{"product_id":"focal-aria-948-floorstanding-speakers","title":"Focal Aria 948 Floorstanding Speakers","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout Focal Aria 948 Floorstanding Speakers\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Focal Aria 948 floorstanding speaker is the top of the Aria range and is an excellent choice for those with a substantial space to fill such as an open plan area. The flax sandwich cones bring a natural timbre to sounds which is rather beguiling and this Aria 948 combines the subtlety of the flax drivers with the huge dynamics only a big multi-driver speaker can bring to all types of music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Aria 948, like all the 900 series speakers, is a fairly traditional looking speaker that will fit into pretty much any type of interior. It's kind of like the Rolex Explorer of speakers, suitable for any occasion. Which does not mean it doesn't have some beautiful design touches. Available in either a High Gloss Black or Noyer finish (Walnut in French), the front baffle is covered in a leather look material \u0026amp; the top of the speaker in glass. There is also what Focal refer to as Powerflow multiple port technology to allow the bass to be as dynamic and uncompressed as possible. These speakers almost disappear with the full length magnetic grille on but come alive with the wonderful look of the flax drivers when the grilles are removed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Closer Look At The 948 Speakers\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat Focal has cleverly aimed to do with the Aria 900 series is create a range of \"Affordable High-End\" speakers. There really are no compromises in design, construction and sound which makes the quality to price ratio sky high. The Aria 900 paves the way for radical technology changes and brings a new design combining stylish classicism with modernity. This approach befits new consumer thinking, now turned towards refined, long-lasting products. It represents a significant design shift away from earlier Focal speakers with their very strong design identity towards a more timeless, sober statement combining the mineral and the organic. The Aria 900 range comprises four sets of speakers from a medium sized bookshelf model to the top of the range 948 we have here. This is a generously sized speaker incorporating two 8.25\" (210 mm) bass drivers and is designed for rooms measuring from 30 square metres and up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe \"F\" Cone, A Focal Patented Innovation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Some 18 years after Focal introduced its high-end \"W\" sandwich cones (glass-glass sandwich) to massive critical acclaim, it is launching its \"F\" (for Flax) sandwich cones, the result of more than five years' work towards achieving more affordable sandwich structures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"W\" cones are still the optimum solution in the search for the ultimate drive unit. The ideal cone should meet several opposing criteria: it should be very low in mass and be very stiff; sound should be able to travel through it very quickly, with no resonance. No single- material solution provides the answer - sandwich construction is the right way to go. \"W\" cones have just one disadvantage: they can only be made by hand and are, consequently, expensive. This precludes their use on all but the most expensive loudspeaker systems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe use of an \"eco-textile\" like flax, together with composite technologies, brings an innovative solution to sandwich construction: a piece of very high quality flax is placed between two very thin glass fibre sheets. And of no little importance, the manufacturing process can be mechanised and automated, in response to the requirement for more affordable loudspeakers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEven More Technology Behind The Aria 948:\u003c\/strong\u003e Of course, a good cone is just one part of a good loudspeaker unit. That is why the Aria 948's transducers incorporate a new injected Zamak basket providing maximum rear decompression and Klippel optimised motor systems providing them with ideal magnetic field distribution to ensure linearity, acceleration and control.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe new TNF tweeter has an aluminium\/magnesium alloy inverted dome, for low mass, stiffness and ideal propagation speed. This gives it outstanding acceleration over a wide bandwidth with low colouration. The lightweight dome is supported on Poron suspension (for linearity) developed from the Utopia tweeter. The tweeter has a front plate waveguide to ensure ideal horizontal directivity with low diffraction. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerfectionists' Cabinet-Work: \u003c\/strong\u003eGreat drivers mounted in poorly designed enclosures will, sadly, sound like poor drivers. That is why the Aria 948's cabinet is constructed from a combination of 18 and 24 mm controlled density HDF (High Density Fiberboard) with non-parallel sides and bracing at strategic points. The floorstanding cabinet comes complete with a cast aluminium plinth both to improve the floor coupling and to optimise the air flow from the downward firing vent. And the 948 incorporates two vents, in fact, (horizontal and vertical) in PowerFlow configuration for a 50% air movement speed reduction in the vents, reducing turbulence and noise leading to zero dynamic compression. Finally, the midrange and treble sections have their own sealed enclosures with non-parallel walls to minimise internal standing waves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Aria 948 is available in Walnut (Noyer) or Black High Gloss. The cabinet has a glass top and leather finished front highlighted with brushed gunmetal trim rings. They exude style and quality and will fit perfectly with both traditional and contemporary decors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Search For Excellence: The \u003c\/strong\u003eAria 948 crossover is carefully designed using an expert combination of science and art. Given today's measurement and design tools, it is easy to produce a good loudspeaker (if one has the capacity to design them and build them consistently, of course). So, if one is content with the merely \"good\", the