Arendal 1723 Monitor THX Speaker Review

[@Youthman]

Truly a phenomenal and detailed review Jonathan. I love your analytical thought process as well as your objective data and subjective thoughts.

[@AntonioGarcia-xk6jd]

When you get a chance, try this !!! You will truly thank me... The Blu-Ray doesn't compress the audio when you select PCM output, make your Blu-Ray Player output the original audio uncompressed singals instead of AVR compressing the audio singals, then change the output DB channels levels of ALL CHANNELS TO MAX levels... Then choose your favorite Disc example Action Pack / Best Audio like: John Wick Shot Gun Tunnel scene or HEAT Bank Scene "High Dynamics Audio" or Godzilla Vs King.... Let me know what you think 🤔🤔🤔

[@lowtohigh6009]

I love your no strings attached approach to home theater 👍 you are a rare specimen sir.

[@jvonengeln]

Thank you very much

[@AKrumenacher]

Very good review. You had more substance in this short video than what’s contained in all of some KZbin reviewers videos combined!

[@jvonengeln]

Thank you for the kind sentiment.

[@askmatt7283]

This is master class. The thoughtful diligence combined with an easy to understand presentation style gives this analysis its integrity. This review is bound to raise some eyebrows within the customer fanbase. There are consumers that will purchase these just for the THX certification. To see that their purchase isn't performing at a level consistent with the advertised certification standards would be a concern for anyone. Makes me wonder if THX authorized their licensing on this product just for the $$$ regardless of how it performs. So what else is THX "certifying" that doesn't actually meet their established criteria for quality? My AVR is THX certified and now you got me looking sideways at it haha. Keep up the good work, Jonathan! Subscribed 🍺

[@hotdog9262]

personally I put a big questionmark on the amp used here. sound quality and power/current both

[@johnmcadoo4023]

I always enjoy watching your content here and on the live streams. This was a great technical and unbiased review! I hope more reviews are planned.

[@jvonengeln]

Hey thanks John. This is hobby (intense hobby my wife says ;p ) territory for me. So I’ll review and interact with gear as opportunity arises. Thanks for the nice feedback.

[@johnmcadoo4023]

I totally understand @@jvonengeln . Sounds like as a community and fellow KC guy, we need to give you some more opportunities. 😉😃 Joking aside. Thank you! I really enjoyed the port tuning test. That was a new trick for me.

[@northeastcorals]

Wow this was awesome! I love the way you've done this review, a plethora of useful information that makes perfect sense even to a dullard like me 👌 More if possible please! 😁

[@wolverine3344]

Love the rice test to determine port tune. I don’t have time to read all of AVS so your time to make videos is greatly appreciated. True gentleman.

[@ShortCircuitPS2]

Great review Jonathan! I actually had 3 of these for my LCR last year. Without knowing the technical details of the compression testing I ended up selling them. They sounded great for music listening but I felt something just wasn't quite right for movies in my dedicated cinema room. I'd sometimes hear some distortion at louder volume levels. I actually replaced them with some very cheap second hand JBL pro audio surround speakers that I found sounded better. Now I'm running QSC cinema speakers all round and I much prefer these at a fraction of the cost. Again, no disrespect to Arendal at all (still got two of their subs which I love as part of a 5 sub setup) but for dedicated home theater cinema room listening I prefer the compression drivers of the QSC and have no issues watching at louder volume levels. Great video!

[@jvonengeln]

I think you and I see eye to eye.

[@AA-ws3vd]

It's sad that they are THX certified but provide better listening for music. THX is THE standard for Cinema. Hopefully they improve their future offerings.

[@TheaterAtReference]

Finally an analytical science based review. Thank you 🙏

[@dan_hitchman007]

Check out Erin's Audio Corner as well. He uses a Klippel near-field scanner and is an engineer by trade. No BS reviews too. We need as many as we can get to stave off the influx of paid influencers masquerading as neutral reviewers.

[@hifihometheater]

Great review Jonathon, thank you! My experience mostly mirrors yours as far as the objective stuff, but my subjective opinion was more positive. Not my absolute favorite speakers for music (I also like something a little more "lively") but I did like them. For movies, the Arendals were great. I had the 1723S towers. When I sealed them up and crossed them at 80Hz, seating distance 11ft., I could push them right up to reference level without hearing any distortion with real content(including that Book of Eli scene). Going anything past that caused mechanical noises just like you heard. For anyone who listens below reference, which is the vast majority of people, and is looking for a great speaker for movies that CAN flex into music listening, I think they are an excellent choice. Love watching content from you. Thanks again!

[@jvonengeln]

I’m sorry if I came across as negative. I tried to balance the knowledge of knowing not everyone’s audio tastes are the same, and knowing many people love these speakers with my own objective and subjective evaluation in my extended audition over many months. I wouldn’t tell anyone these are a bad speaker, they aren’t! They just weren’t to my personal preferences, tastes and biases. I enjoyed my time with them and the chance to demo new gear, but honestly every time I swapped back to my JBL pro audio speakers it was a welcome change to me. The excitement was back. I personally much preferred listening to my own speakers. Not everyone will feel that way for sure, but I did. So I can really only speak to what I personally experienced and tested. I’m glad you enjoyed your time listening to them too! Again not trying to turn anyone watching or reading away from a speaker they enjoy, as there isn’t anything terribly surprising about the speaker itself. It performed like I expected from a more audiophile type speaker, which is great at mid or low volumes. Nice flat frequency response. Very neutral. Well designed. However, just kind of a wallflower sound to me. Not particularly “fun” sounding - especially at loud volumes. Just sharing my personal observations and testing. A buddy asked me if I could honestly recommend this speaker and it was an internal debate as to how I felt about that. Still is. I think I fall out like this. I personally wouldn’t buy this speaker over other options like my equivalently priced JBL CBT 70j-1, or other pro audio options. Pro audio is where it’s at for home theater in my opinion. It’s where I and all my friends have landed over the years of our home theater journey. Not all landed on the same speaker but all of us have landed in pro audio or DIY equivalent. That doesn’t mean I’d fault anyone for really loving this speaker and preferring themselves. I know some people follow a different path and end up following the audiophile path. I value reference level playback and speakers that can do that in audiophile style are few and far between and VERY expensive. (JBL M2, etc) and in comparison I’ve gotten true reference level playback from a Mackie C200 for instance. It was only $200 at the time, of course plastic box, with resonance that I had to dampen with polyfil, but $200 and it could hit 105dB from my MLP with the same amp, and have the headroom to EQ how I wanted, so audiophile speakers have an uphill battle for me to recommend something for > $1000 that I don’t objectively see as reference capable, when there are so many pro audio speaker options under that price point that are capable of true full bandwidth reference level audio. And I generally prefer the pro audio sound with extra bass and strong live treble as the volume turns up - so it’s an easy choice for me. If I subjectively preferred the audiophile speaker sound - as some certainly do!!! It would not be so easy a decision. Thanks for watching and commenting and sharing your experiences.

[@jvonengeln]

By the way. I’ll check out your channel and subscribed! I see you have a review on the towers you are mentioning!

[@mikestephens2397]

Excellent review and the perfect viewpoint in that preferences differ from listener to listener. I respect anyone who is honest about their review in a products limitations and strengths. Technically perfect in any piece of gear does not equate to happiness for everyone. Way to go!

[@andrew1977au]

A fantastic video Johnathon, thank you. I look forward to seeing more like this.

[@SealedOrPorted]

A fun review and the final thought was telling. Great job, enjoyed the presentation.

[@giovanni1269]

Jonathan I just subscribed to your channel, and already loving the content, on this video you talked about an x cinema filter, can you do a video on how to acquire the x cinema filter on the AVR’s I currently have the integra 8.4. Thanks man!

[@jvonengeln]

I asked on AVSforum in the owners thread about the X filter on Integra 8.4 and haven't gotten an answer. There is a good thread on X filter on ASR. Here is that link: www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/target-room-response-and-cinema-x-curve.10/

[@matta9316]

This is a pretty good review my friend, you should do more of these!

[@psyphonyxaudio]

Really nice in depth review. Great details.

[@adamjj85]

I think the key point here is that most dome tweeters probably won't be able to hit this SPL and it's not just an Arendal thing. Though, since these are THX Ultra certified, I'm assuming they must window their frequency response for max SPL testing. Testing my 1723 S monitors, I was able to get about 101 db at 9ft distance before compression. Of course, it raises the question, do we really NEED to be able to play continuously at 105db up to 20khz. I would argue no and "normal" users probably don't have pro audio speakers in a home environment ;)

[@jvonengeln]

I don’t suspect I’m a normal user and I agree this is not likely a concern for most “people” at typical listening volumes. Normal people don’t have eight 18” subwoofers, or pro audio cinema speakers in their HT room. True. But it sure is fun! I’ll wager I could make you grin ear to ear with a true reference level demo. It still makes me giddy sometimes even all these years into ownership. For example (reference level demo at end): kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZbCpo1ufdarprssi=5k6a3CgyHlYhxwLQ

[@P-LOWN1997]

Your dog casually sleeping in the front hahah love it! Great review my friend! Ps your dog is beautiful.

[@shiscarp]

Hey Jonathan, it’s Sheldon. This video came up on my feed during my plan period, perfect timing, I watched the whole thing. Fantastic video! I didn’t know about the rice trick! I knew that when the driver stops you are at port tune or real close but I never thought about using rice or something similar to help with the visual. I wish I had been over with you guys, I’m sure you and Tim had fun making the video and listening to the Arendal’s. 🙂

[@jvonengeln]

We did. We grabbed a bite at Vito’s pizza and listened to music for a few hours. He was a good cameraman! We need to get together soon. I still haven’t been to your room since you upgraded your subwoofers. Do you have interest in demoing a Denon AVH1 in your room if Ryan still has one open box that we could compare four corner bass vs your normal setup? Make it an official KC enthusiast meet event? Sometime this winter perhaps? Get a half dozen guys involved?

[@shiscarp]

@@jvonengeln Definitely, I’d be up for that! I’d like to wait for the DLBC firmware upgrade, I think that should be on the next few months. I sent this video to my friend Chris, in his room the Arendal’s sound fantasic and he never goes above -12 ish so he’s good to go.

[@bingdong8571]

If you want u will be an excellent ht reviewer imo. Please keep it up!

[@jvonengeln]

I appreciate that!

[@FatFolksProductions]

You're conclusions couldn't be more spot on brother! Great Review! Hope to see more soon! Would love to see you do a vid on how to set gains on Crown amps for DIY subs (Hint Hint 😉😁)

[@Cml-ti5mu]

I love how you just tell it how it is. A true unbiased approach and review. That’s good info. You now have me setting out to get a u mik so I can test mine. Do you have any more videos to recommend with even more info on these programs like REW etc…

[@jvonengeln]

I don’t. I really like the omnimic. I found it really intuitive and easy to learn and I don’t find REW the same degree of user friendliness. There are a LOT of guides on REW and it’s cheaper so if you are up for it, go for it. Omnimic is so easy by comparison, they give you a disk of tracks and you can play them off files from a USB or fileshare if you prefer. You just hook up the mic, play the track and away you go. You don’t have to hook anything up to your AVR or processor. It’s all just off the laptop and media file. Omnimic is out of stock right now, but version three should be out soon. You can buy it at parts express.

[@jonathanrowe5896]

Excellent review.

[@jvonengeln]

Thank you kindly!

[@frankbuckley9774]

Hey I saw the podcast and you mentioned you do alot of calibration for your entire setup. Would love to see an indepth video of your gear/process of what you do and how you change things for those that have the speakers already but want to learn how to fine tune things

[@jvonengeln]

Thanks for the idea!

[@AllAccessConstruction]

Excellent review.. I love mines I have the 1723s LFC

[@wolverine3344]

Jonathan, how do these compare to your JBL CBT 70J-1 ? I was so enthralled with your and YouthMan KC tour video that I did my 8.2.6 system (ceilings are backboxed JBL LP47) with J1 bed layer. Kind thanks in advance.

[@wolverine3344]

I’m glad you did include your opinion on the JBL CBT 70J-1 at the end of the video. I use KEF R3 Meta for 2-ch (having moved LS50 Meta to another room) and also feel while highly accurate, the fun factor realm is owned by the jBL. Awesome job.

[@jvonengeln]

The CBTs are my preference. They have technical advantages, and subjective advantages, and a room full of them is just plain hard to beat. :)

[@jvonengeln]

Since you have the CBT you probably already know this. But watch this video and see the behavior in room. They are a pretty cool technology, compared to traditional speaker designs. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2HanKqGpauVmKssi=2HKrv8TsUbRgvy3m

[@AA-ws3vd]

Nice detailed review Jon. Been following Arendals for a while. After the bass is covered by subs, LCRs should offer Dynamics & Clarity. Compared to your other speakers you've heard how do these sound? Please drop by Michigan and judge our small HOME THEATER!

[@jvonengeln]

Reach out to me on avsforum by PM if you like. Archaea is my handle. I went up for a lukeamdman HT tour and crawl of a few other HTs, and to Wisconsin for an audiophile meet, and to Axpona and the Chicago guys HTs for a couple visits. Throw together a home theater crawl again and I can probably car pool up with a few of the well known KC enthusiasts. We sure enjoy the HT crawls!

[@Scott-Kat]

Great video buddy!

[@jvonengeln]

Thanks Scott!

