WHO MAKES the BEST Affordable TOWER SPEAKER? Arendal 1961 Tower Review
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- ✅ 👉 bit.ly/3Ds3yFr Arendal 1961 Towers
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1961 Tower Speakers: bit.ly/3Ds3yFr
1961 Center Speaker: bit.ly/3F1Zlcs
1961 Bookshelf Speakers: bit.ly/3A3VGqH
1961 Monitor Speakers: bit.ly/3D4kfHa
► SHOP COMPARABLE SPEAKERS
Polk R700: bit.ly/3LtiF1N, amzn.to/3NoDVar, bit.ly/3RcQR5Z
Sonus Faber Lumina III: bit.ly/3xYq7NL
Arendal 1961 Bookshelf: bit.ly/3A3VGqH
Polk R600: bit.ly/3I1Rzig, bit.ly/3e78026, amzn.to/3Ac3d7u
Polk XT60: bit.ly/3Tx2UeU
Polk XT70: bit.ly/3yPYXda
Heresy IV (mentioned): bit.ly/35GRnlQ
Lumina V: bit.ly/3njphGH
► TESTING ARENDAL SPEAKERS
POWER
Roksan Attessa: bit.ly/3hqlw2q
HOME THEATER RECEIVERS
Marantz Cinema 50: bit.ly/3y4rfAq
Denon X3800H: bit.ly/3SnS9uc
Denon X1700H: amzn.to/3vCooNE
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Klipsch In-Ceiling: amzn.to/3VFWD28
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Pro-Ject Evo: bit.ly/3TbYlHj
Audio Technica: amzn.to/33OfgXO
Cartridge: amzn.to/3zcPqKM
SUBWOOFER
Arendal 1S: bit.ly/3Qybucc
Klipsch SPL100: bit.ly/3q44lV7
Micro 3000: bit.ly/3xnMlrE
Wireless Kit: amzn.to/3MhA7ao
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LG 83” TV: bit.ly/3AzeD6y, amzn.to/3tppAmy
SONY 85” TV: amzn.to/3ygOW7S
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MOVIES - GAMING - MUSIC
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Free Guy: amzn.to/3F4yHwz
6 Underground, Netflix
Call of Duty II: amzn.to/3DZQ5ER
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SPEAKERS STANDS - CABLES
Stands: bit.ly/3xsoe9M, bit.ly/2VOs7p3
My DIY Cables: bit.ly/3Px4Jan
DIAGNOSTICS
Room EQ Wizard
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► ARENDAL SPEAKER REVIEW
00:00 ARENDAL 1961 TOWER REVIEW (INTRO)
00:23 ARENDAL 1961 TOWER SPECS
01:20 ARENDAL SPEAKER QUALITY
02:05 SETTING UP ARENDAL TOWER SPEAKERS
02:49 BEST EQUIPMENT FOR ARENDAL SPEAKERS
03:33 ARENDAL MEASUREMENTS
04:13 ARENDAL 1961 TOWER SOUND
04:50 ARENDAL 1961 CENTER SPEAKER
05:22 ARENDAL TOWER SPEAKER SOUND (PART 2)
06:19 ARENDAL VS POLK AUDIO (R700 VS 1961)
07:00 ARENDAL VS SONUS FABER (LUMINA III)
07:20 ARE BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS BETTER? (1961 BOOKSHELF VS 1961 TOWER)
08:09 CONCLUSION
08:25 KRISTI'S TAKE
09:05 1961 SERIES CONFUSION
12:15 WHO MAKES THE BEST AFFORDABLE TOWER SPEAKER (KRISTI'S COMPARISONS)
13:49 POLK R600
14:59 AFFORDABLE SMALL TOWER SPEAKERS (POLK XT60, XT70)
18:13 SIGN OFF
Just about every audiophile prefers big tower speakers, but for those with smaller living spaces, a tower speaker can be a challenge. So what do you do? Are bookshelf speakers better? We compare the Arendal 1961 tower speakers to other small tower speakers to find out who makes the best affordable tower speaker. But in the end, is the 1961 bookshelf speaker really the way to go? Find out in our Arendal 1961 Tower Review.
