Note: measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada’s National Research Council can be found through this link.

With its imposing stature and clean, Nordic design, Arendal Sound’s 1723 Tower THX loudspeaker commands attention the moment you see it. Sitting before my review pair, I could visualize the hominids gazing at the monolith in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and imagine these big floorstanders playing the opening fanfare from Richard Strauss’s Thus Spake Zarathustra. Nearly four feet tall, the 1723 Tower THX projects authority and sets the expectation of sonic mastery.

Of course, size alone doesn’t guarantee performance, but it certainly carries an implied promise of dynamic scale and deep bass extension. While I expected the 1723 Towers to deliver ample low-frequency output, I wondered if they could marry that power with accuracy, control, and—hopefully—even refinement.

Arendal says its 1723 THX series is “engineered for music” and “certified for cinema.” The second part of this claim refers to the fact that all five models in the series have THX Ultra certification, the third category in THX’s four size-based certification classes. According to THX’s website, “THX Certified Ultra products bring the cinematic experience to larger home theaters, up to 3,000 cubic feet in size, with a viewing distance of ~12 feet from the screen.”

Besides the range-topping 1723 Tower THX, the series includes the 1723 Monitor THX, a two-way, three-driver standmount speaker; the 1723 Surround THX, which contains front- and side-firing drivers; and the 1723 Center THX, a two-way design with dual 8″ woofers and a 1.1″ tweeter. Arendal also offers four 1723-series subwoofers.

Arendal Sound sells direct to consumers in countries around the world. Pricing is all-inclusive, covering shipping, taxes, and import duties. The 1723 Tower THX sells for US$4200 (US$4700 for Canadian purchasers), £3200, or €3800 per pair. The company offers a 60-day audition period with free return shipping for American and European customers, and a ten-year transferable warranty.

Each speaker comes double-boxed, protected by foam inserts and nestled in a monogrammed drawstring cloth bag . . . très chic. White cloth gloves are included, along with a printed manual and a warranty card. There’s also a kit with dual outrigger bars and mounting screws, steel spikes, protective discs for hardwood floors, and bolt-in puck feet that provide a very sturdy footing. A fabric-covered perforated metal grille is provided for each speaker. These are the firmest-gripping magnetic grilles I have ever tried. Rubber coating on the magnets prevents the painted speaker baffles from being marred.

The package also includes plugs for the three rear bass ports. These allow the speaker to be used sealed or vented, with the latter best suited to large rooms or when the speaker is placed farther from walls. I’ll provide more detail on the port plugs’ effects in the Setup section.

The 1723 Tower THX has a painted cabinet, available in either Black Satin or White Satin. My review pair had the Black Satin finish. Overall, I thought the build quality was excellent for the price. I found the aesthetic understated—stealthy with the grilles on, and tastefully menacing with the grilles off.

Description

Atop its outrigger feet, the 1723 Tower THX measures 46.9″H × 14.6″W × 15.7″D. At 111.6 pounds, it’s surprisingly heavy, even for a full-size floorstander. That’s due in no small part to the fact that the enclosure is built from high-density fiberboard as opposed to the medium-density fiberboard used for most other loudspeakers. HDF weighs about 30% more per unit volume than MDF, and this greater density makes for a more rigid and vibration-resistant cabinet structure, which should lead to greater clarity and better imaging. The HDF used here varies in thicknesses from 18 to 50mm, with the thickest panels used in the baffle and base. The front baffle is slightly raked back to ensure optimal time alignment of the multiple drivers. Internal bracing and a butyl-based mass-damping layer within the enclosure walls minimize cabinet resonances.

The 1723 Tower THX is a 2.5-way design utilizing four 8″ polymer midrange-woofers and a single 1.1″ soft-dome tweeter in a custom waveguide. The two bottom woofers operate from 120Hz downward. The top two midrange-woofers (one above and one below the tweeter) cross over to the tweeter at 1500Hz. Fourth-order slopes are used throughout.

The single tweeter comes from Dr. Kurt Müller GmbH & Co., a respected driver manufacturer with over 100 years of experience. The tweeter was chosen for its low diaphragm weight, its self-damping characteristics, and its pistonic behavior, which combine to deliver what Arendal describes as a “sweet sound character and consistent frequency response.” It uses a large, high-grade neodymium ring magnet; a ferrofluid-cooled, underhung voice coil with high-temperature polyimide copper-clad aluminum wire (CCAW); and copper and aluminum shorting rings that are said to lower distortion and prevent thermal compression. The tweeter’s high efficiency and high power-handling allow the unusually low crossover frequency. The custom-designed aluminum-HDF waveguide controls directivity and improves dispersion characteristics. The result, Arendal says, is more consistent response across the listening window and improved matching to the midrange-woofers, allowing for a simplified crossover.

