Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

1723 Speakers
Performance
Build Quality
Value

2V Subwoofer
Performance
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $10,146 (complete system)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Understated elegance
Precision crafted
Incredibly detailed sound
Well thought out design

Minus
Heavy, bring friends when unpacking and installing
5 digit price could put a dent in your wallet
App still doesn’t like me

THE VERDICT
Words like entertaining, fun, captivating and commanding can all be used to describe what the Arendal 1723 series is capable of. The overall sense is of a company that took their time to get it right, and then executed the plan to near perfection. There aren’t many instances where I struggle to find flaws, but with Arendal it’s a challenge to do so. It feels a little like deja vu for me, that’s the same conclusion I had with their smaller 1723 S system. Guess brilliance runs in the family.

I’m moving up in the world it seems. In March of 2023 I published an article on Arendal Sound’s 1723 S speakers and 2S subwoofer, one step below the flagship 1723 and 2V subwoofer. I was impressed with the brand and their products back then, I felt the S series was something special.

Performance
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE

Plus
Excellent treble clarity
Warm, rich bass
Placement flexibility
Minus
Powerful amplifier
Minimal tonal controls on remote
Dialogue clarity

THE VERDICT
The Klipsch The Nines speakers are in the Heritage Inspired Speaker line, and the sound signature is certainly aligned with their historic products. Warm, rich, with that legendary detailed high end that is always a classic.

Klipsch The Nines, found in the Heritage Inspired Speaker lineup, harken back to a time when HiFi stereos were all the rage. Even The Nines’ logo is 100% mid-century modern inspired.

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Outstanding full-dome Atmos movie effects
Superb spatial audio music reproduction
Plays loud without distortion
Minus
Expensive
No spatial audio streaming from the Sonos Tidal app

THE VERDICT
Sonos has scored a knockout with the Era 300 spatial audio surround speaker, which finally brings the full promise of Dolby Atmos to their flagship soundbar.

Back in 2020 I reviewed the then-new Sonos Arc soundbar for Sound & Vision, and it never left my family room. It’s been swapped out multiple times while I reviewed other Atmos-compliant soundbars, and some of these were mighty impressive.

Performance
Build Quality
Ergonomics
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Outstanding sound quality, dynamic abilities
Deep bass extension
Subwoofer output
Minus
No music-data or volume display
On the large side for stand-mount use

THE VERDICT
Big, powerful, flexible, dynamic, and all-around-excellent streaming loudspeakers.

How do you know when an audio trend is more than just a bandwagon? When America’s oldest hi-fi brand climbs on board. (Yes, I know that JBL and Klipsch were both founded in 1946. But JBL’s earliest incarnation goes back to the 1930’s.)

Performance
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Compact
Clear and precise sound
Wall mountable
Tunable subwoofer EQ
Minus
4 ohms impedance
Low sensitivity

The Verdict
This 5.1 HTiB speaker system combined with a suitable AVR offers a high-performance yet compact alternative to soundbars. The concentric driver satellites provide pinpoint imaging that results in cohesive surround-sound envelopment. Even with stereo music you get a listening experience that defies expectations for a system this small in size and cost.

Home Theater in a Box Done Right
The classic HTiB—an all-in-one subwoofer/satellite speaker system—was long ago supplanted by soundbars as the go-to upgrade for TV audio. But a solid HTiB system, with the speakers properly placed and paired with the right AVR, is a great way to get superior surround-sound on a budget—so long as the components are high quality.

System
Performance
Build Quality
Value

Subwoofer
Performance
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Crisp, clear sound
Nice depth
Tight imaging
Excellent fit and finish
Minus
Needs a subwoofer for movies

THE VERDICT
Monitor Audio’s longstanding reputation of delivering great sound and solid value remains very much intact with the new Silver 7G speaker series.

I've reviewed many Monitor Audio speakers over the years. When I lived in California, I reviewed the Silver 10s. Later, after I moved east, I bought a pair of the Silver 10s (actually three of them—long story), and when Monitor released a proper three-way Silver Series center speaker, I acquired one of those, too. When other speakers aren't in-house for review, that Silver trio becomes the core of a Franken-system that includes surrounds, overhead Atmos speakers, and subwoofers from other brands.

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Clean-sounding dialogue
Silky detail
Big, open presentation
Minus
Limited deep bass (without sub)

THE VERDICT
Elac’s new Uni-Fi Reference series can hang with many far larger and pricier loudspeakers. Just add a subwoofer or two to this system for movies, and you’ll be good to go.

German speaker company Elac has had quite a run over the past few years, with designer Andrew Jones turning out new models on an annual basis after setting the audio world on its ears in 2016 with the Elac Debut. Following the Debut's launch, the company came out with the pricier Uni-Fi. A three-way bookshelf design, the Uni-Fi incorporated a coincident midrange-woofer that positions the tweeter at the apex of the midrange cone where the dust cap usually sits.