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Polk R700: bit.ly/3LtiF1N, bit.ly/3RcQR5Z
Q Acoustics: bit.ly/3ccXaGZ, bit.ly/3b0IbQ2
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Budget Stands: amzn.to/3DD0UJX
Reference Stands: bit.ly/3xsoe9M
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Audio Technica LP140XP: amzn.to/33OfgXO with amzn.to/3zcPqKM
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OLED: bit.ly/3AzeD6y
LED: amzn.to/3ygOW7S
QLED: amzn.to/3biyRXu
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Budget Receiver: bit.ly/3n2lTje
Reference Receiver: bit.ly/3sntDj0
Sony A9: bit.ly/3AIoyno with bit.ly/3tZcI5F (SUB NOT OPTIONAL)
High End Soundbars: bit.ly/3OS72nG + bit.ly/35yLQO1
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Can you clarify "NO PERSONAL INFO" please? as I don't want to inadvertently break this rule.
Jim 🏴🙂
@@jimsregaturntableshifijukebox Your email address, phone number or address. And yes, people routinely leave those type of details in the comments.
@@KristiWright ok 👍, thank you for the clarification and quick reply.
Jim 🏴🙂
I love the work the two of you do, however I can't not agree with your logic. If I have the budget, I am not placing a stand where a speaker should be. And please remind Kristi that the reason for the similarities in frequency response in for timbre matching, for use in dedicated hometheaters. As for the monitors, I heard them and they have a more linear response, and if you were going to take multiple speakers to use in a hometheater, they because their frequency response, would probably be the better way to go. And, I know that she knows this, because I'm sure you've educated her. That said she is hilarious 😂 a Straight Sparkplug!! Love you guys and all you do, please 🙏🏿 keep up the great work. 👍🏿
Why the monolith encore t6 are not reviewed by you i dont umderstand they deserve your attention. You give incredible reviews with your wife congratulations
Now we obviously have to have a 1723 Tower review!
I really appreciate that you guys mention the comparisons that we are all wondering about, I'm almost ready to settle on my living room upgrade, but those 1723's are still the elephant in the room for me.
Aesthetics are subjective but Arendal towers all day, rake I believe is an engineering decision for time alignment, many would actually love the modern look with the rake. Towers give you more headroom and dynamic peaks for music and home theater. Towers footprint would be the same as placing bookshelves on stands, so I disagree with assessment that bookshelves with sub are better value just because the total cost is less. Depending on your room size, placement and actual listening volume would actually be the deciding factor. One might choose to first see placing the towers closer to the wall for room gain in a smaller space, most people watching probably already would purchase a sub with either pair of speakers.
I love the fact Kristy just calls out the Polk R700 as the clear winner in the comparison 👍🏼. Makes the decision for me easier 😁
They're still the KING when it comes to roughly $2000 tower speakers.
Except for the lack of white ones!
@@umrryan white speakers are for hippies 😂 matte black is the only real option.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews KEF wanna have a word with you. LOL. But seriously. The Detail and Depth of Sound-stage and Imaging we get out of R5 is absolutely next level. The 3D surround space it creates taking up the immersive aspect of the experience be it Movies or even Music. See even R700 is not actually fine without being paired with Dedicated SUB when it comes to actual experience. I bet no Towers are unless they literally have 4-way design with SUB inbuilt. But anyhow KEF R5 audio quality and sound experience is absolutely crazy and Next Level.
The R700 look and sound pretty sweet. I still can't decide if I like them more than KEF Q950 though. They certainly have more base, but I use a sub with both.
Thank you for throwing in the budget polk speakers into the mix. Getting the best sound for the lowest price is going to be the way many of us need to go
I think you both should review the 1723 towers and see what their top of the line is all about. I own them and I think you’d both be super impressed!
I drool over those. But my wife would disown me if I spent that on a set of speakers.
Loving the reviews! The interaction and 2nd opinion of Kristi is always wonderful. Looking forward to the next.
Thanks so much!
It would be really interesting to see how 1961s compare to almost iconic 1723 THX, I know they are almost twice the price, but they seem to be very highly regarded.
That's what I want a review of the 1723 speakers!!!
Yes please, I’d love to see the 1723 s and 1723 😊
I went with the 1961 monitors due to space constraints but I wanted the extra driver over the bookshelves for a little more output for movie watching. I wish Polk had a similar sized monitor style speaker in their Reserve line.
