[Tone Depth]

When you reference the "decay of a piano note" are you describing reproducing the recorded decay?

Got my 1528's in 2 days.  My initial impressions are a huge WOW!  Just fabulous.  Sound stage is huge, tall, wide and deep.  Bass shakes the room. Top end is oh so smooth without grain or fatigue.  The air and transparency is great but the midrange is tonally rich, not thin.  The sweet spot is big.  They are very dynamic.  I am listening to Anouar Brahem "The Astounding Eyes or Rita" and ECM recording and it is so holographic. 

I am running them with the Marantz PM-KI Ruby Integrated amp.  I was going to sell it and get a tube amp like the Black Ice F35v2 or the Galion 120se, but now I am not so sure I want to sell it.  I will have to see how they sound with my Pass amp and BAT preamp and I will report back.

Piano has natural tone and sounds real with excellent decay.

The speakers are very clean with no edginess.  They have a hint of darkness and warmth which could be due to the Marantz.  Nothing bright about these speakers.

It fills my 17x17x9 room up and it is very holographic sounding.  It is uncanny.

These may be a keeper.  They are huge and  bigger in person.  I think the Fed Ex guy got a hernia lifting them.  I watched him unload them.  My wife hasn't seen them yet so if I decide to keep them, I have to get her approval.

Guys, I have not heard a speaker at this price range give this kind of sound.  These can easily sell for $12K if sold in stores.  They actually sound like  tower speakers.  I really wanted the 1528 Monitor 8's which are mid towers but there is no need for them in my size room.  It would be overkill.

I am open for questions and will  try and answer them.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Yes, the recorded decay.  The speakers are very detailed and clear.  Of course electronics play a large roll as well.  The Marantz has excellent decay and the speakers allow that to shine through.  I am going to keep the speakers. I purchased some stands off amazon that I like better then the stands that Arendal sells and they are $1k less then theirs.

I am still on the fence with the Ruby though.  On one hand I love the tone, texture and bass.  On the other hand I would like just a little bit more detail since my Pass and BAT gives me gobs of detail and resolution. I keep thinking I should buy a used Marantz PM10.  There really are no pro reviews on it.  And user reviews are some what mixed.  Or I may order a black ice F35 or Galion TS120SE to compare to the Ruby.

[mr_bill]

Hi Larry, how are you enjoying your new Arendal speakers?

[I.Greyhound Fan]

I am loving them.  Best speakers that I have owned.  I am trying to find an amp that suits them.  I just got a Marantz PM10 today.  Very neutral but detailed sound with huge, tall, deep sound stage.  Tremendous air and transparency.   Fast, tight bass.  Way different than the Ruby which is warmer and more musical.

[mr_bill]

Credible reviews on the Marantz PM10 are impossible to find!  Great to hear these comments Larry, as I've always wondered about the PM10.
Also fun to hear how much you like the new speakers,

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Credible reviews on the Marantz PM10 are impossible to find!  Great to hear these comments Larry, as I've always wondered about the PM10.
Also fun to hear how much you like the new speakers,

I found 1 or 2.  There are some user reviews on the Steve Hoffman forums.  It is definitely a reference type integrated.  It is built like a tank.  The binding posts are fabulous as are the rca ports. I am using XLR as it is a true mono design with 3 separate power supplies, 1 for each amp and a LPS for the preamp.

[TomS]

Maybe consider a Soulnote A-1 or A-2 integrated from The Music Room. Designed by ex Marantz people, beautifully built, made in Japan. Very nice stuff.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Maybe consider a Soulnote A-1 or A-2 integrated from The Music Room. Designed by ex Marantz people, beautifully built, made in Japan. Very nice stuff.

Thanks Tom.  I will certainly take a look at those if I do not keep the PM-10.  If I could merge the tone and punch of the Ruby to the detail, sound stage and clarity of the PM-10 I would have the perfect amp for me.  I may just go the tube route as I had planned initially.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Well, I fixed the poor bass of the PM10, by adding a VST3 plugin for a pararametric equalizer.   I dialed up the bass from 20 to 54hz and the bass was back.
I was even able dampen brightness and did de-essing sibilance.  I also took out some peakiness in female vocals.

Now the PM-10 is on par or  better than the Pass system.

There is a smoother yet more detailed sound and I can't believe I am saying this, a wider sound stage that seems to extend thru the side walls. The Pass went to the walls but this it different.