The 8″ woofer is a bespoke design with a CCAW voice coil, which is vented for reduced compression and improved dynamics; an aluminum shorting ring for reduced inductance, broader frequency bandwidth, and lower distortion; and a lightweight long-fiber pulp cone with a custom coating that improves self-damping.

Above the three bass ports on the rear panel are four binding posts made of CNC-machined copper, which is impressive, as most speakers use less-conductive materials such as brass. The copper posts are polished and rhodium-coated for corrosion resistance and hardness. The posts handle banana, spade, pin, and bare-wire connections. The jumpers are also made of rhodium-plated machined copper. The posts are mounted on an anodized brushed-aluminum plate that provides a solid mounting point for the large crossover inside the enclosure.

Specified anechoic frequency response is 48Hz–20kHz, ±2.5dB, with a -6dB point of 37Hz and typical in-room bass extension of 16Hz. Nominal impedance is 4 ohms, and sensitivity is 92dB (2.83V/1m).

Setup

For this review, I connected the 1723 Tower THX speakers to my Bryston 7B³ monoblock amps with a 3m pair of QED Supremus Zr speaker cables, and used my Bryston BR‑20 streaming preamplifier to stream from Qobuz and Tidal via Roon. I also played some vinyl on my analog rig, which comprises a Rega Planar 10 turntable, a Rega Apheta 3 moving-coil cartridge, and a Gold Note PH‑10 phono preamp with matching PSU‑10 power supply.

All listening was done in my 7.75′H × 18.5′W × 13′D acoustically treated listening room, with the loudspeakers placed 3′ from the front wall, 21″ from the side walls, 8′ apart, and just over 9′ from my seat. I found they benefitted from a toe-in of about 10 degrees, putting the tweeters basically on-axis to my ears.

I listened briefly with the grilles in place, and found them quite acoustically transparent. But I preferred the sound with the grilles off—there was slightly higher treble balance—so I left the speakers bare during my critical listening.

Arendal goes into some detail on its website on the use of plugs. With all three ports open, maximum bass output is guaranteed, with a ‑3dB point of 38Hz but a steep rolloff of 24dB/octave below that frequency. With two ports open, the ‑3dB point falls to 34Hz. Plugging all ports results in a ‑3dB point of 55Hz, Arendal says. In that configuration, the speaker is effectively a sealed design, with a gentler rolloff of 12dB/octave.

In my listening room, I found that having two ports open and one plugged yielded the best combination of bass weight, articulation, and overall clarity.

Listening

With bass on my mind, I cued up “Limit to Your Love” from James Blake’s self-titled debut album (16‑bit/44.1kHz, Polydor / Tidal). As expected, the low end was thrillingly dynamic, with impressive weight and extension, but it was also taut and articulate. The deep, pulsating synth notes that punctuate the song had thunderous authority. It wasn’t all about the bass, though. The piano notes shimmered with brilliance, yet retained their natural warmth, avoiding any hint of glare even at elevated volumes. I heard not only the keystrokes, but the resonance of the soundboard. Similarly, the woodblock had a tactile quality that made each strike feel palpable. Cymbals had an appropriately metallic sheen and a satin-like smoothness that kept them polite. Blake’s voice emerged smoothly and organically, sounding slightly larger than I’m accustomed to, while deftly sidestepping any trace of sibilance.

The Arendal towers provided a standout performance on “Shape of My Heart” from classical guitarist Dominic Miller’s 2002 album Shapes (16/44.1 FLAC, Decca / Tidal). They reproduced the distant orchestral strings and Miller’s delicate guitar plucks in the opening passage with remarkable clarity. The soundstage unfolded with precision: Miller’s guitar positioned mid-left, bass guitar anchored in the center-rear, orchestral strings forward-right, and hand percussion slightly right of center, set just behind Sting’s centered vocals. There was a pleasing roundness to note edges, with image outlines gently tapered rather than sharply etched. Sting’s vocals sounded wonderfully organic, carrying a hint of midrange warmth that gave them a relaxed, liquid character.

