Hi Everyone - I'm pretty set on Arendal but am having difficulty figuring out whether to go with the 1723 or 1723s. My room (basement) is about W17ft+, D29ft+, H7ft+. I'm getting towers and will have dual subs, though I'm not sure which ones yet. Not sure if this matters but the MLP is fairly close, maybe 9ft or so. For those who don't know, the difference in models is just driver size at 6.5 inch for the 1723s and 8 inch for the full 1723. I know I have the room for the 1723 but it's not clear to me if they're "worth it" over the 1723s in terms of sound quality for a 70:30 HT:music ratio. If I get the full 1723 it won't mean sacrificing cost on something else necessarily. I've read all of the forum posts, asked Arendal, etc. but still can't quite figure it out. Arendal says the 1723 are more open in the midrange while the 1723s are a bit warmer and of course the latter are easier to position. The obvious suggestion is to try them both out and send the one back I like least, but I'm hoping to solicit opinions before having to do that. Part of my difficulty is that I'm new to serious speakers and am having trouble thinking through what things like "more open" and "warmer" will mean in practice. I know people probably haven't heard both ranges, but I'd very much appreciate any advice on expected real-world sound difference between these two models.
Although I'm pretty set on the Arendals if anyone has comparison thoughts to options such as the Reference Premier 800f/600c and Kef r7/r2c or other possibilities I'd be happy to hear them and could definitely be talked into a different direction. And I know I need to be listening to these in person, and I've tried across multiple cities, but that's not working out so all of your expert advice is really appreciated.