job is done and small corrections can be left to the crossovers. But for Focal, only the best will do and for the best, problems have to be resolved at source with exceptional loudspeakers that limit the role of the crossover to that of a frequency \"signalman\". Great loudspeakers take significantly longer to design and require marrying the art of listening with that of subtly modifying the crossover to give that extra something that makes a good loudspeaker great. These small \"somethings\" are what bring music to life, what make it so expressive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMade In France: \u003c\/strong\u003eFocal designs and manufactures all its loudspeakers in France in its 17,400m2 R\u0026amp;D and manufacturing facility in Saint-Etienne. Having total control over design and manufacture brings huge advantages in terms of optimising designs: every loudspeaker in any particular range can have its own specific drive unit optimised for that specific enclosure. This also brings considerable advantages in the areas of innovation, quality and consistency of build. And that is why, in 2002, Focal relocated all its loudspeakers production to its manufacturing facility in Saint-Etienne, making it unique in the industry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFocal Aria In The News\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"With the Aria 948, engineers went back to the drawing board and redesigned everything. The cabinet, the cones and the drivers. The end result speaks for itself and if you want a good quality speaker that can even sometimes sound like being more expensive than it really is the Focal Aria 948 is really worth a consideration. At least in our case we didn't want to finish this review, and this must mean something. Highly recommended.\" \u003cstrong\u003eHM Entertainment\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Ultimately I found the Aria 948 to be a loudspeaker with few downsides, particularly for its cost-to-quality ratio. However, as I've indicated, it's probably better suited for audiophiles who really like to tinker with setup, system detailing, and such than for those who would prefer to uncrate, toe-in a bit, and go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDepending on your tastes, you might want a touch more low-end support—though the Arias do offer impressive bass for their size and type—but when it comes to pristine detail, accuracy, and neutrality they are quite exceptional in their category. With painstaking placement and the right electronics, they'd likely leave the competition (and even some loftier category contenders) in the dust. (Vast differences in how they sound with various electronics also suggest this transducer's transparency to sources.) When everything comes together, the Arias become transcendent, bringing so many musical layers to life they create a truly immersive soundscape. Indeed, the devil—and perhaps an angel or two—is in the details.\" \u003cstrong\u003eThe Absolute Sound\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"If I were a CEO at one of the larger loudspeaker companies like Bowers \u0026amp; Wilkins, KEF, Dynaudio or Sonus faber these new Focal's would give me a headache. The sound quality offered for the price is excellent. Visitors often thought that the price was for just one speaker not the pair. Partly because of the size and looks, but mainly for sound quality reasons. I have no idea what influence the flax cone has on its own, but Focal makes very good use of the material in these enclosures. Bass goes deep, deep enough to even satisfy movie lovers, the high frequencies are detailed and smoother than I would have expected coming from a Focal inverted dome and the midrange is brilliant at this price. The stereo image is fine and given the correct amplifier the stage is wide and deep, never does the music stick to the boxes. This is in my opinion quite a remarkable loudspeaker and if this is the path Focal follows in the coming years I will be interested in hearing the results. Yes, the Aria 948 is big, but who cares if you can close your eyes and enjoy the music? The beast has escaped from the French flax fields and crossed the channel.\" \u003cstrong\u003eThe Ear\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"main-features\"\u003eMain Features \u0026amp; Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesign: 4-driver, 3-way floorstanding speaker\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDrivers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1\" (25mm) Aluminium\/Magnesium TNF inverted dome tweeter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e6.5\" (165mm) Flax midrange\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2 x 8.25\" (210mm) Flax bass drivers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSensitivity: 92.5dB (2.83V\/1m)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrequency Response: 37Hz - 28kHz (+\/-3dB)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLow Frequency Point: 31Hz (-6dB)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNominal Impedance: 8 Ohms\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMinimum Impedance: 2.5 Ohms\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecommended Amplifier Power: 40 - 350W\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCrossover Frequency: 280 Hz \u0026amp; 2,600Hz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinish: High Gloss Black, Noyer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDimensions (WxHxD) 371 x 1,150 x 420mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight: 35kg each\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eManufacturer's Warranty: 5 Years (Covers faulty workmanship and materials, but not abuse)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #800000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Features \u0026amp; Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E\u0026amp;OE\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Focal","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43253006303368,"sku":"3544053691305","price":7900.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0663\/9317\/8248\/files\/focal-aria-948-noyer-1s_1.jpg?v=1737434036","url":"https:\/\/www.audiotrends.com.au\/products\/focal-aria-948-floorstanding-speakers","provider":"Audio Trends","version":"1.0","type":"link"}