In this review, we will be comparing Aria 948 and VELA FS 409, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Focal and ELAC.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Aria 948 and ELAC VELA FS 409 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Aria 948 | ELAC VELA FS 409 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | handmade JET 5 folded ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.25" Flax | 2 x 7" Aluminum/Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 37-28k Hz | 28-50k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92.5 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-350 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.00kg / 77lbs | 32.18kg / 70.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-1/4" x 14-5/8" x 16-9/16"
1150.0 x 372.0 x 421.0mm | 52-3/8" x 10-15/16" x 13-9/16"
1331.0 x 278.0 x 345.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Aria 948 and ELAC VELA FS 409 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 948 |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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 948 and VELA FS 409 are 3-way speakers.
Focal Aria 948ELAC VELA FS 409
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 948 |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.25-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the VELA FS 409 features a " handmade JET 5 folded ribbon Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 7" Aluminum/Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
Aria 948 has a frequency range of 37-28k Hz whereas VELA FS 409 has a frequency range of 28-50k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the VELA FS 409 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Aria 948's min frequency of 37Hz.
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 948 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the VELA FS 409 which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the VELA FS 409 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Aria 948 sensitivity is rated at 92.5 dB and the VELA FS 409's is rated at 89 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Focal Aria 948 a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC VELA FS 409, 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 948 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS, whereas VELA FS 409 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 150 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
VELA FS 409 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Aria 948 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 948's and ELAC VELA FS 409's external dimensions. 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) whereas ELAC VELA FS 409 has external dimensions of 1331.0 x 278.0 x 345.0mm (52-3/8 x 10-15/16 x 13-9/16inch).
ELAC VELA FS 409 is 94mm narrower and 76mm less deeper than Focal Aria 948 but it is also 181mm taller.
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 948 is approximately 1566.1cm2 / 242.7inch2 and base area of the ELAC VELA FS 409 is approximately 959.1cm2 / 148.7inch2. The Aria 948 requires 63% more surface area than the VELA FS 409 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 948 weighs 35.00kg / 77lbs and the ELAC VELA FS 409 weighs 32.18kg / 70.8lbs. This makes the Aria 948 9% heavier than the VELA FS 409.
Here is a comparison of how Aria 948 and VELA FS 409'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 948?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Aria 948:
- 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 ELAC VELA FS 409?
Here are the items that come with the VELA FS 409:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Base plate
- 2 Jumper straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Pucks
- 4 Rubber pads
- 4 Machine screws
- 4 Washers
- Hex-key
- Operating And Safety Instructions
 Max Input Power |
350 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8.25 inches
vs
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1150mm
vs
1331mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
6598USD
vs
7400USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
37 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
50k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
959cm2
vs
1566cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Focal Aria 948 |
ELAC VELA FS 409 |
| Brand |
Focal |
ELAC |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-350 watts |
40-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92.5 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
2.5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
37-28k Hz |
28-50k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8.25" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
Flax |
Aluminum/Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
inverted dome |
handmade JET 5 folded ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
280Hz and 2,600Hz |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1150.0mm (45.3") |
1331.0mm (52.4") |
| Width |
372.0mm (14.6") |
278.0mm (10.9") |
| Depth |
421.0mm (16.6") |
345.0mm (13.6") |
| Weight |
35.00kg (77lbs) |
32.18kg (70.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Glass/Leather |
MDF/Aluminum |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
A generation apart: ELAC VELA FS 409 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 | B | ELAC VELA FS 409 digs deeper - 28Hz against 37Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Focal Aria 948 is more sensitive (93dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Focal Aria 948 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Focal Aria 948 takes more power (350W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | ELAC VELA FS 409 is easier to place; Focal Aria 948 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | ELAC VELA FS 409: bi-amping. Focal Aria 948 sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Focal Aria 948 is cheaper - $6,598 against $7,400, about 11% less. |
A Focal Aria 948 B ELAC VELA FS 409
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 948 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take ELAC VELA FS 409 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 37Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Focal Aria 948 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Aria 948 the better fit for a very large room, and ELAC VELA FS 409 for a mid-size room.
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.