In this review, we will be comparing two different type 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.
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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Focal Aria 906 and Focal Aria 948 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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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.
| 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.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Aria 906 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Aria 906 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS , 230 watts less than the Aria 948.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 loudspeakerGrilleBase4 Spike feet (pre-installed in base)4 Plastic feet4 ScrewsAllen-keyHex-toolUser Manual