Focal Aria Evo X No.4 Loudspeaker Review

[shadyJ]

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Our last encounter with Focal’s Aria line was in our review of the Aria K2 936 Floor-Standing speaker. We liked that speaker’s neutral tonality, wide dynamic range, and bold styling. Focal recently refreshed their Aria line with the ‘Aria Evo X’ series, and we were curious to see what improvements have been made, which brings us to today’s review of the Aria Evo X No.4. As the name denotes, the Evo X series is an evolution not revolution, so what we expect to see is basically a refresh and updating of the existing designs with improvements in technology rather than a top-down redesign. Such improvements would only make a good speaker even better, since the Aria series already has a fundamentally good design. In this review we ask the questions: how much has Focal improved upon the Arias with this refresh? Are the changes merely cosmetic? How does the Aria Evo X No.4s stack up against other speakers in this highly competitive market segment? Read our full review to find out…

READ: Focal Aria Evo X No.4 Review

 

[Mikado463]

as usual James, a well done review of what appears to be a fine speaker at a very favorable price point.

 

[ryanosaur]

Thank you, @shadyJ ! Always makes my day when I jump on and see a new review.

Looks like a solid offering. I’m a little surprised at the elevated tweeter energy around 8kHz which you discuss.

 

[Eppie]

Another nice review Shady. I almost purchase a pair of Aria 936 a couple of years ago. Focal has a solid speaker in that line.

 

[Mikado463]

Eppie, it's Focal not Revel

 

[Eppie]

Eppie, it's Focal not Revel

Fixed.

 

[gene]

 

[Bobby Bass]

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Our last encounter with Focal’s Aria line was in our review of the Aria K2 936 Floor-Standing speaker. We liked that speaker’s neutral tonality, wide dynamic range, and bold styling. Focal recently refreshed their Aria line with the ‘Aria Evo X’ series, and we were curious to see what improvements have been made, which brings us to today’s review of the Aria Evo X No.4. As the name denotes, the Evo X series is an evolution not revolution, so what we expect to see is basically a refresh and updating of the existing designs with improvements in technology rather than a top-down redesign. Such improvements would only make a good speaker even better, since the Aria series already has a fundamentally good design. In this review we ask the questions: how much has Focal improved upon the Arias with this refresh? Are the changes merely cosmetic? How does the Aria Evo X No.4s stack up against other speakers in this highly competitive market segment? Read our full review to find out…

READ: Focal Aria Evo X No.4 Review

James thanks for your latest review. That green does look sharp especially with the flax cones. My daughter the interior designer would approve. Different from the usual offerings as you noted.

 

[paulgyro]

Nice review, I'd love to see inside the cabinet and a look at the crossover. In the cheaper Aria lines it seems Focal prioritized look vs good construction and quality crossover. Arendal destroys them in the engineering department...too bad they don't look better

Any additional comments on quality of the cabinet or crossover?

Paul

 

[shadyJ]

Nice review, I'd love to see inside the cabinet and a look at the crossover. In the cheaper Aria lines it seems Focal prioritized look vs good construction and quality crossover. Arendal destroys them in the engineering department...too bad they don't look better

Any additional comments on quality of the cabinet or crossover?

Paul

I didn't take this speaker apart so I didn't get a good look at the internals and can't speak to their quality. I wasn't sure I could remove components without damaging the speaker.