[@miscreant1739]

Great review! You covered a lot that was left out by others. What do you think caused the strange noise when you stopped your compression testing? It sounded like it was occurring close the beginning of the sweep so maybe it was unhappy being pushed hard under port tune? From the shape of the response down low I assume no crossover was used during that test - did you encounter that sound with a crossover? I understand that won't help the tweeter compression, but it sounds like either the amp is clipping or the woofers are at their limit and a reasonable crossover may alleviate that. I also was not initially a fan of the natural voicing of the speaker but thankfully Dirac Live allowed me to tailor its tone to my liking.

[@jvonengeln]

I think that is fair. I believe for my second round of sweeps we had the crossover off and were running them full range and I’d agree it was probably making that sound at the beginning of the sweep as we listen back, but honestly I didn’t want to compression test further after that. These speakers were on loan and I’d already shown the tweeters were compressing which was my original finding/concern and reason to attempt to double test and confirm, my intent wasn’t to try to hurt the speakers. So we stopped. If I had put an 80Hz crossover or 60Hz crossover on them, they may not have hit mechanical limits at the low end of the sweep. You can see in my initial compression testing that I did have a crossover engaged, but we were playing with crossover points during our subjective listening tests with music that afternoon and did the sweeps testing after our listening time. We listened with port plugs/without, with 60Hz, 80Hz, 90Hz crossover, and not intentionally ended up doing that second round of testing with no crossover. It didn’t bark at all until that last sweep, but you can hear it creep in there a little bit as soon as the volume raised just 2-3dB from the last sweep so we stopped. Amp shouldn’t have been clipping as it’s a pro audio Crown XLS 402 which puts out rated 400 watts of power at 4 ohm and I’ve used for other compression testing without issue. But it was in the equipment room behind the screen, so I wasn’t watching the clip lights. Gain structure was -5dB on the AV10 left and right channels and maybe 2/3 to 3/4 range on the crown gain input attenuation dials. If the amp was clipping then the speaker is out of headroom anyway since the speaker is rated for 400 watts too. The gain structure should not have put the amp in a position to clip, and the AV10 is a state of the art processor so I will presume clipping is not part of the challenges faced here, but certainly the lack of a crossover or HPF could invite the sound we hard in that second round of verification compression sweeps! Good commentary and thanks for watching. I’m glad you are enjoying your speakers! They seem like a well built, reliable product. After we did those sweeps we went on to do the port test and the nearfield measurement, so the speaker was no worse for the wear as you can see in the following measurements. Arendal in their interview with Youthman said they can put a 10 year warranty on their products because they very carefully chose their driver components and wanted to select drivers that would be problem free and durable. Seems to be the case here. Nothing exploded or burned out, despite taking them to their limits, thankfully!

[@jvonengeln]

Just for fun. Here’s a demo of what a 105db from all speakers reference demo material is like in my room from a couple of the guys at one for the MWAVE gatherings. Fast forward, if you like to the last few minutes for that section. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZbCpo1ufdarprssi=s9RbAlTzXDSV7svC

[@miscreant1739]

​@@jvonengeln Thanks! I'm frankly torn on the speakers. They seem to have a good balance of compromises for the price but I thought they would have more output headroom. They do fairly well in output (compared to other consumer audio speakers), directivity, response smoothness, distortion, build quality... but they fall short of the best in each area. I'm having trouble finding a competing set of speakers that don't have shortcomings that bother me more. JTR's response is too ragged and the dispersion is too narrow, even moreso with the DIYSG offerings if you can even find them, Revel is likely just as output limited as the Arendals except for their very high end offerings, and options like Perlisten and Ascendo are just out of my budget. Your JBL CBT speakers might work, but I'm not sure I can reasonably use them for surrounds and atmos in my room. My previous speakers also had resonance issues which occasionally bothered me as well. Until they make the perfect speaker I guess we have to pick our poison.

[@miscreant1739]

Thanks for linking the tour of your room. I had not seen it yet and I really enjoyed it.

[@jvonengeln]

@@miscreant1739 Youthman did his tour and interview of it here a couple years ago now. I've changed the seating since then, and the processor, and added two more ceiling speakers, but otherwise this is all still applicable to my philosophy, setup, and discovered preferences. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGeyhGqbir6peLM

[@hometheaterfever5]

Hi Jonathan, I have 2 subs at the front of the theater and 2 at near field right behind my theater seats as you recommend on FB. Please guide me as far as level trims on front subs and back. Should front subs be a bit louder than back subs? If so by how much approximately? Thank you brother

[@jvonengeln]

hello. I’d set them as pairs. Front two subs equal distant from the mainlistening position and run them split off subwoofer 1 output. Nearfield two, also equidistant from the main main listening position and run them split off the subwoofer 2 output. Rerun your auto EQ process. Then whatever your front sub volume is (for channel trim) I’ve found lowering the nearfield subs by a single dB or maybe two dB keeps the soundstage anchored up front but gives you that wonderful tactile feel you seek. Remember to put the nearfield as close to the back of your chair as possible!

[@rick-val22]

That was a great review, I learned a lot today. I originally was going to go with the 1723 line but now I think I will go with KEF R line and LS50 for surrounds since I already own a pair. They are all advertised of going 106+ db, I wonder if they truly can.

[@jvonengeln]

Which KEF? I've not known KEF speakers to be SPL monsters. keep in mind if the speaker is rated for 106dB (and assuming that's not a fudged number) it'll lose about 10dB to your seats at 10-12' distance. So that 106dB becomes 96db max output. In reality - most people don't run their speakers to reference, and so please keep that in mind as you digest my review/my tastes in a speaker. I like my cinema to be like a premium commercial cinema in movie volume and presentation. So that underscores how loud I like it. Some people think that's too loud. Tastes differ. on it's face, without more information, I'm not sure turning these speakers down for a KEF product gains any ground. (and it might be losing ground) If you want further synopsis, let me know the model number you are pursuing, and I'll try to make an educated opinion on the differences for you.