Thanks for the review. I like tower because in pure stereo 2.0 listening, they cover all the frequency and no so b is required. I have the Polk r700 which was connected to an Audiolab 8300a. At the end, I bought a pair of emotiva XPA HC-1 for the Polk r700 and they opened up. It was the most I have spent for hi-fi so far but it sounds best to me.
My preference and what I use for listening are bookshelf speakers ( GoldenEar) with subwoofers (SVS ). With a move in the foreseeable future my hope is placement will be easier than with towers, plus I really like how they sound working together.
The banter between you guys makes your reviews. Always high quality and helpful info. Thanks.
Much appreciated!
So after deciding to refresh my audio system after 30+ years, I was struggling to find the speakers that I wanted with all the required specs. I'm set up across the narrow part of my room, so wanted to explore front or bottom ported speakers. My room is 15 ft wide, so speakers will be closer to the wall. I was looking at PSB Image X2T, Polk R600, And even Martin Logan Motion 40Xi. After much debate, and Acknowledging that I had made a few large purchases already this year, I decided to scale it back a step. I settled on the Polk ES55 in white. I'm running an early 2000's Rotel pre amp / power amp set up and Bi amping the Polk's.They are getting 70 watts to both sets of inputs. I have to say, I'm quite happy with the performance. Bass is boosted a bit due to room gain, but still tight and clear. I was worried about the high's being harsh, but I have not found that to be true. These speakers are only a few days old but are settling in nicely. BTW...Wasn't sure if i would like the white....but I sure do, although it's just vinyl, but gotta say, I'm happy with my choice.
I agree with you on the doubts about why go with the tower when using subs. I like how Arendal has the monitor option which is what I went with for the LCR of my upcoming theater. But ultimately, I think the difference will be SPL capability. If you have a huge room, the bigger up the line you'll need to go so you don't hit distortion, whereas the tonality is basically the same.
So are you happy with monitor speakers? How much power are you running to them? I'm looking at these also but like the golden ear brx so I'm trying to decide. Thanks for any info
@@stckyjoey1 Monitor owner here too, currently running them with ~120w per channel without issue. They don't need a lot of power to sing.
No better way to start a Sunday morning. ☕️
Appreciate so much!
Totally agree as this was the first u tube video i watched this AM!
Thanks guys for the amazing review. I have sent Arendal a tone of emails trying to persuade them to sell the 1961 bookshelves as single units or at least as 5 pieces package. Every time the answer is the same. They are sold only in pairs. :(
Thanks Andrew for thinking how amazing home theater set-up 5 1961 bookshelves would be. It would be a killer setup. Maybe now they will think it again.
The advantage of the bookshelf is its height. It is a relatively short speaker compared to other bookshelves, so I think it could be easily seat bellow the tv as center, without having to place the tv too high.
So glad i found this channel. I bought the R700's and he was completely right. I love these speakers. Even near field listening is stellar
Hey Andy I had my eye on a set of Kef 750's for a while then bought them then watched your review which confirmed my choice 110% l managed to get them for £869 $1069 in a matt white finish ....normally they're £1095 =$1300 So for the Kef 750's are arguably the best affordable Tower speakers love their 3 dimensional sound they give in my Home AV sound system especially when teamed up with the Kef 650c centre speaker
Whatever I do, when you upload a new video, I have to watch it. You are so authentic and original. I hope you will soon also test the B&W 702 S3 🙃
Great review on the 1961 towers and bookshelves!
I find the monitors an intriguing option for the living room, they are incredibly compact, 42.5H x 16.3W x 15.0D cm and can be VESA wall mounted.
With little ppl living in my apartment, towers or stand mounted bookshelves are just not an option 😭
Great vid as usual, and also discussion. For me personally, when I use a subwoofer, I like to cross it over as low as possible, currently mine is crossed at 50hz to my mains. I think I’m very sensitive to hearing the sub’s location, and only want it playing the very lowest frequencies. Therefore, I can see the value of using mains that are large enough to go low enough to ‘barely’ need a sub to get nearly full-range performance on a budget.
