Thursday, 02 January 2020 12:23

Arendal Sound 1961 - Building bridges Featured

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At the end of 2015, Jan Ove Lassesen surprised the Norwegian HiFi and AV world with the launch of a brand new speaker manufacturer - Arendal Sound. Now comes the next big step. Arendal Sound premiered the news in the end of October, and now the prices for the entire series have been revealed.

One of the big surprises in 2015 was that Arendal Sound had a complete speaker series ready from the beginning when we wrote about this news in Space Christmas 2015. And in the meantime it has been possible to test both Arendal Sound 1723 Monitor , and after eventually also the latest creation in 1723 series - 1723 Bookshelf S .

Lassesen is a history-conscious Arendals Patriot, and with the first series of the producer pointing to the year when Arendal was founded, it should come as no surprise that he has chosen another important year for the new series that was announced in late October. 1961 is this year - it was the year Arendal city got a long-awaited bridge over to Tromøya.

1961 – Building Bridges

And when the new series named 1961 got the nickname Building Bridges, there is of course a dual meaning in this bridge building. Because although 1961 is a whole new series, there are a number of similarities that bridge the 1723 series. Also sound, if we believe Jan Ove Lassesen.

At the same time, this is a series of significantly more compact speakers than the 1723 series, and it may be a smart move by Arendal Sound. Because even though the old series sure is a well-made series, it is probably a little too dominating to get acceptance from the boss in many of the country's living rooms. In addition, you maight struggle With the Space for a complete 1723 setup in a compact TV room.

Therefore, there is a great need for a more compact and room-friendly series from Arendal Sound, but a series that hopefully retains most of the brilliant sound qualities of 1723. And this we assume is 1961's main agenda.

Many similarities

As suggested earlier, there are several similarities between 1961 and 1723. The design is one of these similarities, although the full-range speakers in 1961-series have got a simpler - and in some their eyes - even more sober alignment by dropping the chamfering of corners on these HDF enclosures. The treble is also one of the similarities, where a 28mm dome in the 1961 series is placed in a Waveguide similar to the one we find in the 1723 series. And it seems to be an equally high finish at the speaker terminals, even though the 1961 series only has single-wiring terminals, and thus lacks the icing on the cake, represented by the beautiful 1723 short-circuit brackets.

The new model consists of two subwoofers, and a total of 6 different models of full-range speakers - a truly complete series for a surround setup.

On Wall?

Arendal Sound has made an interesting move when it comes to the form factor on Three of the models. They have a depth of just 15 cm, which means that they are somewhere between ordinary tripod speakers and dedicated on-wall models. And the important thing is that we are not talking about neither / nor, but about both / and. For this depth it is sufficientl for standing stable on a stand or bench, but at the same time it is sufficiently small that it must be assumed to function well as on-wall speakers, also visually. This move allows the 1961 series to gain an additional market segment for a customer group in need of on-wall speakers.

 

Arendal Sound 1961 Tower

The 1961 Tower is the top model in the 1961 series. A relatively narrow 2-way floor speaker that holds four. 5.5-inch - an element that is repeated in all full-range models in the series. This is a bass reflex, done with a port that can be closed.

Price for 1961 Tower is € 1.499 a pair

Arendal Sound 1961 Monitor

The 1961 Monitor is the largest of the standmount models, and in addition to the waveguide treble, it has two pieces of the 5.5-inch midrange and bass. This is a completely Sealed model.

The price for 1961 Monitor is € 899 a pair.

Arendal Sound 1961 Center

The 1961 Center is technically identical to the 1961 Monitor, but the terminals and brackets for wall hangings are obviously rotated.

The price for the 1961 Center is € 499

Arendal Sound 1961 Surround

1961 Surround is a Triaxial surround speaker. The front consists of the same baffle as the 1961 Bookshelf, and features a Waveguide treble and a 5.5-inch. But in addition, Arendal Sound has added a 3-inch full tone on each side, connected as a dipole.

The price for 1961 Surround is € 799 a pair.

Arendal Sound 1961 Height

1961 Height is, as its name suggests, a dedicated loudspeaker. It has dimensions that allow it fit to be laid flat on top of a 1961 Tower. It can then be set up as an Atmos-enabled speaker in the processor / receiver setup menu.

But it also may be used as a full-blooded height-speaker, mounted on the wall or in the ceiling.

The 1961 Height has the same size as the 1961 Bookshelf, with a waveguide and a 5.5-inch.

The price for 1961 Height is € 699, -  a pair.

Arendal Sound 1961 Bookshelf

The 1961 Monitor is the most affordable model in the series and, like the 1961 Monitor, is also suitable as a pure compact stereo speaker. Here we find a Waveguide with 28mm treble, and a 5.5-inch midrange / bass.

The price for the 1961 Bookshelf is € 699, -  a pair.

Arendal Sound 1961 Subwoofer 1V

The 1961 Subwoofer 1V is the top model of the 1961 series subs, and is fitted with a 12.2-inch woofer. To power this element, Arendal Sound has installed a 550 watt amplifier, along with an Avalanche 550 IQ DSP. The manufacturer claims that this, in combination with a perfectly tuned cabinet, will provide low distortion, extreme dynamics and deep, natural bass.

The price of the 1961 Subwoofer 1V is  € 999

Arendal Sound 1961 Subwoofer 1S

The 1961 Subwoofer 1S is the smallest model in the 1961 series, but is by no means a spring-chicken . It has the same 12.2-inch element and machinery as the bigger brother, but housed in a more compact cabinet.

The price for the 1961 Subwoofer 1S is  € 799

 

Read more about the 1961 series at Arendal Sound

 

 

Last modified on Thursday, 02 January 2020 13:15
Karl Erik Sylthe

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