In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Arendal Sound. Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the 1610 Bookshelf 8 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 and Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 | Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 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 | 3 x 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround | 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-20k Hz | 34-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89.5 dB | 85 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 800 watts | up to 400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 45.37kg / 99.8lbs | 16.20kg / 35.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-1/4" x 10-7/16" x 17-11/16"
1150.0 x 265.0 x 450.0mm | 18-3/4" x 10-7/16" x 11-13/16"
477.0 x 265.0 x 300.0mm |
|---|
1610 Tower 8 and 1610 Bookshelf 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 Tower 8 and Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 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 Tower 8 |
Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* 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 Tower 8 and 1610 Bookshelf 8 are 3-way speakers.
Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 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 Tower 8 |
Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1610 Tower 8 features a 1.1" Aluminium-magnesium dome in the Rost Essence waveguide with acoustic lens Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 3 x 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz / 2600Hz. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
1610 Tower 8 has a frequency range of 28-20k Hz whereas 1610 Bookshelf 8 has a frequency range of 34-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the 1610 Tower 8 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 1610 Bookshelf 8's min frequency of 34Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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 Tower 8 and 1610 Bookshelf 8 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 1610 Tower 8 sensitivity is rated at 89.5 dB and the 1610 Bookshelf 8's is at 85 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 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 Tower 8 and the 1610 Tower 8 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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 Tower 8 can handle a max power of 800 watts RMS, whereas 1610 Bookshelf 8 has a max power handling value of 400 watts RMS, 400 watts less than the 1610 Tower 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 Tower 8
Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
1610 Tower 8 features Binding post type posts and 1610 Bookshelf 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 Tower 8's and Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8's external dimensions. Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 has external dimensions of 1150.0 x 265.0 x 450.0mm (45-1/4 x 10-7/16 x 17-11/16inch) whereas 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).
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 Tower 8 needs about 50% more floor or shelf area. Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 is 150mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 is 673mm 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 Tower 8 is approximately 1192.5cm2 / 184.8inch2 and base area of the Arendal Sound 1610 Bookshelf 8 is approximately 795.0cm2 / 123.2inch2. The 1610 Tower 8 requires 50% more surface area than the 1610 Bookshelf 8 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.