Recently found a pair of R700’s used for $1500 and they’re incredible paired with my AXR100. Picking up a $800 Rotel power amp for 200wt per channel this weekend and I can’t wait. Moving my family room to a 2.2 setup only now. It’s a night and day difference moving from my Denon AVR and ELAC F6.2’s with center channel. Can’t believe the difference 🤘
I have Arendal 1723 full range Godzillas and they go very deep and I love them 😍 I can listen to the music without a subwoofer. But if I add a subwoofer it fills my room, a little bit nicer. But for the music there is very little difference.
I think bookshelve sp should be used only for surround speakers.
If you like proper stereo sound go with the towers.
I truly appreciate your reviews of lesser known brands. With that I hope review some Ascend Acoustics mainly the Sierra LX just so little information about them. Power Sound Audio, JTR and more Tekton reviews . Thank you both family Robinson for all you do I look forward to the end of year rankings.
Polk has come so far in recent years. I love that the R700s exist at their price point. Crutchfield just had them on sale for $1700 a pair (sadly gone now).
Very far. I remember listening to some older Polk speakers and not being impressed but my Legend 600s destroy every speaker in it's price range. At my local Hi-Fi shop the only speaker I liked better was a $25,000 set of Sonus Faber.
@@juqual78 Nice! Out of curiosity, are you running a separate amp for them? I’m thinking of getting one for the R700s based upon Andrew saying they benefit from a lot of power. Curious if you are using something with good synergy.
First off I don't mind the Leaning Tower of Speaker look. I think it looks cool on "smaller" speakers like the Arendal. I'm definitely more of a bookshelf/stands/subwoofer guy..just easier to deal with in my opinion. As an owner of the Polk R200/SVS sub I might not have the pedigree of gear to brag about but I'd be lying if I said they didn't sound great. I originally bought them for HT awhile back but now they are my daily 2ch listeners. Normally you would upgrade speakers before adding better pieces of gear but I have found myself putting nicer pieces around the Reserves. I'm not trying to overhype them to some end all speaker but I am still amazed what you get for the low price, and they have the ability to keep getting better with what you pair them with. The Arendals seem decent, but when you start comparing other "budget" priced speakers to the Reserve line I already know that the Reserves are hard to beat. Polk turned me into one of their hated fan boys lol
I like the Leaning Tower look as well. I think it looks incredibly sexy in white and I'm not usually a big fan of white speakers.
Always love a good review. My quest for speakers and gear is at a content standstill. Im just happy w what i have, and dont have any audio itch to scratch. But its great to catalog future options when the urge returns
Getting off the merry go round is therapeutic!
I'm definitely a bookshelf + sub person and would go that way with this line. Budget permitting I may go for the monitor for the front left and right though. Woofers are like pistols in action movies: two is just cooler even if you don't need them.
I just picked up the Klipsch rp 8000 f 2s. So far pretty happy with em. Soon as I find matching center in store it's mine lol. Next upgrade is the Denon 4800h. 4k 120, individual sub pre outs, pre outs for every channel and 4k 120. And Dirac everything I'm looking for in next reciever/processor
I've been binge watching your videos the past few weeks. I've learned a lot from both of you, and I'm almost ready to go from a sound bar + wireless sub + cheap wireless rears to a proper 3.1 setup. While I haven't bought anything yet, I will be in September, and I'd like to thank you in advance for helping me spend too much money here. I'm not an audiophile, and I don't have audiophile bucks, but I have audiophile tastes (as they say, champagne tastes with beer money) So whether I go Polk Reserve, or 1961, I'll be eating Kraft for a couple months, with a Sirloin steak every few weeks *if I'm lucky* But, it will be worth it in the end right? lol. If I go either Arendal or Polk Reserve, whether I get bookshelves or towers I'll be getting a sub. As a life long bass head I want to be able to rattle the walls in my room.
You suggest a single bookshelf in place of their center, but they only sell them in pairs. I'm going to shoot Arendal an email to see if there's any way to buy a single one.
I want to point something out you didn't mention in the video that could matter to some potential buyers looking at the 1961 line. If they also want to buy the 1961 height speaker and don't want to mount it on the ceiling, the speaker fits on top of the towers, but not the bookshelf. I know most audiophiles cry at the mere mention of up-firing Atmos, but if a person doesn't want to wall or ceiling mount and wants Atmos they'll need the towers here.
