Yesterday brought news that Focal was introducing super-low-profile speakers that mount to a wall (the Focal On Wall 300 series). Today, the French speaker builder is showing off new companions for its more traditional Aria K2 936 floorstanding loudspeaker: the Aria K2 906 bookshelf speaker and the Aria K2 Center.
If you’ve been waiting to expand your Aria K2 936-based home stereo system into a cinematic surround sound system, Focal has you covered with the Aria K2 906, a two-way bookshelf speaker that can be deployed as the surround companions to the Aria K2 936 or enjoyed on their own as a stereo pair.
The speaker consists of a 6.5-inch midrange fabricated from a light foam layer sandwiched between a layer of Aramid fibers on one side and a layer of fiberglass on the other. A 1-inch aluminum/magnesium inverted dome tweeter is mounted above the mid-range.
Focal
A top-shelf Focal home theater system, based on Aria K2 936 floorstanding speakers and an Aria K2 Center up front, and Aria K2 906 bookshelf speakers on stands handling the surround channels.
Focal says the Aria K2 906 delivers frequency response of 55Hz – 28kHz (+/- 3dB), with crossover occurring at 2,800Hz. The company recommends driving the 8-ohm (nominal) impedance speaker with amplifiers that can deliver 30 to 120 watts of power (minimum impedance is 4.6 ohms).
The drivers are mounted in an ultra-rigid MDF bass-reflex enclosure to reduce vibration and coloration. The cabinets, which measure 15.375 x 8.875 x 11 inches (HxWxD), have an ash-gray finish with a leather-like front panel, a designed aesthetic carried over from Focal’s flagship Utopia line of loudspeakers. The photos that Focal provided of the 18.7-pound speakers don’t reveal integrated mount points on the backs of the speakers, but some shots do show them on stands. The company did not provide the price for that accessory.
Focal
Focal’s Aria K2 Center should make a great companion to either the Aria K2 936 floorstanding speakers or the Aria K2 906 bookshelf model.
Focal’s Aria K2 Center, which you’d deploy beneath your TV or projection screen, features two of the same 6.5-inch mid-range drivers used in the Aria K2 906 bookshelf speaker, bracketing the same 1-inch inverted-dome tweeter in a horizontal form factor. The MDF cabinet measures 7.875 x 21 x 9.625 inches (HxWxD), features the same finish as the bookshelf model, and weighs 23.15 pounds.
The Focal Aria K2 906 will be available later in September for $1,990 a pair. The Aria K2 Center will be priced at $1,190; the Aria K2 936 are available now for $5,990 a pair. For home theater applications, Focal recommends pairing the speakers with its Sub 1000F subwoofer, which sells for $1,990. You can read more about the new speakers at Focal’s website.
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the smart home, home audio, and home theater. He built his own smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world test lab for product reviews. Following a relocation to the Pacific Northwest, he is now converting his new home, an 1890 Victorian bungalow, into a modern smart home.