[@sk9592]

I own KEF R-series speakers and absolutely agree with this. They are excellent speakers in terms of dispersion, directivity, and overall SQ. Useful for building a theater with good seat-to-seat consistency. But they ARE NOT super high output beasts. This is not an issue since as you said, most people will never actually want/need 105dB peaks. The R-series will hit 98dB peaks from 12ft away all day long, which is good enough for the vast majority of people. But if your goal is 105dB, look somewhere else. Additionally, @rick-vall22, the KEF LS50 will be very limited in output and dynamic range. They are small room audiophile speakers. If you are doing R-series for the rest of the theater, then use KEF R3 for your surrounds if possible. Also, if you have never listened to content at 85db averages and 105dB peaks, I would recommend trying it once. You might decide that it is not a goal you care about pursuing. @jvonengeln, how applicable is 85dB/105dB really in the average room? According to the ATSC A/85:2013 spec, that is only considered reference in rooms of 20,000 cubic feet and larger (aka commercial cinema). Due to the room’s interaction with the mix, reference is closer to 78dB/98dB in a 5,000 cubic foot room. This size seems far more representative of most residential theaters. The AVRant podcast explains how reference changes based on room size in this episode (time stamped to relevant portion): kzbin.info/www/bejne/a2OrY2l_rpVmasksi=nMwZ3sholJbjT4rl&t=2805

[@jvonengeln]

I’ve read that information before, and agree that opinions vary. I can only say this. I tune my theater for true reference volume and my demos when guest attend they experience at true reference volume. Most of my guests jaws hit the floor, because in many cases they’ve never heard a theater so clean and so loud at those volumes. Not even commercial cinema, as too often, sadly commercial cinemas are found disporting at the loudest peaks. Clean volume peaks at 105dB is exhilarating and somewhat addicting. I do limit myself to 105dB peaks at reference from the loudspeakers, and no higher because I have a tendency to want to just keep turning it up when it sounds great but that'll feed a case of tinnitus in sort order (I have a tiny bit of tinnitus that stays under control and very minimal if I keep it limited to reference). There is on the Denon and Marantz products I have used these last say 8 years -- they have an optional volume limiter settings to engage, you have to dive into the menus to turn off, so that's my tool. If I were to turn my reference down 7dB, for demo material, the results would be disappointing to me. ;) To each their own. To me, with clean speakers that can hit reference fairly effortlessly, the impact of a reference demo track (think Gravity, or Bladerunner 2049, or Spider-Man into the Spiderverse as three of my favorite Dolby Atmos cinema tracks) is mesmerizing. 105dB is 105dB. Regardless of the size of room. Treatments and acoustic absorption will make that 105dB not seem as loud with reflected acoustic energy in a small space, and I will certainly agree that an untreated basement of 2500 cubic feet will sound much louder at 105dB than acoustically treated theater space of the same size at 105dB. But still 105dB is 105dB. (I do run the bass hot by 9-12dB over the main speaker level - so if you are account for bass, my reference demo clips are in the mid 120dB range. As to a full length movie, I’ll often choose to watch it at -6dB or -8dB with my family (bass still hot). So that puts me right there in your lowered spec suggestion ballpark. But for demo clips, and showing off the theater. It’s cranking to reference my friend, with no apology. I’ve had hundreds of people through my theater. Feedback for those reference demos has been very positive. For example. This post is from the owner of Deep Sea Sound who visited my HT in July at MWAVE: I played 6 hours or so of reference level demo material for that visiting group. There was a group of about 15 people over. People in attendance were not saying it was too loud, or fleeing the room. Again they were in the room for hours on end with reference level material playing. To each his own preferences though, and for those that think reference is too loud, I fault you none. Enjoy what you enjoy! www.avsforum.com/threads/archaeas-multi-purpose-home-theater-room.1525397/page-126#post-62688039

[@rick-val22]

I’m about to start the rebuild of my room. My current room is 17’ x 16’ with 7’ ceiling height. It will be expanded to 18’ x 22’ with ceiling height of 12’ but the drop down ceiling will bring it down to 10ish’. So it will measure 3960 cubic feet. @sk9592 To be honest I have never turned it to reference because of family restraints, but my new room will have much better soundproofing, so I don’t know if I’ll like it or how it will sound in my room. It would be a good idea to see if I would even like it that loud, unfortunately I already pulled out all my equipment getting ready for demo day. The KEF models would be R11 meta (L&R), R6 meta (C) and either four R3 meta or my LS50 (surrounds). Atmos I was going to use four R8 metas. I had in mind this KEF line, Arendal 1723 line, and the Martin Logan Motion XT line. With all of them it would be 2 towers, the center, 4 bookshelves, and 4 elevation type atmos speakers. I should have gone to MWAVE to hear some speaker demos but I figured the $2k I would spend on going would come out of my HT budget. I would have really liked to have heard your JBL CBT 70s.

[@brettcolliton1058]

Is there a reason you were running the ports plugged? I haven't done as extensive testing as you with mine, but they sound pretty different (and better to my ear) wide open. Even with an 80hz crossover running them open livened them up in my room quite a bit.

[@shaner3d]

Excellent review

[@villainpriest]

Do you use a center speaker behind the screen?

[@jvonengeln]

Yes. My normal speakers are JBL CBT 70j-1 and the Left Center and Right are behind the acoustically transparent screen.

[@billhayes5047]

Great review, like the style ..

[@jvonengeln]

Much appreciated!

[@Snskch3]

Very disappointed in the compression test results. I was planning to get the 1723 towers as an upgrade to my Klipsch rf7iiis but now I don’t know

[@dan_hitchman007]

How loud do you need them to go in reality? How far are you sitting from your speakers? How big is your room? If you have big needs and a big, big room then a dome tweeter is probably not for you. Check out JTR Audio or PSA compression speakers.

[@jvonengeln]

Dan has a good comment. The question is how loud do you like to listen. If you like to listen at THX reference levels like a local premium cinema then yeah I’d probably steer you away from these and any other consumer level speaker (like most enthusiasts buy), and direct you to something with pro-audio heritage. However, many people think reference is way too loud and wouldn’t even want to recreate that in their home. For someone who feels that way, but wants a well built, neutral sounding speaker, with a great warranty and a manufacturer with a high degree of confidence in their product - enough to offer free in home trials - then Arendal is worth considering. I believe Erin’s audio corner has measured them on his $20,000 spinorama, so it’s certainly worth checking out his review as well.

[@Snskch3]

@@jvonengeln I may have over reacted to the compression results. The company seems legit and from what I have heard their customer service is amazing. I appreciate the fact that they gave a heads up to the customers that a price increase is coming. And they are coming out with the new line of products but allowing for a 1 year upgrade. Along with the build quality being so excellent I think I will go with these. I won’t need to listen at those extremes anyway.

[@miguelmunoz1713]

More vids like this please

[@0andrewwilson0]

Great video. Thanks

[@danielnorat4131]

Very interesting and informative video! What is your MLP? I think I saw somewhere on AVS you’re around 12ft? Not sure if that changed since upgrading the seats. Appreciate the review!

[@jvonengeln]

My normal speaker position is behind the AT screen for LCR. That’s about 12ish foot to my screen. These being in front of the screen were right at 10 foot (speaker face to MLP mic position)

[@SoCalVipers]

I hope Arendal will comment here. I thought SPL testing is always done at 1 meter, Am I right? At 10 feet, everything will be different. Is running at frequency sweep over and over again really how you measure peak SPL? I also don't understand the term reference. My understanding has always been that reference in a theater is dialog at 82db and 78db in a home. That's what feels right to me. In a movie, there will be SFX and music that hits much louder peaks at times, but dialog is at 82 or 78db.