I'm also stuck on the Soildsteel stands you have, and once I factored in the [SS 7s] the bookshelves aren't really much cheaper than the towers lol.
Thank you for all the videos sir and ma'am.
I have the 1723 Monitor bookshelf speakers with a SVS SB13 Ultra and absolutely love the sound. Actually, tilting back a speaker is for time. alignment.
I’d definitely go for the bookshelf speakers. Andrew, I must say you are groovy. And furthermore, you are incredibly lucky to have found a lady who is “into” music and audio. Not only that…she tells is as it is! Great review! I can see there is a lot of preparation that goes into these videos. They are well crafted and thoughtful. And the result is rewarding for us who get to view these without seeing the behind the scenes. Which brings me to my only wish for this end to the year….DO A BLOOPERS VIDEO for the end of year celebrations! Let’s bring in the New Year with a funny video to bring us laughter and take a break from the audio chatter!
Second time watched this video. The pure fun of it is addictive.
Guys kerp on doing what your doing, you rock.
Nice job Kristy! The comparisons and added dialogue she facilitated was great. You guys make a great team. May i gloat a little? I just landed an open box polk L400 center for 1k and a pair of R700's for $2100. The sales man used your name as a reason they are in such demand.
I’ve never heard of this brand of speakers. So glad you review a wide range($$) of gear. I may not end up with the Naim system from last week, but it’s great to hear how awesome stuff is. Andrew and Christie, you guys rock.
Arendal has some of the best speakers for the price. The 1723s Monitors are legit. I have them. I upgraded from SVS Ultra theater package and it’s night and day. The SVS are fatiguing and sound like a “home” theater… the Arendals sounds like an ACTUAL THEATER
Would like to see a polk showdown between the Polk XTs, Polk Signature Elite, and Polk Reserve. I really think the Signature series could walk away as the affordable tower winner here.
After reading owner reviews, you may be correct.
Arendal is serious brand, they deserve their praise for their products, best customer service i ever seen on any brand, and they offer 5-10 year warrenty on all products, i use 1723 1s subwoofer and its mindblowing good and thats sub come with 10 year warrenty on driver and 5 year on the amp,
It was my first video from you and I really liked your review and really appreciated the discussion at the end. I would really like a review of the Arendal 1723 TOWER THX!
I agree with Kristy. Of course I just bought some Polk R700s so there’s that. Great review!
They continue to amaze! Thanks for watching!!
always fun to watch, i really enjoyed the live show last week 🙂
Well now I want to know what you think of Arendal's 1723 series of speakers. .
Coffee and The Recovering Audiophile, the best way to start a cold Sunday.
Thank you so much! Now I want a second cup of coffee 😉
In my opinion, i think there is something special with larger speakers. I dont mean florstanders with basicly same inch drivers as a bokshelf usually have, but big speakers with 8 or 10 inch drivers. I know both budget and placementwise, a bookshelf system with one or more subwoofers can play amazing. But given the choise and budget no limit, i would allways go for the largest speaker in the line, given it had 8 inch drivers or more ;) As allways, great review!
Love the reviews you two! Which of these bookshelf speakers or others are best for simply listening to lossless music? Thanks
I absolutely love your videos. Now, I am not at the highest end of hifi. I really enjoy listening to both of your takes on speakers and systems. I watched your Polk XT 60 ; so sorry for the loss of your grandmother; you convinced me to purchase a pair. I currently have a modest system. I have a Yamaha CR 440 receiver driving my 4 ohm Paradigm 9 SE's. I do enjoy these very much but was looking for another set of speakers to enjoy. I appreciate your hard work on these videos. Keep up the great work you two work very well together.
Good morning all from the recently cooler Midwest! I certainly love the aesthetic of white tower speakers.
The white Arendal finish is so clean.
I wish you can clarify your comment about the 1961 bookshelf vs center/monitor. Many people have chosen the monitor over the bookshelf for front L/R because they are the exact same speaker as the center. So does the bookshelf sound better than the center? I expect them to sound identical, just louder for the monitor/center.
Great video as always! Polk audio all the way! Please visit/revisit the ES line of polk, especially in comparison to's.
Cool. Just finished some yardwork. Coffee in hand… ready to go
Don't have room for rear firing port and I'm a pollk fan boy lol thanks for the review between them because I loved the look of them after your amp review too lol
QOTD,
I agree about going with bookshelves speakers over the towers since they sound the same.
