Arendal Subwoofer 1723 2V

[Nathan11]

Greetings Audiosciencereview Team,

First of all, I need to mention that I'm relative new to sound in general, speakers and the science behind those. The reason I post this thread is because I want to upgrade my svs pb-1000 for a sub that could dig deeper and would give me much more headroom. The usage is 50% music, 50% movies. My room is 4x4meters and 3meters height. I'm located in Europe and I saw that Arendal has some great reviews so I got interested in the 1723 2V subwoofer. I've read that it compares with the svs pb16 ultra and it has great dynamics, build quality and an epic warranty. The Arendal would cost me 2500euros whereas the pb16 ultra from svs would cost me 3500euros.. An other option would be xtz 3x12 at 2400euros..

I've read the Subwoofer comparison by Sweetchaos (thanks a ton for that by the way) and I compared every dB output in each frequency of those 3 subs. Which one would you go for?

Any other subwoofer suggestion is very welcome.
Thank you.

 

[Chrispy]

I've seen the AH review and it's got shadyJ saying some really nice things about the Arendal (and their speakers). For the price you could get it at, I'd do it.

 

[Nathan11]

I've seen the AH review and it's got shadyJ saying some really nice things about the Arendal (and their speakers). For the price you could get it at, I'd do it.

Thanks a lot for the reply.
AH also have a review for the Xtz 3x12 in which they say that it's impressive sub. For some weird reason though, the Arendal screams quality to me whereas the Xtz don't. I don't know if my instinct is right.

 

[LearningToSmile]

Have you considered getting more than one subwoofer instead? I'm assuming this is a living room, right? For anything other than desk setup I'd probably get multiple smaller subs. But that depends on your room, room treatment, etc, if you don't have issues with room modes with your current subwoofer it might not be necessary.

 

[Nathan11]

Have you considered getting more than one subwoofer instead? I'm assuming this is a living room, right? For anything other than desk setup I'd probably get multiple smaller subs. But that depends on your room, room treatment, etc, if you don't have issues with room modes with your current subwoofer it might not be necessary.

Hi, thanks for the reply.
That's a tough one to be honest. The room is my main bedroom where I spend time listening to music and watching movies. As with the subwoofer crawl that I did in the past, it's not the easiest room to place/move a subwoofer, that's why I'm not that into dual subs. However I know that with duals I could get rid of possible nulls etc.

 

[Honken]

Have you considered getting more than one subwoofer instead? I'm assuming this is a living room, right? For anything other than desk setup I'd probably get multiple smaller subs. But that depends on your room, room treatment, etc, if you don't have issues with room modes with your current subwoofer it might not be necessary.

Locally, 3x of XTS' 12.17 Edge subs cost roughly the same as the Cinema 3x12 one. I have only really heard good things about the offerings from XTZ... for the price. They're cheap and seem to play loud and deep enough for most. The Arendal and SVS subs in this thread are way beefier.

 

[Nathan11]

Locally, 3x of XTS' 12.17 Edge subs cost roughly the same as the Cinema 3x12 one. I have only really heard good things about the offerings from XTZ... for the price. They're cheap and seem to play loud and deep enough for most. The Arendal and SVS subs in this thread are way beefier.

Hello. Thanks for the reply.
That's interesting, so one could get 3x 12.17 for the same price and benefit from the different sub's locations. XTZ definitely play loud, louder than the Arendal's and the SVS's high end models.
May I ask what you mean when you say that Arendal and SVS subs are way beefier in this thread?

 

[Honken]

I meant in comparison to the 12.17 Edge model. The 3x12 is another beast.

 

[Nathan11]

I meant in comparison to the 12.17 Edge model. The 3x12 is another beast.

Ah for sure yes.
What bugs me is that neither XTZ nor Arendal is famous and they definitely deserve it.

 

[Vict0r]

When ordering from Europe, the brand BK Subs (UK brand, so not quite EU anymore, I suppose) is also worth checking out. Here in The Netherlands, the most cherished subwoofers are either Arendal, REL, BK Subs or SVS. I own two BK SLX200 Mk2's, that are in their mid-end lineup, but they do more higher end subs as well that keep getting rave reviews.

 

[Nathan11]

When ordering from Europe, the brand BK Subs (UK brand, so not quite EU anymore, I suppose) is also worth checking out. Here in The Netherlands, the most cherished subwoofers are either Arendal, REL, BK Subs or SVS. I own two BK SLX200 Mk2's, that are in their mid-end lineup, but they do more higher end subs as well that keep getting rave reviews.

Thanks for the reply.
I've heard of BK company before and there are some great reviews about it. I've also read their subs are hand built in the UK, which I guess says something about their quality.

 

[Qbd]

I’ve previously had a single SVS PB16 Ultra, and I now have two Arendal 1723 2V.

I recall running some CEA-2010 bursts in-room with the PB16U and Arendal 2V in the same spot, and while I don’t recall the specific results, I remember them being very similar.

Both subs are excellent subwoofers with good output and extension down to 10 Hz if you want it. Both can also be plugged and operated in sealed mode if that’s your thing, but I’d just leave the port open on both for the (much) greater output.

To me the main differences would be the excellent finish of the Arendal (though tastes may differ here). The «satin black» that I have is a beautiful semi-matte finish, and I’m sure the other finishes are excellent too. SVS has a nice smart phone app, and Arendal is releasing theirs soon.

A big plus for the Arendal 2V is the opposing drivers causing the subwoofer to be basically completely vibration free. Considering their size, it’s very nice to be able to use them as tables from time to time without worrying about them shaking things off. The SVS PB16U could shake fairly significantly when playing loud. I did have the optional, fairly squishy, soundpath isolation feet though.

While SVS has a great reputation for customer support, I think that’s primarily in the US, while in EU you’d be more at the mercy of the local dealer. I suspect Arendal might be better on that front in the EU. I don’t have any actual support experience since my units are working well, but they do have a good reputation as far as I can tell.

I don’t think you’d regret either choice.

 

[Nathan11]

I’ve previously had a single SVS PB16 Ultra, and I now have two Arendal 1723 2V.

I recall running some CEA-2010 bursts in-room with the PB16U and Arendal 2V in the same spot, and while I don’t recall the specific results, I remember them being very similar.

Both subs are excellent subwoofers with good output and extension down to 10 Hz if you want it. Both can also be plugged and operated in sealed mode if that’s your thing, but I’d just leave the port open on both for the (much) greater output.

To me the main differences would be the excellent finish of the Arendal (though tastes may differ here). The «satin black» that I have is a beautiful semi-matte finish, and I’m sure the other finishes are excellent too. SVS has a nice smart phone app, and Arendal is releasing theirs soon.

A big plus for the Arendal 2V is the opposing drivers causing the subwoofer to be basically completely vibration free. Considering their size, it’s very nice to be able to use them as tables from time to time without worrying about them shaking things off. The SVS PB16U could shake fairly significantly when playing loud. I did have the optional, fairly squishy, soundpath isolation feet though.

While SVS has a great reputation for customer support, I think that’s primarily in the US, while in EU you’d be more at the mercy of the local dealer. I suspect Arendal might be better on that front in the EU. I don’t have any actual support experience since my units are working well, but they do have a good reputation as far as I can tell.

I don’t think you’d regret either choice.

Thanks a bunch for the reply and for sharing your personal experience!

I couldn't agree more with you, that you can use the Arendal as a gorgeous table and not be afraid of braking anything.

As for the App, I've heard that Arendal is releasing it soon and their subwoofers are ready for it. So no problem about that.

The Arendal customer support seemed also great to me, they reply super fast and answer all of my questions and concerns. Don't get me wrong, I've worked with SVS in the past and their support is epic! The local dealers for the SVS market in Europe is sad for sure, especially in my country where they don't make much by selling those.. Imagine that a local dealer wanted to sell me an Elac sub instead of the SVS, saying it would be more "musical" and not boomy..

The 1723 2V costs 2500euros whereas the PB16U 3500euros (!). Considering that and the fact that those two are very similar, I think that Arendal has my vote.. But how would it compare against the XTZ 3x12?

 

[Qbd]

The 1723 2V costs 2500euros whereas the PB16U 3500euros (!). Considering that and the fact that those two are very similar, I think that Arendal has my vote.

The cost difference makes it that much easier to add another 2V when you crave even more .

Don’t get me wrong, a single 2V should hit pretty hard in your room. But I have a smaller room (3x4.2x2.7 m WxDxH) and I’m dreaming about adding another pair!

 

[Nathan11]

The cost difference makes it that much easier to add another 2V when you crave even more .

Don’t get me wrong, a single 2V should hit pretty hard in your room. But I have a smaller room (3x4.2x2.7 m WxDxH) and I’m dreaming about adding another pair!

I like the way you think!

Coming from a PB-1000, the difference should night and day, I assume.. Does the 2V allow its user to run it hot, maybe even with Dynamic Equalizer enabled?

 

[jtwrace]

Any other subwoofer suggestion is very welcome.
Thank you.

Rythmik

Rythmik Audio • Direct Servo subwoofer products

 

[Qbd]

Does the 2V allow its user to run it hot, maybe even with Dynamic Equalizer enabled?

I don’t think the 2V has Dynamic EQ, but the 7 band PEQ should be adjustable live with the app, so it should be fairly easily customizable once that is out!

 

[Nathan11]

Rythmik

Rythmik Audio • Direct Servo subwoofer products

I thought Rythmik subs were for the US only. If they're shipped to Europe and the expenses are reasonable, then yes, they're beasts as I've heard.

 

[Nathan11]

I don’t think the 2V has Dynamic EQ, but the 7 band PEQ should be adjustable live with the app, so it should be fairly easily customizable once that is out!

Oh, I meant the Dynamic EQ from the AVR. I'm planning on connecting the 2V with an AVR for some movie action. Dynamic EQ from Denon AVR's boost the low frequencies.

 

[jtwrace]

I thought Rythmik subs were for the US only. If they're shipped to Europe and the expenses are reasonable, then yes, they're beasts as I've heard.

he ships international