[@jvonengeln]

THX reference calls for 105dB dynamic peaks from the seat. 85db nominal. Sensitivity is measured at 1M. But unless you sit at one meter, you should be measuring reference headroom at your main listening position. Check out this link for a nice writeup from a well known acoustic design company. acousticfrontiers.com/blogs/articles/thx-reference-level-explained#:~:text=What%20is%20'THX%20Reference%20Level,in%20screening%20rooms%20and%20theaters).

[@almac2323]

You should do a detailed video showing how you are managing so many subwoofers in your room. I’m guessing you’re using a mini DSP. Great video.

[@jvonengeln]

Check out our new tactile bass stream released yesterday. That may answer some of your questions on the matter.

[@EM-ke8is]

Agreed this is a detailed review, wondering if your using 14-18 AWG speaker cables or do they just appear that way on video and are actually 12AWG. with the Crown amp, granted, they're short runs or just for these sweeps. Also, I have a question running sweeps at 105 db does that lower or raise impedance making it harder for the tweeters to handle those frequencies, truly asking as I am not an engineer, just wondering if running those high db levels have any effect.

[@jvonengeln]

Solid question! 14 gauge 100% copper wire. Wire lengths are ~ 22 feet, only because that’s what I already had terminated with speakons for the crown amp for another project. This engineering site says 14 gauge copper wire is inaudible to 40 foot lengths at 4 ohm load. Longer wire distances increase impedance, but so minimally in the case of this distance as to be immaterial. As to power handling. 14 gauge is code standard for 15 amps of continuous power in 120V house wiring, so plenty of copper to handle up to 400 watt temporary peaks. www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#wiretable

[@jvonengeln]

Most directly to your question the site also has a section on what happens to frequency response if the cable resistance is too high, and you can see it affects the whole audible band, not just the area above Xhz. www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#resistancehigh

[@cbennett1]

Does the rice demo stationary woofer behavior also occur with subwoofers that use a passive radiator rather than a port? In that case is the driven woofer stationary at a tuning frequency while the passive radiator shows movement?

[@jvonengeln]

Driver cone movement would likely be lowered, but I suspect unlikely to be as minimal as you can see with a bass reflex (ported) design. Probably a cross between bass reflex with basically no movement and sealed if testing a passive radiator. Sealed drivers increase in excursion linerally as you drop frequency and at the passive radiator tuning, I bet it just helps lower excursion somewhat for that few Hz - picking up again excursion as you move below tuning of the passive radiators. I’ve never tested that question, though, so it’d be interesting to see.

[@koolkiwikat]

Why the crown amp? aint that for pro audio....THD dont matter?

[@jvonengeln]

THD and SINAD scores only matter to a threshold (for human hearing) lesser than the crown amps provide. I’ve participated in multiple blind amp tests and have come to this conclusion myself. Gene from audioholics says anything above about a 70 SINAD is nearly impossible for mortal humans to detect in a Yamaha AVR review for some context of specific numbers. These crown amps are significantly cleaner than that threshold as measured by ASR.

[@1Aquadon]

Thanks Jonathan! Hopefully you can review Ascendo "The Six" & " The 6 passive wedge" maybe even "The 6 Pro passive ceiling"

[@jvonengeln]

Are you worried about reference volumes? Typically and generally speaking a single 6” driver doesn’t have enough output to hit reference in a standard sized home theater room. You generally need an 8” to get to the party. Though it should be tested before seeing if the general premise applies here. If you don’t care about reference and just value another opinion shared, that’s cool too! I may have the option to listen to some Ascendo stuff in the near future as a local audio enthusiast I’m friends with is buying some of their gear. To this point I’ve not heard their speakers.

[@1Aquadon]

@@jvonengeln i'm probably not shooting for reference levels in my home theater/multipurpose room. But would love your opinion on Ascendo "The 6" and/or "The 8" . Ive been trying to accumulate the JBL you have since i saw your awesome set-up.. but it's so hit and miss. I cant wait years to gather them plus they're a bit large for my room. But now I'm stuck in the trap of tibre matching / aesthetics and budget and havent really found anything but the Ascendo's that kind of get me close. Thanks for any advice you can give!

[@jvonengeln]

I’m sorry, but to this point I’ve heard nothing yet from Ascendo. I look forward to doing so, but I can’t offer much helpful guidance without any personal exposure to them. Perhaps Ascendo would recommend a demo room you could experience them in before you spring for a purchase?

[@bigjack79]

Great job Johnthan If the tweeter can’t handle reference, how is the speaker rated at 300w rms. Based on the specs, 104db should be possible at 10ft.

[@jvonengeln]

1723 are rated at 400 watt RMS, and your question is valid. However as you can see, my two samples were not full bandwidth reference capable.

[@Dannyboy623]

Hi Jonathan. Great video. Question… do you think it matters that I situated my 21 x 18 ft room with tv , LCR, and dual subs on the long wall as opposed to the usual short wall.? Single row seating 7.2.4. Thank you

[@jvonengeln]

No! Your room sounds nice and big. A difference of three feet, swapping out really isn't going to make enough difference for you to sweat the differences! The only way you could objectively know and validate, would be to measure with a calibrated mic and see if one seating arrangement/speaker placement worked better than the other. Short of that level of interest! Just enjoy!

[@jackblack9718]

Great review! Any thoughts on JTR speakers? Are they as good as it gets for home theater? Would you ever swap out your speakers for a JTR setup? Thanks

[@jvonengeln]

I’ve owned JTR. They are a very strong product IMO. I have nothing bad to say about them at all except initial order/delivery times can be a bear. They are fully reference capable, (plus a whole lot more SPL headroom). They are legit like 120-130dB SPL max speakers depending on which product you buy. Even their COAX surrounds. They are a fantastic product, super clean at any fanatical volume, and the components they use are top shelf. Clarity for miles at reference. I owned 228HT for a few years as my left, center, right. That said, speaker preference is subjective, and all this options do sound a little different. For me personally, I love my current speakers, the JBL CBT 70j-1, and I’ve heard nothing I would switch to yet in comparison to them. personally subjectively, all those individual preference disclaimers. If you want to know more about the CBT, here’s a thread I created; www.avsforum.com/threads/jbl-cbt-70j-1-line-arrays-a-very-uniform-sound-experience-in-every-seat.3271446/

[@jvonengeln]

Here’s youthmans review on my theater. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGeyhGqbir6peLMsi=p14O8is1NqNK-HLh

[@raymondayala5355]

I still think these speakers are great in a smaller room. I have a dedicated screening room have the 1723 S models for LCR and 1723s Surrounds with 2 PB3000s I have an XMC-2 processor, 3 DR3 amps and 6 SVS atmos in the ceiling. My room sounds better than my local AMC lol. I had the SVS ultra towers and surround system and this blows them away

[@jvonengeln]

Nice to hear!

