**The Official Arx owner's thread (A1, A1b, A2, A2b, A3, A5, etc.)** - Page 5

An A2 setup across the front is a nice setup. I ran 3 A2s across the front before going with the A5 towers and it was a nice system, played loud and could handle just about anything. I'm kind of interested in the A4 too but going by the track record I wouldn't hold my breath for them. Delays seem fairly common so unless something changes, my bet would be around spring before we hear anything substancial and summer before they begin shipping.

There is some news about the A2b which is going to be called the A2c, Jon has some info posted on the forum "Arx A2b Update thread". One of the reasons the A2 ran out of stock so fast was they never expected so many people to use them as mains and surrounds. I think they only really predicted center channel use. Theres one user on here that runs A2s all around but isn't active on the forum, but seems to really enjoy them.

I think they will match or exceed the Ascend 340s as well as under cut them in price. I think crossed at 80hrz you'll be hard pressed to find something that can outperform them at there price (per pair) for dynamics and output.

Hmm, so we might have an a2b, and a2c? His post is kind of cryptic.

It will be an either/or, not both.

The 'c' variant really differs in nomenclature only. For all practical purposes -- meaning ones you can actually hear or measure -- there won't be any difference.

Yeah I don't think there will be a "B" variant of either the A2 or A3 and will skip right to "C" variant. Pretty much identical but with a slight change, same size, woofers ect....

Hi folks, just wanted to update you on my Arx A1b's. Fully broken in they sound great! Can't believe I paid $299 for these puppies. I have a quick question for you, right now I have them crossed over at 60hz and use an Hsu sub. Is there any benefit to setting the crossover at 80hz? I ask cuz I keep seeing that crossover value from time to time.Thx for your time...

For movies, especially heavy action movies I would cross them at 80hrz. They will work ok at 60hrz most of the time but if you start going to crazy volumes then I would set them to 80hrz. For music I think 60hrz would be fine, action movies seem to have alot of dynamics and huge peaks and I think just giving the woofer alittle head room (raising xover) can help out.

I just bought a pair of A5s and I think they can't be shipped fast enough. If only I had $1000 extra for the overnight shipping :P

What is the recommended way to break them in? How long should that take?

Cool! Welcome to the club.

Just play some music through them, while not really doing any critical listening. Just a few hours 3-5hours seems to be enough nothing crazy like 1000hours.

Well, mine just showed up at work this morning. I'll get everything hooked up tonight, run Audessey, and see how they sound. Leaving them on while I'm at work to give them a good break-in period shouldn't be too hard, and should get me a solid 10-12 hours a day of break-in without being around.

I can say they're bloody heavy for their size. Which is a good thing.

Great review thanks for linking and thanks Jim.

Really nice in depth review.

Buying from TIA is just a waiting game now. Once the A2 hits the site for purchase, I'll be grabbing a full LCR (A1b/A2b). I'm also really interested to see how the A4 turns out.

I'm curious if anyone that owns the ARX A1b has also listened to the HSU HB-1 MK2. They sell for about the same. I'm in the market for new speakers, and have heard great things about both.

To anyone who has had a setup of A1's across the front, A2's across the front or towers across the front, how do they all compare? Is it a similar sound with just more capability for louder volume and increased bass as you move to more woofers or do they each have their own unique sound?

I compared the older Arx A1 (smaller cabinet and not tuned as deep) to the HSU bookshelf, I though they both did a great job but I liked the planar tweeter much more and the A1 seemed a little more umph to the bass.


I went from A1 mains to A2 mains to A5 mains. The A1 and A2s sounded pretty much the same but the A2s had a more powerful sound to them, just from the extra woofer. They both had the same sonic sound signiture. The A5 sounded more clear and dynamic and it might even be a tad bit more forward compared to the other models. The A5 though blends seamlessly with the A2 center and never sound odd or out of placed compared to the others in the line.

Thanks gtpsuper24 for the comparison.

Great review, thank you for posting it.

You're welcome. I'm glad you found it to be of value.

Thanks again, very much.

Given that you may be one of only people who have spent time with the A2b. Can I ask you if you have an opinion about the differences between the following setups:

Arx A1b L/R pair + Arx A2b Center : Cost approx $500

Ascend CMT-340 SE Center + CMB-170 SE L/R pair : cost approx $650

Ascend CMT-340 SE Center + CMT-340 SE L/R pair : cost approx $900

I currently would pair these with a Polk PSW110 sub and a pair of Polk RM6751 rear speakers, and a Denon AVR Receiver. (would be re-allocating elsewhere the Polk fronts.)
I realize I would have to wait for the Arx A2b Center.

But I just don't know how much more I would enjoy the more expensive setups, or what extra I would get for spending more... So I am asking for a comparison of the above setups if possible.

I decided to also purchase the HTD Level 3 towers and EMP Tek E55TI and do a shoot out this weekend; the only way to fairly compare was to listen, right? I will post the results on this thread.

Well the A2b is just a reconfigured cabinet of the older A2 (which I have 3 of). Very hard to beat and have a huge powerful soundstage. I would put them up against the 340s for sure. Of course the 340SE would have an output advantage over the A1b, but the A2 would equal and maybe exceed the 340 in some ways and vice versa.

I would say that the A1b is a $500 performing bookshelf at a $300 price point.

Best way like what MarisanMan said is to try one pair of each out. A1b and 170SE and see what you like more. You'll get a biased Ascend response in the Ascends owners thread and you'll obvisously get a biased Arx response in the Arx owners thread. And you'll get a gazillion different answers if you make a new thread.

I can say there is nothing thats been comprimised with the Arx to be able to sell them at the asking prices. Great bang for the buck.

Late reply, but, A5s. I'll be picking up an A2B/C when it comes out, to go to a 3.1 setup.

After a solid two weeks of listening, I'm getting a lot happier as they break in. Straight out of the box, they sounded a bit muffled and the bass was very light. Now, they're very crisp and articulate (exceedingly similar to my last set of planar magnetic headphones - the same tweeter in the A5 is really what made me pick them), imaging is focused and the soundstage is pretty wide, I think more limited by my lack of space than by speaker restrictions.

The bass is a little light for me, even with the plugs out - which I expected given the driver size and my tendency to less-than-neutral response down low for metal, which is what I listen to most of the time, but the reaction time is absolutely perfect, and I haven't found a song with double bass drums that the towers can't keep up with. The A5s are equally impressive with Anneke van Giersbergen, Collide, and Kidneythieves too, which are three of my primary go-to female singers/bands when it comes to testing speakers. The Birthday Massacre, Stolen Babes, and Diablo Swing Orchestra also sound exceptionally good on these speakers, which honestly surprised me a bit given (at least in my experience) planar magnetic drivers' tendency to dry things out a bit. No Diana Krall here, but Celtic Woman is quite impressive.

I have to admit I am a bit interested in how the A5 compares to the Swan Diva 6.2, given the price point.

Unfortunately I've never heard the Ascends, so I can't really comment about them from personal experience. I know a lot of people like them, and speak highly of their sound, so I imagine they are nice speakers. I do know what the Arx can do though, and have been recommending them to others. With TAI's return policy, and the fact they're less expensive, they might be worth auditioning. If you do that make sure you give them a solid 50 hours of break-in, because it does take a while for the SplitGap driver to come into it's own.

Anyone have any experience with the Arx A1b B-stock? They are currently $249 for a pair. $50 off. Is it worth it to spend an extra $50 to get the "new" pair?

Depends upon why they're b stock in the first place. Sometimes they're brand new speakers with minor cosmetic issues. Other times they're customer returns, like the review units I sent back just a few days ago. Having dealt with Jon Lane frequently in the past few months I don't consider him the type of person who would sell anything that doesn't conform to his standards. He doesn't strike me as the type to foist a compromised product on someone just to dump stock. Do they still offer the in home trial on the b stock items? If so, then you should be fully protected.
Edited by JimWilson - 2/26/13 at 7:06pm

My very first set of Arx speakers was a pair of the older A1 bookshelfs and they were b-stock. Not one thing wrong with them, so it must have been a customer return or maybe a office demo pair or something.

Ok I put in an order for a pair of the Arx A1b bookshelves last night. I decided against going for the B-stock. I'm sure it would have been great too, had I gone that way. Apparently the order has already been "processed". I am hoping that they will ship soon, but I have no idea so far. I also sent an email to ask to "reserve" the Arx A2b center. Looking forward to trying them out.

I also ordered some 12awg speaker wire and some "non-banana" clips from Monoprice.