WHO MAKES the BEST Affordable TOWER SPEAKER? Arendal 1961 Tower Review

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

✅ *GET THEM HERE: **bit.ly/3Ds3yFr* ❤ *CLICK ❤THANKS to highlight your question &/or support the channel!* ✅ *IF IT’S IN THE VIDEO, IT’S IN THE DESX ☝CLICK “MORE”* ✅ *RULES: NO OUTSIDE LINKS OR PERSONAL INFO. PLEASE STAY ON TOPIC AND BE RESPECTFUL*

[@jimsregaturntableshifijukebox]

Can you clarify "NO PERSONAL INFO" please? as I don't want to inadvertently break this rule. Jim 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🙂

[@KristiWright]

@@jimsregaturntableshifijukebox Your email address, phone number or address. And yes, people routinely leave those type of details in the comments.

[@jimsregaturntableshifijukebox]

@@KristiWright ok 👍, thank you for the clarification and quick reply. Jim 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🙂

[@isaacsykes3]

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. 👍🏿

[@gillesrioux3203]

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

[@11clouds]

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.

[@christiankansichi6622]

Now we obviously have to have a 1723 Tower review!

[@EM-ke8is]

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.

[@t8500shx]

I love the fact Kristy just calls out the Polk R700 as the clear winner in the comparison 👍🏼. Makes the decision for me easier 😁

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

They're still the KING when it comes to roughly $2000 tower speakers.

[@umrryan]

Except for the lack of white ones!

[@mcarr416ix]

@@umrryan white speakers are for hippies 😂 matte black is the only real option.

[@KING_DRANZER]

@@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.

[@budala1969]

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.

[@aaronrobbins1458]

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

[@unstablenetwork4744]

Loving the reviews! The interaction and 2nd opinion of Kristi is always wonderful. Looking forward to the next.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thanks so much!

[@adamjj85]

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.

[@stckyjoey1]

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

[@davidrojas6457]

@@stckyjoey1 Monitor owner here too, currently running them with ~120w per channel without issue. They don't need a lot of power to sing.

[@1tmo4sho]

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!

[@davidjudd951]

I drool over those. But my wife would disown me if I spent that on a set of speakers.

[@caliginousmoira8565]

@@davidjudd951 500k is nothing to a true audiophile....

[@ChrisCiapala]

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.

[@xsamitt]

That's what I want a review of the 1723 speakers!!!

[@woody42069]

Yes please, I’d love to see the 1723 s and 1723 😊

[@kibyras]

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.

[@NosEL34]

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

[@hondaphan4172]

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.

[@rideswift]

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.

[@j.p.1214]

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.

[@ryanw8664]

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).

[@juqual78]

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.

[@ryanw8664]

@@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.

[@andreasmoller9798]

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,

[@PIPERBOYWILLIAMS]

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

[@Harry-Giles]

The banter between you guys makes your reviews. Always high quality and helpful info. Thanks.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Much appreciated!

[@syanhc]

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!

[@murphy_boy]

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.

[@TheKristenandNick]

No better way to start a Sunday morning. ☕️

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Appreciate so much!

[@peternemeth4947]

Totally agree as this was the first u tube video i watched this AM!

[@thomasbroadcast919]

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 🙃

[@hobblyjig]

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.

[@jclary83]

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.

[@davidjudd951]

After reading owner reviews, you may be correct.

[@markflitz1772]

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.

[@raymondayala5355]

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

[@jamesoneill5810]

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

[@Nickceid]

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.

[@williamcrumly3506]

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.

[@SinghIsKingh]

Coffee and The Recovering Audiophile, the best way to start a cold Sunday.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you so much! Now I want a second cup of coffee 😉

[@anthonymiriello5029]

Second time watched this video. The pure fun of it is addictive. Guys kerp on doing what your doing, you rock.

[@herngyeeyam8131]

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.

[@Dahly3889]

Well now I want to know what you think of Arendal's 1723 series of speakers. .

[@josephstark4944]

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 🤘

[@johncarnegie5358]

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.

[@astrotrance]

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.

[@Belivo]

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!

[@chadcantrell4091]

I agree with Kristy. Of course I just bought some Polk R700s so there’s that. Great review!

[@KristiWright]

They continue to amaze! Thanks for watching!!

[@RJ-eg2nx]

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.

[@maxpower78-15]

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

[@KristiWright]

Getting off the merry go round is therapeutic!

[@Bigheadedwon]

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.

[@savagemako17]

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.

[@robertrenelle4629]

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.

[@lordjjm]

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!

[@shinobiviking8510]

Would love to see a review of the Arendal 1723 the biggest they have

[@aldub1263]

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 😭

[@thetopher8116]

I purchased a pair of r600s along with the r400 about a month ago and these r600s have completely blown me away I cannot see myself needing more as far as a subwoofer to help with the low end of these speakers. I have two subs that I use in my home theater and sometimes with music but with these r600s it's not even necessary. I would love to see you guys get a pair of these to try out or a comparison would be awesome 🙂👍

[@davids2214]

Yeah I have a pair as well and concur. They go deeeep and sound great.

[@abeedr19]

Which avr you are using ?

[@thetopher8116]

@@abeedr19 my receiver is a Yamaha RX a2080 but I'm using an outboard amplifier which is a sherborne 200w per channel

[@abeedr19]

@@thetopher8116 whats your room size

[@abeedr19]

@@thetopher8116 i am also planning to get the r600+400+100+RC80i +hts 12. But bit confused about the avr, denon x3800h vs 4700

[@Smellslikegelfling]

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 😝

[@KristiWright]

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.

[@jonuiuc]

Yeah lol I can't stand when the TVs are too high. I get them as low as humanly possible.

[@xsamitt]

@@jonuiuc Same!!!

[@RennieAsh]

@@jonuiuc I put the middle of screen at eye level .

[@peternemeth4947]

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! 😁

[@rehn1kri]

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.

[@xellence]

From your impression, how would you compare between the 1723 S tower and the R700? They come in similar price in my country and would like to hear your opinion. Thanks in advance!

[@westcoast708]

Kristi Andrew your vedios just keep getting better and dang that slotted wall media center all looks so good 👍.....

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you!!

[@KristiWright]

❤

[@triplelexxx9407]

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?

[@joepelletier5381]

I've got a problem with liking the look of towers, your logic makes perfect sense, my tastes frequently defy logic. I also weirdly prefer getting the higher end of a lower cost brand than the entry level of another, so I might lean into the top of something like Klipsch reference premium instead (just based on buyer remorse issues). That being said, curious how the higher end of Arendal compares.

[@xsamitt]

I feel the same way!!

[@RumourRS]

Same. I feel if I buy the mid-level of a product, i am getting a purposely built gimped product. Bowers and wilkins is a fine example. I get it, even if i buy 805 bookshelves I know they are going to sound fantastic. However, I will always have the notion in the back of mind that I am not getting the best experience the company has to offer. With arendal, I am able to get their best 1723 towers and ease my mind at a relatively affordable price. If the 1723 towers arent to my liking, I can always return them without tying up $10,000 in one go. On the other hand, if the towers arent good I know to stay away from Arendal. Win-win in my book 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@joepelletier5381]

@DJ-ud3ru I love the engagement almost a year after the video, I love talking about this stuff. They hide it really well but the 1723 and the S are not the same as the 1961, though they are CLOSE. They use a different motor drive magnet (neo vs ferrite) and I suspect there are other material quality differences they don't publicize as much. Most of the 1961s are also sealed, and to me the 1723 is more visually striking. In a blind test I suspect I may not even be able to tell them apart but I was trying to express my psychological problem with knowing I chose the lower of the lineup.

[@sharingfamspace3156]

Let give Kristie her flowers gents she’s just rounds off everything perfectly👌🏾

[@jmax5105]

I think they are a good looking speaker and although I like how the towers look a little better, I would honestly go with the bookshelves / sub combo as well. If you haven't ever listened to the song 'Dope' by Demeter on a full range setup, Do yourselves a favor and give it a shot, you won't regret it, lol. Just be sure and turn it up a little... ;-)' Sounds SOOO GOOD on the R700s! I'm really hoping that you haven't heard this and I'm giving you something new to listen to, seeing how you guys always point out cool songs to us. As always, thank you so much for all the work you guys put into these reviews. Keep up the GREAT work!

[@ricksmith7659]

I just listened to that song. My house was jumping! Cool mix

[@bentaylor260]

@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?

[@sanrg111]

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. :)

[@danielhunsinger8017]

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.

[@crm4742]

Love the reviews you two! Which of these bookshelf speakers or others are best for simply listening to lossless music? Thanks

[@umrryan]

Good morning all from the recently cooler Midwest! I certainly love the aesthetic of white tower speakers.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

The white Arendal finish is so clean.

