The REAL Reason The Arendal 1528 Bookshelf Speakers are HYPE-Worthy

[@Jayiyagi]

*So, do you think it's overhyped? Let me know in the comment section below!* (The following links may be affiliate links) ⭐Check this out ➤ linktr.ee/jaysiyagi ❓ Have questions? Join our public discord! discord.gg/Sf6XR2ZRww 🟢 Arendal 1528 Bookshelf 8: store.arendalsound.com/product/1528-bookshelf-8/?refer=iyagi 🟢 Arendal 1528 Speaker Stands: store.arendalsound.com/product/1528-stand/?refer=iyagi Arendal 1528 Tower 8: arendalsound.com/product/1528-tower-8/?refer=iyagi Arendal 1528 Monitor 8: store.arendalsound.com/product/1528-monitor-8/?refer=iyagi Arendal Store: store.arendalsound.com/?refer=iyagi Arendal B-Stock: store.arendalsound.com/outlet-items/?refer=iyagi Amplifier recommednations: AGD Audion: agdproduction.com/product/audion/ Burson Monoblocks: www.bursonaudio.com/shop/timekeeper-voyager/ Cambridge evo150 all-in-one: howl.link/vv6s8chevr3jb or audioadvice.io/40GUGWQ Support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/jayiyagi follow on Instagram: instagram.com/jays_iyagi/ follow on Facebook: facebook.com/jayiyagiofficial 0:00 Arendal 1528 Tower VS Bookshelf 6:48 Arendal 1528 Bookshelf BASS 8:17 Arendal 1528 Bookshelf Midrange & Treble 13:42 Arendal 1528 Bookshelf Imaging & Soundstage 17:36 Arendal 1528 Bookshelf Speaker Stands 18:51 Arendal 1528 Bookshelf Low Volume Listening 19:51 PRICE and Value 22:21 How Much Power For Arendal 1528 Bookshelf?

[@ericstefko4852]

great review now you need to test the monitors, I hope you get a chance to demo Audio Craftsman towers especially the Halifax

[@MrShaggy789]

This is the first speaker that checks my boxes for price, build, aesthetics, and sound.

[@alfredoggy]

As always, great stuff, Jay! So, is this the perfect bookshelf? Man, I think I’m going to get these.

[@Jayiyagi]

well still no "perfect" bookshelf but not a lot of dealbreakers

[@PaulFauteux-i7t]

That’s funny. I was booing you when you said “ok you can shame me all you want”. 😂😂

[@michaelsrensen1689]

A sensitivity at about 90 db and this speaker would have been the worlds best bookshelf speaker, and even the sensitivity is a bit to the low side this speaker is still one the best ever. Your review is great

[@HugAFreak]

Just need to review the 1528 Monitor to complete the set as that could be the sweet spot in the range.

[@Darrylizer1]

I was gonna make this comment, I agree completely.

[@izumispa2993]

It’s not. I have both the Tower and monitor. Tower is the king by far

[@Lovelacewatkins139]

That's a huge looking standmount,

[@psyphonyxaudio]

Moved a small computer system into the listening space? I guess that helps with editing and monitoring for the podcast. Nice idea. Good to see these getting a full review .. I was waiting for these.

[@brandonstroud5148]

I’ll never have the money for speakers like these or anything close, but I still love your review of them. Keep up the great work.

[@marcgoldin8937]

The build quality seems to be off the charts. Nice speakers!

[@to_the_limits3256]

Hey Jay, Thanks for the review, I've been looking forward to it for a long time and am very grateful that they are really so close to the Tower 1528, because they are too expensive for me and I was hoping that the 1528 Bookshelf 8 would come very close, because they are just about within budget. What I appreciate about you is that you have heard so much and describe it so wonderfully❤❤. I can absolutely imagine what they sound like and the 1528 Bookshelf 8 really should be what I have been looking for forever.

[@mikedowdell-dl2ul]

Jay. I purchased the arendal 1723s bookshelf s and love them. Im hoping to pull off upgrading to the 1528 bookshelfs at the end of my 60 day trial because I know they will be the ultimate for the money vs something costing 2 to3 times as much. Thanks for such a great review. It made desire the 1528s even more🎉

[@sighheinrich]

Wow the price surprised me a bit. Much more expensive than I expected.

[@izumispa2993]

Expensive? You are comparing it to comparable speakers…

[@TheBursonAudio]

Hey Jay, thanks for another awesome deep dive into the Arendal Speaker! Really appreciate the honorable mention of Burson too. Just a quick heads-up-the Burson monoblocks in the review are actually our Timekeeper Voyager Max, not the TK-GT5. Cheers! 🚀 Alex

[@Jayiyagi]

Keep up the good work Alex! Rock on

[@SkyIsTheLimit68]

Jay, thanks for that great review. You mentioned that you have a list of recommended speaker stands that can hold these monsters. Would be glad to have a look. Thanks.