On “The Fade Out Line” from Phoebe Killdeer & the Short Straws’ 2011 album Innerquake (16/44.1 FLAC, Kwaidan / Tidal), the steely resonance of the electric guitar in the opening was beautifully balanced by natural tonal richness. The kettle-drum strikes were impressively weighty and authoritative, yet absent of bloat. Killdeer’s vocals, though not perfectly recorded, were rendered with surprising finesse. The inherent dryness of the recording was softened by the Towers’ smoothness, allowing for extended listening at high volumes without fatigue. What stood out most was the speakers’ ability to weave all these elements into a coherent musical tapestry, avoiding any hint of clinical sterility and instead delivering a presentation that was highly engaging and thoroughly enjoyable.

Through the Arendal towers, “Round Midnight” by Markus Fritzsche and Philippe Chrétien from their 2012 album Saxnbass (16/44.1 FLAC, iMusician Digital / Qobuz) was a memorable listen. Fritzsche’s double bass and Chrétien’s tenor sax are both close-miked on this recording, and that was clearly evident through the Arendals. But the sound never became analytical. The opening saxophone notes sounded full and lush, with just the right degree of reediness. The Norwegian speakers kept any dryness in check, creating the impression of hearing the sax “unplugged.” The double bass was equally impressive—full and lifelike, with an up-close presentation that conveyed the instrument’s true scale. The dynamic snap of each pluck was followed by the big, woody resonance of the instrument’s soundbox. Imaging was commendable, and the size of the two instruments was rendered naturally, with lifelike focus and pleasing roundness.

Jens Thomas’s cover of “After the Gold Rush” from Neil Young Collage (16/44.1 FLAC, O‑Tone / Qobuz) sounded beautiful through the Arendal speakers. The piano had immense scale, creating the sensation of being inside the instrument. On this recording, the clang of the hardest piano notes can sound aggressive at elevated volumes, but the 1723 Towers maintained composure, avoiding any harshness. Thomas’s voice was rendered with similar scale, so that I felt as if I was sitting before a gentle singing giant. The background vocals floated just beyond the outer edges of the speakers. The 1723 Towers showcased their ability to convey a soundstage with abundant breadth and depth, while also providing a sense of height.

An epic experience

I have a home theater on the main floor of my home, but the dedicated listening room in the basement is for music only—there’s no television or projector down there. Recognizing that Arendal designed these THX Ultra–certified towers for home theater as well as music, I decided to MacGyver a video setup to get a sense of how they might perform with a big sci‑fi epic. What better choice for these impressive monolithic speakers than 2001: A Space Odyssey? I connected my Acer Aspire A515 laptop to the Bryston BR‑20’s USB input, streamed the movie from STARZ via Apple TV+, then watched it on the laptop’s 15.6″ screen, with the Arendal 1723s powered by my Bryston 7B³ monoblocks.

In the opening scene, I appreciated the Arendals’ ability to contrast the quiet sounds of chirping crickets on the rocky savannah with the threatening roar of a pouncing leopard and the panicked reaction of the apes. A little later, dawn breaks, accompanied by atonal choral passages from György Ligeti’s Requiem, as the waking hominids chatter in the foreground. Through the Arendal Towers, the choral voices sounded convincingly corporeal, creating an eerie, almost mystical atmosphere. The waveguided tweeter projected the upper harmonics from the choir cleanly into the room while presenting individual voices with a silken edge.

In the iconic scene in front of the monolith, in which the alpha-male hominid discovers how to use a bone as a weapon, the Arendals reproduced the big fanfare from Thus Spake Zarathustra majestically. The brass and percussion of the Berlin Philharmonic were clearly defined, with imposing weight and presence, and the big organ chords had the gravitas that Strauss and Kubrick surely intended.

A little further along comes the epic scene where the bone (now a weapon) arcs skyward, tossed by the hominid before it transforms into an orbiting spacecraft. Once again, the 1723 Towers showed their facility with large-scale symphonic music, reproducing the Berlin Philharmonic’s performance of The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II with effortless grace, balancing the delicate build and bloom of the strings with the brass and woodwinds. The timpani were presented with timbral integrity, the lower registers delivered without bloat. There was a velvety smoothness to the presentation of this beautiful music that perfectly complemented the visuals.

Based on this experience, I have no doubt that these Arendal floorstanders would serve as a wonderful foundation for a full surround-sound setup.

