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Focal Aria 948 vs ELAC VELA FS 409 Comparison

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Focal Aria 948

Passive Floor-standing | 37-28k Hz

Focal Aria 948
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ELAC VELA FS 409

Passive Floor-standing | 28-50k Hz

ELAC VELA FS 409
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Focal Aria 948 Focal Aria 948
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ELAC VELA FS 409 ELAC VELA FS 409
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Focal Aria 948
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ELAC VELA FS 409
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Focal Aria 948 vs ELAC VELA FS 409 Speaker Comparison

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.

Focal Aria 948 Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1" inverted dome Tweeter
  • 6.5" Midrange
  • 2 x 8.25" Flax Woofer
  • 37-28k Hz Frequency Response
  • 92.5 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:50-350watts
  • Weight:35.00kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1150.0" x 14-5/8" x 16-9/16"( 1150.0 x 372.0 x 421.0mm )

ELAC VELA FS 409 Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • ---" handmade JET 5 folded ribbon Tweeter
  • 6" Midrange
  • 2 x 7" Aluminum/Paper Woofer
  • 6" Midrange
  • 28-50k Hz Frequency Response
  • 89 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:40-200watts
  • Weight:32.18kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1331.0" 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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Focal Aria 948 and ELAC VELA FS 409 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

Both Aria 948 and VELA FS 409 are 3-way speakers.

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.

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 Floor-standing class in our database.

Low Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Aria 948
VELA FS 409
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Focal Aria 948
ELAC VELA FS 409
Min
Average
Max

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 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

Aria 948
VELA FS 409
Min
Average
Max

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 948 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS from the amp the whereas VELA FS 409 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 150 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

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

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 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
Focal Aria 948
ELAC VELA FS 409
Min
Average
Max

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

  • Reasons to choose Focal Aria 948 over ELAC VELA FS 409
    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)

    Reasons to choose ELAC VELA FS 409 over Focal Aria 948

    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
    Focal Aria 948 vs ELAC VELA FS 409 Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    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

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