This ONE Loudspeaker is BETTER than MANY High-End Audiophile Speakers for Home Audio in 2024

[@Jayiyagi]

*Hey guys, Thank you for stopping by! I am still shook by how good these new Arendal Speakers are... Because this was a long video, all details including time-stamp below ⬇* Arendal 1528 Tower Speakers: store.arendalsound.com/product/1528-tower-8/?refer=iyagi All Speakers in the Arendal 1528 Series: arendalsound.com/series/1528-series/?refer=iyagi Arendal 1723 THX Tower Speakers: store.arendalsound.com/product/1723-tower-thx/?refer=iyagi Arendal 1723 Series: arendalsound.com/series/1723-series-speakers/?refer=iyagi Discounted Arendal B-Stock: store.arendalsound.com/outlet-items/?refer=iyagi *Thank you @SoundcoreAudio for sponsoring this video Shop Liberty 4 Pro at its launch price, backed by our price lock promise for Fall Prime Day! Plus, for the first three weeks, snag a travel case for free! Don't miss out-click the link for all the exciting details: [soundcore.tech/A3954PxjE] * Related Videos: Arendal 1723 THX Tower Speaker Review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZSVY6CcqKp3ndUsi=846JXj-Cpz_buJkm Arendal 1723 THX S Monitor Review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqbTfJ6sqcatepIsi=bDeP5JdLs_nnrq3i Arendal 1961 Tower Speaker Review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqbSnaqXhNFohrcsi=eMXfexsyPGScjCGm 0:00 Arendal 1723 THX VS 1528 Tower Speakers 4:14 Arendal 1528 Tower Speaker Drivers! 9:00 AD 10:21 Arendal 1528 Tower Speaker Build quality Review 20:41 Arendal 1528 are BEST Value Speakers! 22:54 Arendal 1528 Tower Speaker Sound quality Review 37:24 Arendal 1528 Tower Speaker VS Borresen X2 Speakers 39:48 Best Amplifiers for Arendal 1528 Tower Speakers Support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/jayiyagi follow on Instagram: instagram.com/jays_iyagi/ follow on Facebook: facebook.com/jayiyagiofficial Follow soundstage take 2 reviews: kzbin.info/aero/PLPOzvlhtSqn5xdc__ftuSt4Rxy_wm5Af0 Speaker stands: amzn.to/3ssRhI3 Better speaker stands: solidsteel.it/my-product/ss-7-vintage-hi-fi-speaker-stands/ acoustic panels I use: ua-acoustics.com/ acoustic curtain: amzn.to/31d1zAM BDI Cabinet I use: bit.ly/2OJRwQQ amzn.to/3chBuFZ other BDI Cabinets: bit.ly/3ctxXV1 amzn.to/30bsUCH my fav hifi tweaks: (Isoacoustics devices) amzn.to/3j5FGvM

[@gnd144]

For Arendal to achieve cutting the distortion in half to that of the 1723 model,....that is an amazing achievement. Another great review by JayDog.

[@ZEN_X999]

What amp did u use for such a highly described perfect speakers at this price point???

[@Jayiyagi]

@@ZEN_X999 thank you for the question. As noted in the video, I used the AGD Audion monoblocks

[@stjernholmreviews]

@Jayiyagi I actually did not like the sound of the 1723. I found it to have bad dispersion characteristics and a nasal midrange, plus way to insensitive for a cinema speaker. This looks very different! Metal grilles? The Yamaha NS-5000 comes to mind? Oh, and CONGRATS on the sub milestone! Well done, man!

[@Jayiyagi]

@@stjernholmreviews First thank you. Second, That is weird. Objectively the Arendal 1723 THX Tower speakers measure to have great dispersion characteristics, neutral midrange and sensitivity even higher than the 1528 at 92db. Which are all specifications pointing towards a great loudspeaker for 2 channel but especially for home theatre. Subjectively I found that the well measured performance transferred well but of course your experience may have been different and sorry to hear that was the case. While the 1528 Towers are more clean, transparent with bigger dynamics, if you were not a fan of the 1723 THX, than you won't be a fan of 1528 so I suggest you look elsewhere. Yamaha NS-5000 are like $20k? no?

[@video4atak]

I have been viewing your videos for a few years now, which I enjoy very much. Based upon your review of the 1723 THX S monitors, I purchased a pair for my office system. They were as good as you say. Thus, with this review of the 1528, I took a leap of faith and purchased a pair upon your enthusiastic positive review. I hope they provide the "scale" of dynamics you mention that I have always found lacking in my Martin-Logan electrostatic speakers, which I have used for many years as my reference speakers. I am well aware of the difference in presentation of panel speakers verses dynamic speakers, but after 30 years of using Magnepan and ML speakers, I think a change will be exciting. Thank you for your extremely informative and authentic reviews.

[@richardenlighten2906]

Would really like to know if the 1528 is better than electrostatics

[@GiancarloBenzina]

​@@richardenlighten2906 better in what? No Box is better than ES or no ES is as good as a Box, it‘s your taste, what you‘re looking for, that makes the answer.

