In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Arendal Sound. Arendal Sound 1610 Center 8 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the 1610 Slim 8 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Arendal Sound 1610 Center 8 and Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Arendal Sound 1610 Center 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 | 2 x 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround | 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-20k Hz | 56-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88.6 dB | 86.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 500 watts | up to 300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.20kg / 53.2lbs | 13.10kg / 28.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 10-7/16" x 27-15/16" x 11-13/16"
265.0 x 710.0 x 300.0mm | 18-3/4" x 10-7/16" x 6-1/2"
477.0 x 265.0 x 165.0mm |
|---|
1610 Center 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 Center 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 Center 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 Center 8 and 1610 Slim 8 are 3-way speakers.
Arendal Sound 1610 Center 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 Center 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
|
2 x 8-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1610 Center 8 features a 1.1" Aluminium-magnesium dome in the Rost Essence waveguide with acoustic lens Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 470Hz / 2900Hz. 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 Center 8 has a frequency range of 40-20k Hz whereas 1610 Slim 8 has a frequency range of 56-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the 1610 Center 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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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 Center 8 and 1610 Slim 8 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 1610 Center 8 sensitivity is rated at 88.6 dB and the 1610 Slim 8's is at 86.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Arendal Sound 1610 Center 8 a more sensitive speaker compared to Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 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 Center 8 and the 1610 Center 8 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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 Center 8 can handle a max power of 500 watts RMS, whereas 1610 Slim 8 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the 1610 Center 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 Center 8
Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
1610 Center 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 Center 8's and Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8's external dimensions. Arendal Sound 1610 Center 8 has external dimensions of 265.0 x 710.0 x 300.0mm (10-7/16 x 27-15/16 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 Slim 8 is 445mm narrower and 135mm less deeper than Arendal Sound 1610 Center 8 but it is also 212mm taller.
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 Center 8 needs about 387% more floor or shelf area. Arendal Sound 1610 Center 8 is 135mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 is 212mm taller.
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 Center 8 is approximately 2130.0cm2 / 330.2inch2 and base area of the Arendal Sound 1610 Slim 8 is approximately 437.3cm2 / 67.8inch2. The 1610 Center 8 requires 387% more surface area than the 1610 Slim 8 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.