In this review, we will be comparing Kanta No.2 and Aria 948, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Kanta No.2 and Focal Aria 948 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Kanta No.2 | Focal Aria 948 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Hard-Dome | 1" inverted dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Flax | 2 x 8.25" Flax |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-40k Hz | 37-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 92.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-300 watts | 50-350 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.09kg / 77.2lbs | 35.00kg / 77lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44" x 12-5/8" x 18-3/4"
1118.0 x 321.0 x 477.0mm | 45-1/4" x 14-5/8" x 16-9/16"
1150.0 x 372.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Kanta No.2 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 Kanta No.2 |
Focal Aria 948 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Kanta No.2 and Aria 948 are 3-way speakers.
Focal Kanta No.2Focal Aria 948
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 Kanta No.2 |
Focal Aria 948 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8.25-inch
|
Kanta No.2 features a 1.1" IAL3 Beryllium Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 260 Hz - 2700 Hz. 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
Kanta No.2 has a frequency range of 35-40k Hz whereas Aria 948 has a frequency range of 37-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Kanta No.2 can go slightly deeper then 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
Kanta No.2 and Aria 948 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Kanta No.2 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 Kanta No.2, 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 Kanta No.2 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
Kanta No.2 features Binding post type posts and Aria 948 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Kanta No.2'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 Kanta No.2's and Focal Aria 948's external dimensions. Focal Kanta No.2 has external dimensions of 1118.0 x 321.0 x 477.0mm (44inch x 12-5/8inch x 18-3/4inch) 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 Kanta No.2 is 51mm narrower and 32mm shorter than Focal Aria 948 but it is also 56mm deeper.
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 Kanta No.2 is approximately 1531.2cm2 / 237.3inch2 and base area of the Focal Aria 948 is approximately 1566.1cm2 / 242.7inch2. The Kanta No.2 requires 2% less surface area than the Aria 948 which gives it a small advantage 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 Kanta No.2 weighs 35.09kg / 77.2lbs and the Focal Aria 948 weighs 35.00kg / 77lbs. This makes the Kanta No.2 0% heavier than the Aria 948.
Here is a comparison of how Kanta No.2 and Aria 948'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 Kanta No.2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Kanta No.2:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Large grille
- Small grille
- Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Protective discs
- User Manual
What's in the Box of Focal Aria 948?
Here are the items that come with the Aria 948:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Base
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed in base)
- 4 Plastic feet
- 4 Screws
- Allen-key
- Hex-tool
- User Manual
 Minimum Impedance |
3.1 ohms
vs
2.5 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
37 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1118mm
vs
1150mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1531cm2
vs
1566cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
350 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
8.25 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Price per pair* |
6598USD
vs
14998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Kanta No.2 |
Focal Aria 948 |
| Brand |
Focal |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-300 watts |
50-350 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
92.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.1 ohms |
2.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-40k Hz |
37-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Flax |
Flax |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
inverted dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
260 Hz - 2700 Hz |
280Hz and 2,600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
Front |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1118.0mm (44") |
1150.0mm (45.3") |
| Width |
321.0mm (12.6") |
372.0mm (14.6") |
| Depth |
477.0mm (18.8") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
35.09kg (77.2lbs) |
35.00kg (77lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Multi-ply/Polymer/Veneer |
MDF/Glass/Leather |
| Available Colors |
High-Gloss Carrara White, High-Gloss Black/Deep Black, Matte Walnut/Dark Grey,Matte Walnut/Ivory |
Gloss Black |
| 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 |
These sit in different price classes - Focal Kanta No.2 costs roughly 2.3x what Focal Aria 948 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (35Hz vs 37Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | Focal Aria 948 is more sensitive (93dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 350W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Focal Aria 948 sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Focal Aria 948 is cheaper - $6,598 against $14,998, about 56% less; arguably a different class. |
A Focal Kanta No.2 B Focal Aria 948
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 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. 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. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Focal Aria 948 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.