Focal Aria 900 became the first series of home speakers, which used the new technology of manufacturing Flax diffusers. The Flax diffuser consists of three layers: the middle layer is made of natural flax fiber, and the upper and lower ones are made of the finest (approximately 10 times thinner than the middle layer) fiberglass with a special impregnation. In comparison with the Polyglass technology, which is usual for Focal products of the middle class, the new technology brings a significant increase in all objective and subjective characteristics. Lightness, rigidity, damping, the speed of propagation of vibrations along the diffuser – Flax shows outstanding results in these and many other specific acoustic criteria. In some respects it approaches and even surpasses the famous “W” diffuser of older Focal models, but has a lower cost price.
Another innovation implemented in the loudspeakers is tweeters made of aluminum and magnesium alloy on a suspension made of porous polyurethane Poron, loaded on a small waveguide. The bodies of the new products are made of wood-fiber boards 18 and 24 mm thick, while the presence of parallel surfaces is excluded. An interesting feature of the Aria series is that the pedestals of the floor towers are made of cast aluminum, which not only gives them additional stability, but also optimizes the operation of the bass reflex ports located on the bottom.
Focal Aria 906 is equipped with an inch TNF HF emitter, which has a concave dome made of aluminum-magnesium alloy and a suspension made of Poron material, which has a shape memory effect and good damping properties. Such a suspension makes it possible to minimize distortion in the range from two to three kilohertz. The concave dome membrane provides excellent spatial characteristics and a wide directivity pattern. Thanks to such a membrane, it is possible to almost completely get rid of the binding to a specific listening position. The tweeter is located in an oval flange, which is a small waveguide, which allows improving the directivity in the horizontal plane.
Focal Aria 906 has an elegant classic design that perfectly matches modern interiors. The top panel of the speaker has an exquisite glass finish, and the front and back wall are covered with leather. The MDF case is reliably damped and has non-parallel sides, which helps to get rid of internal standing waves and minimize unwanted resonances. The bass reflex port is located on the front panel and supports Power Flow technology, which helps eliminate dynamic compression.
The Focal Aria 906 uses a 165mm midrange/low-frequency driver with a sandwich diffuser. In such a diffuser, the central layer consists of strong, lightweight flax fibers placed between ultra-thin reinforcing layers of fiberglass. This guarantees low weight, excellent internal damping, excellent bending rigidity and high response speed to the appearance of a signal. All this contributes to obtaining precise, natural and rich sound with dense articulated bass, good dynamics and minimal distortion.
Focal Aria 906 has a pair of high-quality screw terminals, and a solid fabric grill with magnetic mount serves to protect the speakers. According to the manufacturer, the speaker is designed for use in rooms with an area of at least 15 square meters. At the same time, the distance from the listening point to the speaker should be at least 2.5 m. The speaker is available in various types of finish, including piano lacquer. Aluminum Aria S 900 stands are available as an option.
These monitors have at least two features that distinguish them from products of other manufacturers. Firstly, they are “not China” – both the housings and the heads are made in France. Secondly, the midbass diffusers are made of the recently patented Flax material with unique properties. I first talked about the “F” diffusers a month ago, although they were presented at the Focal conference in Saint-Etienne in February. The same was imposed a strict embargo on the dissemination of information until the fall of 2018. Now that the patent has been received and the Aria 900 line has been launched into production, the secret can be revealed.
A short reference for those who have not read the previous issue of the magazine. “F” means flax, i.e. linen, and the diffuser itself is a sandwich consisting of an inner layer of linen fabric 0.4 mm thick, on which the thinnest glass film is applied on both sides. Flax, as is known, consists of 80% cellulose, which has high strength and low specific gravity. The woven structure has good damping properties, and the glass coating prevents moisture absorption and increases resistance to bending deformations. In terms of the totality of parameters, Flax surpasses Polyglass, and is cheaper to produce than the W sandwich, since flax has been grown in France in huge quantities since ancient times, and in addition, less manual labor is required in the manufacture of F diffusers.
