What do you buy someone who 'has everything and is extremely fussy', read on:

The AE1 is one of the most legendary hi-fi loudspeakers of the 1980s. It was a revelation when it was released in 1988.

This compact (HxWxD 295x180x255mm) monitor was designed by Phil Jones, and had relatively thick 22mm MDF cabinet walls. At 3kHz, a specially made 90mm ceramic sandwich aluminium alloy cone mid/bass unit took over from a 25mm SEAS magnesium alloy dome tweeter in the front baffle.

The cabinet, unlike the LS3/5a, was a bass reflex design with dual front-firing 40mm ports and a crossover located on the back terminal panel. It was a complicated affair, a third-order design with high-quality iron-dust-cored inductors and low-loss polyester capacitors, just like the LS3/5a.

The speakers sit on custom AE stands which are a marvel of design incorporating all the features needed to make a high end stand.

The top and bottom plates are cast alloy with the AE letters cast into both plates.

These stands are extremely rare worldwide, with only one other pair of these speakers on Hi-Fi Shark with stands, but they are in a heavily worn condition.

Being cast alloy they are heavy, with the top and bottom plates having drilled and tapped holes in each corner to accept pointed grub screws which act as adjustors to get the stands level and the speakers sitting level or angled slightly back in accordance with the manufacturers specifications.

The central column is hollow and can be filled with dry sand or lead to help with damping.

These are a matched set, having consecutive serial numbers. They are in good condition all round, including the stands which are included in this auction.

Around the back are proper binding posts which accept banana plugs, bfa and spades. Bare wire can also be used. There are 4 terminals to allow for bi-wiring/bi-amplification.

Match them with a high quality subwoofer, REL,SVS,HSU that is agile enough to keep up with these babies for an unbelievably good listening experience.