Focal Aria 906 Speaker Review

[mslim]

Focal, although only the first review here and Revel (several reviews) appear to be very competent folks. Furthermore Focal has quite a few well reviewed but expensive headphones. Only a matter of time I guess for Revel to make headphones...... the more the merrier.......

 

[GelbeMusik]

If the reflection has a significant dip in that frequency band, absorbing it reduces that impact relative to sum of direct sound and other reflections. You may have to turn up the volume a bit but you would have a more even response.

Hi GelbeMusik, specific directional dips are typically caused by ... Sometimes, people refer to "floor bounce" as a relative cancellation or dip resulting between 100-300 Hz from such a path length difference from the bass drivers to the floor, which typically occur in a relatively predictable fashion in most rooms (assuming that the speakers aren't elevated significantly and that the listeners are positioned within a relative distance from the speakers). ...

Floyd Toole published … check for acoustical measurements. ...

Since Amir was referring to the dip above 2 kHz, which is very clearly shown in his graph showing Early Reflections and which has the sentence that you reference before your comment …

First, I've got a hand woven Nepalese carpet of about 1 inch thickness 3x4m^2. It has no felt under it. The effect is marginal up to 1kHz .. 2kHz, according to my own measurements.

The dip itself is determined by the distance of tweeter and woofer. It is inherent to the box design, also known as "lobing". I might show You, in case please ask. It is in particular not formed by the phase wise combination of direct and reflected sound. So, to remove its irregular shape from the reverberant sound field would need to not absorb something at the dips center frequency. To the contrary. One would like to absorb the frequencies to the left and right as to equalize the off axis response somehow to some degree.

In consequence, the typical dip from lobing at the xo-frequency of multi-way designs is not easily absorbed. That is why good coaxials are sought after. KEF went for coaxial exactly because of the dip(s). Once the history of that company is known, it falls into its place immediately.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Focal, although only the first review here and Revel (several reviews) appear to be very competent folks.

I have absolutely no doubt about that. There are truly competent engineers working for Focal. They started making drivers for other manufacturers back in 80's. To me: they are the "French Dynaudio": purely engineering-based speakers, also very present in Pro audio market, and designing and building everything from drivers to enclosures in-house.

 

[maty]

First, I've got a hand woven Nepalese carpet of about 1 inch thickness 3x4m^2. It has no felt under it. The effect is marginal up to 1kHz .. 2kHz, according to my own measurements.

The dip itself is determined by the distance of tweeter and woofer. It is inherent to the box design, also known as "lobing". I might show You, in case please ask. It is in particular not formed by the phase wise combination of direct and reflected sound. So, to remove its irregular shape from the reverberant sound field would need to not absorb something at the dips center frequency. To the contrary. One would like to absorb the frequencies to the left and right as to equalize the off axis response somehow to some degree.

In consequence, the typical dip from lobing at the xo-frequency of multi-way designs is not easily absorbed. That is why good coaxials are sought after. KEF went for coaxial exactly because of the dip(s). Once the history of that company is known, it falls into its place immediately.

If I am not wrong, you can use absorbent materials.. but work about 500 Hz, not 1 kHz or more.

I LOVE KEF 5.25" Uni-Q coaxials. The problem is the cheap and wrong implementation in some loudspeakers. The driver is very good, with low distortion. And they have not been able to integrate it perfectly with an additional woofer until now (KEF R300 and KEF R3).

 

[QMuse]

The biggest problem for this speaker is called Elac DBR-62, as it offers similar, if not even slightly better performance for less money.

 

[VintageFlanker]

The biggest problem for this speaker is called Elac DBR-62, as it offers similar, if not even slightly better performance for less money.

Again, it depends on where you live. The DBR-62 is not available in France at all. I know @renaudrenaud managed to order two pairs from UK and Germany for 600€ each (correct me if I'm wrong, Renaud!). So it comes more expensive than best offers for 906s here. Also, 906s are made in France and Focal provides a very good customer support with easy access to replacement parts. That could be more complicated with imported DBR-62.

 

[QMuse]

Again, it depends on where you live. The DBR-62 is not available in France at all. I know @renaudrenaud managed to order two pair from UK and Germany for 600€ each (correct me if I'm wrong, Renaud!). So it comes more expensive than best offers for 906s here. Also, 906s are made in France and Focal provides a very good customer support with easy access to replacement parts. That could be more complicated with imported DBR-62.

Sure, price depends what kind of deal you can get in particular country, but I was expecting more from the speaker which list price used to be $2000.

 

[VintageFlanker]

I was expecting more from the speaker which list price used to be $2000

Never seen such prices for 906s anywhere in the world. To my knowledge, 906s (Standard finish).were launched back in 2013, at 1,500$ in US (899€ EU and 760£ in UK).

 

[QMuse]

Never seen such prices for 906s anywhere in the world. To my knowledge, 906s (Standard finish).were launched back in 2013, at 1,500$ in US (899€ EU and 760£ in UK).

Ok, but same comment applies for $1500 as well.

 

[PierreV]

Ok, but same comment applies for $1500 as well.

