Arendal Sound 1723 Monitor THX Loudspeaker Review

[shadyJ]

Over the past few years, Arendal Sound has been building a reputation as a loudspeaker manufacturer that makes high-performance but affordable home theater-centered speakers. They are a Norwegian company whose main market is Europe, but they ship worldwide, and they are set up to be easily purchased and shipped across the globe. They make THX-certified speakers that look nice enough to not be out of place in an upscale living room. Many of the speakers that have that level of performance married to that level of looks tend to cost a fortune. Arendal’s loudspeakers are not the least expensive out there, but they are shockingly low-priced considering what they promise to bring to the table. But the keyword there is ‘promise’ - it all seems to be too good to be true. In today’s review of Arendal’s 1723 Monitors, we look at what the ‘catch’ is or if there is a ‘catch.’ Read our full review of the 1723 Monitors to see if they are al they are purported to be...

READ: ARENDAL SOUND 1723 MONITOR THX LOUDSPEAKER REVIEW

 

[ryanosaur]

*vibrating with anticipation

(Yes, I know I can click on "Watch," but what's the fun in that when I can comment on a tease? )

 

[beaRA]

Looks like a great speaker for the money of you care about hitting THX reference levels. For those with slightly lower volume requirements, seems the Kef R3 offers a similarly flat LW response with slightly smoother directivity at just $2k/pair. Granted, the bass extension is not as impressive without a sub and I have no idea how the build quality compares. I always use a sub though, so I'm more interested in how close the Arendal 1961 Monitor can get to this level of performance for just $1k/pair.

 

[Pogre]

Wow, those look pretty awesome. Great review shady!

 

[ryanosaur]

Whew! Glad I didn't wait up for this to be linked last night!

Very exciting to see a what these guys are about and that the quality of this Speaker is pretty solid. Thanks, Shady!

 

[Eppie]

Americans get lucky on this one. The $2399 price is all inclusive; includes shipping and taxes. Lists at $1999 in Canada but doesn't say specifically Canada or US dollars. I emailed them for more info. Shipping is only $89 to Canada via DHL which is very reasonable. Sounds like a great product for a reasonable price. Nice detailed review.

 

[Eppie]

Americans get lucky on this one. The $2399 price is all inclusive; includes shipping and taxes. Lists at $1999 in Canada but doesn't say specifically Canada or US dollars. I emailed them for more info. Shipping is only $89 to Canada via DHL which is very reasonable. Sounds like a great product for a reasonable price. Nice detailed review.

Confirmed with Arendal that pricing is in NOK in Norway, EUR in EU countries and USD elsewhere. That $1999 USD currently converts to $2479 Cdn. That's around the price of the Paradigm Founder 40B bookshelf ($2600 Cdn), but with considerably deeper bass (34Hz +/-3dB vs 69Hz +/-2dB for the 40B).

Step up to the floor stander 1723 Tower S THX (6.5" drivers) and they're $2999 USD (inclusive of taxes and shipping) ($3,223 Cdn + tax & shipping), compared to the Paradigm Founder 80F at $3629 USD ($4500 Cdn). (Gloss finish. Matt finish is $100 cheaper for the Arendal.)

The larger 1723 Tower THX (8" driver) is $3699 USD (inclusive of taxes and shipping) ($3967 Cdn + tax & shipping), compared to the Founder 100F at $5242 USD ($6500 Cdn). (Gloss finish. Matt finish is $200 cheaper for the Arendal.)

It would be interesting to hear how the towers compare, but if they measure similarly to the monitors that would be a pretty darn competitive price for a THX certified speaker with 10 year warranty. In all fairness, though, the Paradigms are manufactured in Canada with dealer distribution while Arendal is using Chinese manufacturing and selling direct, but the build quality looks to be excellent.

 

[ryanosaur]

I haven't had the chance to look... is their shipping similar to Buchardt where Arendal is including all customs handling and associated fees in that cost?

 

[Eppie]

I haven't had the chance to look... is their shipping similar to Buchardt where Arendal is including all customs handling and associated fees in that cost?

I am in contact with Arendal via email so I just asked them. Will update when I get a reply.

UPDATE: Already heard back from Arendal and yes, all associated fees are included for U.S orders:
"Hi Ed,

Another great question.

The all-inclusive price is truly all-inclusive, and U.S. residents will not have to pay any customs fees, taxes or handling fees.

You simply make payment and the speakers will be shipped to your door. Absolutely no hidden fees.

Thanks again Ed. We are here if you have any other questions or concerns.
Have a good one.
Best regards,
Doyle Shafer
Your Highly Experienced Support Team
EISA winners of Home Theatre Speaker System 2019-2020
EISA winners of Home Theatre Speaker System 2020-2021"

 

[Eppie]

Thought I would do more research on Canadian orders. The Monitors are $2399 inclusive to the U.S. and $1999 elsewhere. Harmonised Sales Tax (HST) in Canada is 13%, shipping estimated at $89 and I would guess import processing fees at $50 (there is no tariff or import duty on speakers). That is the same $2399 as U.S. orders so at $1.24 conversion rate $2975 Cdn all-in (vs $2938 retail incl. tax for the Founder 40B for comparison). The difference in price becomes greater as you move up the tower line.

