The new 1528 series, like the 1723 and 1961 series, includes both large and smaller speakers designed to satisfy both hi-fi and home cinema enthusiasts in search of great listening experiences.
Powerful Features
Bookshelf 8 features the aforementioned tweeter/midrange unit, as well as an 8-inch woofer, making it a powerful three-way design that’s quite large. Measuring a full 55 cm in height, these are heavy speakers, weighing nearly 30 kilos each.
The cabinet is very sturdy and well-damped. Arendal has gone further than most by using HDF (high-density fiberboard), which has even better damping properties than MDF. This makes the cabinet inert and quiet, reducing any potential resonances.
Setup and Placement
The speakers are quite large in the room, but that’s necessary to achieve the dynamic range, bass control, and excellent midrange of the Bookshelf 8—not to mention the impressive entertainment factor. Are there any similarly priced speakers that offer the same qualities and can play at high volumes without compression? I don’t think so!
Mighty and Impressive Sound
Bookshelf 8 speakers are surprisingly balanced and homogeneous. In fact, at normal volumes, you can really sit back and enjoy their clear hi-fi qualities. After the initial test tracks, I must say they’re impressively versatile, as well as refined and precise.
There are, of course, competing speakers with similar resolution and refinement, but what makes the Bookshelf 8 unique is its ability to maintain these qualities even when things get really intense. Talk about dynamic headroom! If you’re after a speaker with a focus on dynamics, energy handling, versatility, and engagement, while also being refined and airy, you should definitely take a close look at the Bookshelf 8.
Conclusion
The Bookshelf 8 offers excellent musical experiences, engagement, and superb entertainment with its rich and expansive soundstage. The speakers are surprisingly homogeneous, well-balanced, and very easy to live with. Despite their somewhat bold appearance, they play in a refined, detailed, and insightful manner without being overwhelmed by the highly capable 8-inch woofer.
If you have a home theater or even a dedicated room for music and movies, the Bookshelf 8 and a pair of subwoofers could be an intriguing and exciting choice. I hope we’ll have the chance to test this setup later.
The Arendal Bookshelf 8 is one of those speakers that makes it fun, but also almost touchingly easy, to play all types of music, and will surely have you spending more time in front of your stereo system. A very engaging speaker!
Rating: 5 (recommended)
Read the whole review HERE.