[@suwatt6019]

You know its serious when Jay drops a 40 minutes plus video.

[@khoi83]

Probably the first (serious) review in the world!!!

[@Givea_shit]

Cuz it Destroy other speakers

[@makara]

I wish he could pronouce Arendal correctly though. It drives me nuts to hear a reviewer not say the name correctly over and over.

[@justadad2304]

I had to get myself ready for it and clear my schedule. But worth it :)

[@justadad2304]

@@makara How is it pronounced?

[@IxaBargara]

Such a great review Props to you for visiting GR when other reviewers would rather bicker with Danny I think the extra detail you provide about the parts separates you from other reviewers You presicely describe the sound experience so that I can really imagine it

[@pj1333]

Thank you for your review Jay! Gives me something to think about. Also, hats off to you for spending so much energy answering ridiculous accusations in the comments! Jeez. Do audiophiles like anything? I don't get why they attack those that bring us previews of gear FOR FREE! I came up in the 90s when you had to GO to dealers who didn't let you play your music, set them up to THEIR liking NOT yours, and you NEVER knew if you were getting a good deal. I remember traveling to a dealer for some B&Ws and got told by a friend they paid 1/3 LESS than ME. I HATED that. I welcome Arendal's business model and FREE YT reviews such as yours and others way more than "the days of old". Great job!

[@OfficialClemFandango]

Buying a house to suit your hifi set up 😂 Bro I felt that 😂

[@DigitalDonAV]

Jay I am adding the 1528 and big center to my reference system next week. It's a big room and I will be putting at least 600wpc on them and after that, 800wpc. So I will be able to add a review in the kind of room these need, as you said in your excellent review. I'll ping you with my thoughts first.

[@Jayiyagi]

!!!! Thats crazy man!

[@alexvara7762]

Jay, my favorite speaker under $15k is the Legacy Audio Focus SE. I remember an old video of you laughing at those speakers because of their scale and amount of bass they produce. I absolutely LOVE the dual Air Motion tweeters on the Focus & Aeris. Do you really think the 1528 can produce that kind of scale, clarity and air of the Legacy speakers?

[@bigcat9606]

Glad you were able to get this in for review since they dropped last week

[@Jayiyagi]

yes I had them for a while and had to move them around to keep them off frame until embargo. That was pretty hard considering the size and my excitement to share my impressions on them !!!

[@bigcat9606]

Great to see your excitement. Have the 1723 monitors and reluctant to upgrade…..UNTIL I SAW YOUR REVIEW 😂😂😂

[@davidbee8178]

No lack of enthusiasm HERE Jay ! LOL I like that you like them but as you said they ARE taking up a lot of room both physically and in many environments, visually as well - one would have to LOVE the looks of them to invite them into one's living room :-) Keep up the good work and . . . enthusiasm !!

[@quma001]

"No ferrous materials in the signal path" - Danny Richie approves this message.

[@badgermike1231]

Yeah, but is that thing lined with No Rez™ on the inside?

[@Harrisongrey19]

Danny is a muppet

[@altopstwo3934]

Mundorf inside?

[@altopstwo3934]

wood? not unobtainium?

[@justasimplefox]

​@@altopstwo3934No 😊

[@MichaelT-xp8hv]

Truly an amazing speaker which has been crafted by very passionate people who love music. Thank you Arendal and thanks Jay for an excellent review.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Dam thats a good looking speaker !

[@MotownAudio]

I wonder how they compare to my borresen x3 speakers

[@rotorfix]

Very rarely does a speaker compete with others twice the price, even with the factory direct brands.

[@ThatHz-]

Thanks for reviewing these. Would love a video vs Perlisten

[@bridgetcordesman3552]

Can you comment on how the 1528s sound at lower volumes? Are they generous or do they really need to hit louder levels to perform? You have commented on this in some other reviews. (I understand Fletcher Munson, but in my experience the engineering also plays in, usually with less efficient speakers.)

[@clarkson427]

Hegel 400 a good match for them?

[@HiFiWright]