Price wise that puts the Arendal Monitors in competition with the Kef R3 and LS50, Wharfefdale EVO4.2, Monitor Audio Studio Premium, Focal Aria 906, B&W 706, Ascend Sierra-2EX and Revel Performa3 M106 for example.

 

[TLS Guy]

I have a feeling I would not like those speakers as much as you do James.

Speakers that show that kind of rise between 2 and 5K I tend to find objectionable. In my experience a rise in output in that region is a far greater sin then a dip. That is a very bad region to have any degree of rise in output. That really affects strings, brass and especially massed choirs. If they were my speakers, I'm pretty sure I would be padding the tweeters down at least 2 db more.

The other issue is, that I have never been at all keen on speakers with a 1.5 K crossover. I find that about the worst place to put a crossover in the whole acoustic spectrum. It is right in the middle of the speech discrimination where the ears is most sensitive to the slightest aberrations. Your data shows this is far from the finest implemented crossover.

I would be really dubious if those speakers would be keepers for me.

I would advise members not to purchase these speakers without a really good return policy. I have pretty high degree of certainty, many are not going to be happy with those speakers.

 

[shadyJ]

Speakers that show that kind of rise between 2 and 5K I tend to find objectionable. In my experience a rise in output in that region is a far greater sin then a dip. That is a very bad region to have any degree of rise in output. That really affects strings, brass and especially massed choirs. If they were my speakers, I'm pretty sure I would be padding the tweeters down at least 2 db more.

The other issue is, that I have never been at all keen on speakers with a 1.5 K crossover. I find that about the worst place to put a crossover in the whole acoustic spectrum. It is right in the middle of the speech discrimination where the ears is most sensitive to the slightest aberrations. Your data shows this is far from the finest implemented crossover.

I would be really dubious if those speakers would be keepers for me.

I would advise members not to purchase these speakers without a really good return policy. I have pretty high degree of certainty, many are not going to be happy with those speakers.

As for the rise between 2k to 5k, that only occurs on-axis. There is no elevated treble off-axis, and the response at 15-degrees is very flat. Of course, you could further reduce the treble response by listening to it at 20-degrees or further. Most people don't listen to speakers that are aimed directly at the listening position.

As for the crossover, I think it is pretty good. You do see some indications of the crossover point on a graph, but it is slight, and I doubt anyone would be able to hear it. My guess is that you would not hear anything amiss in a blind test. If you have a chance, you should give these speakers a listen with an open mind. They are terrific.

 

[Eppie]

Arendal's own measurements show a relatively flat response, though I wish they included horizontal lines for reference.

Going to sound like a pitch man but the $650 stands are half off until July 15/21 with code "AUDIOHOLICS". They have the same 2.5 degree tilt as the towers and there is a rear plate that secures the Monitor to the stand. Gives the Monitor the same appearance as the towers. $650 (gloss) is a bit much for a stand, but $325 is closer to what metal stands sell for and could be worth it for the look.

 

[TLS Guy]

As for the rise between 2k to 5k, that only occurs on-axis. There is no elevated treble off-axis, and the response at 15-degrees is very flat. Of course, you could further reduce the treble response by listening to it at 20-degrees or further. Most people don't listen to speakers that are aimed directly at the listening position.

As for the crossover, I think it is pretty good. You do see some indications of the crossover point on a graph, but it is slight, and I doubt anyone would be able to hear it. My guess is that you would not hear anything amiss in a blind test. If you have a chance, you should give these speakers a listen with an open mind. They are terrific.

The graph posted by Eppie looks better from an FR standpoint. However your waterfall plot shows significant discontinuity right at crossover. That stands out even more in your in your polar map. Now unless you can use very low order crossovers there will be discontinuity at crossover, mainly due to time aberrations. I personally avoid designs with crossovers in that really sensitive 1k to 2.5 K range if possible. I just find they are prone to getting noticed. I suspect the rise in FR is due to what is basically a horn loaded tweeter, that you can call a wave guide if you like. But to be honest that is a horn loaded tweeter and getting rid of that hump is very difficult. It is reminiscent of the FR of the Dynaudio D21 tweeter.

I used that tweeter in the speaker I won the Stereophile Audio Sound off competition with back in the eighties. I had a really hard time dealing with the FR of that tweeter, but I tamed it. Crossover is 2.5 KHz.

That speaker seems to have a very similar design concept to those Arendals.

If any dealers this way on stock them, I will give them a listen.

The only solution to these crossover problems is DSP in active crossovers.

I do design my speakers to be listened to on axis by the way. I find this gives the best overall room responses, mainly because the off axis sound radiation is more symmetrical in the room I suspect.

 

[arcspin]

@shadyJ
Thank you for an well written and thorough review.

I have the smaller 1723 speakers called 1723S as my L-C-R and are loving the sound from them.
I can imagine that they have a similar sound characteristic as the 1723.

