In this review, we will be comparing Vestia No4 and Aria 948, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Focal Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Vestia No4 and Focal Aria 948 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Focal Vestia No4 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" inverted dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8" Slatefiber Woofer
- 40-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:40-350watts
- Weight:31.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1128.0" x 12" x 16-7/8"( 1128.0 x 305.0 x 429.0mm )
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 )
What size room are the Focal Vestia No4 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 Vestia No4 |
Focal Aria 948 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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 Vestia No4 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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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Vestia No4 and Aria 948 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Focal Vestia No4 |
Focal Aria 948 |
|
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-inch
|
2 x 8.25-inch
|
Vestia No4 features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280Hz and 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
Vestia No4 has a frequency range of 40-30k Hz whereas Aria 948 has a frequency range of 37-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the Aria 948 can go slightly deeper then the Vestia No4's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
High Frequency
Floor-standing 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
Vestia No4 and Aria 948 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Vestia No4 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Aria 948's is at 92.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Aria 948 a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Vestia No4, 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. 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.
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.
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 Vestia No4's and Focal Aria 948's external dimensions. Focal Vestia No4 has external dimensions of 1128.0 x 305.0 x 429.0mm ( 44-3/8-inch x 12-inch x 16-7/8-inch) 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 Vestia No4 is 67mm narrower and 22mm shorter than Focal Aria 948 but it is also 8mm 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 Vestia No4 is approximately 1308.5cm2 / 202.8inch2 and base area of the Focal Aria 948 is approximately 1566.1cm2 / 242.7inch2. The Vestia No4 requires 16% 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 Vestia No4 weighs 31.50kg / 69.3lbs and the Focal Aria 948 weighs 35.00kg / 77lbs. This makes the Aria 948 11% heavier than the Vestia No4.
Here is a comparison of how Vestia No4 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 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