Short answer: the Arendal 1961 Monitor for better sound quality, the Emotiva B1+ for the lower price. The Arendal 1961 Monitor ranks #8 of 87 bookshelf speakers at $1150. The Emotiva B1+ ranks #17 at $250, $900 cheaper.
What the Arendal 1961 Monitor offers: A physically robust build the reviewer calls “a little bit of a tank,” delivering low compression, low distortion, and overall really good neutrality - one of the reviewer’s top 10 picks under $1,500 across roughly 250 speakers tested. Works well both as home theater mains and as surrounds. Independent ASR Klippel measurements corroborate the low-distortion finding: THD at 86dB SPL/1m stays well below the reviewer’s audibility threshold, and even at 96dB SPL/1m it stays “far better than most bookshelves” thanks to the built-in high-pass filter that protects the woofers. Watch for: Bass rolls off around 70-80Hz, so it cannot be used as full-range mains for music without a subwoofer, and a sub is recommended for home theater use as well. Vertical radiation window is narrow, typical of MTM (mid-tweeter-mid) layouts - tighter than a standard two-way’s roughly ±20° - so a second home theater row sitting above or below the tweeter axis will hear a noticeably different tonal balance. ASR’s CEA2034 measurements show the response is elevated above 2kHz with resonant peaks around 3kHz and 9kHz, leading the reviewer to predict it will “likely sound bright.” Those same resonances show up as lingering ridges in the cumulative spectral decay (waterfall) at 96dB SPL/1m.
What the Emotiva B1+ offers: Rated 4.1 in the SpeakerRanking database. Watch for: Resonance and peak from 1-2khz. A little bright up top. Not great vertically off-axis
Buy the Arendal 1961 Monitor if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Emotiva B1+ if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| Arendal 1961 Monitor | Emotiva B1+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1150 | $250 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #8 of 87 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers | #17 of 87 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 60Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 49Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 84Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 70Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 1500Hz | - |
| Dimensions | 16.6"H x 6.4"W x 5.9"D (421.6 x 162.6 x 149.9 mm) | 10.8"H x 7.1"W x 8.3"D (274 x 181 x 210 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.1 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 8 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 85.9dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 85dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 2 x 5.5" woofers, 28mm tweeter | 5.25" woven fiber cone with SBR surround woofer, 25x32 mm Airmotiv folded ribbon tweeter |
| Weight | 16 lbs / 7.25 kg each | 8.8 lbs / 4.0 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | sealed | ported, rear |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Ascend Sierra 1 v2 vs Klipsch RP-500M II
- JBL L52 Classic vs Klipsch RP-500M II
- Klipsch RP-500M II vs Moondrop M4P MTM
- Arendal 1961 Monitor vs Definitive Technology ProMonitor 1000
- Sony SS-CS5 M2 vs Arendal 1961 Monitor
Prices on this page were last checked August 25, 2026 at 6:19 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Arendal 1961 Monitor: $1150 Arendalsound eBay
Pros: A physically robust build the reviewer calls “a little bit of a tank,” delivering low compression, low distortion, and overall really good neutrality - one of the reviewer’s top 10 picks under $1,500 across roughly 250 speakers tested. Works well both as home theater mains and as surrounds. Independent ASR Klippel measurements corroborate the low-distortion finding: THD at 86dB SPL/1m stays well below the reviewer’s audibility threshold, and even at 96dB SPL/1m it stays “far better than most bookshelves” thanks to the built-in high-pass filter that protects the woofers.
Cons: Bass rolls off around 70-80Hz, so it cannot be used as full-range mains for music without a subwoofer, and a sub is recommended for home theater use as well. Vertical radiation window is narrow, typical of MTM (mid-tweeter-mid) layouts - tighter than a standard two-way’s roughly ±20° - so a second home theater row sitting above or below the tweeter axis will hear a noticeably different tonal balance. ASR’s CEA2034 measurements show the response is elevated above 2kHz with resonant peaks around 3kHz and 9kHz, leading the reviewer to predict it will “likely sound bright.” Those same resonances show up as lingering ridges in the cumulative spectral decay (waterfall) at 96dB SPL/1m.
Full Arendal 1961 Monitor review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 60Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 84Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 1500Hz |
| Dimensions | 16.6"H x 6.4"W x 5.9"D (421.6 x 162.6 x 149.9 mm) |
| Drivers | 2 x 5.5" woofers, 28mm tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.1 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.9dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 16 lbs / 7.25 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | sealed |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website Arendal 1961 Monitor More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Audio Science Review Arendal 1961 Monitor More from Audio Science Review →
- Erin’s Audio Corner: I Tested 250 Speakers So You Don’t Have To!
- Audio Science Review Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for Arendal 1961 Monitor Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Arendal 1961 Monitor vs SunAudio Purified 4
- Arendal 1961 Monitor vs XMechanik Mechano23 DIY
- Arendal 1961 Monitor vs Moondrop M4P MTM
- Arendal 1961 Monitor vs KEF LS50 Meta
- Arendal 1961 Monitor vs Ascend Sierra 1 v2
- Arendal 1961 Monitor vs Revel M105
- Arendal 1961 Monitor vs Philharmonic Ceramic Mini
- Arendal 1961 Monitor vs Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G
- See all 50 comparisons
Emotiva B1+: $250 Discontinued eBay
Cons: Resonance and peak from 1-2khz. A little bright up top. Not great vertically off-axis. Discontinued.
Full Emotiva B1+ review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 49Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 70Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 10.8"H x 7.1"W x 8.3"D (274 x 181 x 210 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 5.25" woven fiber cone with SBR surround woofer, 25x32 mm Airmotiv folded ribbon tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 85dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 8.8 lbs / 4.0 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons