Budget Acoustic Energy AE101 v Harbeth P3ESR
An unfair head to head comparison between the 2 speakers in different market segment. A difference of almost 10 times in terms of price. Harbeth P3esr being the generally accepted reference point for how good a bookshelf speaker can be.
This is a crude demonstration on how far sound reproduction technology has moved. The AE101 is a good budget speaker no fancy real wood veneers or high quality metal tweeters as against the beautiful P3esr.
Can a person live with a cheap bookshelf and still enjoy audio nirvana (or close to it)? Or do you need to spend thousands to attain it?
Listen through good headphones for best effect. Would love to hear comments on this.
Associated Equipment:
Bluesound Node 2i
Yamaha As2100 amplifier
Quad Audio Flat cables
Zoom H1 recorder
Olympus EM1 mk2
Пікірлер: 12
Thanks for the audition! Great work (y)
P3esr wins hands down in terms of musicality and richness. It's colored in a pleasant way, very engaging. But I won't be surprised if it's not for rock & roll and heavy metal given its size.
The Harbeth reveils so much more of the recordings textural and harmonic details, I don't see how anyone could prefer the AE's to them. Even someone who prefers the subtle V curve the 101's present. That said the AE's are not bad.
All in all Ae 101 are not bad at all....
for sale amplifier yamaha..
Genuine question: if you spend the money to get a Yamaha As2100, why pair it with "cheap" AE101? I don't get the point.
@sleme1972
3 жыл бұрын
The AE101 is a bedroom pair which I used as a comparison. Having said that, I have no hesitation is pairing "cheaper" speakers with good "expensive" amplifiers but would worry if it was the other way around. Good amplification allows a well designed speaker to perform way above what it is expected to. An expensive pair of speakers can sound terrible with poor amplification.
1st fragment: I hear more tuneful, more detailed bass from the Harbeths, and just the overall presentation is warmer, more richness and detail in the midrange. Diana Ross: Not even close, the P3s absolutely destroy the AE101s - just listen to the overall sound, there's more life there, the bass, the drums, the horns, the guitars sound more interesting, pure and simple. 3rd fragment: The female vocal on the AE101s is kind of hollow and unnatural compared to the Harbeths.
@sleme1972
3 жыл бұрын
I am glad the recording is good enough to highlight the differences. Your observations are spot on. There is a real difference in quality.
@tshaolin971
3 жыл бұрын
@@sleme1972 The harbeth have more dynamic also, I guess they weight way more. Thank you for this demo it helps to make my choice. I'll take the dynaudio emit m10 over the acoustic energy ae 100.
@sleme1972
3 жыл бұрын
@@tshaolin971 I am glad to be of some help.