Comparisons

I compared the Arendal 1723 THXs with two other floorstanders: my Dynaudio Confidence C2 Signatures (discontinued, US$15,000/pair at the time of their review in 2012) and my Monitor Audio Silver 300 6Gs (discontinued, replaced by the Silver 300 7Gs at US$3299/pair).

Listening to “Norbu” from Bruno Coulais’s soundtrack to Himalaya: The Rearing of a Chief (16/44.1 FLAC, Peermusic France / Qobuz), the 1723 Towers had greater weight in the lower registers than the Dynaudios. Through the Towers, the huge drum thwacks at the beginning of the piece sounded more commanding and authoritative. But the 1723s sacrificed some tonal complexity and ultimate low-end extension compared to the C2s. The Arendals laid out a very dark background, darker than the C2s; conversely, the Dynaudios delivered a greater sense of air, space, and openness within the soundstage. Vocals through the Arendals were smooth, natural, and convincingly human, whereas the C2s provided greater microdetail and nuance within the midrange, delivering more insight into the recording. Image size was larger with the Arendal 1723 Towers, while the C2s provided sharper and more focused images, as well as greater upper-treble extension.

The Monitor Audio Silver 300 6G is a considerably smaller speaker than the Arendal 1723 Tower THX, but it is still very capable in terms of bass and dynamics. To compare the two speakers, I put Ray Montford’s A Fragile Balance (Softail Records AFB07LP) on my Rega turntable and played “Arrival” from side B. Through the Arendal 1723s, the steel-string guitar sounded sweet, delicate, and rich in tone, whereas the Silver 300 presented the guitar strings more sharply and cleanly. Percussion through the 1723s had a physical, almost tactile quality. I was aware of the slap of the skins and the resonating drum bodies. The Silver 300s provided sharper leading-edge attacks, emphasizing pace and delivering a punchier sound, while the Arendals provided a more relaxed and warmer presentation. Cymbals were smoother through the Arendals, while the Silver 300s reproduced them more incisively, with greater presence. Soundstage size was similar on both systems, though the Monitor Audios offered a greater sense of space between images. Dynamics were more forceful with the 1723s, whereas the Silver 300s sounded nimbler.

Conclusion

Arendal Sound’s 1723 Tower THX is a loudspeaker that marries scale with sophistication. In my listening, these big floorstanders delivered bass that was deep and powerful, but also impressively articulate. This was accompanied by a midrange with natural warmth and liquidity, so that they brought voices and instruments to life without ever sounding clinical. High frequencies were smooth and refined, free from glare or harshness, ensuring long, fatigue-free listening sessions. With their ability to project large, convincing images within expansive soundstages, Arendal’s 1723 Towers created immersive experiences with both music and movies.

If you’re seeking a pair of loudspeakers that combine composure, authority, and a majestic sense of presence, the Arendal 1723 Tower THXs deserve a serious audition.

. . . George de Sa
george@soundstage.com

Associated Equipment:

• Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Confidence C2 Signature, Monitor Audio Silver 300 6G
• Streaming preamplifier: Bryston BR‑20
• Amplifiers: Bryston 7B³ monoblocks
• Music server: Roon Core on Mac Mini 16GB/256GB, Western Digital My Passport Ultra 1TB USB HDD
• Notebook computer: Acer Aspire A515
• Turntable: Rega Planar 10 with Rega Apheta 3 MC cartridge
• Phono stage: Gold Note PH‑10 and PSU‑10
• Cables: Audio Sensibility Statement speaker cables, interconnects, and power cables; QED Signature Supremus Zr 3m speaker cables; Pangea AC‑9 Mk 2 power cables; Zavfino 1877 Fusion balanced XLR interconnects; Van Damme XLR interconnects, Furutech ADL Alpha Line Plus 1m (RCA) interconnect; XLO Signature 3 Series RCA 2m; Furutech ADL Formula 2 USB cable
• Foundations: Quadraspire SV3T audio rack
• Network: Netgear wireless modem

Arendal Sound 1723 Tower THX loudspeaker
Price: US$4200 (US$4700 for Canadian purchasers), £3200, or €3800 per pair, including shipping, sales taxes, and import duties
Warranty: Ten years, parts and labor; 60-day audition period with free return policy for the US and European mainland

Arendal Sound
Industritoppen 6C
4848 Arendal
Norway

Website: www.arendalsound.com