After ten years of improvements, the French manufacturer has renewed its most popular speakers with the new Focal Aria Evo X range. These speakers feature perfected Flax drivers, a new TAM tweeter and the latest acoustic innovations to deliver outstanding musical and home theater experiences. As the only bookshelf model in the range, the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 speaker seems to be the perfect gateway into the French manufacturer’s new universe.
Focal Aria Evo X: the range
A decade after the launch of Focal Aria, the French manufacturer’s most iconic series, the brand is updating this now legendary range with the new Focal Aria Evo X line. This new generation of speakers benefits from Focal’s latest technological developments and major innovations to establish new standards. This aspiration is clearly reflected in the five models of this new series, which include the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 bookshelf speaker, and the Focal Aria Evo X N°2, Focal Aria Evo X N°3 and Focal Aria Evo X N°4 floorstanding speakers. The latter can be used in both hi-fi and home theater setups, accompanied by the Focal Aria Evo X CC center speaker.
Presentation of the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 speaker
Design
With the new Focal Aria Evo X range, Focal has reused the luxurious design of the previous Aria speakers, with an elegant style and high-quality materials. The front, bottom and rear panels are all covered with beautiful leatherette that adds texture and depth to the bookshelf speaker. The top of the speaker features a black glass plate. While the latter gives the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 a touch of refinement, it tends to get covered in fingerprints and dust. Lastly, the side panels are available in three finishes: black lacquer, walnut and green lacquer for a more original look.
The magnetic grille included with the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 speaker covers the front panel entirely. This allows the speaker to be even more discreet, as it hides the drivers and bass-reflex port. With its magnetic design, the front of the speaker is free from any notches. The guarantee of a sleek, elegant design, with or without the grille.
Acoustic design
As the successor to the best-selling and multi-award winning Focal Aria 906, the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 features an improved acoustic design and components. The tweeter, in particular, uses technologies found in the French manufacturer’s car speakers and recent Focal Vestia range. It is an M-profile TAM model created using an aluminum and magnesium alloy (Al/Mg). Exclusive to the brand, it provides a smoother and more refined reproduction than the previous Arias. It is mounted at the center of a waveguide that improves horizontal directionality and provides more realistic imaging. The wider diffusion angle ensures better perception of high frequencies and greater definition up to 30kHz.
For the 6.5” midbass driver, the French manufacturer has opted for the Flax cone that made the original Focal Aria range so successful. It has the same composition, with a thin layer of flax sandwiched in between two layers of fiberglass. This biomaterial is used for its high neutrality, achieved through properties similar to those of carbon and Kevlar, namely lightness and low elasticity.
This cone is now mounted on an innovative surround using patented TMD (Tuned Mass Damper) technology, which is also present in the Focal Sopra speakers. Exclusive to the brand, it features a harmonic damper to stabilize the surround and avoid cone warp. As a result, it is possible to harness the full dynamic range of the driver, without any risk of distortion. This surround also provides a more natural and consistent midrange reproduction.
To enhance the response in the lows, the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 has a bass-reflex enclosure with a circular front-firing port. This configuration makes the speaker easier to install in the room, as it can be placed close to a wall or in a bookshelf.
The Focal Aria Evo X N°1 has a sensitivity of 89.5 dB and an impedance of 8 ohms. The manufacturer recommends an amplification power between 25 and 120 watts. This allows it to be harmoniously paired with many high-fidelity amplifiers and AV receivers. To simplify this process, the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 is equipped with a pair of screw terminals on the rear panel, compatible with banana plugs, spade terminals and wide gauge cables.
Focal Aria Evo X N°1: specifications
- 2-way speaker
- Bass-reflex enclosure with front-firing port
- Magnetic fabric grille
- 1x 6.5” midbass driver with Flax cone and TMD surround
- 1x 1” inverted dome TAM tweeter
- Recommended amp power: 25W to 120W
- Frequency response (+/-3 dB): 55Hz to 30kHz
- Sensitivity: 89.5 dB (1W at 1m)
- Nominal impedance: 8 ohms
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 225 x 390 x 280mm
- Weight: 8.5kg (per speaker)
Listening conditions
For our review of the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 speakers, we used the Marantz Model 50, Sonos Amp and Rotel A-12 MK2 amplifiers, as well as the Cayin CS-55A KT88 tube amplifier. For our audio source, we connected a Bluesound Node X streamer to enjoy Hi-Res music from Qobuz and Tidal. To achieve the best results, we placed the speakers on NorStone Stylum 3 stands.