Great review. I was checking these out 3 days ago (I think) and I was curious about what you would think in regards to their younger siblings that, in a sense, sort of gave you that 100% surprise you had no way of seeing coming that technically you can never have with a conpany twice. I find it intriguing to see that, despite what I just mentioned, these may as well be the one exception to that rule and seem to have even surpased that in many other ways! I do have 1 nitpick for you though - and this applies to many reviewers - 7 khz to 15 khz is NOT the upper midrange. Definitively is not even though there are essentially two main differences in official consensus on exactly which frequency the "highs" start at. However, either way, 7 khz is definitively part of the high / upper range. Depending on which standard one subscribes to, the high frequency range starts at either 5 khz or 6 khz - my personal opinion being 6 khz because I also hold the higher of another two separate split-consensus opinions that the definitive single digit approximation of the harshest & most shrill frequency area of the human audible spectrum is that of being around 5 khz, although many other studies and speculation also show the mean of this attribute as being 4.5 khz or even as low as 4 khz. I've held this semi-objective standard since back in my live sound mixing / lead board engineer as well as my amateur studio recording tech and mixing engineer days that started back when I was only 15 years old (I'm 30 now 😬 lol). I had folks that were multiple times my age (literally like 3, 4 or even 5 times my age) asking a few of my regular bands and clients I ran sound for, starting at age 16, about whom they specifically hired for their sound/mixing of the show and 3 times I can recall two of the bands- one very loud, hard rock & the other a blues/bluesy rock outfit- laughing or taking a pause with a big smirk and pointing right at me, 2 of which I was standing directly by them..... and seeing the jaw drop or confused look on their faces when they finally noticed the someone who barely looked even 16 - was the person of interest. *EVERY live event or studio session I ever did involved only one instrument/mic being designated the specific frequency range of 4-7khz for any magnitude boosting (my avoid like the plague for boosting frequencies), and that was the high boost on the kick drum mic for that clicky metal or rock attack **or sometimes a guitar presence boost for laid back low gain or acoustic guitars** Something to actively think about when correlating frequencies, both in general & to respective individual loudspeaker's, to your subjective analysis and patterns you see over time are what the general attributes of smaller broken down regions (of the entire 20 hz - 20 khz audio spectrum) are going to most likely correlate to in regards to your very own personal subjective taste. Also, this helps to better communicate a more accurate portrayal to the audience on exactly what to expect - although, to your 100% credit in this video, you at least DO mention specific frequency numbers/ranges here (I highly appreciate this), which nulls the last bit I mentioned in regards to your audience, to some extent. However, I do definitely feel like my recommendation can help YOU grow for YOUR own sense of deeper knowledge of audio frequencies & seamlessly being able to recognize patterns in loudspeaker behavior and predictability. Now, regarding "upper midrange" + in audible frequency bandwidth, the upper midrange starts right at 2 khz and runs up to 5 (or 6) khz. The human ear is most sensitive at around 2-3 khz (3 khz is the most quoted average), obviously varying ever so slightly from person to person. The 1.5 khz - 3 khz range, from a mixing and instrument/vocal fundamentals perspective, is ESPECIALLY crucial for a loudspeaker to have good linearity & low distortion (clarity) at because it has the most instruments in addition to vocals battling out for space in it due to this range being where the natural presence of many instruments & vocals lives at, as well as the ranges many studio mixing engineers will give a boost to (these voices and instruments) in order to get them to stand out in a mix without sounding artificial or edgy (or boxy in the case of immediately under the 1k boost range). Since we are most efficient, hearing-wise, in the range of 2-3 khz, it makes sense that the upmost frequencies of the audio midband are what we perceive as both objectively & subjectively the most shrill and fatiguing to listen to when accentuated in relativity to the rest of the bandwidth because hearing sensitivity is SO incredibly high for us in that particular region. Now, a good way to think of what I'd include as the 4 khz to 7khz range is the area that can be summed up of where the presence (studio terminology) or "forwardness" (shortest path to "sibilance") in audiophile lingo, lives at primarily. 8 khz - 12 khz is what scientists (& audio engineers like myself) studying human perception in hearing deem as being what is known as the "brilliance" region- so attack definition, upper transients, leading edges, and a bit of a digital or "polished" sound- lives in abundance. Anything over 12 khz is simply what all professionals -studio engineers, audio engineers, scientists as well as audiophiles refer to as "air" or "headroom" (or "space" I guess with Audiophiles). Anyway, that was an overly long ramble by me and I do apologize for that. I just get very OCD about those terms & I hope perhaps you found something of substance to keep in mind or maybe even learned sonething new you can think about when looking at a loudspeaker data sheet, for example. You've got such a great ear and I think recognizing those broken down ranges can help you when internally analyzing your own subjective thoughts on products 👍🏻😃

[@getinthespace7715]

I REALLY like the look of the slightly curved towers with the inverse surround woofers mounted flush. The cost is insane... I might try my hand at making my own set.

[@andreasmoller9798]

It will be my next loudspeaker for sure, run b&w 702 s2 currently with Hegel h390, and are quite happy with thst combo overall, the Arendal seems to tick all the boxes so far,

[@paulreading8980]

I wish the reviewer stood next to these speakers to show the scale of them.

[@mesterha]

I'm surprised the center image would be stable as you move around the room, even with ideal dispersion. The distance between the two speakers will vary greatly as you move which will mess with the phase of many frequencies that are important for imaging. Not to say it doesn't work, but it's surprising. Of course the whole 3-D imaging of high-end is not experienced in live music, so perhaps something weird is with the psychoacoustics.

