the addition of a second AE108² located in another position in the same room helps to achieve a more uniform bass.

The use of two subwoofers often provides a greater than expected increase in sound quality and bass dynamics, worth more than the additional cost would suggest. If two AE108² subwoofers are used they should ideally be positioned in the corners near the respective units of the stereo loudspeaker pair.

The subwoofer should be installed using the four rubber feet or spikes with lock nuts, both supplied.

Once positioned correctly ensure space is left to the rest of the AE108² since all operation switches are on the rear panel.

Check that both your amplifier and subwoofer are switched off before connection. Failure to do so may result in damage to your amplifier or subwoofer. It is sometimes recommended that over-long low cost cables are used initially to facilitate experimentation with the positioning, and only then purchase and install using the final cable choice.

For use with amplifiers having a subwoofer output jack
Connect from the dedicated subwoofer line output on the amplifier to the line input(s) on the AE108² (a single lead to either input or a ‘Y’ connector to both inputs may be used).

For use with amplifiers having Line Level pre-amp jacks
The pre-amp outputs of your amplifier can be connected to the line-level inputs on the AE108². The line level outputs on the AE108² are then connected back to the power amp (main) inputs on your amplifier.

Using two AE108² subwoofers
When using two AE108² subwoofers use the Line Level output connectors from the main subwoofer to the Line Level input connectors on the second subwoofer.

How to use the SUB VOLUME CONTROL knob, CROSSOVER FREQUENCY knob and PHASE switch.

The VOLUME CONTROL, FREQUENCY knob and PHASE switch can be adjusted to match the condition of the listening room and/or the characteristics of the left and right speakers.

Due to the positioning of the subwoofer in the room and the associated room boundaries, the available bass response from the existing speakers and whether of not the filtered connection (Nominally 100Hz is used), the actual settings on the subwoofer control panel will vary considerably.

The SUB VOLUME CONTROL and the CROSSOVER FREQUENCY knobs should be used together when setting the correct bass response required. For example, raising the volume level will also raise the effective system crossover point, while reducing the volume has the converse effect of lowering the frequency range of the subwoofer. This is caused by the way the various responses and outputs blend together in the listening environment.

Initially set the crossover frequency fairly low, e.g. 50-60Hz, and use the volume control knob on the sub to set the low bass level required, When the correct balance is almost achieved, the crossover level and volume level maybe adjusted together to fine tune the sound and achieve the cleanest, most extended and suitably powerful bass.

The ideal is for a seamless blend of extended low bass from the subwoofer leaving the clean upper bass response of the stereo system largely undisturbed.