Short answer: the Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8. It ranks #17 of 71 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $7600; the TAD Evolution 2 ranks #18 and costs $19995, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the TAD Evolution 2 offers: Independently measured by ASR (not vendor-supplied data) with an excellent on-axis smoothness score of 0.182 and a nearly flat tonal balance (a slope of just -0.01dB per octave), from a beryllium tweeter on a cast-aluminum waveguide paired with dual MACC-diaphragm woofers. Alpha Audio’s review called it a “competition killer.” Watch for: Its directivity-index standard deviation of 3.70 and predicted in-room smoothness of 0.25 are both unremarkable, not matching the excellent on-axis smoothness, and it’s priced at $19,995/pair, sold only through a small dealer network, with one dealer showing it temporarily sold out.
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.
Buy the Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8. It ranks higher for sound quality than the TAD Evolution 2 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| TAD Evolution 2 | Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19,995/pair | $7,600/pair |
| Ranked | #18 of 71 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #17 of 71 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Enclosure | 2.5-way, bass-reflex, SILENT laminated cabinet | 3-way, ported (optional sealed configuration) |
| Drivers | 1" beryllium dome tweeter (cast-aluminum waveguide), 2x 6.5" MACC-diaphragm woofers | 28mm Al-Mg dome tweeter, 5" carbon-cone midrange (sealed sub-enclosure), 3x 8" aluminum-cone woofers |
| Dimensions | 12.6"W x 42.7"H x 15.9"D (320 x 1085 x 405 mm) (1113mm tall with spikes) | 115.0H x 26.5W x 45.0D cm (119.8cm tall with feet) |
| Weight | 70.5 lbs / 32 kg (70.5 lbs) each | 100 lbs / 45.37 kg (100 lbs) each |
| Sensitivity | 87dB @ 2.83V/1m | 89.5dB @ 2.83V/1m |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 4.5 ohms minimum | 4 ohms nominal |
| Country | Japan | Norway (designed); manufactured overseas |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- JBL 4367 vs Revel F228Be
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs Revel F228Be
- Revel F228Be vs Revel F328Be
- Magico A5 vs TAD Evolution 2
- Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 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
TAD Evolution 2: $19,995/pair House of Stereo eBay
Pros: Independently measured by ASR (not vendor-supplied data) with an excellent on-axis smoothness score of 0.182 and a nearly flat tonal balance (a slope of just -0.01dB per octave), from a beryllium tweeter on a cast-aluminum waveguide paired with dual MACC-diaphragm woofers. Alpha Audio’s review called it a “competition killer.”
Cons: Its directivity-index standard deviation of 3.70 and predicted in-room smoothness of 0.25 are both unremarkable, not matching the excellent on-axis smoothness, and it’s priced at $19,995/pair, sold only through a small dealer network, with one dealer showing it temporarily sold out.
Full TAD Evolution 2 review and specifications →
| Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 12.6"W x 42.7"H x 15.9"D (320 x 1085 x 405 mm) (1113mm tall with spikes) |
| Drivers | 1" beryllium dome tweeter (cast-aluminum waveguide), 2x 6.5" MACC-diaphragm woofers |
| Enclosure | 2.5-way, bass-reflex, SILENT laminated cabinet |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 4.5 ohms minimum |
| Sensitivity | 87dB @ 2.83V/1m |
| Weight | 70.5 lbs / 32 kg (70.5 lbs) each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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