Ambassador Aslak

HOW IS YOUR ROOM SET UP?

The room is 610cm x 410cm x 240cm and is a dedicated DIY home cinema. My listening position is the centre of the sofa, in a equilateral triangle with the LR speakers. At approximatly 2/3 of the room length. Primary use is music, movies and video games.

WHAT WAS YOUR GOAL WHEN LOOKING FOR NEW SPEAKERS AND SUBWOOFERS?

I started my home cinema as most do in my living room with a small Harman/Kardon 5.1 system. It eventually moved down in the basement as I inherited both a projector and screen from a friend.

At one point along the way I wanted to go all the way, but as cheap as possible. The downside of cheap is of course lack of details, cinema level volume etc.

My goal was a better sound stage, louder volume before distortion, and more punch.

WHERE DID YOU HEAR ABOUT US?

I don’t know how I first discovered Arendal, but after searching for speaker reviews and home cinema on YouTube, you will bump into them at some point. I do actually like the design of the 1961 series a lot, and now, the sound of them as well 🙂

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ARENDAL SOUND?

Easy. Warranty, 60 days free try at home. I would not spend this much on LCR after just listening to them in a demo-room at a shop.

What would I tell someone on the fence? The free 60 day try. It’s a no-brainer. And beyond the warranty and trial, what really made me confident was listening to them.

YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE PRODUCTS?

The sound quality is great, solid build quality. They punch way above the Argon Alto I am replacing. They cost twice as much new, but the quality is many times more impressive.

The soundstage opened up with more clarity and stereo imaging. What stood out most was the sound quality to cost ratio, in a blind test I’d probably assume they would cost way more than they do.

The biggest suprise is how much closer to a expensive high-end setup I am, than before.

WHAT ELSE DOES YOUR SYSTEM CONSIST OF?

• Processor / AVR: Denon AVR X3800H
• Source devices: Apple TV, Playstation 5
• Speakers (LCR): Arendal Sound 1961 Monitor/Center
• Speakers (Surround/Atmos): 4x Argon Audio Alto 5 mk2 (surround), 4x Argon Audio Alto 5 mk2 (Atmos)
• Subwoofer: 4x Argon Audio Bass 10 mk2
• Other: 10x DIY IKEA absorbers (Ikea Gersby + Hunton Nativo, 23cm depth; the four at the rear wall have a 20cm air-gap; absorber size 120cm x 60cm); Audyssey calibration, no EQ above 500hz
• Display: Epson TW-7000 projector, 120″ screen
• Future upgrades: Full Dirac bundle

HOW HAPPY ARE YOU WITH ARENDAL SOUND PRODUCTS?

Very 🙂

ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?

Building a home cinema is a great way to learn new skills, and to see if they translate to reality. I sometimes wonder if I enjoy the process even more than using it afterwards. 🙂

Is there a specific moment that’s stood out? Actually everything :)

Setup details