In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Focal. Focal Aria 906 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Aria 948 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Aria 906 and Focal Aria 948 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Aria 906 | Focal Aria 948 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Inverted Hard Dome | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Flax | 2 x 8.25" Flax |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-28k Hz | 37-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89.5 dB | 92.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | 50-350 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 8.64kg / 19lbs | 35.00kg / 77lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 15-3/8" x 8-15/16" x 11-5/16"
391.0 x 228.0 x 288.0mm | 45-1/4" x 14-5/8" x 16-9/16"
1150.0 x 372.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
Aria 906 and Aria 948 are members of Focal's Aria series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Focal Aria Series
History
What size room are the Focal Aria 906 and Focal Aria 948 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Focal Aria 906 |
Focal Aria 948 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Aria 906 is a 2-way design whereas the Aria 948 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Focal Aria 906Focal Aria 948
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Focal Aria 906 |
Focal Aria 948 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8.25-inch
|
Aria 906 features a 1" TNF aluminum/magnesium Inverted Hard Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz. On the other hand, the Aria 948 features a 1" TNF Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.25" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280Hz and 2,600Hz.
Frequency Response
Aria 906 has a frequency range of 55-28k Hz whereas Aria 948 has a frequency range of 37-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the Aria 948 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Aria 906's min frequency of 55Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Aria 906 and Aria 948 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Aria 906 sensitivity is rated at 89.5 dB and the Aria 948's is at 92.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Focal Aria 948 a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Aria 906, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Aria 948 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS, whereas Aria 906 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 230 watts less than the Aria 948.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Aria 906 features Binding post type posts and Aria 948 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Aria 906's Binding post terminals
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Focal Aria 906's and Focal Aria 948's external dimensions. Focal Aria 906 has external dimensions of 391.0 x 228.0 x 288.0mm (15-3/8 x 8-15/16 x 11-5/16inch) whereas Focal Aria 948 has external dimensions of 1150.0 x 372.0 x 421.0mm (45-1/4 x 14-5/8 x 16-9/16inch).
Focal Aria 948 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 144mm wider, 759mm taller and 133mm deeper than Focal Aria 906.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Focal Aria 906 is approximately 656.6cm2 / 101.8inch2 and base area of the Focal Aria 948 is approximately 1566.1cm2 / 242.7inch2. The Aria 906 requires 58% less surface area than the Aria 948 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Focal Aria 906?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Aria 906:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Cloth grilles
- User manual
What's in the Box of Focal Aria 948?
Here are the items that come with the Aria 948:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Base
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed in base)
- 4 Plastic feet
- 4 Screws
- Allen-key
- Hex-tool
- User Manual