I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you don’t have good speakers, you don’t have a good sound system. Period. The speakers you use have a disproportionate impact on how your music sounds.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you don’t have good speakers, you don’t have a good sound system. Period. The speakers you use (or choose) have a disproportionate impact on how your music sounds — more so than the source, amp and preamp, or any other component or accessory in the audio chain. Simply put, your speakers define the character of the sound, which is why they are so important and why we’ve compiled capsule reviews of our Top Picks in speakers so far this year.
If you haven’t heard of Arendal you’re not alone. The brand hails from Norway where it’s been producing and selling speakers in Europe for more than a decade. We assembled a 5.1 home theater setup comprising four models from the well-crafted 1723 series: Pairs of Tower S and Bookshelf S speakers, a Center S, and the app-controllable Subwoofer 2S, which mates two 14-inch drivers with a 1,200-watt amplifier in a fairly imposing sealed enclosure. Everything is THX Ultra Certified for reference-level volumes in rooms up to 3,000 cubic feet with a 12-foot listening distance. A testament to the confidence it has in its products, Arendal offers a 60-day in-home trial and a generous 10-year warranty on everything but electronics, which is 5 years.
The system performed admirably with movies and music, producing sound that was balanced and neutral. As reviewer Jim Wilson put it, “The speakers are indifferent to volume and comport themselves when pushed, yet they are just as revealing when played with restraint. I heard nuances in familiar songs that aren’t anywhere near as evident with other speakers. I’m not kidding, I literally experienced details I didn’t know were there. I could listen to these speakers all day every day, there is absolutely no fatigue or strain.” And the Subwoofer 2S, which earned a Top Pick in its own right, shrugged off the brutal opening sequence of Edge of Tomorrow — a torture test known to destroy lesser subs — producing powerfully deep, articulate bass. In a word, performance from top to bottom was impressive.