It really depends on a lot of things, the exchange rate was very bad for the USD back in 2013

Using 1.33 as a basis, the effective cost in Europe, VAT included would have been $1200, less than $1000 for export, so I guess import duties, freight, etc... played a role. As of today at 1.13, I could buy a pair here for $564 VAT included or $466 VAT excl...

For relatively heavy stuff, in large boxes, in what remains a small market, buying locally still makes a lot of sense.

 

[QMuse]

It really depends on a lot of things, the exchange rate was very bad for the USD back in 2013

Using 1.33 as a basis, the effective cost in Europe, VAT included would have been $1200, less than $1000 for export, so I guess import duties, freight, etc... played a role. As of today at 1.13, I could buy a pair here for $564 VAT included or $466 VAT excl...

For relatively heavy stuff, in large boxes, in what remains a small market, buying locally still makes a lot of sense.

True, that speaker is definitely a good value for $564.

 

[renaudrenaud]

Again, it depends on where you live. The DBR-62 is not available in France at all. I know @renaudrenaud managed to order two pair from UK and Germany for 600€ each (correct me if I'm wrong, Renaud!). So it comes more expensive than best offers for 906s here. Also, 906s are made in France and Focal provides a very good customer support with easy access to replacement parts. That could be more complicated with imported DBR-62.

In France I can now distribute the product if you are interested. In Europe in fact. For something less than 540€.


I really do not know the Focal, but the Elac are so so so impressive... For me this is the same story as the NAD3020, something inexpensive with a lot of qualities. And I hope a future best seller.

 

[daftcombo]

Again, it depends on where you live. The DBR-62 is not available in France at all. I know @renaudrenaud managed to order two pair from UK and Germany for 600€ each (correct me if I'm wrong, Renaud!). So it comes more expensive than best offers for 906s here. Also, 906s are made in France and Focal provides a very good customer support with easy access to replacement parts. That could be more complicated with imported DBR-62.

Aren't you interested in listening to that ELAC speaker? I am!
If there were one to demo in Paris, I'd go have a listen.

 

[Voo]

I somehow feel the flax hasnt been a huge hit for focal...wonder if aria and kanta gonna get replaced soon? otherwise why would focal produce the chora w/out the very inexpensive flax...

 

[daftcombo]

In France I can now distribute the product if you are interested. In Europe in fact. For something less than 540€.


I really do not know the Focal, but the Elac are so so so impressive... For me this is the same story as the NAD3020, something inexpensive with a lot of qualities. And I hope a future best seller.

For that price, I'm definitely interested. Not right now, but in a few weeks (after demoing would be better of course).

 

[PierreV]

I somehow feel the flax hasnt been a huge hit for focal...wonder if aria and kanta gonna get replaced soon? otherwise why would focal produce the chora w/out the very inexpensive flax...

Really hard to say. It seems they are positioning themselves more and more as a "lifestyle" company. Slate woofers look "better" in the current design context? That strategy makes total sense in the current market imho, and the finish on their products is truly outstanding (I am not sure the designs will stand the test of time, but that is another story). There was one video on the introduction of the new Utopias and the product manager spent more time talking about finish and paint than he did on technical improvements (which were quite fuzzy anyway).

Now, if they produce beautiful products that also happen to measure well, who are we to complain?

 

[renaudrenaud]

Aren't you interested in listening to that ELAC speaker? I am!
If there were one to demo in Paris, I'd go have a listen.

Come on man. I am in Issy Les Moulineaux.

 

[VintageFlanker]

I somehow feel the flax hasnt been a huge hit for focal...wonder if aria and kanta gonna get replaced soon?

Not at all.I don't know outside EU, but Aria range is an absolute best-seller here. You can see Arias in litteraly every shop windows (Hi-Fi retailers but also mass-market electronic shops). Arias always apear in "top selling" and "top trending" products on many many websites. And same goes for 7 years since their launch now.
Plus, I heard that their Shape range (Pro market), also using flax, is a huge succes as well.

Don't have a clue about Kanta range.

Come on man. I am in Issy Les Moulineaux.

Can I go too?

 

[renaudrenaud]

Not at all.I don't know outside EU, but Aria range is an absolute best-seller here. You can see Arias in litteraly every shop windows (Hi-Fi retailer but also mass-market electronic shops). Arias always apear in "top selling" and "top trending" products on many many website. And same goes for 7 years since their launch now.
Plus, I heard that their Shape range (Pro market), also uing flax, is a huge succes as well.

Don't have a clue about Kanta range.


Can I go too?

'Corse.

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

I somehow feel the flax hasnt been a huge hit for focal...wonder if aria and kanta gonna get replaced soon? otherwise why would focal produce the chora w/out the very inexpensive flax...

Kanta is still relatively new. So it won't be replaced anytime soon.

The slatefiber cone (also pretty sexy looking, I agree) replaced the last drivers that were NOT made by Focal. The old Chorus line imported drivers from another manufacturer (you can see that in the factory tour video). I'm assuming slatefiber cones are even cheaper to produce than the flax cones.

Personally, I dislike the looks of the Chora's cabinets and the Kanta "plastic" baffle (so ugly!).
Sopra looks cool though. Seen them all in person, was too chicken to ask for a sound demo though.