Listening impressions
Dynamic, transparent and remarkably clear, the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 speaker had the same impressive qualities of the previous Arias. This bookshelf speaker delivered highly rich mids, giving vocals excellent presence. They were every so slightly highlighted, which reinforced the perception of the artists’ various intonations. The singers materialized at the center of the stage with assurance, seeming to murmur in our ear. The sound reproduction was intimate, allowing us to hear all the different tessituras and vocal textures. This pronounced character in the mids also helped to ensure an excellent reproduction of brass instruments. On Stan Getz’s album Jazz Samba Encore, these wind instruments were perfectly nuanced and vibrant, with clean attacks.
The new TAM tweeter refined the high frequencies, which were a little smoother without losing any definition. The transparency and clarity that characterize Focal speakers has been maintained to illuminate the acoustic message. As usual, Focal eschewed any superfluous embellishments at the top of the spectrum. By avoiding artificially softened effects, the resulting sound was extremely authentic. The treble in particular benefited from this philosophy, boasting a freshness that made every nuance, detail and micro-information crystal-clear. The percussion on Phil Collins’ Another Day in Paradise was reproduced with great clarity. We could feel the powerful, natural impacts of the drums.
The Focal Aria Evo X N°1 speaker had plenty of energy to spare, and boasted remarkable dynamics to provide an impressive musical rhythm. It managed to provide the tempo at all volume levels, thanks to a consistently balanced sound. Without being abyssal, the bass was vibrant, powerful and tight. On Chris Jones’ Long After You Are Gone, the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 reproduced every nuance of the double bass with perfect accuracy, demonstrating its ability to sustain notes over time. It created a well-defined sonic landscape. The soundstage was pleasantly deep and enabled the different arrangements to be fully expressed.
Focal Aria Evo X N°1: compared to…
Focal Aria 906: the Focal Aria 906 speaker paved the way for the Aria Evo X N°1, with whom it shares certain technologies, notably the midbass driver. However, the latter has been improved with a TMD surround that provides greater precision and control in the mids, especially at high volume. But the most noticeable improvements come from the new TAM tweeter, which delivers softer highs without erasing the brand’s signature clarity.
Focal Vestia N°1: released a year ago, the Focal Vestia N°1 speaker is more affordable, priced at €898. It shares the same TAM tweeter as the Focal Aria Evo X N°1, but the latter appears to benefit from better phasing in the Aria Evo X N°1. What’s more, the Aria’s Flax driver offers slightly richer, more textured midrange.
Focal Aria Evo X N°1: who is it for?
The Focal Aria Evo X N°1 speaker is a wonderful upgrade that lets you enjoy the brand’s distinctive sonic world, with even greater precision and control than the Focal Vestia N°1. It will appeal to fans of clear, transparent, luminous sound that effectively emphasizes the smallest details of recordings. The richness of the midrange also benefits vocals, allowing every intonation to be perceived. These French speakers will also impress lovers of luxury objects, thanks to their lavish leather-effect finish and glass top panel.
Conclusion
Focal has succeeded in perfecting the legendary Focal Aria speaker range. Without calling it a revolution, the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 effectively upgrades the Focal Aria 906 speaker, providing a more refined listening experience, limiting excessive high-frequency sibilance and enhancing the harmonic richness of the midrange. Luminous, transparent and bright, the Focal Aria Evo X N°1 speaker is a perfect illustration of the French brand’s unique expertise. It will excel in both hi-fi and home theater applications thanks to its sense of detail and remarkable dynamics.
We liked:
- The luxurious finish with leatherette and glass
- The transparent sound
- The excellent dynamics
- The tight, nuanced bass
We would have liked:
- Even deeper bass
- Slightly softer highs
