Certainly worth a comparative listen if youre auditioning the 926s.

Focals Aria 900 line-up makes its dbut this weekend, and judging from the Aria 926 floorstanders (above) Ive been using for the past couple of weeks, the French speaker company could be on to something rather special.

Kef R700 Reviews Drivers And A

Theres not too much you can do with the established design elements of drivers and a box (however its shaped), so hardly an announcement of a range of speakers goes by without some claim of an innovative choice having been made for cones or domes.

The initial sandwiches of material (top left) are pressed into cones, assembled into surrounds, and processed through to final testing and listening, all in Focals French factory.

Those prices are in walnut finish: black high gloss adds 100 to the Aria 906, and 200 to the Aria 926.

These are some of the most direct and communicative speakers Ive encountered for a very long time, and above all theyre huge fun to listen to.

And thats especially true of youre also trying to avoid falling back on some of the lazier reviewing clichs, from trouser-flapping bass (which surely went out when loon pants were abandoned some time around the mid-1970s, but I guess may have been revived when chinos came back in) to windows being cleaned and flung open.

Cabling (apart from the Naim Hi-Line between NDS and SUPERNAIT 2) was all from The Chord Company.

Mind you, so would these 926s, based on the listening I did with both an original NaimUniti and the new NaimUniti2.

They were magical with the Uniti2 and made me buy the package rather than just the speakers Id originally been looking to get.

This is a complete bargain at this price for the pair -and no, I dont work for Focal or Naim.

The 926s look better once the grilles are in place, the KEFs without the grilles.

I guess this is just the honeymoon period right now but I couldnt be happier.

Kef R700 Reviews Upgrade Route Is

Especially as my only real upgrade route is to change the speaker cable which I probably will do as I dont think the QED micro cable I have right now is doing the lower end justice at higher listening levels.

Your review inspired me to try the Focals and I loved em just as described.

It appears from cutaway illustrations, to not have a rear chamber.

Is this true If so, it seems more like a measure to pave the way for a future luxury version, rather than a cost cutting measuremaybe Im speculating too much on that, though.

Hz is very low for a tweeter with no rear chamber.

Not saying you cant get decent sound without the chamber, but having one is that much better.

Btw, how would you compare these Aria to BWs similarly priced line To my ears BWs aluminum tweeter is not friendly to solid state receivers, etc.

Have u ever heard these loudspeakers If so how does new Aria compare david.

If you are in this price range for speakers I urge you to listen to them.

The speakers arent perfect but they connect you with the soul of what the performer was trying to convey.

I think this speaker is at the point of where the room itself is likely to be as important to the sound you hear.