In this review, we will be comparing Aria 926 and BW 603, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Focal and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Aria 926 and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Aria 926 | B&W 603 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Flax | 2 x 6.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-28k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91.5 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-250 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 25.00kg / 55lbs | 24.14kg / 53.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-7/8" x 11-9/16" x 14-11/16"
1039.0 x 294.0 x 374.0mm | 38.7" x 7.4" x 13.3"
985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Aria 926 and B&W 603 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 926 |
B&W 603 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* 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.
Drivers
Both Aria 926 and BW 603 are 3-way speakers.
Focal Aria 926B&W 603
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 926 |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Aria 926 features a 1" TNF Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 290Hz and 2,400Hz. On the other hand, the BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
Aria 926 has a frequency range of 45-28k Hz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the Aria 926 can go slightly deeper then the BW 603's min frequency of 48Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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 926 and BW 603 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Aria 926 sensitivity is rated at 91.5 dB and the BW 603's is at 88.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Focal Aria 926 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 603, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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 926 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas BW 603 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Aria 926.
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
BW 603 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Aria 926 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 926's and B&W 603's external dimensions. Focal Aria 926 has external dimensions of 1039.0 x 294.0 x 374.0mm (40-7/8 x 11-9/16 x 14-11/16inch) whereas B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm (38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch).
Focal Aria 926 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 104mm wider, 54mm taller and 34mm deeper than B&W 603.
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 926 is approximately 1099.6cm2 / 170.4inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The Aria 926 requires 70% more surface area than the BW 603 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Focal Aria 926 weighs 25.00kg / 55lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the Aria 926 4% heavier than the BW 603.
Here is a comparison of how Aria 926 and BW 603's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Focal Aria 926?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Aria 926:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Base
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed in base)
- 4 Plastic feet
- 4 Screws
- Allen-key
- Hex-tool
- User Manual
What's in the Box of B&W 603?
Here are the items that come with the BW 603:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinith (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock-washers
- Two-piece foam port plug
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
45 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
985mm
vs
1039mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
1099cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Focal Aria 926 |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
| Brand |
Focal |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-250 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91.5 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
2.9 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
45-28k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Flax |
Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
inverted dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
290Hz and 2,400Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1039.0mm (40.9") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
294.0mm (11.6") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
374.0mm (14.7") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
25.00kg (55lbs) |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Glass/Leather |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Black, White, Oak |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: B&W 603 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Focal Aria 926 digs deeper - 45Hz against 48Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Focal Aria 926 is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Focal Aria 926 takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | B&W 603 is easier to place; Focal Aria 926 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 603: bi-amping. Focal Aria 926 sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
A Focal Aria 926 B B&W 603
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Focal Aria 926 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Aria 926 the better fit for a very large room, and B&W 603 for a mid-size room. In a large or open-plan room, Focal Aria 926 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, B&W 603 is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.