I have had to put my L-C-R in a horizontal plane and have aimed the L-R speakers so that the two midrange woofers are at an equal distance from my MLP. All three speakers are also slightly tilted upwards towards ear level at MLP.

After reading your review especially the section where you mentioned the center channel and that the speaker will have identical performance on a vertical plane to the 1723 Center in a horizontal plane.

What are your thoughts on having them laying down and toed in towards the MLP as I have in the attached picture?
Will the presence of the center channel interfere much with the toed in Left and Right speakers?
Would I be better off if I used perhaps some "IsoAcoustics ISO-430" or similar to get the speakers up a bit from the bench where the speakers are placed now?

https://isoacoustics.com/pro-audio-isolation-products/iso-stands/iso-430-isolation-stands/


Best regards,
//Peter

 

[Eppie]

ShadyJ and TLS Guy are more knowledgeable and can better explain why, but generally it is bad to have the 3 speakers that close together. The sound does not just emanate forward. It travels all around each speaker and thus the sound emanating around one speaker can interfere with the sound emanating from the speaker next to it. You want to have the L+R speakers around 12' or 4m apart if possible. With your L+R mains so close together, some members here will tell you not to even use a centre speaker and just use the mains to create a phantom centre image so that there is less interference between speakers.

A lot of us are forced to work in confined spaces. My setup constrains me to have my mains closer together than ideal but we have to work with what we have. If you have enough space on the sides, are you able to try the mains vertically on stands to get them further apart? You might have to deal with reflections on the side walls but I think that would be preferred to what you have now.

 

[Pogre]

What are your thoughts on having them laying down and toed in towards the MLP as I have in the attached picture?
Will the presence of the center channel interfere much with the toed in Left and Right speakers?
Would I be better off if I used perhaps some "IsoAcoustics ISO-430" or similar to get the speakers up a bit from the bench where the speakers are placed now

Also, it's kinda hard to tell from the angle, but it looks like you might have room on either side of the screen to stand your main l/r upright? Eppie makes a good point. With them so close together you're introducing lobing and comb filtering issues.

It's always better to have your speakers in a vertical orientation when possible. Center channel designs are a bit of a compromise for form factor over performance. A necessary compromise in many cases, but a compromise nonetheless. I would never lay my mains down like that.

 

[Eppie]

Also, it's kinda hard to tell from the angle, but it looks like you might have room on either side of the screen to stand your main l/r upright? Eppie makes a good point. With them so close together you're introducing lobing and comb filtering issues.

It's always better to have your speakers in a vertical orientation when possible. Center channel designs are a bit of a compromise for form factor over performance. A necessary compromise in many cases, but a compromise nonetheless. I would never lay my mains down like that.

I'm really liking the 1723 Tower THX. Better horizontal dispersion than the Monitors according to Arendal's graphs and looks gorgeous. Thing is, the price is only $400 shy of the Supercharged Song Towers or $300 shy of the BMR Tower. Some great competition in that price range.

 

[arcspin]

Thank you all for your thoughts and yes the idea of having them vertically has, of course, crossed my mind.
The thing is, it doesn't look that good to be honest and there are not that much more space to use in my setup.
If I would move the screen (100 inch) more to the left the couch might come to close to the fireplace that are on the left hand side of the couch, not seen in the attached picture but you can see the logs.
The room is a living room and the rear wall is also covered in black scene fabric when watching movies, but not in the included picture.

Yes, I might have to try out to have the speakers vertically and hear the difference.
It seems to be the consensus and I appreciate the input.

 

[Matthew J Poes]

The graph posted by Eppie looks better from an FR standpoint. However your waterfall plot shows significant discontinuity right at crossover. That stands out even more in your in your polar map. Now unless you can use very low order crossovers there will be discontinuity at crossover, mainly due to time aberrations. I personally avoid designs with crossovers in that really sensitive 1k to 2.5 K range if possible. I just find they are prone to getting noticed. I suspect the rise in FR is due to what is basically a horn loaded tweeter, that you can call a wave guide if you like. But to be honest that is a horn loaded tweeter and getting rid of that hump is very difficult. It is reminiscent of the FR of the Dynaudio D21 tweeter.

I used that tweeter in the speaker I won the Stereophile Audio Sound off competition with back in the eighties. I had a really hard time dealing with the FR of that tweeter, but I tamed it. Crossover is 2.5 KHz.

That speaker seems to have a very similar design concept to those Arendals.

If any dealers this way on stock them, I will give them a listen.

The only solution to these crossover problems is DSP in active crossovers.

I do design my speakers to be listened to on axis by the way. I find this gives the best overall room responses, mainly because the off axis sound radiation is more symmetrical in the room I suspect.

I don’t believe there are any dealers. I was the one that put them in Touch with James. They have a direct sale model, but a friend in Israel likes them as an inexpensive alternative to his other lines (Perlisten for example). He became a dealer and uses them in more modest installs.

he and others have encouraged me to consider becoming a dealer. It’s always hard to be a dealer for a product sold direct because it means they priced their markup into it and don’t have enough margins for you. When you go from landing cost to final MSRP, the more hands in the pie the more markup.