[@MaZEEZaM]

60 day in home trial but you pay return shipping which is like $1300 AUD at least as they told me that was a subsidised price for the towers To Australia and likely more back if returned.

[@jvonengeln]

Australia gets the shaft with most shipping prospects. But it sure is beautiful there. Tradeoffs.

[@dward360]

I feel taken advantage of to know a company is advertising Thx ultra and to know it’s not achievable without compression is disheartening, I have felt something was off, I have noticed distortion at louder listening levels and have always felt I wanted more and just simply could not get there without artifacts of distortion. I have noticed in movies and even more in music. While I do enjoy the sound of arendal speakers and build quality it is not the main reason I purchased. I wanted a speaker that would handle desired listening levels without distortion and while I thought that’s what I was getting I clearly was not. Clearly this would be crippling if people actually knew what they were getting. PSA is another culprit I would love if you could bring the tv2112 in for review just so I can stop thinking I’m crazy. I spent 3k on a giant subwoofer that I was told would blow the doors down with ease and do it without distortion while it does bang it certainly does have its limits far more than you would certainly think for such a large overpowered speaker that bottoms out, chuffs and slaps around in a box for $3k starting to wonder if there is any actual honest business’s in this industry who sale what they advertise. Thanks for you review sure does shine a light on what I have been experiencing.

[@jvonengeln]

I’m sorry you feel that way. You have what I would call and audiophile speaker in the 1723, and I started down that route too with my first nice set of speakers in my Wharfedale Sapphire SP89 towers. I found I preferred a pro audio speaker route over the course of my journey. You may or may not discover the same affinity. You may discover you like electrostatic or ribbon tweeter or Coaxial, etc. Don’t be dismayed, it’s part of the journey and fun and adventure to figure out what you like! I’m quite confident that Arendal did pass the THX cert, so don’t be mad at Arendal, but I do think it’s fair to try to understand more what the THX Ultra cert entails, because it does sort of buck logical assumptions in my opinion that they wouldn’t meet what THX reference should be doing in a cinema in your home theater space. I bought THX Ultra Subs and realized they weren’t up to the commercial cinema levels I was expecting. I tested THX Ultra Speakers from Crystal Acoustic and found the same. I’ve come to the conclusion that I won’t put much value, personally speaking, in a THX designation and I’ll let the objective measurements rule that characteristic. You have a nice neutral speaker in your Arendale, that does nothing that I could detect “wrong”, and does a lot of stuff right. It’s just not an SPL monster, and nobody should think it would be a SPL monster with a soft dome tweeter and a 89dB sensitivity rating, but I do understand your frustration and confusion. I’d advise trying to meet with enthusiasts in your area and demoing their theaters and learning what your ears personally like, before blind buying again, it sounds like you have that level of interest to pursue that! Find a local group in the local area meets section of avsforum, and if you can’t find a local group! Create a thread and see if you can get a local group going. It’s a blast! Enjoy the journey! Don’t be afraid to swap out components until you find gear that speaks to you emotionally!

[@hotdog9262]

what amp do you have to drive your arendals. and what is you front speaker model

[@dward360]

@@hotdog9262 arendal 1723’s and emotiva XPA gen 3 9ch

[@Davek2sb]

Jonathan, do you think that the Monoprice SW15 would work for a near field sub? It’s a cheap subwoofer but audioholics gave it a solid review. I already have 2 sealed svs subs but looking for something cheaper for near field. Think I should try or would it be a waste of money?

[@Davek2sb]

I didn’t realize that monoprice was a ported sub, so scratch that. Do you think the stark audio 15 inch sealed sub would work for a near field?

[@jvonengeln]

I do. I see no reason the Stark Sound SW15 wouldn't work well for a nearfield sub!

[@bartl006]

Great review, interesting that THX charges $10,000+ to be a part of their "certification" process. What exactly are they verifying and testing and can they be trusted as a neutral third party, or is it just a pay to play marketing scheme?

[@jvonengeln]

Honestly after measuring some THX equipment in the past, and owning some too, I tend to lean more towards marketing on that spectrum. I could argue there is merit to it, as it at least indicates some level of product quality that an uncertified speaker won’t have since a no cert speaker isn’t necessarily third party tested by anyone. I just wish THX was a bit more transparent with the qualification details, and the what they actually entail. I had two THX Ultra Jamo D7 subs in 2010/2011 timeframe that not only lost in competition to a pile of internet direct subs from the likes of JTR, Seaton, SVS, HSU, and Empire, one actually died during my subwoofer shootout when trying to playback at the levels the other non THX products of equivalent MSRP were surviving. Both of those subs died within a couple years. THX Ultra cert didn’t mean those were any better built or functional than some do the competitors in that particular realm. You can websearch those subwoofer shootouts; search for Archaea 2011 subwoofer shootout and Archaea blind 2012 subwoofer shootout on avsforum. I then tested a Crystal Acoustic THX ultra tower speaker that performed worse than my Wharfedale sapphire SP-89 tower speaker that I owned, which weren’t THX certified. I’m not saying the THX cert is meaningless. I’d sure rather have something independently verified than not - I’m just saying since I don’t know what it really technically means, and in my experience I’ve learned to not put much weight into it as a stand alone bullet point, in regards to SPL output, or other specific commercial cinema expectations. The product can live or die without the THX cert, and many companies that used to pursue THX certification have stopped choosing to proceed with securing the cert. That’s unfortunate. Arendal did tell me they didn’t create this speaker with the direct intent to get it THX certified, it was already created as they wanted and designed it, and the 1723 did pass the THX certification process on its own, without modification, because it was designed competently, so they went ahead and made the partnership. In many people’s expectation and purchasing decision THX certification is a valid logo, so I can’t fault that decision, and I’m sure it pays dividends in profitability beyond the certification cost, else no one would pursue it, and it have died 30-40 years ago. This speaker could absolutely still be THX reference certified, as tested by me, depending on how the cert is qualified and that’s just not something I know. Say THX cert only requires the speaker to be able to hit 105dB from 12 foot at 1Khz. I’d wager with a sine wave test tone at 1Khz, the 1723 could do it. So it’d pass in that scenario. The 105dB full audible bandwidth is my assumption and personal expectation, but I don’t know what THX actually requires, and it isn’t shared externally. If you find out what it is, please let me know!

[@bartl006]

Agreed. The speaker companies that impress me most put full CEA 2034 data on their website, but they are few and far between. Ascendo, theory audio design/PRO audio tech, perlisten is all I can think of off the top of my head, but like you, I stick to pro audio based designs as they are the ones who can reliably hit reference cinema levels and hit their spec without issue and their published data is out there, warts and all

[@kristianutaker459]

Shouldn't everything in the chain be THX specified if you are expecting THX results? =)

[@jvonengeln]

No, amplifier is a pro amplifier already rated at 400 watts, and AV10 is the best measuring prepro ever measured by ASR. Not much ground to gain in amplification or processor.

