Focal, the premier acoustic company in France, introduces its latest product line, Aria. This series features speakers that utilize a unique flax material diffuser for the first time, with the flax fabric sandwiched between two layers of fiberglass. The Focal Aria 900 marks the debut of home speakers employing this innovative Flax diffuser technology. The Flax diffuser is constructed with three layers: a central layer made of natural flax fiber, flanked by upper and lower layers of high-quality fiberglass that is approximately ten times thinner than the middle layer and treated with a special impregnation. Compared to the Polyglass technology commonly found in Focal’s mid-range products, this new approach significantly enhances both objective and subjective performance metrics. The Flax material excels in lightness, rigidity, damping, and vibration propagation speed, achieving remarkable results across various acoustic parameters. In certain aspects, it rivals and even exceeds the renowned ‘W’ diffuser used in older Focal models, all while maintaining a lower production cost.
An additional advancement in the loudspeakers features tweeters constructed from an aluminum and magnesium alloy, supported by a porous polyurethane Poron suspension and mounted on a compact waveguide. The enclosures of these new models are crafted from 18 and 24 mm thick wood-fiber boards, deliberately avoiding parallel surfaces. A notable aspect of the Aria series is that the bases of the floor-standing towers are made from cast aluminum, enhancing their stability and optimizing the performance of the bass reflex ports situated at the bottom.
The Focal Aria 948 floor-standing acoustic system includes a 165 mm midrange driver and two 210 mm woofers. The cones of these three drivers are composed of a sandwich structure featuring lightweight, rigid flax fibers sandwiched between two thin layers of fiberglass. This multilayer membrane is noted for its low weight, high bending stiffness, effective internal damping, and rapid response. Consequently, the manufacturer assures that the sound in the midrange is precise, rich, and natural, along with deep, well-defined bass.
The acoustic system employs a 25 mm TNF tweeter featuring a concave aluminum-magnesium membrane to transmit high frequencies. It utilizes a suspension made from a specialized Poron material with a shape memory effect, derived from the older beryllium tweeter. This innovative material significantly reduces nonlinear distortions in the critical frequency range of two to three kilohertz—particularly sensitive to human hearing—by a factor of three. The inverted dome design offers exceptional spatial characteristics and a wide directivity pattern, resulting in an expanded sound stage that outperforms competitors with traditional dome membranes. Consequently, listeners experience less dependency on specific seating positions within the room. Additionally, the tweeter is housed in an oval flange-waveguide, enhancing horizontal directivity.
The Focal Aria 948 features leather finishes on both the front and back, while its body is constructed from MDF with a thickness of up to 25 mm, ensuring a robust design. The side panels are intentionally non-parallel to reduce resonances and eliminate internal standing waves. This model includes two bass reflex ports; one is integrated into the front and utilizes Power Flow technology to minimize dynamic compression, delivering a quick and impactful bass response. The second port is located at the bottom and faces downward, which the designers claim enhances the depth of low frequencies. The speaker’s top panel is made of glass, and the entire unit is supported by an aluminum base fitted with adjustable spikes. A fabric grill, which covers the front panel, is secured with a magnetic attachment. Cable connections are made via two screw terminals. The Focal Aria 948 is designed to effectively fill spaces of up to thirty square meters, with an optimal listening distance of 3.5 meters or more.
Focal Aria 948 Specifications
- Number of bands 3
- Number of speakers 4
- Case type bass reflex, one port is built into the front panel, the second – into the bottom of the case
- Tweeter 25 mm TNF HF emitter with a concave aluminum-magnesium membrane and a Poron suspension, placed in an oval
- waveguide flange
- MF emitter 165 mm MF driver with a sandwich diffuser (flax fiber is between two layers of fiberglass) and a phase-equalizing element
- LF emitters 2 x 210 mm woofers with sandwich diffusers (flax fiber is between two layers of fiberglass)
- Sensitivity 92.5 dB (2.83 V / 1 m)
- Frequency response 37 Hz – 28 kHz (± 3 dB)
- Lower limit of the frequency range 31 Hz (- 6 dB)
- Nominal impedance 8 Ohm
- Minimum impedance 2.5 Ohm
- Recommended amplifier power from 50 to 350 W per channel
- Crossover frequencies 280 Hz/2600 Hz
- Input connectors 2 screw terminals
- Grill with magnetic mounts
- Dimensions (WxHxD) 371x1150x420 mm
- Weight 35 kg
