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Focal Aria Evo X No1 vs Focal Aria Evo X No3 Comparison

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Focal Aria Evo X No1

Passive Bookshelf | 55-30kHz

Focal Aria Evo X No1
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Focal Aria Evo X No3

Passive Floor-standing | 39-30kHz

Focal Aria Evo X No3
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Focal Aria Evo X No1 Focal Aria Evo X No1
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Focal Aria Evo X No3 Focal Aria Evo X No3
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Focal Aria Evo X No1
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Focal Aria Evo X No3
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Focal Aria Evo X No1 vs Focal Aria Evo X No3 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Focal. Focal Aria Evo X No1 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Aria Evo X No3 is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Focal Aria Evo X No1 and Focal Aria Evo X No3 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Focal Aria Evo X No1 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" inverted dome Tweeter
  • 6.5" Flax Woofer
  • 55-30kHz Frequency Response
  • 89.5 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:25-120watts
  • Weight:8.50kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 391.0" x 8-7/8" x 11"( 39 x 22.5 x 28 cm )

Focal Aria Evo X No3 Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1" inverted dome Tweeter
  • 6.5" Midrange
  • 3 x 6.5" Flax Woofer
  • 6.5" Midrange
  • 39-30kHz Frequency Response
  • 92 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:40-300watts
  • Weight:29.00kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1150.0" x 11-5/8" x 14-5/8"( 115 x 29.4 x 37.1 cm )

Aria Evo X No1 and Aria Evo X No3 are members of Focal's Aria Evo X series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Focal Aria Evo X Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Focal Aria Evo X No1
Bookshelf 55-30kHz 89.5 dB8Ω 1 x 6.5"
Focal Aria Evo X No4
  
Floor-standing 37-30kHz 92.5 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
Focal Aria Evo X No2
  
Floor-standing 45-30kHz 91.5 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
Focal Aria Evo X C
  
Center Channel 57-30kHz 91 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
Focal Aria Evo X No3
Floor-standing 39-30kHz 92 dB8Ω 3 x 6.5"

What size room are the Focal Aria Evo X No1 and Focal Aria Evo X No3 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 Evo X No1 Focal Aria Evo X No3
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 Evo X No1 and Focal Aria Evo X No3 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

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Aria Evo X No1 is a 2-way design whereas the Aria Evo X No3 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 Evo X No1 Focal Aria Evo X No3
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange - 1 x 6.5-inch
Woofer 1 x 6.5-inch 3 x 6.5-inch

Aria Evo X No1 features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800 Hz. On the other hand, the Aria Evo X No3 features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 260 Hz - 3100 Hz.

Frequency Response

Aria Evo X No1 has a frequency range of 55-30kHz whereas Aria Evo X No3 has a frequency range of 39-30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the Aria Evo X No3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Aria Evo X No1's min frequency of 55Hz.

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 Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Aria Evo X No1
Aria Evo X No3
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Focal Aria Evo X No1
Focal Aria Evo X No3
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 Evo X No1 and Aria Evo X No3 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Aria Evo X No1 sensitivity is rated at 89.5 dB and the Aria Evo X No3's is at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Focal Aria Evo X No3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Aria Evo X No1, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Aria Evo X No1
Aria Evo X No3
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 Evo X No1 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Aria Evo X No1 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS , 180 watts less than the Aria Evo X No3.

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 Evo X No1 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Aria Evo X No3 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Focal Aria Evo X No3Binding post Terminals
Focal Aria Evo X No3's Binding post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Aria Evo X No1 and Aria Evo X No3 have front firing ports. front ported speakers offers more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls&surfaces compared to rear ported speakers.

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 Evo X No1's and Focal Aria Evo X No3's external dimensions. Focal Aria Evo X No1 has external dimensions of 39 x 22.5 x 28 cm ( 15-3/8 x 8-⅞ x 11) whereas Focal Aria Evo X No3 has external dimensions of 115 x 29.4 x 37.1 cm ( 45-¼ x 11-5/8 x 14-⅝) .

Focal Aria Evo X No3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 70mm wider, 759mm taller and 91mm deeper than Focal Aria Evo X No1.

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 Evo X No1 is approximately 630.0cm2 / 97.7inch2 and base area of the Focal Aria Evo X No3 is approximately 1094.5cm2 / 169.6inch2. The Aria Evo X No1 requires 42% less surface area than the Aria Evo X No3 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.


Reasons to choose Focal Aria Evo X No1 over Focal Aria Evo X No3
Minimum Impedance 4.6 ohms vs 2.8 ohms Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring Yes vs No Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections
Height 391mm vs 1150mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area 630cm2 vs 1094cm2 Takes less floor space
Price per pair* 2398USD vs 5198USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Focal Aria Evo X No3 over Focal Aria Evo X No1

Max Input Power 300 watts vs 120 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity 92 dB vs 90 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Number of Woofers 3 vs 1 More woofers
Low Frequency Response 39 Hz vs 55 Hz Generates deeper bass
Focal Aria Evo X No1 vs Focal Aria Evo X No3 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Focal Aria Evo X No1 Focal Aria Evo X No3
Brand Focal Focal
Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Floor-standing speaker
Power Range 25-120 watts 40-300 watts
Sensitivity 89.5 dB 92 dB
Impedance 8 ohms 8 ohms
Impedance 4.6 ohms 2.8 ohms
Frequency Response 55-30kHz 39-30kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity 1 3
Woofer Size 6.5" 6.5"
Woofer Composition Flax Flax
Woofer Surround Material TMD TMD
Tweeter Size 1" 1"
Tweeter Type inverted dome inverted dome
Aimable Tweeter No No
Midrange Driver No 6.5"
Crossover Frequency 2800 Hz 260 Hz - 3100 Hz
Firing Direction front front
Physical Specs
Height 391.0mm (15.4") 1150.0mm (45.3")
Width 225.0mm (8.9") 295.0mm (11.6")
Depth 280.0mm (11") 371.0mm (14.6")
Weight 8.50kg (18.7lbs) 29.00kg (63.8lbs)
Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
Available Colors Black High Gloss, Prime Walnut, Moss Green High Gloss Black High Gloss, Prime Walnut, Moss Green High Gloss
Mounting Bracket No No
Grille Yes Yes
Moisture Resistancy No No
Connections
Biamp Inputs Yes No
Other
Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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