[@kristianutaker459]

@@jvonengeln I am pretty sure THX would not allow them to say they are THX specified speakers if they weren't. Call it false advertisement which is illegal, I seriously doubt they wanna go down that route.

[@jvonengeln]

Agreed. I’m not doubting they got the certification. My question is more what does the THX certification require? But that detailed information isn’t public, unfortunately. THX Ultra is the cert the 1723 has. That cert states brings a cinematic experience to larger home theaters up to 3000 cubic foot in size with a viewing distance of 12 foot from the screen.

[@BoBxPaiN]

Hello brother greetings and thanks for your efforts, I am about to build a home theater system, I'm between this arendal's line and the kef R serie and focal aria or electra serie, which one will you pick and thank you.

[@jvonengeln]

It’s always the best to hear them and see which one you personally like the best. Arendal makes it easy to hear with their free trial period. But I cannot advise which you will like the best. That is a subjective human preference.

[@gregbell5873]

Hi Jonathan, what were the speaker stands you used to hold the 1723 ? Thinking about getting these speakers and your stands looked nice.

[@jvonengeln]

They were a stand set from monoprice years ago. Looks like they still sell it. Search product id 12281 at monoprice.

[@jvonengeln]

Btw. The stands support the 1723 just fine, but if you have kids or a big dog or something that might be prone to bump into it, I would buy a bigger wider base stand. The particular stands I had seemed almost too narrow a base to not have that risk in the back of my mind.

[@gregbell5873]

@@jvonengelnThanks for the reply.

[@Snoopi.7]

Did you get any further follow up form Arendal on your issue? I’m surprised they did elaborate more on your findings. Unless they felt your findings were accurate

[@jvonengeln]

I had a friendly email exchange with them. They said they were able to replicate this in their lab, but only at higher SPL than I showed them in my testing, but they didn’t specify more specifics than that. They are welcome to reply in the comments here too if they like. I showed my process pretty clearly in the video, so I’m open to the discussion to them or other reviewers who had different results. Other than the SPL limitations towards reference volumes, I have no complaints on the 1723 speakers - subjective preferences aside, and as I mentioned this mimicked SPL output of other softdome tweeter based speakers I have personally tested. In my opinion, there isn’t really anything surprising here; except perhaps that a THX Ultra certified speaker doesn’t have to be capable of full bandwidth audio reproduction with compressions sweeps? I was hoping some sort of magic was happening before I measured, but no real SPL capability surprises were observed in my testing. Still doesn’t change that this is a well designed and well measuring speaker, that has the expected technical SPL limitation of a typical dome tweeter driver. I think many people aren’t just familiar with the typical limitations of many different speakers in compression testing. I’d like to see any speaker with a single soft dome tweeter be truly reference capable in this testing. You’d probably be hard pressed to find one - regardless of price. As mentioned in my video, you really need a different driver type to be happy playing up to reference volumes (Compression driver, High Efficiency Coax etc) - or multiple soft domes!

[@bingdong8571]

Maybe i need a fan for my tweeter😁

[@miscreant1739]

Put an all-in-one liquid cooler in the speaker box attached to that tweeter and overclock it!

[@jvonengeln]

ha

[@Static_Age]

ahhhh, White Bat Audio. I listen to that channel while working.

[@MohitnMusic]

Great review! It is a lot of work, and sorry you've had to endure the sound of the sweeps, but it is really annoying in the video :)

[@commanderrussels2612]

Great reviiew but holy moly gotta get rid of the sweep sounds being way louder than your voice. You can just mute those we get it lol

[@jvonengeln]

You get the whole experience on this channel. Well not the ear muffs I was using. :)

[@boigoe]

How many crown amps do u have

[@jvonengeln]

For my normal 15 speaker setup I use two Crown 8|300N amplifiers.

[@tuemose22]

Hi from here from denmark, saw your setup. On the nice youthmans, youtube channel... and cant figure out, how you dont ruin your home. Just got a svs pb-1000 pro, and im not even pushing it hard. And my whole room, its a boom box. Sometimes i think, something is falling apart. And ive only got that 1 pb-1000pro, and a dali suite 12 inch sub. I wish i didt not rent, so i could rebuild. So i could go more insane

[@jvonengeln]

In my experience. 140dB level is where audio starts to wreck homes. I limit to the low 130dB level. The only damage I do, is occasionally, over time, loosen some drywall that I have to screw back down, spackle and paint. If screws weren’t used for drywall mounting originally, the nailheads start to loosen up with acoustic vibration and and pop through the drywall over time. More drywall screws fix the problem easily. If you ever build a room, make sure they use no nails and ONLY drywall screws, and I doubt you’d even have a problem. 140dB will being to wreck equipment. 140dB in my previous room in a subwoofer shootout loosened all my dry wall in one weekend, cracked the grout in between the floor tiles in the kitchen above the room, broke my projector alignment, broke my Blu-ray and HD-DVD player and unscrewed lightbulbs, and knocked stuff off the tables and walls. That’s too much if you value your house.

[@tuemose22]

@@jvonengeln hahaha i just love, your passion for this.. you are hell crazy, in the most legend way. I will put that, drywall screw tip behind the ear. I guess im just, new and getting into real power. And comparing a pb-1000pro, to your sub setup. It like nothing.. but i was still super impressed, getting this svs sub. It really moves some air, and gave an whole new experience..

[@jvonengeln]

Enjoy it! SVS makes nice equipment!

[@brucebarnes311]

jonathan, whats really the diffrence between this speaker and a MTM center channel standing on its side?

[@jvonengeln]

Nothing, as far as I know. But MTMs behave differently off axis than they do standing vertically. Vertical orientation is superior for off axis seating with this style of 2 way MTM speaker.

[@brucebarnes311]

@@jvonengelnis your email kicking somewhere that I could possibly pick your brain on (if that’s cool) I ask questions in the Sunday night chats but sometimes it’s tough when it’s just quick etc

[@jvonengeln]

@@brucebarnes311 I’d rather not place it here in public for the spam concern. Can you hit me up on avsforum or audiosciencereviews? I post both places as Archaea. You can shoot me a PM if you like.

[@brucebarnes311]

@@jvonengeln maybe im blind but i dont see where to PM on avsforums lol

[@jvonengeln]

What’s your handle I’ll send you one. Otherwise click my username in a forum post and bottom right of pop-up should say “message”

[@LEIMAHMOOD]

Pro audio type sound is the pure winner in theater for refferance volume

[@bingdong8571]

I got it! Use a refrigerator as a speaker box! Anyway, i gotta go buy some rice. Thanks again.

