In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Focal. Focal Aria CC 900 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Aria 948 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Aria CC 900 and Focal Aria 948 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Focal Aria CC 900 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" inverted dome Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" flax/fiberglass Woofer
- 57-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:40-200watts
- Weight:10.45kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 202.0" x 20-15/16" x 11-3/16"( 202.0 x 532.0 x 285.0mm )
Focal Aria 948 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" inverted dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8.25" Flax Woofer
- 6.5" Midrange
- 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 )
Aria CC 900 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 CC 900 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:
| Listening Environment* |
Focal Aria CC 900 |
Focal Aria 948 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
(* 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 CC 900 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 CC 900 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 CC 900 |
Focal Aria 948 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8.25-inch
|
Aria CC 900 features a 1" TNF aluminum/magnesium inverted dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" flax/fiberglass 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 CC 900 has a frequency range of 57-28k 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 CC 900's min frequency of 57Hz.
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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel 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 CC 900 and Aria 948 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Aria CC 900 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Aria 948's is at 92.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Focal Aria 948 a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Aria CC 900, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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 CC 900 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Aria CC 900 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
Aria CC 900 features Binding post type posts and Aria 948 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers 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 CC 900's and Focal Aria 948's external dimensions. Focal Aria CC 900 has external dimensions of 202.0 x 532.0 x 285.0mm ( 7-15/16 x 20-15/16 x 11-3/16inch) 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 CC 900 is 948mm shorter and 136mm less deeper than Focal Aria 948 but it is also 160mm wider.
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 CC 900 is approximately 1516.2cm2 / 235.0inch2 and base area of the Focal Aria 948 is approximately 1566.1cm2 / 242.7inch2. The Aria CC 900 requires 3% 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 CC 900?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Aria CC 900:
Center-channel loudspeaker Grille 4 Rubber feet 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
Minimum Impedance 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair* 
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Woofer Size