Arendal Sound Launches 1610 Series Loudspeakers
Norwegian manufacturer Arendal Sound has officially unveiled the new 1610 Series, a four-model speaker lineup positioned below its flagship 1528 range and built in direct response to customer demand for high-end performance in more practical, real-world setups. Launching February 10, the 1610 Series focuses on flexibility, placement tolerance, and balanced performance across music and film.
If you’ve followed Arendal’s trajectory over the past decade, you know they’ve built a reputation around serious engineering and a direct-to-consumer model that avoids traditional retail markups. What makes the 1610 Series interesting is that it doesn’t attempt to dilute that philosophy. Instead, it adapts it to rooms that are less than perfect and listening environments that look more like actual homes than demo spaces.
Built for Real Rooms, Not Showrooms
The 1610 Series includes four models: the 1610 Tower 8, 1610 Bookshelf 8, 1610 Slim 8, and 1610 Center 8. All are three-way designs, and all share the same voicing and acoustic intent. That consistency matters because it allows buyers to build or expand a system over time without tonal shifts or mismatched presentation.
From a design perspective, the series carries over several core technologies from the 1528 lineup. This includes Arendal’s RØST Essence architecture, time-aligned design for coherent wave propagation, controlled dispersion via shaped waveguides, and rigid HDF cabinet construction. These are engineering-driven decisions aimed at predictable performance rather than marketing differentiation.
The company clearly leaned into practical listening realities with this release. The 1610 Series is engineered to account for compromised placement, varied listening distances, and imperfect room acoustics. Music remains a reference point, but home cinema performance is treated as equally important, creating a system that transitions smoothly between stereo listening and multichannel playback.
Positioned for Long-Term Value
Founder Jan Ove Lassesen framed the 1610 Series as a deliberate repositioning of the company’s reference point. Instead of anchoring everything to flagship territory, Arendal is offering a high-performance system at a lower entry cost without changing its core sound philosophy. Pricing starts at £1800, $2100, or €2300, depending on region.
Each model is available in Basalt and Polar finishes and comes with the same ownership structure Arendal is known for: a 60-day home audition, free returns in the USA and EU mainland, a 10-year warranty, and direct customer support. That package reinforces the company’s commitment to reducing uncertainty for buyers, especially those investing in multi-speaker systems.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in early March, with regional timing varying slightly between Europe and the United States. Orders placed at launch will receive priority allocation from the first production batches.
The name 1610 references the year Arendal earned international trading rights, symbolizing expansion and independence. In practical terms, this series reflects that evolution. It takes lessons from the flagship tier and refines them into a format that fits more spaces and more listeners, without compromising on engineering fundamentals.
For anyone looking at serious speaker systems that balance music fidelity with cinematic impact, the 1610 Series positions itself as a measured, value-conscious entry point into Norwegian engineering without sacrificing performance intent.