[@rayking507]

Hi there, maybe because it is built like a tank it needs more time to break in.

[@jvonengeln]

I’ve found and read that break-in period isn’t a terrible legitimate property on most speakers. The majority of break-in that’s going to happen is front loaded to the first few minutes of using a speaker product in my reading, as the driver suspension/compliance won’t change quickly beyond those first few minutes and even that initial change is very minor by measurement at objective sites who have tested this. I think when you read about break-in period suggestions of dozens of hours or even hundreds of hours, it’s more useful to the manufacturer to suggest such so their customer gets acclimated to the sound, as we humans acclimate to things with time and they normalize to us. So it’s not so much the product objective measurements change, but rather the human becomes familiar and used to that sound, so when you read statements like these speakers just got so much better over the first six months of use, you can rest assured the speakers aren’t changing specs significantly in any way during that time, but the author is acclimating his own biases to that sound and adjusting his preferences to what he is hearing. This has been born out in objective tests. As a bit more information, the speakers I got from Arendal were not new, they are a demo pair the company sent me, and I’ve had them since July and so their initial break-in period is long past by this time, and any change from here on out - for the next 20 years would be very very minor and very very gradual.

[@cbennett1]

It makes no sense to me how a speaker can produce noise at the port tune without woofer movement. That ruce demo is wild, I want to understand it better.

[@jvonengeln]

Read post 5 here: www.avsforum.com/threads/help-me-under-stand-the-function-of-a-port.2113826/#post-36808642

[@cbennett1]

@@jvonengeln Thanks! That helps

[@FOH3663]

It's not "without woofer movement" they're moving a little. Plus there's a second driver barely moving. It's simply at port resonance, very little movement is required to generate output. Visually, you're assessing a single driver's movement, whereas both driver's slight movement is summed ... generating ample excitation for port resonance. A modest energy input in just the right environment generates the leverage. In the infamous case of "Galloping Gertie", Tacoma Narrows Bridge, wind generated vortices, causing areo-elastic fluttering, self exciting into torsional destruction.

[@AntonioGarcia-xk6jd]

What Brand of subwoofers are those??????☺

[@jvonengeln]

DIY subwoofers. Dayton Audio UM18-22 drivers in cabinets made by a woodworking shop in Chicago.

[@AntonioGarcia-xk6jd]

I figured but I wasn't 💯 sure... Them boxes look like factory OEM made.... Great system.....🤤🤤🤤

[@AntonioGarcia-xk6jd]

When you get a chance, try this !!! You will truly thank me... The Blu-Ray doesn't compress the audio when you select PCM output, make your Blu-Ray Player output the original audio uncompressed singals instead of AVR compressing the audio singals, then change the output DB channels levels of ALL CHANNELS TO MAX levels... Then choose your favorite Disc example Action Pack / Best Audio like: John Wick Shot Gun Tunnel scene or HEAT Bank Scene "High Dynamics Audio" or Godzilla Vs King.... Let me know what you think 🤔🤔🤔 32:24

[@AntonioGarcia-xk6jd]

You have go into the audio settings of the 4k UHD / Blu-Ray Player and select PCM output = UNCOMPRESSED AUDIO !!!

[@markphilpot8734]

Here’s an explanation that makes sense and is detailed and followable. You can go deaf, but doing so is overrated as you wouldn’t be able to listen to music. That would suck. To each their own. I’m an old fart, but my hearing is better than some 20 something’s because I haven’t ruined it. Listening at sustained levels for any extended period will cause irreparable damage. It’s your ears, not my call!

[@jvonengeln]

I have a limiter on my AV10 set to reference to help prevent me from going beyond. Reference is comfortable if you have capable speakers and a well treated room. My 14 year old daughter wants to hear various music she encounters externally at reference in the theater. She says dad! - we should listen to this song I heard today at school at reference in the theater tonight, I bet it sounds amazing. She does the same request for movies. She’ll say dad turn it up to reference when I ask her what volume she wants. . Now, if the speakers were distorting or struggling, like my wharefdales used to, then reference isn’t a fun experience. It doesn’t even sound good, it sounds muffled or unbalanced. If your speakers are capable, you want to go ABOVE reference because it sounds so good it’s always like “turn it up more!” That’s why I have the limiter engaged. It’s been determined that listening to a movie a day at reference won’t hurt your ears. I don’t even do that much, I maybe watch a movie or two a week, and listen to music most every day. My ears are tested fine for my age in the last couple years. The sad part is you lose your hearing of higher frequencies where you use your ears or don’t, I choose to use them, at deemed safe levels, and enjoy!

[@bingdong8571]

Magnetic logo is good idea

[@jvonengeln]

It truly is!

[@miguelmunoz1713]

This guy is good

[@m4nc1n1]

3:07 6 woofers lol

[@jvonengeln]

5, 18” up front, 3, 18” behind. Each given 1600 watts from a single channel of four inuke DSP 6000 amplifiers. They can really bring the commotion if you like that sort of thing. ;) kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGa2h4mEbNKMiNEsi=Pbq08et7eopO-yW0

[@tkcdac]

Why would we mind if our tweeters die out at 80-90dB over prolonged time? If you still having hearing left, its going to be gone soon. Trust me, you aren't hearing it anymore. Hearing loss FTL. BTW, like the info but hearing the sweeps is ear murder.

[@jvonengeln]

Just showing the process. Lots of enthusiasts aren’t yet familiar with the process of compression sweeps.

[@jvonengeln]

The difference between the sound of glass breaking with 10khz compressed vs not compressed is quite significant at reference. But not everybody cares about reference and I do understand that in full. I can pretty much guaranteed tell you without measurements if a speaker is compressing like this if you let me play back a few demo clips I’m familiar with at reference. The war of the worlds Pod Emergence scene car stomp is a great example. The Lord of the Rings Mordor, bucket drop with the steel chains tumbling down the well is another example. VERY different sound between an audiophile speaker and a high efficiency or pro audio speaker that can reproduce that content without compression.

[@bingdong8571]

Is that do deaf or something?

[@jvonengeln]

Ha. No she's just used to all of this.

[@bingdong8571]

Is that dog deaf or something?

[@jvonengeln]

She is quite familiar with my listening habits and doesn’t mind loud. She’s 3 years old. She’ll high tail it out of there when I’m doing compression tests, but not usually when listening to music, even in spirited listening as you saw. ;)

[@FOH3663]

​@@jvonengeln Got one of those myself, three yr old pittie Queenie ... she wants to be right there, yet'll bounce when need be.

[@cgleisberg3355]

ARENDAL fall at 8 khz. . This is not good at all.. not for movies and music.. I have an old JAMO THX ONE (5 lcr and 2 surround back) and I believe they perform better.. my old POLK RT 5000 too 👍

[@jvonengeln]

Would be interesting to test. Thanks for watching!