Focal Aria 906 Bookshelf Speakers

The Focal Aria 906 bookshelf speakers have remained true to the spirit of the brand. They are the only monitor speakers and the most affordable model in the ARIA range, complete with 3 columns.

Focal ARIA 906 : Design and connections

These 2-way speakers have an elegant aesthetic that exudes quality and rigour.

They are made from extremely rigid MDF and the cabinet walls are not parallel, which reduces vibration and preserves neutrality as much as possible.

On the back of the speaker is a simple but high quality terminal, which can be used to connect stripped cables, as well as banana and fork connectors.

 The finish of this Focal ARIA 906 Bookshelf Speakers is beautiful, with a leather-coated front panel that gives the speakers an air of high-end sophistication.

Focal ARIA 906 : Tweeter

The high frequencies run through an incredible TNF tweeter.

The suspension between the dome and its bracket uses Poron, a foam material with shape memory. This suspension system has been lifted directly from the famous Utopia beryllium tweeter, reducing distortion threefold in the 2-3kHz range, which are frequencies that the human ear is particularly sensitive to.

The Aria 906 speakers also feature Focal's signature 25mm aluminium/magnesium inverted dome.

The tweeter plate of this Focal ARIA 906 speakers is made of urethane, and works as a waveguide to improve horizontal directivity and imaging.

Focal ARIA 906 : Driver

The midrange and bass frequencies are transmitted by an excellent driver with a Flax membrane, which is produced by compressing flax fibre between two thin layers of fibreglass.

These speakers are manufactured in Focal's factory in Saint-Etienne, France, and have been produced there exclusively since 2013.

Every aspect of their highly original design is geared towards acoustic performance. The flax fibre produces an authentic sound free from colouration, delivering remarkable quality in the middle registers and clear, sustained attack in the bass.

This driver uses a bass reflex loading system, with a front-firing port.

Focal ARIA 906 : Listening and test review

Focal recommends that you position the Focal Aria 906 speakers 60-70cm above the floor. Naturally, they also recommend that you use their dedicated speaker stands, the ARIA S 900, which blend seamlessly with the speakers themselves, both acoustically and aesthetically.

They don’t any particularly demanding amplification requirements; a good source, an amplifier with an output of around 50W, and a decent speaker cable will do.

From the opening bars, we were impressed by the authenticity and spatialization of each instrument. And the sound stage is enormous in relation to the size of the speakers themselves!

The sound quality is simultaneously powerful, dynamic, articulated, nuanced and refined.

As usual with Focal, the bass is a huge triumph – quick and deep, with exemplary levels of clarity.

The midrange is highly informative and neutral, reproducing each and every note without a hint of brashness or colouration. And the treble is precise, detailed and silky smooth.

Overall, the different registers are very well-balanced and blend together seamlessly.

Focal ARIA 906 : Unboxing and setting up

Setting up the Focal Aria 906 speakers is an easy job.

The Focal Aria 906 bookshelf speakers feature the latest membrane technology developed by Focal. And we can confirm that the time, money and effort the company has spent on this technological research and development has more than paid off, producing a pair of speakers that make for an excellent long-term investment.

If you're looking for presence, power, sophistication and a serious sound stage, look no further! A maPlatine.com top pick!

AWARDS:

Choc de Classica - 2014
HiFi Pig Recommended - 2014
SoundStage Hi-Fi - 2014
SoundStage Reviewers' Choice - 2014
What Hi-Fi - 2013
Stereo Sound - ‘Best Buy’ - 2013