[@DivineBohlan]

How would you compare this to the Perlisten r7t since they seem to have a few similarities, especially price

[@Jayiyagi]

I find Perlisten r7t to be on the brighter/clinical side than my personal taste but I have no reviewed them on my channel. These are impressions from hearing them at multiple shows and at dealers so take it with grain of salt

[@aidmade85]

@@Jayiyagi Sure you talking about R7t and not S7t with beryllium tweeter? I found the R7t less bright than Arendal 1732 🤷🏻‍♂️ The Perlisten speakers also perform really good in smaller rooms like yours.

[@Jayiyagi]

yea I am sure. I heard both models at a dealer in Korea during my visit last year. Like I said, they were not in my room and I had no idea what gear they were using.... some half a million dollar crazy amps from Korea that I've never heard of

[@aidmade85]

Maybe Dan Roemer is still designing speakers for Arendal, like the older models 🤔 The 1528 also has some design similarities to Perlisten 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Sly_fox379]

​@@aidmade85they've said he wasn't involved with the 1528 line.

[@boomerscs9193]

I don't think Jay has ever been speechless. 😂

[@danielberube4142]

Very interested by the Monitor smaller model!

[@bhadresh1954]

How do you compare them against Wilson Sabrina and Sasha V?

[@larsv6144]

Saving up for these or the "bookshelf" version 1528 Monitor 8, with center and surrounds. Replacing the Wharfedale Elysian 2, Elysian Center and Evo 4S surrounds.

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

Totally huge difference sonically. The Elysians will sound very laid back in comparison. Heck even the Auras sound more forward than the Elysians

[@gme10955]

What size is your room?

[@worthesis_2183]

How do these compare to the SVS Ultra Evolution Titan and Pinnacles?

[@Varnastudios]

Wonderful review and feedback! Did you have any experience with any Dynaudio Confidence 20,30, 60? If you did how do they compare to Arendal in terms of performance and tone?

[@DearSX]

Thanks for the review. How flexible are they with rear wall placement and proximity to listeners?

[@Jayiyagi]

I discussed in the video but I understand it was very long. The placement to the wall is very flexible for such a large tower. Even an inch away from the wall, it does a really good job without getting boomy. You can also use the jumpers to elevated the mids and highs by 2 db to lower the bass and utilize the port plug as well. Lots of flexibility with that. as for the proximity to the listeners, arendal recommends 4m for optimal and 2.5m for minimum. I sat away around 3m.

[@priedits]

Jay, amazing review as always!

[@Jayiyagi]

Thank you so much. I know it was a bit long and I apologize for that. please use the time stamp if required

[@brianclass1988]

Bro been watching you for years... I truly hope what your saying is 100% true on these speakers.. i never once got the feeling your overhyping any product until this review.....but im hoping my feeling is dead wrong.... i was looking at the sonus faber nova v....but based on what your saying.. i would get these!!

[@pavlo687]

Jay, I've got a pair of Martin Logan ESL9 Classics and a pair of Polk R700, and a tuned up pair of the old Polk SDA (like current L800) from the 80's. I have a Parasound Halo A21 amp plus a restored vintage Fisher SA1000 with 8417 tubes and some other nice under $3000 amps. Gustard R26 DAC and Topping Premp. Question: Do you have any idea how much of the 1528 towers sound I could retain by dropping down to the Monitors for around $6K? (Obviously, with a nice sub too)

[@sammy10001]

Youre wasting your time dude. ANY box speaker will never ever sound like a martin logan dipole electrostat. Not this 1528, not Wilson audio, not anyone. I think youre just addicted to buying gear.

[@emotive7]

What preamps have you found to be good matches with Arendal speakers?

[@jly74]

Put a mirror on the floor under the speaker to show bottom mounted ports.

[@rvaillant]

Hi Jay. How is the high tweeter height of what looks like 48” affecting the soundstage? Are you looking up to the performance, or does it come across as normal? Thanks.

[@Jayiyagi]

that's the thing, its normal because of the baffle design time aligning all the drivers. It is very coherent and different from hearing tower speakers that have the tweeters too high

[@robertforet4477]

Hi Jay, you have reviewed Rel subs and Arendal 1528 tower speakers, and hopefully will review the monitor 8 speakers soon. I have purchased a pair of the special edition T9x that are a little more powerful than the standard T9x subs. My question is, in your opinion, will my pair of T9x subs pair well with both the 1528 tower and monitor 8 speakers? In other words, if I go with the tower speakers, will my T9x subs be a good match or should I go with more powerful subs? Thank you.

[@rdfanrp891]

Hey Jay, thanks for the passionate review! I enjoy your reviews and this is my first ever comment. I had already purchased Denon PMA A110 amp based on your recommendation and have been enjoying it! (I compared with 2-3 well known brand/models and still preferred Denon). But now am upgrading my system (sort of 'endgame' as they call it). Now, I am about to take not one, but two giant leaps of faith on your latest recommendations (Arendal 1528 Tower 8 and the AGD Audion). They better be spot-on... or I will be booking my flight to Canada for a friendly 'debate' :) LOL! Can you please recommend a pre-amp for the new setup (always had integrated so there is a steep learning curve for me and I just learnt not only tech compatibility but the 'synergy' is very important for pre-amp and amp of different brands). Since am going to already over budget will prefer less than 2k USD pre-amp (and neutral so may be not tube so as to not disturb/influence the sonic magic of the Audions). TIA! Cheers!