Why not save money. And in home theater, matching bookshelf speakers are easier to place than matching towers for surround.
Great Arendal review! Now, Robinson dynamic duo, please use your analytical gifts in reviewing speakers from the Sonus Faber Sonetto line (preferably the Sonetto II and up), and ultimately, the Olympica Nova line --- would love to see how they compare to Andrew's beloved B&W 700 and 800 series, respectively --- Sonus Faber Sonetto vs B&W 700 AND Sonus Faber Olympica Nova vs B&W 800 would be the showdown of the year!
Noted, though any and all Sonus Faber vs B&W videos would likely have to wait until the new year for our plate is already full through December.
Hey andrew your doing a great job with this channel i enjoy the content...one more quick question are you planning on reviewing the new emotiva airmotiv T3+ speakers anytime soon?
I solved the center problem differently and got the 1723 S center speaker 👍 design is not exactly matching but it is close enough
Hey thanks for all the great videos and information! I have a video idea, as a beginner (I haven't bought anything yet and the only speakers I currently own are from Sonos) I'm struggling to choose a specific line of speaker. The biggest reason is that while they all sounds different I don't know what any of the words you're using to describe their sounds mean. For example, what does it mean for a speaker to have a "warmer sound" or be more "buttoned up"? I video with examples (Yes I realize listen to your speakers through my computer's speaker won't mean much) and explanations would be awesome! Thanks again!
@Andrew Robinson I'm from Australia and the Polks are $2,800 vs the Arendal at $6,000, so big difference. Plus you can buy the Polks locally. We get a lot of Yamaha speakers here in Australia. The NS-3000 and NS-5000 have only just been released and are $13k to 20k, so expensive. Do you get these in the USA?
Another fabulous review from my favorite Dynamic Duo! Got the R700s last month and loving them so far. Pulling my hair out trying to decide whether to go with three Emotiva BasX monos for the front stage or spring for the XPA-3. Theoretically the XPA should be better, right? But I’m worried the XPA Class H power-switching power supply module will under-power the R700s at lower volumes. Totally guessing though.
@@jamms2966 I appreciate the advice, and I’m surprised to hear that. That’s too bad. Andrew seems to think the synergy between the BasX and the R700s is excellent, and the reviews on Emotiva’s website for both the product and support are extremely positive, but maybe they are curated. Do you have an alternate suggestion? I’m looking for something sub $2000 and was also considering the 7000x from Outlaw Audio. Thought about the amps from Monoprice but there seems to be quality control issues based upon Amazon reviews.
Nice Thanks for the great review!
Any chance you’ll be looking at the 1723 line? I have been wondering about upgrading from my Polk R700s to the 1723 towers. They cost a lot more than the R700s but I’m worried they might not be better. There isn’t much on the internet about Arendal’s top of the line towers.
Hi Andrew,
I don’t have a clear understanding on tighter bass reference when comparing to the Polk R700.
So if listening to Phases by Two Lanes, the bass in the Arendal better sounding over the R700?
Thanks. Appreciate your channel and hard work you do for the community
Winter is here...snow falling all week. Happy Holidays to the Robinson family.
Happy early Holidays to you too David. Stay warm.
Stay warm, David!
I don’t know I don’t personally like bookshelf speakers for my front channel and thanks for your help last week
Thanks for reviewing more Arendal speakers! Kristi, the towers might exist for people like me who prefer the look of tower speakers over stand mount. 😂
Fair enough! :)
The Polk R700 Reference matched with the Polk L400 Center a perfect combination for any HT
good to know
Andrew - I’m about to make a new 5.1 speaker purchase and as a huge fan on Magnepans I’ve looked at KEF (LS50 Meta, R3), Arendal (b/s and towers), but I’m seriously looking at GoldenEar Triton 3+ as FLR. Im running a Denon 3700, my room is small and open on one side. In a head to head between the Triton 3+ and Tower 1961, which would you recommend (given my love of the Maggie soundstage and imaging)?
No matter what, I expect great things when I replace my Jamo S809s.
Thanks to you and Kristi for all you do!
