Aegis Three - Acoustic Energy - Free user manual and instructions

Type	Floorstanding three-way loudspeaker
Dimensions (WxHxD)	192 x 880 x 220 mm
Weight	16 kg each (excluding packaging)
Sensitivity	90 dB / 1 W / 1 m
Impedance	8 ohms
Frequency Response	33 Hz – 22 kHz (38 Hz – 20 kHz ±3 dB)
Power Handling	30 – 150 W max
HF Driver	25 mm silk fabric dome, ferrofluid cooled and damped, magnetically shielded
Midrange Driver	130 mm chassis, alloy cone, 32 mm coil, magnetically shielded
Bass Driver	180 mm vented polymer chassis, polypropylene cone, long-throw magnet, magnetically shielded
Crossover	3-way, 8-element, 12 dB/octave slope at 350 Hz and 3.2 kHz
Cabinet	15 mm MDF with full circumferential brace, 25 mm front baffle, bass reflex ports
Terminals	Gold-plated bi-wireable binding posts
Magnetic Shielding	All drive units fully shielded for use near TV screens
Placement Advice	Keep at least 300–400 mm from walls, avoid corners
Wiring Options	Conventional, bi-wiring, bi-amping
Warranty	3 years from date of purchase

Frequently Asked Questions - Aegis Three Acoustic Energy

How do I attach the plinth and floor spikes?

Carefully invert the speaker and screw the plinth to the base using the screws and pilot holes provided. Then fit the high-tensile 8 mm spikes with lock-nuts into the threaded inserts. Adjust the spikes to eliminate wobble using a spirit level, and tighten the lock-nuts after positioning.

What is the recommended distance from walls?

Keep the speakers at least 300–400 mm (12–16 inches) away from back and side walls. Avoid corners to prevent a booming bass response.

Can I use these speakers near a TV?

Yes, all drive units are magnetically shielded, so the AEGIS THREE can be placed in close proximity to a TV screen or monitor for AV applications without causing interference.

How do I bi-wire the speakers?

Remove the shorting links between the treble and mid/bass sections. Connect two pairs of speaker cables to the amplifier: one pair to the HF (treble) terminals and the other to the LF (bass) terminals. Keep the positive and negative connections consistent with the amplifier.

What is bi-amping and how do I connect it?

Bi-amping uses a second amplifier: one powers the treble section, the other powers the mid/bass. Connect the treble amplifier to the HF terminals and the bass amplifier to the LF terminals, removing the shorting links. This offers improved sound quality and separate ground paths.

What is the power handling and amplifier recommendation?

The speakers handle 30 – 150 watts maximum. Use a quality amplifier within this range to achieve optimal performance without risk of damage.

What are the speaker's dimensions and weight?

Each speaker measures 192 x 880 x 220 mm (WxHxD) and weighs 16 kg excluding packaging.

How do I clean and maintain the speakers?

Use a soft, dry cloth to clean the cabinet and grilles. Avoid using liquids or abrasive cleaners. Periodically check that the floor spikes are tight, and retain the original packaging for safe transport.

What does the warranty cover?

The warranty covers original defects in materials, manufacture and workmanship for 3 years from the date of purchase. It excludes fair wear and tear, accident, misuse or unauthorised modification. Contact your dealer for warranty claims.

Can I remove the grilles for better sound?

Yes, for serious listening, removing the grilles is recommended. This minimises diffraction and lets the drivers perform more openly, improving stereo imaging and clarity.

USER MANUAL Aegis Three Acoustic Energy

AE

Owner's manual

AEGIS three

(((AE)))

LOUDSPEAKERS

Introduction

Positioning

Congratulations on choosing the Acoustic Energy AEGIS THREE — a powerful floorstanding three-way loudspeaker which features metal diaphragm technology and is capable of outstanding performance. Please take a few moments to read this manual. The advice it contains will enable you to get the very best performance out of your Acoustic Energy loudspeakers.

The AEGIS THREE utilises metal cone mid drive unit technology, proven in the AE Reference series. The rigid anodised alloy cone ensures pure piston action and also acts as a heat sink for the bonded voice coil. These features provide exceptional clarity, transparency dynamics and power handling.

The LF unit incorporates a larger polypropylene cone with a critical flare which gives efficiency and rigidity to ensure a controlled yet fast bass response. It is housed within a vented polymer chassis reducing stray magnetic flux to a minimum and increasing power handling.

The tweeter — or treble driver — is a high-quality silk fabric dome unit integrating smoothly with the rest of the system.

All drive units are fully magnetically shielded so that the speakers can be used in close proximity to a TV screen or monitor for AV applications.

The AEGIS THREE loudspeaker uses high quality OFC internal wiring which enhances detail and transparency. For exceptional results use AESC-C3 speaker cable which is available from AE dealers and distributors.

Please unpack your AEGIS THREEs carefully. Locate the plinths and fittings and, having carefully inverted the speaker, screw the plinth to the base of the cabinet using the screws and pilot holes provided. Please take extra care during this operation as the cabinet is top-heavy when inverted. Please also ensure that you have tightly screwed the plinth to the cabinet, failure to do this will affect performance.