[@dragonstone6594]

How does this compare to KEF R11 and KEF Reference 5?

[@microteche]

For a guage Jay what size is your room when you say its small?

[@davidsolomon9596]

Very interesting review, Jay. Great meeting you in Toronto, and congratulations for the award.

[@ericstefko4852]

Hey Jay great review, how do these compare to the Totem Metal V2?

[@ryanschipp8513]

Hey Jay, So Arendal measured 42hz +-2db...........I know rooms add to this.....but you are saying you get 20hz in room with no distortion and useable output(spl)?

[@ramlord6669]

This must be an error, because the next smaller version goes deeper according the website. Direct under the data you find these three advises from them like room size. The third advise is something like if you want to go deep to 20 Hz. Greets 🐹🔥🐹

[@paulreading8980]

I have two questions, firstly are these full range enough to make a sub superfluous. How would you rate these against Focal Sopra No2?

[@Jayiyagi]

yes I'd say for 2 channel use, you wouldn't need a subwoofer (but that's an assumption based on my experience and will be really determined by the size of your room, amplifier pairing and your taste for the amount of bass you'd want). According to Arendal's anechoic and my quasi-anechoic measurements (which seem to align well) posted recently on my community page as well as my facebook page, This speaker starts rolling off at around 40 hz but is a far from a steep roll off and put into a room, it will gain about 6db per octave below 40hz, making this speaker pretty darn full range. In my room, it was undoubtedly full range. Focal Sopra No2 has never been in my room but I've heard them quite a bit a dealers and audio shows. Also Focal's sound isn't usually the sound I vibe with so take my opinion here with more than a spoon full of salt, but the focal speakers to be sounded more thinner and brighter with dynamics that was clean and while the bass was there, it wasn't full and satisfying to my ears in comparison to the Arendal 1528 towers.

[@melvinberrian153]

So where would the Arendal 1528 tower 8 fit in your previous video of best speakers?

[@Jayiyagi]

37:27

[@alhillary2391]

How do they compare to Borresen x3?

[@rogersyse645]

The Borresen X3 would be a good choice to compare these Arendal speakers to

[@rorat383]

How do they compare to fyne audio 704?

[@Raymondey]

Now I wonder if bookshelfs from this series also will be giant killer (vs PS Audio FR5, Buchardt upcomping E50, Radiant Acoustics 6.2) 🤔😎

[@Jayiyagi]

I have them in as well and will post my review shortly! Make sure you have that subscriber bell notification turned on ;)

[@tkl0111]

​@@JayiyagiLooking forward to comparison to the PS Audio FR5!

[@giovannitirado6229]

@@Jayiyagi I hope you compare them to the Mon Acoustics Platimons VC.

[@minimaann]

@@Jayiyagi Cant wait for that review - are looking for something different then my B&W 805 D3

[@rafaelfranco7041]

​@@tkl0111 fr5 is $1,000 cheaper

[@StuartKarlson-qn8pj]

Any chance you can review the smaller model? Cheers

[@Jayiyagi]

yes I will be for sure. Please make sure you have the subscriber bell notification on so you don't miss it ;)

[@StuartKarlson-qn8pj]

@@Jayiyagicheers I sure will 👍

[@gns3128]

The most Beautiful and fully captivating gear review of all time. Pretty Work ‼️

[@BruceCross]

One of the few high-end speakers I've seen that's attractive. I'd love to see the measurements for impedance, off-axis, step response, etc.

[@tomsettles6873]

Jay - have you come across any good DIY 3-way speaker plans with a classic large woofer (8-10"), midrange (3-4" mid) and tweeter ? (like Wharfedale Linton)

[@StereoWars]

Wonder how these new arendals compare to the perlisten R or S towers?

[@knotslip8862]

Thanks for the video and review of these speakers. Question: How do you feel these compare to the Perlistens and the Revel be series? Thanks!

[@Jayiyagi]

I've heard many perlisten models (almost all of them) at different shows and at dealers. However they were never in my room and so please take my words here with that in mind. I personally found the perlistens to sound more clinical and a lil too dry/bright for my liking. Now like I said, this could be gear matching and all that... I will take a look at them soon. As for Revel be series, I personally owned many and never really LOVED them. Once again, I am not usually a fan of BE tweeters as it can be too bright and hyper detailed for my liking. While the revel series didn't completely shred my ears with proper gear matching, it was with poor recordings that I couldn't enjoy myself. The 1528 speaker's tweeter presentation is between a softdome and a metal dome. It's hyper details but smooth enough to where it does not feel bothersome to my ears with proper gear matching. It has the detail level, sense of space and airiness like a metal dome or be tweeter but does not have the same fatigue level to my ears

[@knotslip8862]

@@Jayiyagi Awesome! Thanks for the response. Im wanting to upgrade my Revel Performa 3 F208's and its a tough choice in the under $10k realm. The Arendals are top of my list but I may even consider the 1728's if they would be considered an upgrade from my current Revels. Thanks!

