Short answer: the Revel F228Be. It ranks #16 of 71 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $7000; the Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 ranks #17 and costs $7600, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 offers: Arendal’s flagship passive tower, a 5-driver 3-way design with a dedicated carbon-cone midrange in its own sealed sub-enclosure and triple 8” aluminum woofers, measuring a -3dB extension point of 42.8Hz. Listening-window smoothness of 0.687 is strong for a tower this size. Watch for: At 45.4kg each and nearly 4 feet tall, it’s a serious room commitment, and sound-power smoothness (0.378) is more middling than the on-axis figures suggest. Directivity-index standard deviation of 3.69, on the higher side, and a -0.22dB per octave downward tilt both point to a moderately dark tonal character, and predicted in-room smoothness (0.45) is only middling.
What the Revel F228Be offers: CEA2034 spinorama shows an essentially flat on-axis response with very nice directivity. Predicted in-room response is nearly perfect, with a smooth slope down from bass to treble. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±70 degrees is wide and holds up well until narrowing above 8kHz. Vertical directivity offers more degrees of listening-height freedom than a typical bookshelf design, a benefit of this tower’s driver layout. Distortion is extremely low across the full audio range at 86dB SPL/1m and stays comfortable even at 96dB SPL/1m. Near-field measurements of the individual drivers show nice, well-integrated crossover behavior with only low-level resonances. Watch for: Minimum impedance dips to 3.4 ohms with a secondary rise around 2kHz, calling for an amplifier comfortable with a demanding load. Very expensive and very heavy (51 kg each).
Buy the Revel F228Be. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 and costs less, so the other one has nothing left to offer.
Specifications Side By Side
| Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 | Revel F228Be | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7,600/pair | $7000 |
| Ranked | #17 of 71 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #16 of 71 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Enclosure | 3-way, ported (optional sealed configuration) | - |
| Drivers | 28mm Al-Mg dome tweeter, 5" carbon-cone midrange (sealed sub-enclosure), 3x 8" aluminum-cone woofers | Dual 8" (200mm) Deep Ceramic Composite aluminum cones, with cast frames woofers, 5-1/4" (130mm) Deep Ceramic Composite aluminum cone, with cast frame midrange, 1" (25mm) Beryllium dome, with acoustic lens waveguide tweeter |
| Dimensions | 115.0H x 26.5W x 45.0D cm (119.8cm tall with feet) | 50.9"H x 13.5"W x 17.6"D (1292.9 x 342.9 x 447 mm) |
| Weight | 100 lbs / 45.37 kg (100 lbs) each | 112.4 lbs / 51 kg each |
| Sensitivity | 89.5dB @ 2.83V/1m | 89.3dB (300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review; 90dB manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal | 8 ohms |
| Country | Norway (designed); manufactured overseas | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 25Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 61Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported, front |
Related Speaker Comparisons
Other pairings from the same speaker class worth checking:
- Revel F208 vs Revel F328Be
- JBL 4367 vs Revel F208
- MoFi SourcePoint V10 Master Edition vs Revel F208
- Revel F226Be vs Revel F228Be
- Klipsch Forte IV vs Revel F228Be
Prices on this page were last checked September 8, 2026 at 6:02 PM 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.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8: $7,600/pair Arendal Sound eBay
Pros: Arendal’s flagship passive tower, a 5-driver 3-way design with a dedicated carbon-cone midrange in its own sealed sub-enclosure and triple 8” aluminum woofers, measuring a -3dB extension point of 42.8Hz. Listening-window smoothness of 0.687 is strong for a tower this size.
Cons: At 45.4kg each and nearly 4 feet tall, it’s a serious room commitment, and sound-power smoothness (0.378) is more middling than the on-axis figures suggest. Directivity-index standard deviation of 3.69, on the higher side, and a -0.22dB per octave downward tilt both point to a moderately dark tonal character, and predicted in-room smoothness (0.45) is only middling.
Full Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 review and specifications →
| Country | Norway (designed); manufactured overseas |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 115.0H x 26.5W x 45.0D cm (119.8cm tall with feet) |
| Drivers | 28mm Al-Mg dome tweeter, 5" carbon-cone midrange (sealed sub-enclosure), 3x 8" aluminum-cone woofers |
| Enclosure | 3-way, ported (optional sealed configuration) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal |
| Sensitivity | 89.5dB @ 2.83V/1m |
| Weight | 100 lbs / 45.37 kg (100 lbs) each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Revel F228Be: $7000 Crutchfield eBay
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows an essentially flat on-axis response with very nice directivity. Predicted in-room response is nearly perfect, with a smooth slope down from bass to treble. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±70 degrees is wide and holds up well until narrowing above 8kHz. Vertical directivity offers more degrees of listening-height freedom than a typical bookshelf design, a benefit of this tower’s driver layout. Distortion is extremely low across the full audio range at 86dB SPL/1m and stays comfortable even at 96dB SPL/1m. Near-field measurements of the individual drivers show nice, well-integrated crossover behavior with only low-level resonances.
Cons: Minimum impedance dips to 3.4 ohms with a secondary rise around 2kHz, calling for an amplifier comfortable with a demanding load. Very expensive and very heavy (51 kg each).
Full Revel F228Be review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 25Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 61Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 50.9"H x 13.5"W x 17.6"D (1292.9 x 342.9 x 447 mm) |
| Drivers | Dual 8" (200mm) Deep Ceramic Composite aluminum cones, with cast frames woofers, 5-1/4" (130mm) Deep Ceramic Composite aluminum cone, with cast frame midrange, 1" (25mm) Beryllium dome, with acoustic lens waveguide tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 89.3dB (300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review; 90dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 112.4 lbs / 51 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons