What are the biggest differences between Focal Aria Evo X No.2 & the HDI-3600 & 1723 Tower S ??

[Subzero11]

I currently have the a bookshelf the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 and I want to go with a tower speaker next. I've had a few other bookshelf's in the last few years and Debut 2.0 are the one's I ended up liking the most or I should say most acceptable to live with so far. I need something that has a tight bass nothing crazy with a balanced sound but not too forward or bright. Also needs to soundstage good and disappear in the room. I've watched AA video review of the Aria Evo X No.4 but they don't really make comparisons. I listen to not so great recordings from the 80's like metal and such, so I need a speakers that won't make them sound worse. Thanks for any advice.

 

[kini]

Try checking out Erin's Audio Corner.

Erin's Audio Corner

The Sound of Science

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

 

[Subzero11]

Try checking out Erin's Audio Corner.

Erin's Audio Corner

The Sound of Science

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

I've looked at that stuff before and you can't just go by measurements. I've bought a bookshelf before that measured super well and I ended up disliking it and returning it. I'm hoping for comparisons this time around.

 

[Eppie]

Those measurements will show the differences though. A speaker with more pronounced upper mid and treble will sound more forward. Treble peaks will sound bright. Dips in the mid bass will lack punch. Look at the graphs for your speaker and maybe look for something similar.

Erin also gives his subjective opinion before showing the measurements. ShadyJ gives his personal opinion and measurements as well. I would look for reviews on this site, on ASR forums and on Erin's YT channel. Few reviewers do direct comparisons so you will likely have to compare single reviews.

You are trying to choose between 3 very good speakers though. I liked the HDI-3600 and came close to buying a pair, as well as the 1723. I also looked at used Aria speakers. In store comparisons showed that each have their own character, though, and that is a personal preference. With Arendal, you can get free trials in most countries. The JBL you might be able to demo at a local retailer. The Aria may be more difficult to demo but in this price range I would do my best to try and demo even it involves a couple hours driving. (The HDI-3600 was two hours away for me but it was a fun afternoon.)

 

[Subzero11]

Those measurements will show the differences though. A speaker with more pronounced upper mid and treble will sound more forward. Treble peaks will sound bright. Dips in the mid bass will lack punch. Look at the graphs for your speaker and maybe look for something similar.

Erin also gives his subjective opinion before showing the measurements. ShadyJ gives his personal opinion and measurements as well. I would look for reviews on this site, on ASR forums and on Erin's YT channel. Few reviewers do direct comparisons so you will likely have to compare single reviews.

You are trying to choose between 3 very good speakers though. I liked the HDI-3600 and came close to buying a pair, as well as the 1723. I also looked at used Aria speakers. In store comparisons showed that each have their own character, though, and that is a personal preference. With Arendal, you can get free trials in most countries. The JBL you might be able to demo at a local retailer. The Aria may be more difficult to demo but in this price range I would do my best to try and demo even it involves a couple hours driving. (The HDI-3600 was two hours away for me but it was a fun afternoon.)

I've watched a ton of Erin's reviews over the years. It's just a lot of money I'll be spending, just seeing if anybody out there who's heard these speakers personally. If I'd had the money I wouldn't mind buying all three and then switching them out every once in awhile LOL. I think I'm going to buy the HDI-3600 soon they been on a discount for a little while now, you can get them for $999 each. It's been a minute at that price wonder if they are being discontinued.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I've looked at that stuff before and you can't just go by measurements. I've bought a bookshelf before that measured super well and I ended up disliking it and returning it. I'm hoping for comparisons this time around.

Just because one person or a few people compared speakers and PREFERRED one over the others doesn’t mean you will also.

 

[Subzero11]

Just because one person or a few people compared speakers and PREFERRED one over the others doesn’t mean you will also.

Of coarse

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Of course

Then I am not sure I understand.

So do you want to see SUBJECTIVE comparisons more than OBJECTIVE measurements?

I think what some people are saying is that if your speaker has accurate FR (+/-3dB or less), then your setup (AVR settings, speaker placement, subwoofer) will determine how your SYSTEM will sound. If you want more bass or more treble, you can use room EQ to achieve that.

 

[Subzero11]

I like getting a combination of information, measurements and comparisons/personal experience with the product. I don't know why you don't understand, you think if a speaker measures good then that's it nothing else matters. I don't agree and that's okay, can we just leave it at that now. Like I've said before I got a speaker that measured really great in the past and I didn't like it and I returned it.

 

[shadyJ]

All of those speakers are sure to measure well. My guess is that the JBLs will have the most elevated bass, but the Arendals will have the deepest bass. The Focals will have the widest dispersion. The Arendals will have the highest build quality, they are built like tanks.

 

[MrBoat]

I currently have the a bookshelf the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 and I want to go with a tower speaker next. I've had a few other bookshelf's in the last few years and Debut 2.0 are the one's I ended up liking the most or I should say most acceptable to live with so far. I need something that has a tight bass nothing crazy with a balanced sound but not too forward or bright. Also needs to soundstage good and disappear in the room. I've watched AA video review of the Aria Evo X No.4 but they don't really make comparisons. I listen to not so great recordings from the 80's like metal and such, so I need a speakers that won't make them sound worse. Thanks for any advice.

What size/shape room? A lot of hard/reflective surfaces? What's on the floors? Is it furnished to live/listen in, or is it more of a 'looking' room? I have a relative who has a hard room and every speaker sounds bright, and any real bass is boomy in that room. That kind of room would drive me to headphones.

In the typical rectangular shaped rooms I tend to live and listen in, with ample furnishing, carpeting and other life clutter, tend to favor speakers with a slightly downward in-room response with 'no' elevation on the high end whatsoever, unless I have EQ. I'd rather brighten up a warm speaker, than warm a bright one. I've never really had issue with lack of treble in my life. I have not had issue with speakers disappearing in the room, either, now that I think about it.

In spite of what measurements should indicate to overall performance, when it comes to classic rock/pop, all bets are off. In that case, I think it better to keep a pair of period speakers to that era on the side that were reputable then for exactly that.

 

[Subzero11]

Room is 17x20 carpeted, I think it's a good room for listening to music and I have little clutter in the room. I sit about 11feet from the speakers.

The guy from NRD said that sometimes during the review of the HDI-3600 he could hear sound directly coming from the speakers and they weren't the very best in disappearing but it was minor.

The 1723 Tower S thx the thing that concerns about that speaker is where the tweeter is at. They stand at the same height as my stands/bookshelf's. But with the bookshelf's currently the tweeter is close to my ear level. But with the 1723 Tower S thx the tweeter is below the mid-woofer so the tweeter won't be aligned with my ears anymore it will probably be a good 6 inches off minimum. Couldn't this be a issue for me??

 

[Tankini]

Room is 17x20 carpeted, I think it's a good room for listening to music and I have little clutter in the room. I sit about 11feet from the speakers.

The guy from NRD said that sometimes during the review of the HDI-3600 he could hear sound directly coming from the speakers and they weren't the very best in disappearing but it was minor.

The 1723 Tower S thx the thing that concerns about that speaker is where the tweeter is at. They stand at the same height as my stands/bookshelf's. But with the bookshelf's currently the tweeter is close to my ear level. But with the 1723 Tower S thx the tweeter is below the mid-woofer so the tweeter won't be aligned with my ears anymore it will probably be a good 6 inches off minimum. Couldn't this be a issue for me??

All of the comments and or recommendations are subjective. No one hears exactly the same as others, room, environment and so on. Only one comment on your thread give you an honest opinion. Take what you want a leave the rest.

 

[everettT]

Room is 17x20 carpeted, I think it's a good room for listening to music and I have little clutter in the room. I sit about 11feet from the speakers.

The guy from NRD said that sometimes during the review of the HDI-3600 he could hear sound directly coming from the speakers and they weren't the very best in disappearing but it was minor.

The 1723 Tower S thx the thing that concerns about that speaker is where the tweeter is at. They stand at the same height as my stands/bookshelf's. But with the bookshelf's currently the tweeter is close to my ear level. But with the 1723 Tower S thx the tweeter is below the mid-woofer so the tweeter won't be aligned with my ears anymore it will probably be a good 6 inches off minimum. Couldn't this be a issue for me??

This is what those measurements show you, you can easily see the vertical directivity. If for home theater primarily you want to choose between the JBL and Adrenals, if music primarily it's a toss up.

 

[ski2xblack]

Couldn't this be a issue for me??

It could be. As shady and Mr.Boat touched on, think about how the speakers will interact with your room. (That will require some understanding of the measurements, and ideally with some personal experience with different speaker types, and maybe even a deep dive into Toole's book).

So in addition to vertical response, also consider horizontal and overall power response, and how such differences will play out in your room. The JBLs and Arendals have dispersion that is more narrowly constrained. That may benefit in a lively acoustic environment, or if you plan on trying the somewhat unconventional time-intensity trading approach, which demands narrower controlled directivity speakers. In a more tame acoustic environment, the Focals or other wide dispersion speaker might make more sense. You have some degree of "choose you illusion" freedom here.

Shady's, and Erin's and Amir's, reviews and measurements can help you rule out any speakers that don't 'get out of the way of the music' (mainly due to resonances, but also fr aberrations, off axis response, etc, that all show up in measurements, and all of which are audible tells). None of the three models are duds, per shady's response above, but they are different.

 

[Subzero11]

It could be. As shady and Mr.Boat touched on, think about how the speakers will interact with your room. (That will require some understanding of the measurements, and ideally with some personal experience with different speaker types, and maybe even a deep dive into Toole's book).

So in addition to vertical response, also consider horizontal and overall power response, and how such differences will play out in your room. The JBLs and Arendals have dispersion that is more narrowly constrained. That may benefit in a lively acoustic environment, or if you plan on trying the somewhat unconventional time-intensity trading approach, which demands narrower controlled directivity speakers. In a more tame acoustic environment, the Focals or other wide dispersion speaker might make more sense. You have some degree of "choose you illusion" freedom here.

Shady's, and Erin's and Amir's, reviews and measurements can help you rule out any speakers that don't 'get out of the way of the music' (mainly due to resonances, but also fr aberrations, off axis response, etc, that all show up in measurements, and all of which are audible tells). None of the three models are duds, per shady's response above, but they are different.

It's only for music not TV. Also I would say my listening room is more acoustic tame environment in my opinion. I will look stuff over and go from there. Thanks everybody.

 

[MrBoat]

Room is 17x20 carpeted, I think it's a good room for listening to music and I have little clutter in the room. I sit about 11feet from the speakers.

The guy from NRD said that sometimes during the review of the HDI-3600 he could hear sound directly coming from the speakers and they weren't the very best in disappearing but it was minor.

The 1723 Tower S thx the thing that concerns about that speaker is where the tweeter is at. They stand at the same height as my stands/bookshelf's. But with the bookshelf's currently the tweeter is close to my ear level. But with the 1723 Tower S thx the tweeter is below the mid-woofer so the tweeter won't be aligned with my ears anymore it will probably be a good 6 inches off minimum. Couldn't this be a issue for me??

You're on the right track with the room. Fortunately, it's not some wide open floorplan with tile throughout.

I have not met a speaker that does not disappear in room in recent years. The only thing that could wreck the stereo image with any of them was positioning. The modern penchant for having speakers facing straight ahead, off axis, like proper soldiers, acoustics be damned, give a lot of decent speakers a bad rep for nothing. I can't imagine anything JBL makes not meeting that disappearing act. Even the little LSR305s I got some years ago image for days. I have to walk right up on them to get isolate them and even then I have to focus on it. Same with the phantom center image. . .every JBL I own from y2k to current has an inescapable center.

I know you say you sit 11ft back from your speakers, but your room's natural sweet spots may not be there. My primary sweet spot is 8ft, with a secondary around 13'. But I prefer to listen point blank near field, 3-5ft back. Something to think about to maybe avoid torturing your equipment to aim at predetermined listening positions. In other words, speaker positioning is important. I listen close because I don't feel like dealing with first reflections and such, since I am more often than not, the only one in this room. My chair used to be at 11' and I always ended up cruising my chair to the 7-8ft spot.

 

[Subzero11]

Yeah I know ideally with my bookshelves 7-8 feet back would be more ideal then 11feet. I'm getting some tower speakers soon, so I rearranged some things in my room and I'm ready for them now. In the manual for the Focals towers it was suggested that 10 ft would be the minimum. I'm not saying I'm getting the Focals 100% I'm just saying what it said in the manual/quick start guide. From the most of the reviews that I've seen in the past most people who are reviewing full size towers they're usually around a good 10 feet away or something close to that.