[@Jayiyagi]

if you have the room.... try the 1528. It can't hurt (other than your back haha), they have a 60 day in-home risk free trial

[@Fransost7367]

@@JayiyagiI owned the revel f226be. And they sound gorgeous with my Luxman 590ax2. With my Accuphase e5000 they sounded too bright (I turned the treble on the e5000 way down). The revels also sound great with the Lyngdorf tdai3400 and good with jbl sdr35 AVR, arcam avr20 and Marantz sr8015. They just need an amplifier on the sweet / warmish / smooth side. I now have the Tad Evo 2 speakers and they sound almost identical to the revels. the Tads dig a bit deeper. The Revels were a bit more holographic.

[@KtsStone80]

Always something new “destroying” something else, cmon man. You lose credibility when the next thing is better than the last thing you celebrated. On and on and on. Exhausting click bait. It’s so heavy handed it seems like you work for the companies you review, an extension of their marketing arm.

[@davidrivera2165]

I went through this review twice and slowly. You shocked me with your high praises Jay. I'm wondering If they surpass Canada's own exotic build Paradigm Persona 7F. Your honest passion is highly appreciated.

[@erics.4113]

That's a tall order. Persona are fantastic speakers.

[@Jayiyagi]

Persona are fantastic speakers but I've not reviewed it on my channel. The founder 120H I did review and there is definite advantage to a speaker that has the bass section powered but I still think the Arendal 1528 has more dynamic output and range, not to mention other qualities I appreciate as an audiophile like soundstage and nuance

[@lloziO]

​​@@JayiyagiI'm buying new speakers next month..i don't know which one to buy 1528 speakers or klipsch reference series speakers. Which one would you recommend..

[@rickx86]

@@lloziO which ones did you go with? Personally, I would go Arendal because the value is way way beyond Klipsch considering their business model the price you pay is not even close to the actual cost to make the speaker due to having to go through big box stores and distributors which drives up the cost to the consumer vs Arendal direct to consumer cuts out the middle man cost so you get way more speaker for the money. I just replaced my Klipsch RP-8000F speakers for the 1723 towers and 1723 is far better even though I only paid a little more than twice as much for Arendal vs when I first bought the Klipsch. Also, I went and listened to Paradigm speakers and honestly the Founders 100F was noticeable worse than my 1723 towers and the Founders cost more! Then we got to listen to the Persona 7F and I can objectively say the clarity and soundstage was greater than the 1723 but not by leaps and bounds and the bass extension on the 1723 beats the Persona 7F hands down. Considering Jay said that the 1528 series is 4-5 times better than the 1723 series then I have no doubt the 1528 series would beat the quality of the Persona 7F (not to mention value since 7F is about $13.5K each tower) and you can get the 1528 pair for $9,500 out the door no taxes or shipping!. But this is just my ears I know we all have our own preferences but my wife agreed. The Founders 100F was a huge disappointment in sound quality to me it was very bright and and some vocals was painful to listen to since we had the place play the same songs we previously listened to on the 1723 at home and this showroom was fully treated acoustically inside and my living room is not at all. So that is my short story from a couple days ago since I am still in my audition period with the Arendal speakers I have been wanting to hear the Founders speakers for a couple years now and if they were better I was going to return Arendal and buy the Founders. BUT it was an easy choice to keep the 1723 series far superior vs Paradigm's higher priced Founders speakers to me says that then their Persona which is the flagship won't be able to beat Arendal's flagship speaker was my logic. I have 1 year with Arendal to upgrade my speakers at 80% value of what I paid minus shipping and so that may be in the cards next year and I will just upgrade my system to the 1528's because if they are truly 4-5x better than the 1723 series then HOLY HELL that would be nuts! Edit: I re-read my comment after posting and realized I was saying Founders 100B when I was talking about the floorstander which is 100F. Correction made.

[@armoth6958]

Oh I wish for these speakers ! And that center channel!! Man! If only I had some dough!! 😢😂

[@JackMorris56]

Excellent review Jay, thank you - I have a 399 sq. ft. room, don't think that is big enough for these behemoth's - the 1528's, make me want to knock down some walls...

[@cardinalfang7725]

It has probably already been requested, but it would be interesting to hear your take on the 1528 Monitor 8 from the same series. Appreciate the review.

[@scslite5206]

Great review Jay! I have the X2s and glad you made a comparison. Even with Arendal's unmatched return policy these are just too big for my room as well. I do wonder, however, how they would compare with the Borresen X3s as that would be a much more even playing field than the X2s in my opinion. Cheers!

[@roccobruno8027]

The midrange/tweeter is giving off a Perlisten vibe.

[@Jayiyagi]

totally different tech. Looks can be deceiving. Perlisten is using an array design

[@markrigg6623]

The midrange/ tweeter assembly is a bit ugly to me.

