Unveiling Focal Aria Evo X: A Legacy of Audio Excellence

Ahhh 1979, a fine year. The year both World Wide Stereo and Focal were established. After over 40 years of manufacturing speakers by hand, the French speaker company continues to engineer high-performance speakers across a myriad of price points. With entry-level speaker series like Theva and Vestia, all the way up to truly marvelous works of acoustic engineering like Sopra and Utopia, Focal Audio covers the home audio and hi-fi world with something for everyone. But of course, you cannot forget about their most popular line—in my opinion—the Aria. After over a decade of success with the Aria 900 series, Focal has finally decided to refresh the design. Now introducing: Focal Aria Evo X.

Aria Evo X Series

• Focal Aria Evo X No. 4 Floorstanding Loudspeaker
• Focal Aria Evo X No. 3 Floorstanding Loudspeaker
• Focal Aria Evo X No. 2 Floorstanding Loudspeaker
• Focal Aria Evo X No. 1 Bookshelf Loudspeakers
• Focal Aria Evo X Center Channel Speaker

The Evolution of Aria: A Decade of Success

The Aria series of speakers have been well known for a few things. Number one, their flax fiber speaker cones. Something unique Focal continues to do is preferring to use the same material for both the bass and mid-range cones. This leads to a very natural blend between the mids and bass, with virtually no breakup or inconsistencies between the two. The flax fiber cones have been featured not only in Aria, but also in their line of Car Audio Speakers, pro-audio monitors, and of course the step-up line of home speaker, the Kanta. The flax fiber cones will give you excellent clarity in the mid-range, with some of the best vocal reproduction on the market, and swift, punchy bass, with no bloat. Overall, a truly excellent and balanced sound.

Innovations in Aria Evo X

It’s not all about tradition and bringing back the old. There have been several innovations on Focal’s part with the new Aria Evo X. At the top of the list is the incorporation of the TAM tweeter; a Magnesium/Aluminum M-shaped profile and inverted dome with the ability to play frequencies up to 30kHz. Focal has long been known for their inverted dome tweeters, and the Aria Evo X adopted the same tweeter found in the Vestia line. Focal also redesigned the surround on the mid-range equipped with a Tuned Mass Damper to stabilize the driver. This allows for better dynamics and clarity while reducing distortion, as well as adding a larger magnet to the bass drivers of the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 floorstanding models to deliver more impact in the lower register. With a new tweeter, and new under the hood tweaks of the flax cones, Focal of course updated the crossover to better fit the new design choices.

Aesthetic Refresh: Moss Green Edition  

Something I of course have to mention is the inclusion of a new color finish for the Aria Evo X; Moss Green. I am definitely a fan of bold color choices, and the Moss Green is a welcomed edition to the familiar line up of Prime Walnut and Black Gloss. We hope to have the Moss Green on display in our Montgomeryville, PA showroom, so be sure to plan a field trip to see & listen to them in person!

Navigating Focal's Home Speaker Lineup: A Simple Tier List

With so many speakers in Focal’s line up, it can be an intimidating endeavor to understand how their lines stack up against each other. So here is my easy-to-understand tier list of the Focal Home Speaker Line up from Top to Bottom:

1. Utopia – “W” Cone Mid and Bass / Beryllium Inverted Dome tweeter
2. Sopra – “W” Cone Mid and Bass / Beryllium Inverted Dome tweeter
3. Kanta – Flax Fiber Cones / Beryllium Inverted Dome tweeter
4. Aria Evo X – Flax Fiber Cones / Inverted “M” TAM Tweeter
5. Vestia – Slate Fiber Cones / Inverted “M” TAM Tweeter
6. Theva – Slate Fiber Cones / Inverted TNF Tweeter

Conclusion: Explore Focal's Audio Engineering Masterpieces

All of Focal’s speakers are excellent works of audio engineering, and with such a diverse line up, they surely have a speaker for everyone.