I am a bit biased, as I own a pair of 700's, but thank you Kristy for your comment about how the R700s mop the floor with 1961s! 😁
Would like to see a comparison of the Polk Monitor 70 Series II to a speaker like this. Fit and finish are likely not the same, but the driver count and lay out are more similar than the XT series designs. The Polk seems way easier to drive, more full range, and way less money. The not available in white kinda sucks, but everything else looks comparable. Understanding you are comparing to speakers you have reviewed of course. Just thinking these look like a closer match.
Another great review.
@Andrew Robinson I have a fairly rare low production pair of Speaker Art Super Clef TLs designed by the late Bob Gross. Those towers have been nothing short of amazing and everyone I've played them for has noted so. These towers go DEEP, easily into the low 20s and are incredibly full range. A local guy near Morro Bay California in in contact with the family and is planning to build and sell some of Bob Gross's new/old stock and that's essentially how I got mine. Though there wouldn't be much incentive for you to do so that I could imagine, I'd love for you to hear these.
new on that channel :) The atmosphere of the videos is incredible, feels like at home :)
Welcome aboard!
Polks R700 are my choice now and I will get a pair as soon as they arrive in my country
Well I live in a NYC apartment so towers are out of the question (I have Focal Chora 806s) but even if I had the room I think I would go with standmounts and a sub if needed. For those interested Cruthfield has all the Polk speakers and the Klipsch sub heavily discounted.
Would love to see a review of the Arendal 1723 the biggest they have
Hey Andrew and Kristi what do you think about the Focal Chora 826 towers in comparison to these two? Especially as you can pick up the Focal Chora 826’s for sub $1000.00 a pair these days! Thanks for the excellent review!
Great review as always, love Kristy's clear cut opinion!
I really do not know, why the R700s are not available in white anymore. What about comparison to Klipsch RP-8000F II? Did you hear them/do you plan to review them?
We haven't heard the new 8000Fs yet. I'm not sure we will get to them this year but if the changes are similar to those made with these bit.ly/3wvqfnh, I'm guessing they will sound pretty good!
I think you have to put the Polk R600 in the line up for review in 2023. I think they might be that sweet spot that works for more people than the bigger R700. I also think they would have competed better in this comparison. Plus Kristi is right, they are offered in White.
As always, I love your feedback to manufacturers as well as customers. Since I have cats, no towers...ever...even getting around stands requires creative thinking- angry nuns & dinosaurs seem to give the cats pause & work so far!
Thank you for a nice review. How Arendal bookshelves vs SVS Ultra bookshelves?
I ended up replacing older B&W CM9s with the R700s and love them. Although I still wonder why Polk discontinued the white…
Why Polk discontinued white is up there with Loch Ness and the Bermuda Triangle with respect to being one of life's great mysteries. Thanks for watching!
Great review! When will you review the 1723 THX Towers, just recevied them and cannot wait for your thoughts on them!
I challenge you to do a set of DIY speakers! There are almost no reviews on the CSS towers! It’s a very rewarding process for me. I did the Torri speakers, and they are amazing.
So im at the local pub having a brew or two, and the Formula One race is on. Brazil i think. Klipsch is sponsoring one of the cars. Pretty cool. I think ive seen JBL on an xfinity series nascar. here and there. With all those sponsors, its cool to see our industry represented.
Loved to hear a comparison with the HECO 700s.
Yet Another great review. Bookshelves and Towers sound same, however Towers can handle up-to 350 Watts and bookshelves can handle only up-to 180 Watts and That's it.. When anyone has a bigger hall would choose Tower to fill the room entirely without distortion and effortlessly. :)
Lots of people use the 1723 S center with 1961 for everything else. Seems to be a great combination
I love my 1723s I have the whole set up including atmos/heights. Sounds like a real theater.
I love this video ,you guys rock
I am actually curious when should I go for a sub. Is it ok to use it for both, tower and bookshelf? In what setup do you feel the best? In a pure good stereo? Or maybe you would always add sub? Thanks!
Almost went with the Polk Reserves but the 1961 series is on sale and I picked up the towers for $1200. Gonna run with a REL T9 sub. We’ll see how they sound when they arrive.
