In this review, we will be comparing 1610 Bookshelf 8 and 1610 Slim 8, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Arendal Sound.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 and Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 | Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 |
|---|
| Brand | Arendal Sound
Norway · founded 2015 | Arendal Sound
Norway · founded 2015 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Dome | 1.1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround | 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround |
|---|
| Frequency response | 34-20k Hz | 56-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 85 dB | 86.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 400 watts | up to 300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.20kg / 35.6lbs | 13.10kg / 28.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 18-3/4" x 10-7/16" x 11-13/16"
477.0 x 265.0 x 300.0mm | 18-3/4" x 10-7/16" x 6-1/2"
477.0 x 265.0 x 165.0mm |
|---|
1610 Bookshelf 8 and 1610 Slim 8 are members of Arendal Sound's 1610 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Arendal Sound 1610 Series
History
What size room are the Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 and Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 |
Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both 1610 Bookshelf 8 and 1610 Slim 8 are 3-way speakers.
Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 |
Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1610 Bookshelf 8 features a 1.1" Aluminium-magnesium dome in the Rost Essence waveguide with acoustic lens Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 330Hz / 2300Hz. On the other hand, the 1610 Slim 8 features a 1.1" Aluminium-magnesium dome in the Rost Essence waveguide with acoustic lens Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 340Hz / 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
1610 Bookshelf 8 has a frequency range of 34-20k Hz whereas 1610 Slim 8 has a frequency range of 56-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the 1610 Bookshelf 8 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 1610 Slim 8's min frequency of 56Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
1610 Bookshelf 8 and 1610 Slim 8 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 1610 Bookshelf 8 sensitivity is rated at 85 dB and the 1610 Slim 8's is at 86.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 a more sensitive speaker compared to Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the 1610 Bookshelf 8 and the 1610 Bookshelf 8 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
1610 Bookshelf 8 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas 1610 Slim 8 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the 1610 Bookshelf 8.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8
Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
1610 Bookshelf 8 features Binding post type posts and 1610 Slim 8 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8's and Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8's external dimensions. Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 has external dimensions of 477.0 x 265.0 x 300.0mm (18-3/4 x 10-7/16 x 11-13/16inch) whereas Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 has external dimensions of 477.0 x 265.0 x 165.0mm (18-3/4 x 10-7/16 x 6-1/2inch).
Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 has the same height and width with Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8. On the other hand, with a thickness of 300.0mm, it is 135mm deeper.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 needs about 82% more floor or shelf area. Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 is 135mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 is approximately 795.0cm2 / 123.2inch2 and base area of the Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 is approximately 437.3cm2 / 67.8inch2. The 1610 Bookshelf 8 requires 82% more surface area than the 1610 Slim 8 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 weighs 16.20kg / 35.6lbs and the Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 weighs 13.10kg / 28.8lbs. This makes the 1610 Bookshelf 8 24% heavier than the 1610 Slim 8.
Here is a comparison of how 1610 Bookshelf 8 and 1610 Slim 8's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8
Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
34 Hz
vs
56 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Sensitivity |
87 dB
vs
85 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Base Surface Area |
437cm2
vs
795cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2800USD
vs
3600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 |
Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 |
| Brand |
Arendal Sound |
Arendal Sound |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
On-Wall speakers |
| Power Range |
up to 400 watts |
up to 300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
85 dB |
86.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
34-20k Hz |
56-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround |
Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
330Hz / 2300Hz |
340Hz / 2700Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
477.0mm (18.8") |
477.0mm (18.8") |
| Width |
265.0mm (10.4") |
265.0mm (10.4") |
| Depth |
300.0mm (11.8") |
165.0mm (6.5") |
| Weight |
16.20kg (35.6lbs) |
13.10kg (28.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Sealed |
| Finish |
HDF, painted |
HDF, painted |
| Available Colors |
Basalt, Polar, Black |
Basalt, Polar, Black |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
|
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Arendal Sound's 1610 series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 digs deeper - 34Hz against 56Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 is more sensitive (87dB vs 85dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 takes more power (400W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 is easier to place; Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Sealed. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Price | B | Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 is cheaper - $2,800 against $3,600, about 22% less. |
A Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 B Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 measures better, Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 costs about about 29% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 56Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 for near-field listening and a small room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.