[@thomasjohansen4512]

Long time subscriber, love all your content!🔥 I wish you would review the top model 1723. Heard so many good things about it 😃

[@mortenhennyng-heckmann7856]

Great review! When will you review the 1723 THX Towers, just recevied them and cannot wait for your thoughts on them!

[@danhunt48]

always fun to watch, i really enjoyed the live show last week 🙂

[@lights80088]

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.

[@KristiWright]

I'm going to assume that we nailed this one therefore nobody feels the need to leave a comment. 😂😂

[@MrCommunistGen]

Nailed it or not, I'm still going to say "Thank you" for making the comparison to the bookshelves and the R700. 😉 FWIW, I'm in the "nailed it" camp.

[@maxpower78-15]

Sorry Kristi!! Late to the party today. Being a homeowner gets in the way of the fun sometimes

[@infernoal2994]

Thanks for the great review and comparison, just wondering how these would compare to the Triangle Borea series, I have been considering the Triangles for a bit of time and thinking about the Bro 7's for a tower. Have you any reviews on the Triangle speakers? Thanks

[@KristiWright]

@@infernoal2994 We do not have any Triangle reviews.

[@kjbunnyboiler]

Late to the party today Kristi, sorry😊.Keep up the great work👍👍

[@maxpower78-15]

Cool. Just finished some yardwork. Coffee in hand… ready to go

[@8474Starscream]

Winter is here...snow falling all week. Happy Holidays to the Robinson family.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Happy early Holidays to you too David. Stay warm.

[@KristiWright]

Stay warm, David!

[@ROYALUSTER]

Hello audiophiles and home AV nerds. Great to be home in NC. Listening to Kristi and Andrew talk about all things Home AV. All is right with the world.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Always appreciate seeing you in the comments Roy! Glad you're home and relaxing!

[@KristiWright]

Good to have you with us today, Roy!

[@DC_loves_scotch]

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.

[@Gmase10]

How would you compare the Arendal 1961 vs Martin Logan 40i’s or 60Xti which are both on sale right now at BestBuy.

[@TJPavey]

How about a pair of subs as stands for the bookshelf/monitor. True full range towers 😊. Seriously though I agree that unless you are really wanting a tower look or you need to go without a sub, 9/10 bookshelf is way to go.

[@chrisjones6165]

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

[@RUMBLEGO1]

What about the Polk R600? I swear i was just typing this as i hear Kristi bring up the R600's....weird....in a good way. Love weird stuff like that....hah~ Glory to the universe.... :) Edited to get Kristi's name spelling right...hah. But also....i love Polks and am currently using their vintage Monitor 7c's (recapped) in my living room with a sub and my god do they sound amazing. Thought if i ever upgraded that i would possibly take a look at the R600's. The R700's are to large for me.

[@billymartin8752]

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

[@BenlStudio]

To my opinion towers (for a same brand lineup) are speakers that are reserved to a 2.0 setup where you want a full range for music and don't want to spare the space for a sub or shop for stands. The problem here is that the 1961 aren't full range. A pair of towers should cost a little less than a bookshelf+sub combo. From the moment you want to use it also for films, 2.1 or higher should be managed with bookshelf+sub to my opinion, the load of 40-80mhz (even up to 100mhz as recommended by Arendal for the crossover with they're subs) taken by the sub will allow your receiver to drive more easily the bookshelf as the more demanding frequency in power are the lower ones. I can understand the MTM (monitor version for Arendal) existence for a front LCR if you can't accommodate a bookshelf speaker in it's upright position for the center then 3 MTM for LCR look logic to me as you wouldn't want a bookshelf on is side. The center channel of Arendal are "Monitors" speaker put on the horizontal position but are exactly the same ( confirmed by Arendal )

[@hobblyjig]

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. 😂

[@KristiWright]

Fair enough! :)

[@himerosjewelry4496]

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?

[@KristiWright]

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!

[@chandlerlofton6536]

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.

[@DC_loves_scotch]

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

[@LCSeminole]

Yes I enjoyed the review, thanks Andrew for the insight on these Arendal entry level tower speakers. Personally I would choose the 1961 Bookshelf’s with a sub over the Polk R700’s. Most towers period, don’t have the low end authority of a proper subwoofer, so those of you that are trying to justify getting away with only purchasing towers are only delaying the inevitable move to a subwoofer in the future. Andrew always says at the end of his reviews, “Remember, the only person that has to like the sound of your system, is “YOU””.

[@peternemeth4947]

like all things in life it's relative

[@xsamitt]

@@peternemeth4947 Yes ....even your relatives!!!