This is the diffuser of the 6.5-inch midbass speaker installed in the two-way Aria 906 monitors. It works on the phase inverter, the port of which is brought out to the front panel. The TNF tweeter with an inverted dome and a suspension made of poron (a material with good shape memory) is placed in a waveguide, expanding the directional diagram horizontally. The high crossover frequency (according to the data sheet, 2800 Hz) was chosen so that the entire voice spectrum is reproduced by one speaker. At the same time, phase and frequency distortions will be less, and the sound will be more natural. The design of the compact MDF case was calculated for a minimum of resonances. It is narrowed towards the back and slightly rounded at the front, therefore, the side walls are not parallel. Accordingly, the rigidity is increased and unfavorable conditions for the occurrence of internal standing waves are created.
The exterior finish is impeccable and elegant in the French style. The front panel is covered with artificial leather, and the sides are covered with vinyl film imitating high-quality walnut veneer. The top surface is covered with a black polished plastic overlay with a silver Focal logo. The rigid convex grilles are attached with magnets. There are only two input terminals, their upper “lambs” are insulated. During transportation, the tweeters are covered with oval celluloid plates – a trifle, but nice.
As it turned out during the test listening, to fully realize the musical potential of the 906s, it is enough to fulfill three conditions. First, be sure to warm up the new monitors before listening for at least two to three hours on loud music. During this time, the harshness goes away from the upper middle, and the sound as a whole becomes more comfortable to perceive. Second, place the speakers on heavy stands, while the bass subjectively turns out to be deeper and more specific. And finally, to even out the tonal balance in the HF region, it is worth experimenting with the directionality of the tweeters. In our not too muffled room, the best result was given by placing the monitors parallel to the front line. After that, the virtual sources focused more clearly, and a noticeable spatial perspective appeared in the sound stage.
But in any case, the first thing you notice is the purity and complete freedom that reign in the upper range. I don’t know what gives this effect – the foam suspension or other tricks, but in terms of clarity and transparency, the TNF tweeters are not inferior to ribbon emitters and do not have their shortcomings. The plates are very good – light, airy, with a bright natural spectrum and an abundance of “rough” harmonics. And the stage is built superbly, everything is clearly fixed in all three dimensions. At the same time, I can’t say that the monitors disappear in space, their presence is felt at the edges of the panorama, so there is no impression that all imaginary sources are concentrated in its center.
The dynamics are quite decent for drivers of this caliber, only at very high volume can you notice slight compression, and there are no noticeable distortions or coloring. The character of the bass can be described as moderate, without trying to embrace the immensity, and extremely accurate. The clarity and fast attack give the sound a collected and rhythmic precision. Aria 906 are very musical in nature, they are able not only to create the illusion of a real event, but also to convey its mood. And what else testifies to the level of performance – complex pieces are not simplified, but seem easier to perceive, do not cause a feeling of discomfort.
Focal Aria 906 Specifications:
- Number of bands 2
- Number of speakers 2
- Body type bass reflex, port built into the front panel
- Tweeter 25 mm TNF HF emitter with a concave aluminum-magnesium membrane and a suspension made of elastic Poron material,
- placed in an oval flange-waveguide
- MF/LF emitter 165 mm MF driver with a sandwich diffuser (flax fiber is between two layers of fiberglass) and a phase-equalizing
- element
- Sensitivity 89.5 dB (2.83 V / 1 m)
- Frequency response 55 Hz – 28 kHz (± 3 dB)
- Lower limit of the frequency range 47 Hz (- 6 dB)
- Nominal impedance 8 Ohm
- Minimum impedance 4.6 Ohm
- Recommended amplifier power from 25 to 120 watts per channel
- Crossover frequency 2800 Hz bands
- Input connectors 2 screw terminals
- Grill with magnetic mount
- Dimensions (WxHxD) 225x390x280 mm
- Weight 8.5 kg
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