In this review, we will be comparing Ultra Tower and Aria 926, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Tower and Focal Aria 926 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
SVS Ultra Tower Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.0" Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer
- 28-32k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:34.27kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1159.0" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"( 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm )
Focal Aria 926 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" inverted dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer
- 6.5" Midrange
- 45-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 91.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:40-250watts
- Weight:25.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1039.0" x 11-9/16" x 14-11/16"( 1039.0 x 294.0 x 374.0mm )
What size room are the SVS Ultra Tower and Focal Aria 926 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* |
SVS Ultra Tower |
Focal Aria 926 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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 SVS Ultra Tower and Focal Aria 926 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 Ultra Tower and Aria 926 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
SVS Ultra Tower |
Focal Aria 926 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz. On the other hand, the Aria 926 features a 1" TNF Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 290Hz and 2,400Hz.
Frequency Response
Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz whereas Aria 926 has a frequency range of 45-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Aria 926's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
Ultra Tower and Aria 926 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Ultra Tower sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Aria 926's is at 91.5 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Focal Aria 926 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Tower, 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.
Ultra Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Aria 926 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Ultra Tower.
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
Ultra Tower features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Aria 926 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Tower'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 SVS Ultra Tower's and Focal Aria 926's external dimensions. SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm ( 45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch) whereas Focal Aria 926 has external dimensions of 1039.0 x 294.0 x 374.0mm ( 40-7/8 x 11-9/16 x 14-11/16inch) .
SVS Ultra Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 61mm wider, 120mm taller and 71mm deeper than Focal Aria 926.
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 SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2 and base area of the Focal Aria 926 is approximately 1099.6cm2 / 170.4inch2. The Ultra Tower requires 44% more surface area than the Aria 926 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.