[@therealdarcman]

I have Paradigm Signature S8 v2, I was thinking the monitor 8 1528. All the 1528 look awesome. Great review.

[@commane21]

dang. Almost pulled the trigger on Alta Audio Alec floor standers. Might have to check these out before.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Love to try those Arendale badly even told Sean Fawler ' but so happy With Me Polk lsim 703 With $1400 xover ' from GR' I don't know if the improvement would be there for price Lsim measure so good One of the best sent to Danny Ritchie so far 'the ones that flew under the radar ' Maybe I will take thr plunge ! Love bookies And those Arendale look amazing thanks Jay-Audio 😊

[@strahle8758]

Can't wait to see your comparison reviews of the Perliston, Buchardt E50 and KEF. The only good thing is I keep holding on to money, as now I wait again to decide which speakers to purchase.

[@bruceandt]

The 1528…. Big potential with big power required. Got it. Better cabinet build even compared to something like a Totem. Got it. Big stand mount that will bring all the acoustics you mentioned. It would seem to me that this build could potentially shut down most other speakers in this category. When I see a stand mount this big? I wonder what it’s trying to compete with. Other large stand mounts are out there. The ones I’m thinking of have a much higher sensitivity. I guess this is a precision stand mount. Thank you for this review. I’ll definitely check out this offering.

[@dajikbatarang1]

The mofi billy joel stranger is crankable. Great review.

[@peterw2714]

The speaker sounds amazing the way you describe it

[@bigswang1578]

perlisten s4b is 4000 per speaker, 8000 for the pair I believe.

[@Jayiyagi]

oh... I guess I'll be hearing in mono... 😅 I messed up, I meant to say Perlisten R4b

[@DaleWhitlam-ni5wp]

Great review, many thanks, if you were going to put your outgoing bookshelves in the skip perhaps you'd pop them in the post to me instead. Keep up the good work !

[@BehindthesafetyofLinux]

I'm thinking of designing a speaker with bird box driver enclosures attached with locking swivel ball tripod heads. That way you could optimize image for every listening environment taking off axis out of the equation completely.

[@izumispa2993]

Good to see Jay standing up to unwarranted criticism. Keep it up Jay, your channel is only becoming better and better.

[@liamporter1137]

Another great review. I'm sure they sound good based on your description. But the size may be too big for my liking as they will be too imposing in a small to medium room size. Able to blend into the furniture is important to me beside the sound quality.

[@viencarlodiego8842]

Jay, it’s 5300 now😢 can’t wait for your review of E50 tho

[@Jayiyagi]

it's $4500 but more expensive in some regions due to your region's import laws. Im in Canada so I also have to pay a lil extra...

[@viencarlodiego8842]

@ ahh iseee thank you for the clarification. I am also canadian and hopefully you get to review more canadian brand speakers. Specifically, audiocraftsmen’s top of the line floorstanders.

[@canepaper967]

Calling that thing a "bookshelf" speaker is a bit of a stretch because of how enormous it is lol

[@sudd3660]

for this review i think it can be a great deal for many people. for my personal experience with the 1528 slim 8 model, it is a great deal. it is slim so its a desktop speaker right? that is how i use it :P small room gain so i get 16hz with dsp on these. and since its sealed i found bass details to be revealed to me like nothing i heard before. wish me luck burning those speakers in, how i am going to get those midrange and tweeters moving with the capabilities they have i am going to wait a long time.

[@earthoid]

While watching this review I was wondering how the FR5 compared to these. It only took you a few words to clarify the difference. Thanks.

[@dnns971]

@Arendal for the win, the rate at which HiFi Gear is moving, and with all the trickle down tech from the bleeding edge companies, what a time to buy gear, so many options can build a done and dusted system at any pricepoint

[@SuperMcgenius]

It’s nice to see a bear, enjoying hi-fi😂

[@MiguelCortel]

Hi, in the video is recommended to have a stand to raise the section (somewhere) between the tweeter-woofer at ear level. Is this because of the curvature of the speaker? What I read before was to have the tweeter at ear level. The Monitor has an extra woofer than the Bookshelf. Will be then the area between the tweeter and the top woofer the height to be at ear level?

[@Jayiyagi]

The reason is because I listened at different heights and then measured the speaker at different heights as shown in the video and found that around the midrange driver is the MOST linear but anywhere in-between the tweeter and bass driver is perfectly acceptable. - And yes that's due to the acoustic center of the speaker which is NOT always at the tweeter. I have only reviewed the Towers and now the bookshelf. Both had a similar outcome of having the most coherent linear acoustical center around the midrange driver point.

[@bobb.9917]

I thought these look like my kind of speaker....would love to hear a set....Currently listening to Dynaudio Contour 20s with stereo REL T/5x subs carefully blended in. I am pretty happy with my system...but ...you know.....I can get itchy! LOL! You must review the 1528 Monitor 8s NEXT!

[@nc3419]

Regarding the impedance response, most speakers see rises such as these in the lower impedance however, some say modern speakers should be more linear after that while hovering closer to 4 ohms to take advantage of extracting more power from an amplifier whereas older designs show a rising response in the mids climbing much past 20 ohms, in this case past 30 ohms. My own speakers follow this curve as well and seems easy to drive with even a 55 watt at 8 ohms capable amp. The reasoning behind the mid range hump has been described as to have made it easier to be driven by tube amps. I don't really notice a appreciable sound difference whether one response appears more linear vs what you displayed these speakers do at the end of this video. I wonder though if it has something to do with power extraction from an amp as less power will be provided at those impedances rising well past the 8 ohm ratings? I think there are channels that state a more linear curve is best but a speaker either sounds right in one's room or it doesn't. And alot of more expensive designs also display this type of non-linearity and high ohm humps. Another thing to consider is the sensitivity. Doesn't sensitivity also affect how a speaker may sound at lower, as well as higher SPLs? Any thoughts? (fixed, didn't mean frequency, rather impedance response).

[@leopardobuil]

Do you think it makes sense to choose the monitors over the bookshelves, at any situation?

[@Pok-001]

Depending on size of the room and the way you listen Their website says >30 m2 or 330 ft2 and 2.5 to listening position for the monitors. And I imagine that is to play max out 90+ DB. So if loudness matters and room size is big enough yea monitor would be a better solution.

[@michaelsrensen1689]

Jay you forgot to mention the placement of the speakers, how far from the back wall is optimal?

[@Jayiyagi]

2 feet or less but you can also plug the port in the back with the foam if you plan to put them really close to the wall. These are not hard to work with

[@michaelsrensen1689]

@ defently thinking about selling my Golden ear triton refs and look the Arendal way, the Golden ear sound is for me not optimal, so maybe time for something different

[@marklloyd4153]

How does this speaker lineup compare with the Kef R lineup ?

[@jakus514]

I know theres a major price descrepancy between the two, but since you said "best" a few times, how did it compare to the TAD ME1? Just curious :)

[@eyeshezzy]

don't apologize for what you like🤣...Andrew Robinson hyped the Beolab 90s because he loved them and its okay to like what you like😁

[@badmotoguzzi]

Personal preference vs. Platimons? I know it is a bit apples to oranges, but would you prefer one set to the other for certain types of recordings or genres, etc.?

[@Jayiyagi]

Making a full video on it ;)

[@badmotoguzzi]

@@Jayiyagi Excellent, Thank you!

[@MrEvhel83]

how does the tweeter compare to beryllium and amt tweeters?

[@AllAccessConstruction]

Whats the song at the end?

[@thomasgunn4146]

So is the monitor 8 just a larger version of the bookshelf? I also saw they have a slim variant. Curious to see what the differences there are compared to this. I’m building a 23x17 room and looking into new speakers for that application.

[@MiguelCortel]

Probably the Monitor will do better for a 23x17 room than the Bookshelf. It is similar but it will deliver more output. Subwfr might be required. If the 23x17 is for a home theatre you will end with more than a pair of speakers. :)

[@KillerKojak]

The gril front of the midrange seem weird for sound..... at first.....

[@halfeatenkornea]

Hey Jay. How do they compare with Monacustic Platimons? which one you will prefer?

[@Jayiyagi]

full video comparison coming soon

[@ancientalien815]

I've been saying for awhile now that those speakers would cost $10k or more if they were made by another brand.

[@Jayiyagi]

and it's something.... when I've seen speakers over that $10k mark with less impressive build and engineering...

[@peterandersson6762]

Arendal cant be anyting but the best!⚘️

[@Jayiyagi]

you can really see them putting in the work

[@javiersamayoa8]

Any comparisons to the Mon Accoustic Platimons? I have those and considering these for another room

[@elided07]

I second this comparison request please

[@Kukkema]

It’s a giant!

[@memcdm]

What speakers will I sell to get a pair of these things? Right size Quality built. A stretch on my budget but multiple reviewers like these things. Have to get the right stands. My amp can drive them. 🎉🎉

[@siegfried898]

Hi Jay, did you hear Bryston mini t? How do these speakers compare?

[@jmnextime1]

How do these speakers compare with your stand mount Platimons VC1's that you love

[@bengleason508]

Jay If you are recommending a V shaped speaker for low volume listening, does that mean the mids are carved out or missing?

[@Jayiyagi]

to be clear, the Arendals are NOT the v shaped sound. I am saying V shaped speakers SHOULD sound more BALANCED at low volumes (exclusively) due to our hearing sensitivity at respective frequencies

[@paulwisconsin456]

Hello Jay, great video. How would you compare to the Q Accoustics Concept 50s ? Thank you very much.

[@boomerscs9193]

Perlisten were my first thought, but the monitors not the bookshelfs.

[@Jayiyagi]

how much is the monitor?

[@aidmade85]

@@Jayiyagi Perlisten R4b would be in the same price range and the S4b is double the price. I like the materials on the R-series more... sounds more natural to my ears. Everything you described regarding imaging, focus, soundstage etc. is very comparable and the biggest strenghts of Perlisten speakers. Arendal 1528 midrange/tweeter alignment is kind of a copied design choice and very similar to the DPC array on Perlisten speakers. The beam-forming is very good implemented in the tower R7t/S7t and therefore really room independant. You should also have a look at the cheaper A-Series from Perlisten, for me this is the child of Arendal 1732 and Perlisten R-series 😅 I think you know the relation between both companies?

[@HenryVenema-l8l]

what measuring equipment do you use?

[@Jayiyagi]

earthwork

[@quma001]

Great review of an impressive pair of speakers. But no matter how good they sound, I have a real problem with how they look. And I don't mean that in terms of their construction or build quality. But purely as an element in my living room, I wouldn't want them. Hope you'll review something more elegant that can keep up in terms of performance 😅

[@Jayiyagi]

I feel you. I was like "these are so sexy" and my gf took one look at it and said "it's very early 2000s" 😂

[@luca_rr4660]

The "basalt" color might appear less intrusive?

[@travisdyer2098]

jay, Arendal 1528 bookshelf or the Polk R700 ?

[@Jayiyagi]

that's easy... 1528 Bookshelf if you have the mulla

[@CommanderGinyu]

@@travisdyer2098 I don’t even know the Arendal but I know the Polk. And they sound all terrible. No midrange no treble no soundstage no clarity. Shallow unexciting sound. Only the bass is decent. I don’t know why this company gets so much praise. All 3 speakers I heard were the same boomy slop.

[@travisdyer2098]

I really should have said 1723 Monitor v R700, that is closer price wise

[@bpalpha]

Well, if anyone cares to donate a pair...😘 I'd love to own these, but I wouldn't pay that much unless I won the powerball. Arendal has some great engineering happening. Really pricey though.

[@teknolojigundemi]

Build like tank. My listening room is big but i cant place speakers anywhere i want. Prefer 1723s like size if they build in future, (1528S). These wont fit.

[@westensanchez9483]

Finally!

[@brainguynyc8729]

Did you link recommended stands? Can’t find it besides Arendal’s.

[@MiguelCortel]

The video shows Arendal's stands. However these are not yet for the public domain. As I heard they will be selling stands later in 2025. For the moment there are Target, Solidsteel, monolith. And KZbins to get educated on this not nice search. The Arendals are heavy....

[@Pete.across.the.street]

$4000 is cheap for these.

[@Jayiyagi]

$4500 but yea, I think so

[@guillaumeSONY]

I'm waiting for the Buchardt E50 before anything 😊

[@cowboysupra]

Can you name some 7200 usd speakers that arent worthy ???

[@Jayiyagi]

this isn't a $7200 usd speaker

[@cowboysupra]

@Jayiyagi sorry 5300usd. I was looking at the one up. And you didn't answer the question .

[@Jayiyagi]

it's $4500. Depending on your region, it may be more due to your region's import laws I am not sure why you are so keen on knowing what speakers I think is not worth $7200 USD. Shouldn't you be more concerned about what stands out in these price ranges? Anyways, what someone finds unworthy would be up to them as I am sure even though I love the 1528 bookshelves, some will find it still "unworthy" As for me, I find some audio note, focal, magico, devore speakers in these price ranges to be not particularly "a banger" for the amount of money you have to cough up

[@renatomorais8136]

Ok, so these are speakers to be played loud. I figured as much as this brand seems to be more about home cinema etc. Well, not for me, looking for the exact opposite...

[@bengleason508]

Choo Choo

[@hochinglee8966]

Dear Jay as I mentioned before should have at least sound demo, not just talk. Don't be get offended, We all like music 🙏

[@Jayiyagi]

KZbin sound demos are the most misleading thing ever. I won't be creating a sound demo thanks

[@arcadepiano]

another rectangular speaker

[@stephencosta6814]

Hey Jay, how are you? How’s it going? I’m still waiting for that beautiful CD you produced.❤

[@Jayiyagi]

The team is working hard on it