In this review, we will be comparing Aria 948 and Aria K2 936K2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Aria 948 and Focal Aria K2 936K2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Aria 948 | Focal Aria K2 936K2 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.25" Flax | 3 x 6.5" K2 aramid fiber/fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 37-28k Hz | 39-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92.5 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-350 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.00kg / 77lbs | 29.09kg / 64lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 45-3/16" x 11-9/16" x 14-11/16"
1148.0 x 294.0 x 374.0mm |
|---|
Aria 948 and Aria K2 936K2 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 948 and Focal Aria K2 936K2 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 |
Focal Aria K2 936K2 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* 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 Aria K2 936K2 are 3-way speakers.
Focal Aria 948Focal Aria K2 936K2
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 |
Focal Aria K2 936K2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.25-inch
|
3 x 6.5-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 Aria K2 936K2 features a 1" aluminum/magnesium with waveguide inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" K2 aramid fiber/fiberglass Woofer.
Frequency Response
Aria 948 has a frequency range of 37-28k Hz whereas Aria K2 936K2 has a frequency range of 39-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the Aria 948 can go slightly deeper then the Aria K2 936K2's min frequency of 39Hz.
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 and Aria K2 936K2 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Aria 948 sensitivity is rated at 92.5 dB and the Aria K2 936K2's is at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Aria 948 a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Aria K2 936K2, 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 Aria K2 936K2 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 50 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 948 features Binding post type posts and Aria K2 936K2 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Aria K2 936K2'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 948's and Focal Aria K2 936K2'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 Focal Aria K2 936K2 has external dimensions of 1148.0 x 294.0 x 374.0mm (45-3/16 x 11-9/16 x 14-11/16inch).
Focal Aria 948 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 78mm wider, 2mm taller and 47mm deeper than Focal Aria K2 936K2.
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 Focal Aria K2 936K2 is approximately 1099.6cm2 / 170.4inch2. The Aria 948 requires 42% more surface area than the Aria K2 936K2 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 Focal Aria K2 936K2 weighs 29.09kg / 64lbs. This makes the Aria 948 20% heavier than the Aria K2 936K2.
Here is a comparison of how Aria 948 and Aria K2 936K2'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 Focal Aria K2 936K2?
Here are the items that come with the Aria K2 936K2:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Base
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed in base)
- 4 Plastic feet
- 4 Screws
- Allen-key
- Hex-tool
- User Manual
 Max Input Power |
350 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8.25 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
37 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Minimum Impedance |
2.8 ohms
vs
2.5 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Height |
1148mm
vs
1150mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1099cm2
vs
1566cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Focal Aria 948 |
Focal Aria K2 936K2 |
| Brand |
Focal |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-350 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92.5 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
2.5 ohms |
2.8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
37-28k Hz |
39-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Flax |
K2 aramid fiber/fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
inverted dome |
inverted dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
280Hz and 2,600Hz |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1150.0mm (45.3") |
1148.0mm (45.2") |
| Width |
372.0mm (14.6") |
294.0mm (11.6") |
| Depth |
421.0mm (16.6") |
374.0mm (14.7") |
| Weight |
35.00kg (77lbs) |
29.09kg (64lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Glass/Leather |
MDF/Glass/Leather |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Grey |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in Focal's Aria series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (37Hz vs 39Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (93dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (350W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Focal Aria K2 936K2 is easier to place; Focal Aria 948 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($6,598 vs $6,598 a pair). |
A Focal Aria 948 B Focal Aria K2 936K2
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Aria 948 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. In a large or open-plan room, Focal Aria 948 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Focal Aria K2 936K2 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.