High tensile 8mm floor spikes and lock-nuts are provided for use with the plinth. These guarantee optimum coupling to the floor particularly in rooms fitted with carpet. The spikes penetrate the carpet and couple the speaker firmly to the floor structure below. The spikes (with lock-nut screwed down to the knurled part of the spike) should be fitted to the threaded insert in the underside of the plinth while the speaker is still inverted. The speaker is now ready for installation. Any final adjustment of spikes to eliminate cabinet wobble can now be made using a spirit level if required. The lock nuts should be tightened when the final adjustments to cabinet position and alignment have been made.

Closeness to room boundaries has a major impact on the low frequency performance. The speakers should be kept away from corners (which will produce booming) and there should be at least a 300–400mm (12–16 inch) gap from any back or side walls.

Experiment with the best position to achieve a full, yet clean bass response. Trust your judgement and ears. For serious listening the grilles are best removed.

For best stereo imaging the speakers should be as far apart as they are from the listening position.

Connection

Check that your amplifier is switched off before installing your loudspeakers. Failure to do so may result in speaker or amplifier damage. The diagrams illustrate one loudspeaker only.

Conventional

Normal passive wiring requires shorting links to be in place between the treble and mid/bass sections. The positive (ribbed) cable from the amplifier positive (or red) terminal should connect with the positive (red) terminal on the loudspeaker. Similarly the negative (smooth) cable should connect the amplifier negative terminal (black) to the negative terminal (black) on the loudspeaker.

Bi-wiring

Bi-wiring separates the bass and treble ground paths in the loud-speaker and offers great sound quality advantages. An extra set of cables is required. Note that the shorting links are removed between the treble and mid/bass sections and should be stored for later use if conventional, passive driving is required.

Two pairs of cables are connected to the amplifier terminals. One cable of each pair should connect to the HF or treble section and one to the LF or bass section. The positive (ribbed) cables from the amplifier positive (or red) terminal should connect with the positive (red) terminals on the loudspeaker. Similarly the negative (smooth) cables in each pair should connect the amplifier negative terminal (black) to the negative terminals (black) on the loudspeaker.

Bi-amping

Bi-amping adds a second amplifier to the system. One power amplifier drives the treble section of both loudspeakers; a second drives the mid/bass sections.

As regards the loudspeakers, wiring for bi-amping is achieved in much the same way as bi-wiring. Treble amplifier positive (red) terminal should be connected via the ribbed cable to the positive

(red) HF terminal on the speaker. Similarly, treble amplifier negative is connected to the negative (black) HF terminal on the speaker. Repeat this process with the bass amplifier and LF terminal pair.

After wiring up

Lower the volume to minimum, switch on the amplifier, select the signal source and then raise the volume to the listening level required.

Specifications

Warranty

HF unit	25 mm silk fabric dome, anti-reflection pole. Ferrofluid cooled and damped. Magnetically shielded
MF unit	130 mm chassis, alloy cone, with 32 mm coil, high-power, long-throw magnet system. Magnetically shielded
LF unit	180 mm vented polymer chassis, critically shaped polypropylene cone, with long-throw magnet system. Magnetically shielded
Crossover	3-way, 8 element 12dB/octave slope at 350 Hz and 3.2 kHz. High power inductor for bass. High quality OFC wire to drive units
Power handling	30 – 150 watt max
Overall frequency response	33 Hz – 22 kHz (38 Hz – 20 kHz ±3 dB)
Sensitivity	90 dB/1 w/1 m
Impedance	8 ohm
Cabinet	15 mm MDF, full circumferential brace, gas-flowed, low-turbulence bass reflex ports. 25 mm MDF front baffle. Mass loaded
Terminals	Gold-plated bi-wireable binding posts
Weight (excl. packaging)	16 kg each
Dimensions (WxHxD)	192 x 880 x 220 mm

Your Acoustic Energy loudspeakers are guaranteed against original defects in materials, manufacture and workmanship for 3 years from the date of purchase. Please retain all original packaging materials for possible future use. We suggest that you complete details of purchase now and keep this information in a safe place for future reference.

Under this warranty Acoustic Energy agrees to repair any defect or, at the company's discretion, replace the faulty component(s) without charge for parts and labour. This warranty does not imply any acceptance by Acoustic Energy or its agents for consequential loss or damage and specifically excludes fair wear and tear, accident, misuse or unauthorised modification.

This warranty is applicable in the United Kingdom only and does not in any way limit the customer's legal rights. Claims and enquiries under the warranty for AE products purchased outside the UK should be addressed to the local importers or distributors.

If you have reason to claim under the warranty please contact your dealer in the first instance.

Dealer's name:......

Address: ....

Date of purchase: ....

Serial numbers: ....

Acoustic Energy Limited

16 Bridge Road, Cirencester

Gloucestershire GL7 1NJ

Tel [phone]

Fax [phone]

((AE))

ACOUSTIC ENERGY