I don't think most people will want a bookshelf speaker for their center, mainly due to the height. It's hard enough fitting a regular horizontal center below a TV unless you have it on a low profile console with the TV wall mounted. Although it may work for those people who like their TV mounted above a fireplace so that you have to tilt your head up at the ceiling just to see it 😝
I would tend to agree with you. I think the point was simply to illustrate that it might be a better solution if Arendal is the direction you go with for your system.
Yeah lol I can't stand when the TVs are too high. I get them as low as humanly possible.
@@jonuiuc Same!!!
@@jonuiuc I put the middle of screen at eye level .
So I started this comment from a different perspective. But bottom line I really appreciate that you come clean on your appreciation or bias for an audio product based on its appearance. I love the sound of Polk speakers but I really wish they looked more like Warfdales.. That said sound is the priority...thanks again!
Fantastic review. Did you compare the polk700 towers with the q acoustics?
A question and a comment...
Question: Where would you place Klipsch Reference Premiere vis-a-vis these and the Polks?
Comment: I like towers with a subwoofer for home theater as the overall fullness seems to work with bass notes used in scene transitions and background music. For music, I prefer the bookshelf + subwoofer to open things up.
You buy the towers for the volume, the slam. It's physics folks. The bookshelf can't move nearly as much air and in some cases, for some people, that is very important. Thanks for the review.
Try getting hold of a pair Phase Tech 9.5 to reveiw. I've been happy with them for years.
Kristi Andrew your vedios just keep getting better and dang that slotted wall media center all looks so good 👍.....
Thank you!!
❤
Great review. I just found your channel and I'm loving it. You guys are great. Would love to see you review some Revels like the Performa 3 series. Also, if you haven't yet, would love to see you review some Tekton Design speakers. I'll keep watching to see what you review next. I have the revel Performa 3 F208's and like them a lot but I'm always wondering if I can get more without spending a lot more...Typical audiophile always looking for improvements.One question this video brought up for me is- Can bookshelves with a sub ALWAYS match towers in sound and output? I'm thinking not, but curious to get yours and others opinions on this. When you compare, are you comparing both 2 channel music and HT surround in movies? The towers with a sub may offer more for the HT setup. More room filling sound, lower bass and a fuller all-around sound. Just my thoughts...I do use my revel towers in a 5.1 setup with a sub and they provide great sound as they do in 2 channel audio. Thanks for the great reviews!
What sound format do you use when testing speakers with home theater receivers as to movie vs music? I don’t have as much of a variance on the movie side. But on music it perplexes me. Case in point, a favorite, John Fogerty’s The Long Road Home concert DVD has 3 options. Dolby Digital Stereo, DTS 5.1 surround, and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. So having just bought new speakers, both center and front, a new subwoofer, and a new AV receiver I was anxious to test them with the DVD. What a difference between the 2 Dolby surround options. At least to my ears. The Dolby Digital option sounded far better.But which is technically better? And which would you choose to judge the sound of a set of speakers??
Great review. Any plans to review Aperion Verus III Grand V6T and then compare Polk R700?
GREETINGS FROM THE BEAUTIFUL EMERALD COAST OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA!
Excellent as always! You guys brought up a great point IRT bookshelf vs. full size speakers. The conundrum has always baffled me. I think it really comes down to (like a lot of audio issues) perceived bias & prejudice vice reality. A small % may have to do with available space, but please allow me to explain the former.
I believe that sales influence projects the old debate of size matters in order to receive the full spectrum of frequency. Bookshelf speakers automatically receive placement as a budgetary means for decent audio performance. Ignorance plays into this as most retail outlets will promote full size speakers in lieu of an affordable budget item.
One thing (among a plethora) I love about your channel involves the measured results vice just advertised specs. You provide realistic presence to an otherwise silent review.
I have Polk Audio RT-55i bookshelf speakers bi-wired into an Onkyo TX-NR636 with a 12" PA Sub. While the speakers & receiver both had "ok" reviews, bi-wiring & sub addition have them dialed in at an audio nirvana for me. It leads to the question, why spend more $$$ if it will not improve or enhance audio quality experience?
I believe that reflects the purpose of your awesome reviews. You don't rely on advertised specs & your subscribers appreciate your collaborative integrity!
Respectfully recommend categorized access to a glossary of terms as a means to educate & inform some of the audio rookies.
Again, appreciate everything!
Very respectfully,
Billy P. Martin