In this review, we will be comparing R11 and Aria 948, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF R11 and Focal Aria 948 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
KEF R11 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer
- 46-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-300watts
- Weight:37.70kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1301.0" x 12-1/4" x 15-5/16"( 1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm )
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 KEF R11 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* |
KEF R11 |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the KEF R11 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
Both R11 and Aria 948 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
KEF R11 |
Focal Aria 948 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8.25-inch
|
R11 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz. 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
R11 has a frequency range of 46-28k 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 R11's min frequency of 46Hz.
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
R11 and Aria 948 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R11 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Aria 948's is at 92.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Focal Aria 948 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF R11, 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.
R11 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R11 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS , 50 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
R11 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Aria 948 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KEF R11's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 KEF R11's and Focal Aria 948's external dimensions. KEF R11 has external dimensions of 1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm ( 51-3/16 x 12-1/4 x 15-5/16inch) 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) .
KEF R11 is 60mm narrower and 32mm less deeper than Focal Aria 948 but it is also 151mm taller.
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 KEF R11 is approximately 1213.7cm2 / 188.1inch2 and base area of the Focal Aria 948 is approximately 1566.1cm2 / 242.7inch2. The R11 requires 23% less surface area than the Aria 948 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.