The Focal Aria 900 series, a stunning product line from the world-renowned French brand Focal, marks a significant return to expressive and accessible high-fidelity audio. This series offers an array of unique features and a level of customization that caters to diverse musical preferences.
Listeners can choose from the Aria 926 for well-balanced acoustics, the Aria 948 for denser sounds, or the Aria 936 for punchier bass. The Aria 900 series stands out globally as the first line of loudspeakers to utilize innovative Flax speaker driver cones, delivering an exceptional rendition of voices for enhanced intelligibility and relief.
Catering to both stereo and home cinema set-ups, the Aria 900 series offers a complete range of hi-fi solutions that create an immersive and astonishing audio experience. This multi-award-winning series has garnered acclaim from notable entities such as ‘The Absolute Sound’, ‘Les Numériques’, ‘Sound Stage Hi-Fi’ and ‘Hifi Pig’, further testament to Focal’s commitment to premium audio solutions.
The Aria 900 series, designed and manufactured in France, continues to uphold Focal’s 40-year reputation for ‘Made in France’ know-how and world leadership in high-fidelity solutions.
Our Best Picks
- Focal: Aria 948
- Focal: Aria 926
- Focal: Aria 936
- Focal: Aria 906
- Focal: Aria cc 900
- Focal: Aria SR 900
01
The Aria 948 by Focal is a quintessential 3-way loudspeaker that hails from France and is celebrated for its intense and controlled bass. This speaker system is synonymous with ‘true’ acoustic sound experience, achieved through its remarkable 8 1/4″ size driver. It boasts a Flax cone, appreciated for its natural sound, rich midrange reproduction, and tighter bass. The presence of Poron, a shape memory material in the TNF tweeter, minimizes distortion and enhances the spatial characteristics of sound. The recommended setting for utilizing this speaker’s potential is rooms measuring over 320ft2 and at a minimum listening distance of 12ft.
Key Features:
- Intense and controlled bass output.
- Incorporation of ‘Flax’ cone for natural sound and rich midrange reproduction.
- Poron suspension in the TNF tweeter for soft treble and reduced distortion.
- Superior sound stage courtesy of the inverted dome’s spatial characteristics.
- Classy and contemporary design.
- Optimal performance in rooms over 320ft2 from a listening distance of 12ft.
- Made in France, ensuring top-notch quality and craftsmanship.
Pros and Cons
- Superior and controlled bass output.
- Natural sound and rich midrange due to ‘Flax’ cones.
- Reduced distortion and soft treble because of Poron suspension.
- The stable sound stage makes the listening position less critical.
- Elegant design that fits both classic and modern interiors.
- Requires a larger room (over 320ft2) for optimal performance.
- Some users may find the speaker’s size (due to the 8 1/4″ driver) a bit intimidating.
02
The Aria 926 from Focal is a three-way floor-standing loudspeaker designed and manufactured in France for music lovers. With its expressive and musical qualities, it is designed to thrill all types of listeners. The speaker is characterized by its natural and rich sound, capable of displaying a great degree of finesse in the midrange register and tighter bass, thanks to its unique flax cone design. The Aria 926 boasts a classic and modern design, making it an ideal choice for rooms of at least 215 ft2 and recommended listening distances of 10ft.
Key Features:
- Three-way floor-standing design
- Easy to install and versatile for all music types
- Flax cone for natural, rich sound and tight bass
- Ideal for rooms measuring 215ft2 and listening distance of 10ft
- Unique Poron suspension for softer, less distorted treble
- After-sales service available
- Designed and manufactured in France, ensuring high-quality
Pros and Cons
- Outstanding audio performance, offering expressive, musical qualities
- Classic and modern design, adaptable to different room aesthetics
- Unique technological features such as flax cone and Poron suspension for better sound quality
- Adequate after-sales service provides peace of mind
- ‘Made in France’ assures high manufacturing standards
- May not fit smaller rooms due to its recommended room size and listening distance
- The audio quality, although improved with technology, might not satisfy everyone’s subjective taste in sound.
03
The Focal Aria 936 is a top-tier 3-way floor-standing loudspeaker designed for those with a passion for high-quality acoustics. Boasting three woofers, it delivers impressive dynamics and linearity, making it ideal for monitoring-type activities and setting up a robust Home Cinema system. The speakers are characterized by their natural sound, low coloration, increased dynamics, and tighter bass, providing an immersive musical experience. They have a design that balances both classic and modern aesthetics, suitable for rooms measuring 270 ft2 (25m2) and for a listening distance of 10-12ft (3m – 3.5m). The Aria 936 speakers also feature a Poron suspension for a softer treble and an inverted dome for low directivity.
Key Features:
- High-end 3-way floor-standing loudspeaker
- Designed for stereo listening and Home Cinema system
- Three woofers deliver impressive dynamics
- Produces natural sound with low coloration
- A captivating design that is both classic and modern
- Poron suspension for soft treble
- The inverted dome’s spatial characteristics offer low directivity
Pros and Cons
- Superior sound quality with natural sound and low coloration
- Versatile for both stereo and Home Cinema systems
- Impressive dynamics with three woofers
- Soft treble thanks to Poron suspension
- Low directivity due to the inverted dome
- Requires a large room (minimum of 270ft2) for optimal performance
- The classic design may not match all interior decor.
04
The Aria 906, a product of Focal’s exquisite craftsmanship, exemplifies the brand’s dedication to authentic, high-end acoustics. This Made in France bookshelf 2-way loudspeaker is renowned for its distinctive Flax cone technology, ensuring neutrality, presence, and finesse in sound. The combination of low coloration, midrange reproduction richness, and tighter bass results in an enhanced homogenous sound and improved dynamics. Aria’s unique design encapsulates both classic and modern aesthetics. The Aria 906 is ideal for rooms measuring from 160ft2 and at a listening distance of 8ft. It also features a TNF tweeter with Poron suspension, significantly reducing distortion and ensuring superior sound stage stability.
Key Features:
- Made in France, ensuring high-quality craftsmanship.
- Bookshelf 2-way loudspeaker design.
- Uses Flax cone technology for improved sound neutrality and presence.
- Offers low coloration, richness in midrange reproduction, and tighter bass.
- Classic and modern aesthetic design.
- TNF tweeter with Poron suspension for reduced distortion.
- Ideal for rooms measuring from 160 ft2 and listening distance of 8ft.
Pros and Cons
- Advanced Flax cone technology for superior sound quality.
- Reduced distortion due to the TNF tweeter with Poron suspension.
- Aesthetically pleasing design that blends with both classic and modern decor.
- Suitable for various room sizes and listening distances.
- Backed by credible brand reputation and customer reviews.
- May not be ideal for larger rooms due to its recommended size specification.
- High-end product, which may not be budget-friendly for all consumers.
05
The Aria CC 900 by Focal is a 2-way center loudspeaker that delivers a passionate home cinema experience. Designed in France, it can be easily integrated with other front loudspeakers of the range. The Aria range offers a varied selection for different home cinema configurations based on room size and listening distance, with the CC 900 serving as the keystone. The unit’s ‘Flax’ sandwich membrane contributes to exceptional sound definition, especially with voice clarity and depth. When combined with the Aria 936, surround Aria SR 900, and a Sub 300 P subwoofer, the Aria CC 900 delivers remarkable results for an outstanding Home Cinema 5.1 system.
Key Features:
- 2-way center speaker with easy integration capability
- Distinct ‘Flax’ sandwich membrane for sharp sound definition
- Optimal sonic coherence and homogeneity for varying configurations
- TNF tweeter with Poron suspension for soft treble
- Reduced distortion in the 2-3kHz range
- Flax cone for original sound
- Compatible with a wide array of Home Cinema configurations
Pros and Cons
- Excellent voice clarity and depth
- Easy to integrate with other speakers
- Low distortion for comfortable listening
- Versatile with various Home Cinema configurations
- Made in France, ensuring high quality
- The speaker connectors are not a standard distance apart, potentially causing installation challenges
- Some users may find the highs a touch bright for their liking.
06
The Aria SR 900 by Focal is a high-fidelity 2-way bipolar surround loudspeaker, meticulously designed and crafted in France. It features two 5-inch woofers with Flax sandwich cones, ensuring a natural midrange, robust bass, and exceptional sound clarity. The treble register is powered by two TNF aluminum/magnesium inverted dome tweeters with Poron suspension, delivering smoother sound. The SR 900’s design includes a slim cabinet and a Polyfix wall-mounting system for easy integration. Its standout technologies include the Poron suspension for soft treble and an inverted dome for low directivity, ensuring a stable sound stage.
Key Features:
- 2-way bipolar surround loudspeaker.
- 5-inch woofers with Flax sandwich cones.
- TNF aluminum/magnesium inverted dome tweeters.
- Poron suspension for a smoother treble.
- Inverted dome’s spatial characteristics for low directivity.
- Slim cabinet design for easy interior integration.
- Polyfix wall-mounting system.
Pros and Cons
- Offers high-definition and natural sound.
- Utilizes advanced technology for superior sound quality.
- Provides a stable sound stage regardless of listening position.
- Integrated wall-mounting system for convenient installation.
- Designed and manufactured in France, ensuring quality and durability.
- The slim design may not fit all interior decors.
- The high-quality materials and advanced technology may make it expensive compared to other speakers.
How We Test The Speakers?
Our rigorous speaker testing process is designed to evaluate the speaker’s overall performance, longevity, and value. We begin by setting up the speakers in a controlled acoustical environment, simulating a standard living room condition, to ensure consistent and fair results.
For the audio quality testing, we use a variety of music tracks that span various genres and contain different instrumentations. These tracks help us assess critical aspects like the speaker’s frequency response, soundstage, distortion levels and overall audio reproduction quality.
We also measure the speaker’s power handling capacity by playing audio at different volumes, ranging from whisper-quiet to maximum volume. This helps us to assess if the speaker can handle high volumes without distortion and if it can accurately reproduce soft sounds.
Additionally, we perform a durability test where we push the speakers to their limits to assess their build quality and longevity. This test entails playing audio at high volumes for extended periods.
Lastly, we take into consideration other factors such as the speaker’s aesthetics, ease of setup and use, and the manufacturer’s customer service. We also compare the speaker’s performance and price to other similar products in the market to evaluate its value.
Our reviews are always unsponsored and unbiased. We feature real customer reviews and testimonials to add further credibility to our evaluations. We believe in complete transparency, hence, we highlight any questionable additives or ingredients in the products. All of these elements combined allow us to provide a comprehensive review to aid consumers in making an informed decision.
Customer Review: Focal Aria 900 Series
Read the Jonathan Story about the Aria 900 Series
Experiencing Superior Sound Quality with the Aria SR 900 Speakers
Jonathan here from the heart of Queens County, NY. I was recently in the market for a quality home theater setup, and I’ve got to tell you about my experience with the Aria SR 900. These 2-way bipolar surround loudspeakers have sincerely upgraded my home audio experience, and to say I’m impressed would be an understatement.From the moment I unboxed these beauties, I could tell they were something special. Their sleek and slim design meant they fit perfectly into my living room decor, but the real magic happened when I fired them up. The dual 5-inch woofers, equipped with Flax sandwich cones, delivered a natural midrange sound and rich bass that reverberated through the room, giving an authentic, concert-like feel right in my home.
But the game-changer is in the treble register. The Aria SR 900 features the TNF aluminum/magnesium inverted dome tweeters, complete with Poron suspension. The result? A smooth, high-definition sound that seemed to reach out and envelop me. The audio precision these speakers brought to my favorite films and music was unparalleled, making the listening experience less about the position and more about the immersion.
The SR 900s didn’t merely play sound – they created an auditory landscape, a true home cinema. Paired with my Aria 936 floor-standing speakers and Aria CC 900 center speaker, it was like having my private Dolby Atmos setup. The sound quality, the design, and the easy integration using the Polyfix wall-mounting system, all combined to make these speakers a fantastic addition to my home.
For those of you on the hunt for a top-notch surround sound experience, I wholeheartedly recommend the Aria SR 900. Their performance is truly a testament to Focal’s ‘Made in France’ craftsmanship. In the sea of loudspeakers in the market, the Aria SR 900s are a beacon of superior sound quality.
–Jonathan
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Focal Aria 900 series has proven itself to be a powerhouse in the world of high-fidelity audio. With its innovative technology, such as the Flax speaker cone, Poron suspension, and distinctive design, this series successfully caters to various sound preferences and room specifications.
The range of speakers, from the Aria 906 bookshelf speaker to the floor-standing Aria 948, offers a unique acoustic experience, characterized by their natural sound, rich midrange, and controlled bass.
The Aria SR 900 surround speakers have garnered high praise from users, further reinforcing Focal’s commitment to delivering superior sound quality. The Aria 900 series, thoroughly tested in conditions simulating standard living rooms, showcases remarkable performance and durability, a testament to Focal’s meticulous craftsmanship and ‘Made in France’ excellence.
Overall, the Focal Aria 900 series is a testament to Focal’s commitment to premium audio solutions, marking a significant progression in the world of accessible and expressive high-fidelity audio.