[@mengirex]

Another great video! I’m in the market for a new pair of floor standing speakers. What can you tell me in terms of comparison between the 1528 tower 8 and the Perlisten s7t? Thank you

[@Ylojaketz]

Gorgeous pieces to look at but backed up by what you described as stunning sound. Some of the design elements remind me of the Polk 707s i.e. tweeter/ midrange arrangement and bottom flared ports. The rest of the engineering ís so uniquely Arendal and build quality is just sick! I'm drooling!

[@Trønderfår]

When will 1528 monitor test come?

[@srpsrp3649]

Given your experience with GR Research NX tower offerings, where do these towers stack up?

[@Jayiyagi]

Given my experience of visiting danny’s room and hearing them, as Ive noted in my reports, I did not hear that heft and impact as I did with the 1528 towere but the highs were comparable in refinement

[@srpsrp3649]

@@Jayiyagi can you estimate the size / volume of your listening space in relation to the GR Research listening space you experienced? It could help some folks in purchasing decisions. Thanks

[@acaciomadeira5147]

You know I'd their coming out with a new sub for this series

[@karlmalone11]

These vs bowers 801 or 802 d4?

[@stephannordmann5346]

By the way the Piega 411 and 811 is the speakers you have to check out 🎉

[@kylebrown518]

Im new to the high end setup. I have hs8 which will now go to my wife my question in im getting the 1528 monitors ; can you make recommendation on what to get to power them for home comouter desk setup

[@Jayiyagi]

The 1529 monitors are huge, not to mention you need some distance between yourself and the speakers to get the benefit of the front baffle time alignment. Are you sure you want them for a desktop set up?

[@mike-e3k]

jay.. was there a big difference between 1723 towers and the flagship 1528 speakers?

[@Jayiyagi]

for me, yes absolutely. I compare the 1723 to the 1528 throughout this video

[@awesom-o7965]

How many SQ feet/meters is your room Jay? Great review.

[@user-fq5uw4uj2u]

How do you compare them to Klipsch Cornwall 4? Here in Norway these two speakers have the exact same price and i have heard none of them

[@jstoli996c4s]

@@user-fq5uw4uj2u The Cornwalls have a very live, forward, and in your face sound delivery with incredible dynamics. If you like that type of sound, the Cornwalls are just about unbeatable. I haven’t heard any Arendal speaker, but I would imagine their sound is more balanced and neutral. Both have great reputations; the right choice for you depends on the preferences that your ears enjoy the most.

[@Powerreserve]

Great and highly authentic review Jay: thanks! Regarding amp-matching > do you feel my McIntosh MA12000 would do a right job with the 1528’s?

[@Jayiyagi]

oh my god... I wanted to hear it with that so bad. Yes, I think that would just take me straight to my grave happy haha

[@MrNysbak]

@@Jayiyagi seems these speakers require more power than MA12000 can produce

[@Jayiyagi]

@@MrNysbak with 350 watts per channel, it is plenty powerful to drive the 1528 towers with 89.5 db sensitivity rating

[@arichison]

Great content! thanks Jay, so good. I wish I could hear these.

[@jameswynn709]

How do these compared to pearlescent with these being half the price it has me curious

[@PaulSpencer007]

Thanks for the truly passionate review Jay. What amps did you use to do your review and what do you think would be the ideal amps to power them with in the $10k ish range? Thank you

[@robertforet4477]

Hi, I enjoy your videos because you thoroughly go through the products, and explain to help us understand. I am thinking on getting either the towers or monitor 1528 speakers, but my room is only 14x26'. Is my room big enough for the towers? My ceiling is 9.5 foot high. Thanks.

[@Jayiyagi]

are you able to sit 4m away from the speakers?

[@robertforet4477]

@Jayiyagi I think I will, but on the site it said my room is big enough for the towers in square feet, I hope to hear about the monitors because they may be enough to my liking. I just have to figure out if I will be satisfied with the monitors as opposed to the towers. Sort of a big decision to make. Thank you.

[@Rockit66]

I have had the 1723 towers. and I did like them a lot, but they were just a tad bright for my taste, even though I did not feel like I got listening fatigue from them there was something that I could not quite set my finger on. Now I have not had the chance to listen to the Tower S which I hear more are saying including you that are better overall for music listening. Now, my question is how is this in the new 1528 towers? Any improvements. I see that we can adjust the brightness here, but you did not go into comparison as I recall if the sound from 1723 series or S series were more like 1528? I assume they will carry a signature sound similar to the 1723 even though they have 10 times more soundstage and imaging and all that??

[@Jayiyagi]

Similar sound signature. More refined highs and adjustments can help but it’s a more detailed speaker than even the 1723 THX

[@Strange_Kid-f3f]

Excellent review, Jay!

[@mikelautermilch8939]

Great review. In your opinion, are they better than the Totem Element Metal 2?