[@NosEL34]

Yeah the sub is a necessity at some point with any speaker I believe. I purchased the R700 awhile back in hopes of removing my living room sub...buy when you compare the sound with and without everything just sounds better with a subwoofer or 2.

[@barrykrakovsky756]

Any plans on reviewing the Arendal 1723 THX Towers?

[@jrn-torejohansen9198]

Hello from Norway. I like your Channel very mutch. I just watched your review on the Polk R 700. I have now JBL Ls80, have you ever tested them and how does it compere to the Polks? Sorry for my bad English, keep up the good vork. Hilsen Jørn Tore

[@JS-hu7pv]

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.

[@mvgiles45]

OOH WEEE! Andrew, your wife is no joke, period! Now, I have to go listen to the Polks 700. Your wife gave a convincing argument and I will go take a listen. Thank you both on detailed interviews that you give on your channel.

[@gokhanersan8561]

Fantastic review. Did you compare the polk700 towers with the q acoustics?

[@BrZi38501]

Hi Kristi & Andrew 👋😊 I have one question if you experimented with such setup. When pluging the port of arendal towers could you move them closer to the back wall without degrading the sound?? Thanks 🤗 Just to be clear I’m only aking couse I’m afraid that my denon reciever with 100w 4ohm will be too weak to drive bookshelfs loud enough in my 330 square feet livingroom 🥲

[@cryptonator1988]

So 1723 arendal towers vs polk r700 which is better and is arendal worth the extra money or can i get away with the r700 and save some money for amps and recievers? Im leaning towards polk r700 but then klipsch has their new 8000 rII REFERENCE LINE AND YOU REALLY LIKED THOSE BUT I REALLY LOVE THE ARENDALS IN WHITE THEY LOOK AMAZING.. OUT OF THESE 3 LISTED ABOVE WHICH IS THE OVERALL BEST SPEAKER FOR THE MONEY AND SOUND QUALITY?

[@Martin_Level47]

Hi you two 😊 New to the channel and to this hole hifi and surround stuff. I just wanna say that I love your content and of course your ping pong at the end of all your videos - and I agree with Kristi's taste in design 😉 Got a question for you. For some reason I'm in love with the Wharfedahl Evo 4.4. I like the design and they get great reviews - haven't heard them yet thow. They are half the price of the arendahl. What is your take on these combined with the Yamaha V6A? Keep up the good work 👍😊

[@mcarr416ix]

The Polk is like 1500$ each tower in Canada, over 3000$ for a pair. Quite a bit more expensive than the Arendal at 1699$ USD for a pair.

[@ThePrime99ca]

Watch for sales. I got them for 2250 CDN.

[@mcarr416ix]

@@ThePrime99ca good grab, but that's still the Polk on sale at the same price as the Arendal at regular price. Think the price difference should be something to consider in a direct comparison.

[@duriarte3190]

Hey Andrew Did you do the 1723 thx monitors and surrounds? Love to see your review on them. Thanks

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

We have not reviewed anything from the 1723 line.

[@duriarte3190]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews please add them to your list. Thanks

[@felixlaboy1453]

Great review guys. ? Would 1961 pair ok with my Yamaha RX A6A. I’m concerned about the 4ohm

[@blackrachmaninov]

new on that channel :) The atmosphere of the videos is incredible, feels like at home :)

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Welcome aboard!

[@SeismicFrog]

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!

[@jmpersic]

Am I the only one who wants to see Andrew and Kristi review the R600s?

[@zielonymadafaka]

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!

[@timlitton]

I ended up replacing older B&W CM9s with the R700s and love them. Although I still wonder why Polk discontinued the white…

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

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!

[@knucklerama]

I'm very curious if the Polk Legend L600 (vs the Reserve R600) is any better /worth the + dollars?

[@fredericaszilagyi4143]

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.

[@pabloalvarez6533]

Polks R700 are my choice now and I will get a pair as soon as they arrive in my country

[@m4nc1n1]

I have a 7.1.4, and my 7.1 is all towers and a center. I just like the bigger sound you get from towers in movies. I wonder why more people do not talk about the Elac Debut 2.0s. These are fantastic for the money and scale very well too. My fronts are the F6.2s, and the rest are the F5.2s. I can see reviewers having a hard time tho. They have the most break-in I have ever heard on anything. It was at least 2 weeks of daily use when they finally did. Man, it was worth the wait. I loved them on a Marantz SR6013, but it was emotional when I switched to the AV7705, MM8077, and MM7055 it was emotional.. Yeah, they scale well.