[@Jayiyagi]

they have the scale and bass dynamics better than even the metal v2. Refinement on the tweeter, soundstage and all that, I'd still have to give it the 1528. I still do love that sense of purity and life like tonality on the Metal V2, I think that is still better on Totems

[@mikelautermilch8939]

@@Jayiyagi Thanks! It's surprising that a 3-way can compete with a crossover-less tower in terms of dynamics.

[@Jayiyagi]

@@mikelautermilch8939 alot to due with that size but also that front baffle design

[@MrMichaelEsser]

I am looking for the Cornwall 4, I really like the Sound. Do you think I also would be happy with the Arnedals or are they to "lame"? But also waiting for your JTR review

[@colinbrophy4182]

What minimum size room would you recommend for these speakers?

[@LEMON48]

13 m2 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Novilicious]

The Klipsch Lascala or the Revel 328 Be’s or these 1528 towers. That is the question. I can get all of these for around the same cost, what would be your pick?

[@Phloored]

It will be interesting to see how the new focal workers speakers fit into context being that the power is custom tailored for each driver and filtering is done before the power amp.

[@AronsonDavid]

I can buy a new Focal Sopra No. 1 pair for $10,800 US. The stands are an additional $2,200. My room is 22'x13. I plan to upgrade my preamplifier and amps after I replace my front speakers (currently KEF 104.2 and an older B&W center channel). Can you think of an alternate speaker in the same price range? I auditioned the Focals against the B&W 805 D4.

[@NicolaDiNisio]

You are right, I was commenting on my phone to video if another Jay, in the meanwhile that video finished and yours started automatically. As my phone and my TV are connected, my comment ended up in your video. Sorry for that 😅

[@Subsonic-cd2en]

How would you compare these to GR's NX-Treme's?

[@MrBonger88]

I hope they come out with some bigger subs in their reference series. I know that their other subs are good but I’d love some options based on 18” woofers

[@Jayiyagi]

man that would be insane

[@sleeper1023]

I thought I was done buying stuff. Yet here we are.

[@Jayiyagi]

😂 I've given up on even saying that anymore

[@sleeper1023]

@@Jayiyagi I should not have clicked on this video haha. But I'm happy I clicked. I'll wait for some comparisons between this and the Perlisten S7t, and then make a decision from there. Cheers, Jay!

[@vaidastirevicius6180]

How is in low volume listening?

[@mark_4K]

What order would you rate them against Borresen X3 and Sabrina X if cost was not a factor ?

[@Jayiyagi]

X3 I only heard at show settings and dealer show rooms. They are quite impressive but from what I heard, I still think the 1528 towers' dynamics and coherency is on a next level. As for the Sabrina X, it was bested by the Arendal 1723 THX towers (in terms of preference) last year... and I find the 1528s to be MUCH better in almost every way than even the 1723 THX Towers

[@jungtarcph]

Are the Drivers still from Peerless?

[@Lobo243]

Very nice looking speakers 👌

[@willy6579]

Where do you buy theese

[@Jayiyagi]

in the links provided in my description and pinned comments

[@MyFatherLoves]

That port will also give it lower distortion as long as it's left unplugged. Plugging the port of a ported speaker WILL drastically increase distortion. It's a huge downside to plugging a ported speaker and something that honestly should never be done unless you're in a tiny room and you won't be turning them up much higher than the 80-90dbc spl range.

[@iwcpilot1151]

Where are these speakers made?

[@mikepringle3275]

The Republic of China

[@Justwantahover]

Audiophiles seem to be saying that tweeter height is best at ear level when in the listening position. How does the high tweeter level of these speakers sound in comparison to the usual height? Is it like listening to a band on a 4 ft stage (which I have many times in our local town hall). My dipole point source (open coaxial plus woofer) speakers have a really low tweeter level but the soundstage is above the speakers. How would that go with such a high tweeter level, if the soundstage is above the speakers? 😮

[@Jayiyagi]

One would normally not listen to this speaker at ear height (that would be too high) and that is why this speaker's front baffle is curved, not only to point the tweeters towards your ears but to align the time arrival of all the drivers. The listening axis according to my measurements posted on my community page aligns with this as the listening axis was around normal seated height and not at the tweeter's height.

[@markrigg6623]

​@@Jayiyagi Nicely answered.

[@missileGauges]

It would also be interesting to compare the small slim ones against the 1723 tower one. Sense they are almost the same price. You would loose some base probably. But would it still outperform in the mids? I am totally noob when comes to this things. But I still find it interesting and hoping to own an Arendal one day.

[@Jayiyagi]

I do plan on reviewing the slim version of the 1723 THX towers. Cheers

[@missileGauges]

@@Jayiyagi cool, thank you for the answer :)

[@olvesolvoll8300]

Can you take a look at the new Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2? Would love to get your thoughts on it as I could find only one review of them on YT.

[@Evil_Peter]

A very interesting and pleasantly long review that really made me curious about these speakers. I'd love to try them out at home and compare to my Focal Kanta 3's.